• RT6a7 • Minor Blues

Demonstration

TODO

Procedure

We’ve now explored every change in a common minor blues progressions except for the v down to the iv. That transition is easy to handle simply by moving a phrase down two frets.

We’re now ready to tackle a full minor blues.

Record yourself or find a minor blues backing track like the following:

Am7 / %   / %   / %
Dm7 / %   / Am7 / %
Em7 / Dm7 / Am7 / E7

Ensure the backing track loops through all twelve bars at least three or four times (ideally indefinitely).

Use all that you’ve learned to solo over the progression.

Try to anticipate and highlight each chord change.

Suggestions to make it sound musical:

• Don’t be afraid of empty spaces and short two or three note phrases. Often less is more. One good way to pace yourself is to inaudibly sing (or simply exhale) while you play notes, then pause while you catch your breath. You should be saying something with your solos, the pacing should sound like sentences.

• Don’t always come in on one. It’s usually best to start your phrases on beats two three or four, or the “ands” of beats two, three, or four!

• It’s often good to end your phrases on beat one of a new chord (choosing a note that emphasizes that change, of course).

• Don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. A coherent solo is like poetry with repeated refrains.

• Experiment with a “call and response” structure. Bars 1 & 2 are the “call” that gets repeated in bars 5 & 6. The response in bars 3 & 4 and 7 & 8 responds to the call by extending or modifying, or simply answering it in some way. Search YouTube for “blues guitar call and response” to get some ideas.

Pass criteria

Stop when you sound better than Albert, Freddie, Muddy, and B.B. combined.