30 August 2010


I said I would create a G blues backup track if I had time. Here is one. Nothing amazing, but its great for playing your scales to. It lets you hear the different sounds the scales have. Every exercise I have posted so far can be played over this track. Put it on repeat if you really want a good work out.



G Blues Backing Track


This is where guitar starts to get fun. Using the same chord progression and the same pentatonic minor scale, we can add 2 more notes and create a whole different sound. The minor scale. The red notes are still G, the gray notes are the ones from the pentatonic minor scale that we have been playing with. The purple notes are the new ones. A and Eb (can also be called D#). So go back to the chord progression I posted before and try playing this scale over it. Practice until you figure out how to make it sound good. Its not at easy as the previous scales, but you will get used to which notes sound good where.

G Pentatonic Major


Ok now for a little twist. If you move the G Pentatonic Minor scale down four frets you get the G Pentatonic Major. The red dots are still the G notes. See how the form is the same, but where the root notes(G) have changed position? You can also play this scale over the same 12 bar blues in G that is listed below. I think of it as having a bit of a country sound to it. The notes you resolve on are in different places now. Give it a try and email me if you have any questions.

G Blues Scale


This is the G Blues Scale. It is identical to the G Minor Pentatonic except that it has the Flat 5ths also known as the Blue Note. I colored them blue so you would remember that. The red notes are still the Root notes. In this case they are the note G. Try practicing playing to the chord chart I posted yesterday. Try adding these Blue notes in to what you were doing yesterday. I think they sound great as passing tones on your way to another note. But every rule can be broken as well. Its all about what sounds good to you.

G Pentatonic Minor Scale


This is the pentatonic minor scale. It sounds great over the 12 bar blues in G. It also sounds great over other music in the key of G. The notes that are red are all G. You should record your self playing the 12 bar blues in G and then practice soloing over the chords using this scale played at the 3rd fret. Try ending... on a red note. It seems to resolve well. You don't always have to end a phrase that way, but its a good place to start. Just build little phrases of two or three notes ending on a red note. Branch out from there. If I get time I will upload a 12 bar blues in G for you to practice with.

These are the chords for the G Blues Progression



The numbers show which finger to use for a note. The dots above the diagram are stings that are played open. The strings with X's aren't played.

G Blues Progression


Thought I would upload this for a few friends of mine. Here is the chord progression for the 12 bar blues in the key of G.