Simple 12-Bar Rhythm

How to construct different 12-Bar progressions

• Learn about the 3 sections of a 12-bar progression
• Learn different substitutions for each section
• Learn how to combine them into 6 different progressions.

Included

• Lesson Video

How to find the I, IV and V starting points in any key.

• Learn how to find the root notes starting on the E string
• Learn how to find the root notes starting on the A string
• Learn the most common keys for playing blues
• Review the positions for I, IV and V in the common keys

Included

• Lesson Video

Learn some very simple shuffle rhythms based on playing one note at a time. These rhythms introduce you to the primary melody heard in blues shuffle rhythms, but allow you to start learning them without the fatigue associated with playing the normal two-note patterns.

As simple as these rhythms are, they are perfectly valid rhythms to play, even for advanced players. You'll also learn how to think about rhythm positions in terms of relative position, instead of absolute fret numbers. This concept is much more portable to other keys.

Included

• Lesson Video
• Tablature
• Backing Track

Learn the most common blues rhythms associated with swing-beat blues: shuffles. These rhythms are simple, but require lots of endurance and hand strength to play well.

• Learn 1 and 2 bar patterns
• Learn the most common rhythms
• Enhance the rhythms with "rolling" notes
• Further enhance the rhythms with the third note.
• Learn two different ways to add in the third note.

Included

• Lesson Video
• Tablature
• Backing Track

Learn how to play many of the same rhythms from the last lesson, but over a rock-n-roll beat, where thereís no swing in the beat. Think of the beat from Johnny B. Goode. Although the beat is faster than most swing blues songs, you can play many of the same rhythms, just adapting your picking to the change in beat.

Included

• Lesson Video
• Tablature
• Backing Track

Weíre back to swing-beat blues in this lesson, and Iíll teach you a bunch of single note rhythm licks. These are licks that sound a bit like soloing, but can actually form the rhythm base for a song.

• Simple descending licks
• More complex licks with some back and forth between strings
• Licks that incorporate raking
• See the rhythms demonstrated over various 12-bar progressions.

Included

• Lesson Video
• Tablature
• Backing Track

The ending of a 12-bar progression is one of the most crucial parts. In this lesson I'll teach you about two different parts of the ending that require an extra touch.

• Learn about the important Bar 11 section and licks you can play there.
• Learn about the turnaround, and several different licks to play there.

Included

• Lesson Video
• Tablature

In this lesson we put it all together. I'll show you the steps to building a full 12-bar blues rhythm.

• Picking a pattern
• Picking a progression
• Picking ending options
• Putting it together and adjusting where necessary

Included

• Lesson Video

This is a crucial lesson for any player who wants to be truly good at playing blues rhythm guitar. I'll teach you about the finer points of rhythm playing, things that some players never discover.

• The importance of timing, hitting exact divisions of the beat
• When to be heard, when to blend in
• The different sounds of rhythm: Punchy, Muted, Ringing

Included

• Lesson Video