This is just for fun 🙂
When you add a couple of notes to the good old box 1 blues scale pattern you get a pattern that lays really comfortably under your fingers and makes for a fast, fun, swing blues vibe.
Enjoy the video, the TAB is underneath.
Downloads
The Video (MP4)Download the MP4 version for Mac or Windows computers with itunes.
- This Video (WMV)
Download this video if you use a Windows computer.
The TAB (PDF)This is the TAB to the lick like I played it at the beginning.
93 replies to "Adding 2 and 6 to the blues scale"
Thank you Griff, great piece. My run doesn’t sound quite like yours yet, but I guess with some more time it will come close. Your control is inspiring. Thanks for all the great lessons. Rob
Just chiming in to say I love your emails and mini-lessons! Thanks, Griff.
PULL OFFS, HAMERONS . I HAVE BEEN USING MY HAND FINGER EXERCISOR AND NOW, I CAN DO THIS WITH OUT A PICK. I CALL IT POUNDING HER FRET BORAD. LOL !
SEEN THIS ONE OVER 5 YEARS AGO THANKS GRIFF.
HEY, I’LL TRY AND MAKE IT TO YOUR GIG IN SEPTEMBER. IT IS ABOUT A 1/2 HOUR DRIVE FROM THE BEACH WITH NO TRAFFIC.
Griff,
I have 30 Guitars in my studio more Electric than Acoustic.
Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, and a beautiful, pristine, 50 year old Martin D.
I must say I am addicted to Acoustic Blues (and some Bluegrass) My Martin never sits idle for more than 12hrs
Now, you have always emphasized anything you post can translates to Acoustic/Electric.
This one took a couple of sessions on Electric to master but on Acoustic…well….that was just a bit of a challenge…When I did get it…It didn’t sound Bluesy (acoustic) enough so I hacked, tweaked, and repeated
and sure enough…. Acoustic Blues finally emerged…!!!
That’s right it is a skynyrd lick instead of ARS
Atlanta ruthenium section’s “ I know a little “.
Boy forgot all about that tune
Very cool! I like it a lot! Yea it opens up a whole bunch of ideas!
Thanks a bunch, Griff!
3/19/19
If you play the D Dorian scale starting on the 5th fret, the 2nd note is B & the 6th note is F , not F#. Correct me if I’m wrong, Thank you & GOD bless !!!
my cd compilation have grown up to be very very large, i love listening to music all day long”
Love it ! But I play an acoustic, & am having trouble getting all the notes audible. Tried picking the 1st & 3rd notes but of course does not sound right & is slow. Any suggestions? Cheers John Aus.
Nice little lick lesson! But, it happened again. You mentioned “Mode” and I instantly became dazed and confused.
Just wondering when you’re going to finally give in and create “Modes Unleashed for Blues Guitar” course. I really believe it’s one of the only major theoretical areas for guitar you haven’t tackled. I know you could do a great job on a simple, useful, practical explanation of modes so that these symptoms of dizziness and slight nausea would go away. Thanks!
Thanks Griff, your timing on these last two videos could not have been anymore perfect for me Cheers 🙂
Cheers Griff
For the lesson it’s similar to some rockabilly licks I’ve
Worked on in the past 😎🎶
About 6th note. The blues scale is a minor scale with a flat fifth. So in A minor the sixth note is F not F#, isn’t it?
yes, but he switches to “A dorian” – which is basically “A minor” with a major 6th – hence the F#.
Yeap, A Dorian is correct. Nice example for those who have trouble with modes. Dorian = 2nd stage of Ionian, so G Ionian
My very visual logical brain just goes bonkers every time you say bottom referring to the lower E string. You say bottom but I see you pick the top E string and vice versa.
You say take it from the top you mean the high E which is on the bottom of the guitar. Very confusing for me, even after a few years of watching you.
I have the same problem with must be the way I was taught in the beginning
but im trying to change my thinking
Yes it’s upside down in the physical world, but in guitar world the common venacular is always referencing pitch, not location. Bottom = low E and top = high E string Playing “up” or “down” also follows the same rules – it’s all about pitch. So whether you play left, right or Jimi Hendrix style upside down, pitch rules!
Griff, great lesson. Thank you!
A sugestion, please show on the main screen, and talk a littke about pick direction on the faster licks. Especialy as they speed up.
Thanks!
Oh Griff, did you say “Caldonia”? I’ve got the Louis Jordan album.
READERS, YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST FOLLOW THIS UP. Go to YouTube and search “Caldonia”. Then check out the Louis Jordan clip from 1946. Yeah, they’re miming but listen… there’s the lick!!!
THEN, check the Southern Blues Kings’ version – some really tasty guitar close-ups; I think they’re playing it in G but it’s still the same song. And the guitarist is playing some of Griff’s chords.
THEN, if you haven’t already died of ecstasy and gone to guitar heaven, check out Gary Moore, Albert King and Albert Collins absolutely smashing Caldonia – they’re having a ball. Note Albert’s Flying V, upside-down, and the PIPE!!!
ChrisG, posting from the Land of OZ.
The reason I view videos like this is to be able to do the stuff at the end of the video so that is what I would like to know more about – how do I get to the point where I can do that kind of thing.
Lots of practice Sometimes hours but it gets easier Well for me it has. example: I was shown box 1 back in 67 and didn’t realize what i was being shown till i stumbled onto Griff on the net. He made me realize it would take hours and hours of practice to come close to sounding like him. I have come to the conclusion that Learning to play a guitar is a life time project. Now im old and gray its a great hobby most other interests have passed away but I still love my Guitars. Press on:
Hi Griff, great lesson on pull off technique.I got the notes under my fingers but not quite the speed yet, hopefully with practice it will come.
You make everything user friendly . I get alot out of what you show people .
Hi Griff. I really like that. I expect it will take an awful lot of practice time but if I eventually crack it, it should do wonders for the mobility of the fingers of my left hand. Is this not the same thing that Gary Moore did in “Moving On” from his “Still Got The Blues” album. As an aside I bought that album when it was first released and subsequently bought the remastered version with several bonus tracks including an amazing version of “The Stumble”. It’s typical Gary Moore with lots of notes played very quickly. Any chance of a lesson based on that?
Hi Griff,
Once again thanks for the lessons you send me and everyone of us. I would just like to let you know. Practicing the licks and techniques you show us has seriously improved my playing. Thanks for the latest installment. I am looking forward to practicing this one.
With sincere thanks….Anthony…
SETZER!
yeah i saw this one before . its cool but after seeing it a second time i wonder why you do not get us aquinted with the solo part at the end . this is why i am here for solo . its not that i can not solo to some degree but lics and solos are not the same . recently checked a lesson by robben ford on creating a solo . not to say that your not infulencing we students . i could understand what robben was talking about but he as well does not make it crystal clear . just for me anyway. still struggling with the composition aspect . your teacher steve describes and shows a solo like no other hope to see something new from him someday soon. his hendrix inspired solo is the bomb that started me on a quest to study jimi hendrix in more depth. steve does the solo without a pic . if you watch a video of robben ford he plays without a pic and has some of the most wonderfull sounds come out . some of his early work was done with joanie mitchell. got to do some diggin into that also c ya
Hi Griff, picked this one up last time around and have had some fun with it albeit a lot slower than your video. Mike69 has already mentioned the D9 discrepancy in the TAB. Thanks for resurrecting this one.
Graeme – Sydney Australia
Thanks Griff, liked it when you indicate when to pluck with pick and pull off with fingers.
Hi Griff, Great lesson, can’t quite get that speed yet but practicing and is a great lick.
Keep them coming, now that I have a lot of your courses, I have the time to start to get stuck into them and now practicing a couple of Hours every day that is 1 hr in the morning and then again in the afternoon and if still going a quick refresh after dinner.
Great lessons from a Great teacher.
Michael -Sydney Australia
Great lesson Griff funny how some hear LS and some hear BS guess the riff has been around still great stuff I’ll throw in a little string muting and get a cool grove feel thanks as always for all you do for us !!!
Great lesson Griff, thanks, I am trying to get my left arm fix’ed, and hope it will be soon ! I can’t wait to start trying some of these cool lessons ! Thank you ! Drake J.
Thanks for sharing Griff, as always I totally enjoy your videos, some are way over my head. Some are really fun once I get the speed down. I’m just trying to get good enough to inspire my grandchildren to play the guitar. Thanks for all you do..Mike
Very nice. This is as if it was the first time I am hearing it. I play these chords often, but somehow was unable to play them like a melody. It now sounds so beautiful to me. Thanks so much.
Hi Griff,
I dig this particular riff or riffs. You definitely can expand on your solos. I want to work this particular riff(s) in my solo repertoire. Thanks again Griff.
Well that was easy enough….
yes, i remmebr this. tears!! my Artritis is so bad now , i can’t even due a pull off. locks up and i go off beat. still a nice swing to use. Thanks Griff.
l like that, sounds cool. Reminds me somewhat of Skynyrds “l know a little”, off their Street Survivors album.
With havin hence a good deal pleased perform you always pass hooked on any issues of plagorism or copyright violation? My website has a lot of restricted gratify I’ve also printed myself before outsourced except it seems a lot of it is popping it awake all over the internet without my permission. Perform you identify one techniques to avoid end satisfy as of being stolen? I’d definitely be thankful for it.
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I enjoyed that it is very catchy. I doubt I will ever be able to get it up to speed because I am 50 years old.
Then maybe when you are 51. 🙂
Thanks for these great videos, Griff. Really appreciate them.
Cool, really good lesson and version. Thanks!
I realise how rubbish my pull offs are. Especially my pinkie.
thanks for this Griff. I need a lot of practice.
Like the lick as I do just about everythig you do. One problem, You say the 4th is a D9 but you are showing a D major in the tab. The 9th sounds better and easier to play being only the 1st 3 strings so I’ll stick with the video.
I’m not seeing a D major in the tab. Its a dominant 7th…and a 9 can sustitute for a 7.
@Jim — I think the point though is that the video is mis-matched with the tab. Griff is certainly playing a “small” D9, but the tab is certainly showing something else (whatever it may be). 🙂
In the second measure of D9 the tab is wrong, fingers should be on strings 123 not 234. The standard notation matches the tab so is also wrong. In the video it is clear Griff is playing a “little” D9 on strings 123.
Thanks yet again for another great lesson!!
Great lick, Griff! Much like “I know a little” (as others have noted)
Thanks much,
DaveyJoe
Nice one – also makes me realise how weak my pinkie pull-offs are so it’s a great practice – Thanks
Like the lesson . . . . . Still make ” Blues in ah Box ” ? Talked to you some time ago about it
RayF
Very Cool…
Fantastic lesson !!! Short and sweet …
Aloha Griff: great stuff, love these little gems
George, you Are Worthy!
…been playing for many of your “Earth Years” and I still find some little thing ( sometimes some Great Big things) to add to my tool box. Hope all is well w/ you and yours. Keep calm and carry on. Thank you. Steve
This is Great, I love how it relates to so many songs.
Learn more from you each time. Great course I bought as we taugh me a lot…I am simply NOT WORTHY.
Sounds like a sky nard lick,great stuff keep it coming.
Sounds a lot like ” I know a little “, by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Cool lesson and video.
thanks Griff-my right hand has issues with picking every note, so pulling off every note is my cup of tea!
I’m practicing already and my left hand just lost all it’s strength; this was that much fun. thank you!
Shades of Alvin Lee. Thanks Griff.
Hey Griff, Pretty cool lesson although that real fast shredding type playing isn’t MY cup of tea but as I was listening and I could hear some Brian Setzer type licks in there and maybe you could give us a lesson along those lines??? I always look forward to your lessons. Thank you.
Try it slowly over a slow blues… works there too and sounds real nice 🙂
Real cool lesson,thanks for this one,your lessons really do help.
Very similar lick in one of my favorite Skynyrd songs, “I Know a Little”. Love it.
Hi Griff,
Thank you for yet another groovy lesson. Your teaching style is very good. I always learn from you.
Very cool brother, I am Brian Setzer fan. I love the swinging Blues/ jazz feel. Simple and to the point. If I ever get where I can I will purchase all of your lessons. Thank for Makin cool accessible.
Great stuff, Griff. I have the chops for the way you show it in the first half of the video. I see the little difference in the intervals by adding the notes. I a ways to go to get it to real speed. My pinky is always a problem-really slows me down.
Great stuff, Griff. This is going to take some work to get close to the speed at the end-a lot of work. I have the chops for the way you show it in the first half, but at the end-I have some real work to do-especially on the pinky. My pinky always causes me problems.
Griff…
You need to post this one on FB because you throw in some actual theory and the how’s and why’s this works and how simplicity is still the BEST policy….! Keep doing what you do, sir!
Carl
Fun, nicely presented sounds cool. Griff, you are the gift that keeps on giving !
As usual,very useful and easy to understand.
Veery cool as always Griff . I have been using part of this exercise already in a song that the band and I have created . Also played around with other parts of this exercise but not so sure if its do able yet . Now your cooking and yes being able to start at the top to bottom of scale is important as well as bottom to top I got that.
AWESOME LESSON Griff!!
Great lick, reminds me a little of the Brian Setzer lick you posted a few years ago. One suggestion. When you post a new lead part, please include a quick demo of the best way to back that up on the rhythm part. You don’t need to spend a lot of time on the rhythm back up, a demo one time through should be enough. Thanks
This is great practice for me.At 87 years old it really makes my fingers do a little work. Thank you
Really liked this one Griff, a definate work out for my fingers,
Thanks for all these great videos…
That’s Great Griff – thanks again!
that is really cool , thanks
great sound and very useable
Thanks again. I’m not sure your realize how many “friends” you have out there. I always look forward to hearing from you. One day I hope to get from New York to shake your hand, but sadly you won’t know who I am. Maybe someday you’ll visit us. Been following you since iPerform3D days.
As always, a great lesson from “the master” of tuition. Thanks Griff, keep ’em coming.
Griff,the feeling is mutual,I agree with the last comments. I will keep practicing it,until I can play it well. Thanks for the great lesson Griff. Mike
I always enjoy these videos Griff although I don’t usually comment. But time I did! Thanks and keep ’em coming!
Great technique! I’ll need to work on this awhile! Thanks!
I dont no how long it will take to get up to speed but I won’t stop until I get there. Many thanks griff
I agree with Mike, Great lesson Griff! Something I will surely use!
Great lesson Griff. It may take a bit of practice, but I can certainly use this one.