We spend a fair amount of time talking about how (or, more accurately, when) you start blues licks… but we don’t often talk about how they end.

And you might also wonder a lot about the concept of phrasing – how you string your notes together into phrases that are coherent and make sense.

Well as it turns out, there is a fairly simple trick that ties up both of these ideas for you, and it’s the concept in today’s video – hope you dig it.


    55 replies to "Blues Phrasing – How You End Your Licks Matters"

    • Tommy

      Thanks, Griff! Always great!

    • Richard+Croce

      Thanks Griff. Another great idea.

    • Steve

      Griff Gold

    • Bob Parsons

      Hey Griff….love the daily mail…
      I notice how often you add “ sugar “ to notes….I have a hard time copying that…any secrets to that technique?
      Bob

    • Mr. Ron

      Where you end your phase is the most important thing…with the best chord tones!
      I agree with all others in the Griff Gang! One of your best lessons! And Simple!
      You have done a great job of explaining this so I could finally get my head around this idea of a good chord tone and the timing….when changing from the one to the four chord!
      You just gave us all the KEY to the Blues highway! Great lesson Again! Thanks Griff!

    • Alex J Mowatt

      This lesson is so great. The guitar looks real fine too. I notice a few commenters have said similar things about the guitar. How many do you have now Griff? I remember a while back you commented about your van being stolen and all the gear too.
      Presumably, if insurance was in place, you have replacements for all your gear. I find myself looking beyond you at the battery of amps too. You must be real pleased with some of those.

      • PAUL

        THANKS GRIFF. I’LL PRACTICE THIS TODAY. HOPE YOUR THANKSGIVING WAS A NICE CLOSE FAMILY EVENT.
        ALEX, THE OLD SAYING, “THE ONE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST GEAR WINS”. JUST READY TO FINISH MY PRS GUITAR BULID. SAME FLAME TOP AND COLOR. EMG PICKUPS. I HAVE A FEW ON REVERB. TELE, AND A SUNBURST STRAT WITH HOT RAILS, ROLLER BRIGES ON ALL. CUTOM SUPER POWER TWANG PICK UPS ON THE TELE’S.
        DRAGONFIRE CUSTOM WERKS. NOT THE CHEAP KIT CHINA MADE DRAGONFIRE GUITARS, STOLE MY NAME, BUT MY LOGO IS COPY WRITTEN.

    • David

      This lesson went way over my head. Mostly.
      But having seen that really cool, deep blue, genuine Gibbo Les Paul Custom, I am finally convinced to take the pickguard off my Epiphone White and Gold, Les Paul Custom copy. After all, if I can’t play like Griff, I can still make the effort to at least LOOK the part.

      I KNOW where my strings are. I KNOW where my paintwork is. Why do I need a pickguard?

      Thanks Griff. Keep these lessons coming.

    • kim

      One of the better lessons – very straightforward and something that all of us can apply.

      I’m surprised Griff did not mention the importance of counting ti make sure you know when the chords change. This time he emphasized listening. I guess we have to count and listen. Makes sense.

    • Mara Sand

      Thanks Griff,
      That was just what I needed to know! It makes noodling fun and connected to the chord changes!

    • DaveyJoe

      Excellent!
      4/13/19

    • Sean

      Griff, I really dug that lesson! Thanks for the insight and I can’t wait to try it out 🙂

    • Mike Shaw

      Had to watch the lesson twice. First time through I couldn’t take my eyes off your guitar. What color is that beauty? Second time around I had me head screwed on right and got the lesson; got to quit looking at that eye candy. As always, a great lesson taught superbly.

    • David

      Hey Griff, great to hear you’re working on a new album. They say those that can’t do, teach but you my friend can do it all. A great musician and a great teacher.

      I’m am so excited right now. This video/lesson on hitting the third of the chord is genius. It was like enlightenment, a light bulb moment. I played to a slow blues in A and I sounded good….for the first time in my long life. Also, I could hear the chord changes better and keep track of where the progression was at.

      Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you.

    • Jim

      Great lesson, but I only understood about a third of it!!! 😉

      • Blackbelt

        Jim,

        I understood the other third! 😏

    • Mike

      Thanks do much. Yousplain things nicely.

    • Bill

      Quick question about the timing. Are you hitting the C right when the change to the IV chord occurs? (Beat 1 of the fifth bar) or are you grabbing the F# ?
      Likewise are you grabbing the F# on the first beat of Bar 7 or are you finding the C ?
      Thanks

      • Bill

        Quick question about the timing. Are you hitting the C# right when the change to the IV chord occurs? (Beat 1 of the fifth bar) or are you grabbing the F# ?
        Likewise are you grabbing the F# on the first beat of Bar 7 or are you finding the C#?
        Thanks

    • Terry b

      Thanks griff, what’s your thoughts on half step bends to target the 3rd either at the end of the phrase or during it?

    • Rob

      Hi Griff
      I purchased your course blue guitar unleashed a couple of years back, but due to situation never did anything with, well I’ve picked up guitar again and can’t access what course I purchased, I’m interested in the 5 solo stuff like playing in the porch but don’t know how to access these if purchased, forgotten password
      I still receive your regular emails
      Thanks
      Rob cole

    • John strickland

      Thanks Griff. I have never realized why I ended on octave below (C#) I think. I almost always end on the root. I’ve watched you play and saw you end on the 5th fret 5th string and it just sounded so great. Thanks again.

    • AlanBGo

      Practical, useful and tasty too! Good one. Peace✌

    • Elpidio S Munoz

      Great lesson!!!

    • Ken Terrill

      Dang, Griff! One of your best lessons for me yet. Has added great sound to my leads that I have heard on tons of blue tunes and just didn’t know what it was! Thanks!

    • Mark d.

      Thanks again Griff how you time these videos to coincide with what I’m working on I feel like you’re in my living room with me you’re an outstanding teacher thanks again 🙂

    • Norm

      If I have been understanding Griff, it works, David, simply because it is a short little combining of the two (2) scales/chords that naturally work together for interesting blues soloing – the minor and the major. The third of the A minor pentatonic scale/chord is “C”. The third of the A major pentatonic scale/chord is “C#”. When changing to the “D” chord the same result would apply – ‘F’ being the minor third and ‘F#’ being the major third. I believe, once again if I understand Griff correctly, using either of these notes ‘at the end’ will work but changing the note from minor third to major third adds variety.

    • David

      Hi I am new to your lessons and they are very eye opening. One thing that lost me here though… Ware soloing over the A7 in Am pentatonic but ending the phrase on a note that is not part of the scale. I get that it is the 3rd of the A7 as you explained, but how does that work?

      • MoreFreedom

        The reason it works is because the notes are the third of the I or IV chords respectively, and sound fine when ending a phrase over that chord in the progression.

        They are part of the chords, but not part of the pentatonic scale.

      • David Waterbury

        It works because it is a chord tone of the A7 chord. Since the note is part of the chord being played by the “band” it sounds good when you play it over that chord, even though its not part of the minor Pentatonic scale. The minor pentatonic scale notes will always “work” over any chord in the blues progression (I, IV &V), but other notes will work over particular chords but not others.

    • Michael Chappell

      Hey Griff,

      Great Lesson, I will sure to include this soon. I save all these lessons and keep written notes that correspond to where I save them so I can easily revert back to them as a refresher.

      Great lesson..
      Michael-Sydney- Australia- July 2016

      • Michael Chappell

        Hey Griff, Great refresher as always and as i’m advancing with BGU courses, I am really now able to follow this lesson..

        Stay safe and keep well.

        Michael -Sydney-Australia Sept 24th ,2020

    • Jerry

      I ran across this and it’s related to Griff’s discussion so I thought I’d share. It’s a short thing done by Matt Schofield. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNU2kEd5cJM&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

    • JR London

      And this is just the start as those money notes are in the other position too I guess. A great heads up that ‘effective’ doesn’t have to be tricky! Thanks.

    • Kelly

      Thanks, Griff!

      I always look forward to opening your emails…cause I know 9 times out of 10, it’s going to have great information IN it and ways to improve my guitar playing! Griff, I appreciate YOU! ?

      Thanks for all you do.

      Kelly

    • Zellmon freeman

      Great lesson and great teaching you the best griff

    • Gary Davis

      Thank you so much this lesson open my eyes on how to close out a link your awesome Griffin good teaching thank you so much again

    • stu

      Super important lesson. Made easy to understand and hear. Excellent teaching. Thanks.

    • Jean Dominique

      In terms of importance, I think this video is one of the tops. Probably should have been played way earlier. I really enjoyed it a it is a next step for me to getting better. Thanks.

    • BillyO

      As ever top advice and a great explanation of a great trick
      definitely going into my stock pile after some work getting the hang of it
      Thanks again mr H

    • Jack Flash

      NEED TO GET INTO THE ZONE….

    • John

      Thanks for the theory.

    • Grady

      Great Job Griff!!! Well worth my time and energy to nail that info…..thank you so much!

    • Lynn

      Thanks Griff
      Another good lesson. Targeting the 3rd really works out

    • Mike Aragon

      I was having a brain freeze when I read about targeting the 3rd, this is a real eye opener……Thanks Griff

    • Bob L

      You constantly remind us your here. Some people forget their student when the check clears. Thanks for being unlike any other teacher.
      Your da man! ??

    • brian

      this reminds me of a great opening lick to a garry moore song.
      The song is called “too tired” and it features albert collins.

    • Spotty

      Another great lesson, but another new guitar, you make us all jealous. Thanks Griff, cheers from Downunder.

    • John St Jean

      Griff..Thanks for unlocking that simple little trick that was a mystery and unknown until I watched this video. It will help me a lot when playing phrases.

    • Terry Gardner

      You did it again…giving me more ammo to be added to my soloing/phasing. It would be hard to fine this type of lesson from any other of the hundreds of Blues Guitar lesson givers, but you share these little incites with us that confirms me as a BGU forum member for life as well as the great courses that you offer. Thanks again Griff!!!

    • Steve

      Thanks as always Griff!

    • Colin Campbell

      As ever. A great lesson. Thanks Griff.

    • Ken Terrill

      Sooooo sweet! So simple. New notes, new sounds for playing better lead. Never knew those at all. As always, your lessons are improving my playing every time. Thanks!

    • tony

      Wow now this is very cool .most likely one of you best lessons griff . the E7 cord that you used is applied to many songs . SRV , John Forgerty ,come to mind also Eric Clapton in the early days of Cream . Notice that these guys are a rock an roll feel ,but the blues created rock it just took awhile to get there . Im not really a blues guy expecially not old stuff but some musicians take old songs and apply a rock feel to them and create a song thats new but really isnt. Take walkin the dog it was written and performed way back as a blues tune and maybe not so popular then areosmith re did it and well you know the rest . I do try and end a solo with the same note but not the same octive and on the next higher from the starting note . I really like the way You did this . I have been leaning in this direction . You have definatly helped Me alot since You began BGU. Thanks for the input .

    • Mark Wales uk

      Cheers Griff
      For the lesson heading over to the members area and pulling out the
      Jam tracks and will target the C# and F# if I’m in A?

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