A lot of folks wonder about how the blues scale(s) and the blues chords go together…
Well, there’s no 1 right answer, there are (as with most things) a lot of answers. Some are easier, some are not 🙂
So in today’s video we’ll talk about some of the options and hopefully you’ll get an idea of where you are at and where you might want to go.
29 replies to "Many Ways To Blues Solos"
Hey Griff, I just watched your above lesson again and I have downloaded the PDF of the 5 Boxes and I like the way you have done this so very clear with the Root Notes etc. I practice the Boxes often if only the Am Box 1, I see that a lot of Blues solos are in Box 1..
Your above lesson is in the Lessons 23 in the BGU Vol 2 course etc..
I liked the way you did this lesson and it makes a lot of sense now..
I also like when you refer to your BGU courses that address what you are doing in the video..
Keep well & safe,
Cheers Michael – Sydney-Australia Nov 21st, 2020
Griff has since put out a Level 4 Course: “Modern Blues Soloing”
Griff, I am confused? I believe you sent out a video a number of months ago where you said if you try to follow the chords as in this example and play D minor pentatonic over the D7 chord and E pentatonic over the E7 it will not sound quite right and you should stay with the A minor pentatonic for 4 and 5. Did I not understand you?
Griff,
This video made it worth every penny I’ve spent on Blue Guitar Unleashed. You finally reached grey matter with me!
Another Gem!!!!!!
I believe all you need is the first 2 boxes to get it going . Thanks for sharing it will help me .
Awesome Griff, This is a fundamental lesson and you made it all easy way. Thank
Thanks Griff a very good refresher as I am now going through BGUV2 again as I struggled at some obstacles the first time and with lessons like these helped me to understand how to better learn from your courses. I think I now have majority of your courses in readiness for my progression and still an advanced beginner creaping into Intermediate..Great lessons and Great teacher.. thanks heaps.
Michael-Sydney-Australia 8th Dec 2016.
Hey Griff, Great refresher since 2016 and now have progressed a bit better and still repeating your courses such as BGU V2 and others.
Will you be changing your address etc as you have now moved to Texas, been there a couple of times during my working life..but please stay safe as the pandemic is spreading badly in the USA..
All the very best as you are certainly the best Blues Guitar Unleashed Teacher ever.
Cheers
Michael-Sydney- Australia Nov 21st, 2020
Griff:
Over 40 years of playing acoustic guitar professional, recording and tunesmith gigs sporadically nationwide, figuring out a practical approach to soloing that not only SOUNDS right, but feels right is always a challenge and sometimes downright frustrating.
Thanks for presenting your approach that tries to demystify this process !
Thanks, it really made sense; playing is another matter, but I now have an idea to work with. Terrific lesson.
Cheers Griff
for the video and the ? to opening the next door
Now to put it to practice over those excellent JAM tracks of yours
Hi Griff, I’ve taken over 10 years of private lessons, spent countless hours blindly playing scales & arpeggios.Despite l earning a fair bit of music theory & learning a lot of pieces of the puzzle, I was waiting for the Ah-Haaa!!! awakening which never came. I dropped my private lessons & instead spent the last 6 months working on a handful of your courses. You said have faith that learning the licks you provided in your courses & online would eventually lead me to see how this stuff works……sadly, I still didn’t get how to use the licks properly (heck, I forgot a whole lot of them pretty quickly because I couldn’t see how they fit in or which scales, boxes or CAGED chord shapes they were derived from). This improvisation thing remained an incredibly frustrating, impenetrable mystery to me. I responded to your survey hoping against hope there would be a way to clear the fog. Your skill as an analytical teacher is remarkable. This video provided the epiphany I’ve been looking for!! I now see how to begin to piece together what I’ve been practicing for an eternity & make sense of how to combine the building blocks. Honestly, I was feeling pretty lost & incredibly stupid at not being able to see the forest for the trees. I chased it sooooo persistently for sooooo long. It was a major frustration at just not getting it no matter how hard I tried. THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!! The perspective of how to use which scales & where just broke down the wall & will move me to the next level. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Bob
Hi Griff
Thanks for this. For me, it might be the most important video I’ve seen from you! I’ve been dipping in and out of many of your courses for a few years and learnt many things but this somehow really clicked with me and a whole lot of stuff suddenly became much clearer. I feel I’ve got some direction now for my blues noodling!
Thanks Griff,
Great video about the Blues scale & the boxes! The secret is that left facing is the Majior scale & right facing is Minor scale from the same root position! Six & a Fourth string roots are perfect example. From page 6 of the PDF’s, cut & glue the 1 box Majior to the 1 box Minor aligning the 1 & 6 th string roots. You then got left & & right facing now! Majior & Minior! Just knowing where your roots are on every string & what box is used in that position. Left facing, Majior, Right facing Minor using the same box!
You got me thinking, haven’t played the Pentonic scales for awhile, been working on other things! Great Great Video
Good thinkin’.Thanks for that.Would be interested to hear Griff discuss the same subject,but using this time using the Major Blues Scale and Minor Pentatonic, instead of Straight major scale.I know a couple of notes will be different,but I find the Staight major scale a bit too”happy” for most blues.
I have played for a long time but I never knew anything about the guitar until I saw your videos. I am still a hack but a little better than before. I have trouble controlling my fingers to get the cords right but try anyway. you explain things simple and easy to follow. I only wish I could afford some of your instructional videos but fixed income keeps me watching you free, thank you for doing what you do so well.
Hi Griff
In this video you said you had a “…PDF for all 5 of the boxes that I’ll try to leave on a page near this video…” I was unable to find it. Please can you tell me how I can get this.
Thanks for your great help and keep up the good work
Apologies… I have a link to that now underneath the video
In this video you said you had a “…PDF for all 5 of the boxes that I’ll try to leave on a page near this video…” I was unable to find it.
Hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving…and thank you for all of your inspirational teachings.
Everytime I watch one of your videos, it gives me hope to learn and understand proper guitar playing techniques. I really enjoy learning “Old BLUES Standbye” and Texas Hideout. Using your BGU method I feel I am on my way to achieving my goal. Thanks Griff…
I love your approach and method of teaching Griff. By really going forward and learning those boxes it totally eliminates the need to study all the modes and etc., etc., etc. You’ve really got it down to a truly learnable science.
This is a great chance for me to say I received your new course, ‘How to Improvise’, on Wednesday this week.
I think it is excellent and would recommend it to all your students.
Griff, you are without a doubt, an amazing musician and guitarist! If you were only next door. Thank-you!
Thank you, I did not realize I could mix in the Major sound over the IV and V. That will make it more interesting and , alas, more complicated.
Begins to sound like a jazz mix. Yes?
Pat
Hi Griff! I am enjoying my Unleashed, and your other books! You have such a vast amount of knowledge with experience. I’m 65 yrs old, and handicapped from arthritis. I am old and slow, but hang on to your every word and video. I noticed your blue guitar. I just bought one like yours. Mine is blue with 2 Pro humbuckers. It is an Epiphone, Les Paul signature series. It sounds AWESOME! These guitars are selling like hot cakes at Sweetwater guitars in Fort Wayne IN.
Thanks for sharing your musical talent!
Terry Armstrong
Terry, I’m 60 and have some arthritic knuckles in my left hand. I’ve found that playing guitar has helped with dexterity. Speed doesn’t matter, but timing is everything!. Griff has so many excellent courses of study–just keep playing!
Hey Griff, things must be going well everyrime, well almost everytime i see you on my screen you have av different guitar, and they are all nice!