Today’s video is a fairly simple idea that can be used in a lot of different ways.

It’s not difficult, so I’ll say this might even be a beginning level lesson, but it’s something I didn’t know about until I’d been playing for many years, and now I see it come up in lots of songs.

Have fun:

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    This Video

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    The TAB

    Use this to download the TAB for this move on both the E7 and A7 chords if you need it.


    37 replies to "Open E7 And A7 Options"

    • Michael Chappell

      I don’t really like the sound of the chords in that context, but nevertheless a good lesson.

      Michael- Sydney-Downunder July 5th 2023

    • Joe

      Happy Birthday!

    • JamesBgoode

      Hello Griff
      Another great lesson. I’m still loving it.

    • My3kGT

      Take the E7 variant and add an E9 to it and you have half of the Got To Get Better In A Little While riff.

    • Jean

      Enjoyable. Thank you

    • Holly Jurbergs

      Amazing and cool chord progressions! I’m definitely going to use this in one of my songs!

    • Richard Kendrick

      Great practical lesson! I’ve never used the E7 variant before. The A7 variant is used multiple times in “Give A Little Bit” by Supertramp.

      • Richard Kendrick

        I just realized that if you Capo the 3rd fret and add some slap strums, you’re playing “The Pusher” by Steppenwolf, alternating between G7 and C7 variants.

    • David Lieder

      As a relatively new blues player but intermediate overall player this is something i havent seen before. Very easy but great sounding. I’m adding this to my bag of go-to’s.
      Thanks

    • Bob K

      Movable chord shapes without having to worry about open strings, what kind of black magic, dark side of the force powers are you using here!!!!

      Great lesson Griff. Love how you incorporated the walking chords into the standard blues in E that many of us are familiar with.

      One question about when to use them. Should we follow same pattern in standard 12-bar (or even in quick-change too) where we do the E7 variations in bars 1-4, A7 variations in bars 5-6, then back to E7 in bars 7-8, etc.? Guess I’ll play around with it and find out…although I really should be focusing more on BGU 2.0 lessons I got recently!

    • Terry

      Love it! Dang, I’m at work now. Can’t wait to get home to try this!

    • Marion White

      really like the acoustic stuff, thanks

    • Mike

      Slow it down a bit and you’ve got The Pusher.

    • bill

      What a great way to make that basic “e blues” pattern more interesting. Lets face it that gets old after a while and this csan really add a whole new dimention to it. Thanks Griff!

    • johnnie

      Thanks for the reminder! Takes me back, way back, LOL

    • ed

      a nice mix of jazz and blues

    • Dave Schmitt

      Thanks Griff – I really enjoyed it.

    • Terrance Schlagel

      Hello all. I have a question. I noticed that in the second variation of both chords, a 4th and a 6th are added. Are those still considered 7th chords?
      Terre

      • Peter

        He’s actually playing the flatted 7th, on both – 3rd fret on top E is adding a G into the A7; 3rd fret on B is adding a D into the E7..

    • Bill

      Thx Griff. You slid a great song suggestion in there on us when you said “these are basically the chords to Clapton’s Change the World”. Yup, indeed they are. Fantastic. As always. Peace, Out.

    • David Douglas

      Niiice! Thanks once again Amigo!
      D

    • Kevin O'Sullivan

      I too loved the picking version. Not discordant at all!

    • TA Ratko

      I believe Griff is describing the use of so-called “drone chords”. A good example of this is the song “Melissa” by the Allman Brothers Band. Also, I’m pretty sure the Stones used the A7 variant in “Stray Cat Blues” on the 1969 live album from MSG in NYC, “Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out”.

    • Paul Wilson- white from England

      Well yes a Clapton song .but he did not play it on the original record he just overdubbed the voice a guy called dean parks played that he is a great session guitar player,he plays this finger style.
      Also it is a great way of mixing up your rythum playing.
      I don’t like the song to be honest,but I do appreciate the skills and thought process of dean parks accoustic chord progression.
      If been researching blues music now for nearly 3 years while learning to play and Griffs the man he is a great teacher and can play anything he is just a humble guy.
      Stick with Griff if you want learn real Blues music also I recommend learning the delta blues forget the slide bits unless your in to it but the bits in between are real blues sound that on an electric sound just like the greats we all love

    • Mike

      Thanks for the lesson Griff

    • Jim

      …change the world, indeed! Cool lesson! I really liked the finger-picked version! Thanks for yet another little gem and inspiration to play!
      Awesome, Griff!

    • Rustie

      Sounds discordant and plain wrong.

      • Bill Thomas

        It sounds wonderful to me. Too bad you can’t just appreciate.

      • Graeham

        Someone once said, if it sounds right then it is right but whether or not it sounds right is in the ear of the beholder – it’s great we’re all different.

      • lee

        I do think there seems to be too many notes floating out when the chords move up. I’m not discordant is the right description but I know what you mean.

        • lee

          insert sure above no option to edit? strange

    • Chris Roper

      Brilliant! More options! Gotta be good!
      Cheers GH.

    • john

      could not download the video – it just launches the video again

      • Griff

        It depends on how your browser is configured. If you right click on that link, and choose “save as…” or something similar, that should work.

    • Sam

      Thank you, great lesson.

    • mike z.

      Griff , this is such a cool lesson . It sounds great , and the way you teach it , makes it easy . Thanks for this great lesson . Mike Z.

    • Jerry Persall

      So glad to see this demonstrated so that others can pick it up. Been playing it for many years now. It is among the coolest things you can do on a guitar. Many thx!

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