There are SO many blues riffs that come from the notes in the open E Major Pentatonic and Blues Scales that you owe it to yourself to get really comfortable with these shapes and this form.
So in today’s video, I’ll walk you through an idea that I came up with quickly, but you could probably find or create a dozen more with even just a few minutes of your time. And I think you’ll recognize a lot of classic blues riffs as you go through this.
Download the video – MP4
Download the TAB – PDF
27 replies to "E Major Pentatonic/Blues Riff Factory"
There was no discussion re: basis did this riff. Trying to understand this from music theory point of view. Are all notes for 1,4, 5 chords based on Emajor pentatonic scale? Or is this riff based on switching from emajor, A major, B major (1,4,5) pentatonic scales? Thanks.
Hey Griff,
Just what I need today! I was actually trying to put this all together the other day and this is truly it! Great piece to play and then to loop over as well. Thanks as always!
Cheez – learned something new today (thanks Griff!) –
1) there is such a thing as a blue note in the major pentatonic
2) it is not (like in the minor) the flatted 5, but the flatted 3th
3) which actually means the blue note is EXACTLY THE SAME NOTE in the minor and major pentatonic (e.g. in E minor or major pentatonic, the blue note if B flat)
euh, TOO FAST: forget 3), it should read
3) which actually mean that a major pentatonic scale and its relative minor share exactly the same note as the ‘blue note’
I .sat in on bass with group doing .mercury Blues in E and used all those notes. That song goes to C# on “buy me a Mercury” but otherwise is 12 bar
As always, good summary Griff
as ever excellent .. ..having just acquired my first electric after years of acoustic (ABGU…) this is a great sprinkle of sugar on the early stages of my BGU journey … .. always great to have the tabs Griff…
thanks again..
Alex
Great reminder of the great sounds from that end of the guitar. Beatles Day Tripper, Grateful Dead Truckin’ ( Jerry loved the fifth and sixth string strings!), and the Dead instrumental Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad quickly come to mind, not to mention so much great blues. Thanks! Keep it up!
this helps me understand how to blend the major and minor pentatonic in blues… Thanks!
Hi Griff, great lesson as usual. I learned this riff back in 1964 and you are so right you can use it all over and put some variations to it thanks for the refresher that’s why I have you for a teacher!
Hey Griff !
Love your teaching style & have bought many of your DVDs. GOTTA ASK : just how many guitars do you have – I’m envious ! LOL!!
A great opening for most Jimmy Reed songs!
Great stuff as always Griff, Thanks for the free lesson and “stolen” riff!!!!
Rock on and/or Sing me the Blues.
Hey Griff & Regina,
Greetings! I’m sure you remember me: Steve (beggin for blues help). Thank you for the downloads you sent me. Sorry, but I didn’t even notice they were there until I was going thru my e-mails this morn. So many spin offs from that open E petatonic. I was somewhat familiar with, but after hering you tie the different examples together, it brought to mind one of my favorite rock songs from the 70s. It’s called, “Raging River of Fear”, by Captain Beyond. BAD A.. STUFF! Check it out. Also, that Freddie King example sure showed me: if it works, use it! I did get a bit lost when you thru in that blues chord. Had a bad day. Haven’t sat up once so I haven’t had a chance to sink my teeth into that one yet.
Once again, thank you both so much for being there for me in my pleas for musical advice. And I promise you that I will wisely devour any and all advice from you. You guys are the greatest!
Respectcully yours,
STEVEN T. CASS
Hi Griff,Cool lesson and a good refresher. I have saved it for later.
Thanks
Michael-Sydney-Australia 4th June 2018
P.S. I am sure your BGU Lab later today will go well. I am not there yet but one day I will be ready..Here’s a thought can us BGUers purchase simply an attendance / viewer only of the BGULab ie not participate but simply learn and view how the BGULab works. We could pay as a learner and you could send us the url to login in as part of your learning audience. I would like to watch it even if I could simply watch the recorded version due to the time difference but could be a great learning curve.
Thanks yet again Griff. I’m sure I’ve noodled that somewhere along the line but it’s great to be reminded of a riff so neat and simple yet so cool.
As always, excellent teaching.
Hi Griff… Another good exercise or workout if you like. I notice you have a copy of a Fender Jaguar (think). Is there something you don’t particularly like about Fenders….it’s the same with your Suhr…just wondering.
G&L make a better instrument than Fender and if you did not know the “L” in G&L is Leo Fender. After he sold Fender he went into business building better guitars. Check them out good stuff. I also have friends who swear by Suhr over Fender for similar reasons.
The Suhr is a custom or semi-custom guitar. Not many Fenders other than SOME custom shop models would be of equivalent quality. The G&L seems to be the new Doheny model, which is a monster. Griff has a video somewhere in which he demo’d it for G&L.
It is one of the oldest guitar sounds that has been used all over the music world four decades. Cant forget to include it as a pattern in this comment.
P 90’S sound good Griff with no distortion added in. Brings out that smooth got to have more of it music. I go back to that mode of music all the time can’t get enough of it.
Wasn’t that was Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison that Dwight Yocum covered?
Nice lesson Griff really opened up that part of the neck for me – pretty sure SRV favoured his pattern a lot?
Cool
I hear “My Girl” in that riff.
more neat info for our “in the pocket” riffs…thanks…later.
cowboy
I am finally and just recently starting to look at the root, flatted 3rd, perfect 5th, etc. That Griff mentions in the video. Next is to locate them without looking at the neck. I learned to touch type in high school so I think I’ll get there. I think it will be liberating to do so with the added benefit of really hearing the notes. Can’t get there soon enough.
PARENTS I meant…PARENTS..NOT PATENTS !!!
Hi Griff, as ever VERY useful information and tips, clearly explained and clearly put across. As an ex-teacher myself, may I say you do a grand job and you have helped MY blues playing come on in leaps and bounds.
I thank you for that.
BTW..how did your patents know you were going to be a musician who would use lots of ‘riffs’..and is that how they came up with your name ??? Parents eh ??
Cheers JOHN (LONDON)