This is a simple, boogie style blues riff that should suit most beginning and early intermediate blues guitar players.

It uses a 12 bar blues in E, with a simple riff based around the major pentatonic scale. It has some alternate picking, some right hand muting, and a good set of notes to work with.

All great things to improve upon… so get on with it! (TAB download is below the video)

Get the TAB HERE


    21 replies to "Easy Boogie Woogie Blues Riff"

    • Ed G

      Great way to start the day along with a cup of coffee!

      Thank you

    • John D

      Maybe I’m dense, but it seems as though at the beginning of the video, you are saying to count triplets, but when you do the slow version, it sounds as though you are counting straight eighths, but then you stop counting, so even though I can play this fine with straight eighths, I’m a little confused by the rhythm.

      • Mike Hart

        He skips counting the “and” and strikes notes on the downbeats & “uh” of the “triplet feel”. Ultimately he’s counting, “one-uh, two-uh, three-uh, four-uh” so he doesn’t have to actually articulate the “and”. The “and” ends up being just a slight pause inbetween, resulting in the “triplet feel”. Hope that makes sense.

    • Rick sharp

      Great lesson I needed this. Thanks

      • Paul

        Glad you said , playing with out muting, is country. Was Thinking That.
        East Peesie!

    • william "Wild Bill" cannon

      @ 87 & STILL BOOGING with my Custom Gibson L-5 !! Looking @ Ur Video — Giving so much back to your ART & Craft,
      I”m Thinking: I love this Man!! Are U taken?? L O L Seriously, Many Thanks, Griff !!

    • Mike Brand

      Thanks for this fun riff!

    • DaveyJoe

      Cool!
      10/2/19

    • Michael Chappell

      Hey Griff Great one, nice and easy,

      I am already good at the palm muting and good lesson..

      Thanks

      Michael-Sydney-Australia Oct 3, 2019.

    • roy aiken

      great lesson Griff. thanks

    • Dale

      Great quick easy and “usable” lesson… I luv it!!!

    • Walt

      Great lesson Griff unfortunately I’ll have to go over it later I smashed my first finger on my left hand in a drawer in work my nail is black finger is swollen , but as always a great lesson keep them coming I have learned so much from you it’s amazing thanks !

    • Tony

      Ditto for the little turn around

    • Marv Murray

      Love it Griff. And not even too hard for a beginner as long as they practice

    • Jim P.

      Thanks Griff. Would you mind on these sort of lessons giving a short accompanying music theory explanation of how this works. That way people could maybe understand how to play this with other chords in another key. Thanks.

    • Jim

      Great riff! Thanks Griff!
      This is such a classic sound! I think it was the famous English guitar player, Burt Weedon, who wrote “Boogie Woogie” (very similar riff) that inspired all the great English guitarists (Beatles, Stones, etc.).

    • Jim Kuzo

      How about a cool turnaround/ending for this…?

    • tony

      Add to my tricks Thanks

    • Steve Owens

      Great little riff Griff!! been playing that one for a while!! Thanks for the lessons!

    • Jason Mayo

      You are the best! I’m new to electric blues and just love the whole new universe I’ve encountered. Here I am, almost 70, looking to turn it up and get me some blues. Thanks.

    • Mike

      Boogie swing meets rockabilly. Great one! Thank you for these teaser lessons Griff. They keep me on path.

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