With a lot of students, they learn some scales and patterns and then when it’s time to solo they get “paralysis by analysis” and end up playing close to nothing!
Here are a couple of solid options that you can lean on when you “get the nod” and it’s your turn to take your solo…
35 replies to "Easy Ways To Start Your Blues Solos"
Can you please show the notes in tab form thanks
This is just an information video, he has all the tabs in his lessons like the 4 note , House pattern , and blues scales.
Take a look around and find them and come back to this video and you will get it. Keep jamming 🤘
Heyho fellow blues strummers. Hit the 7th with your ring finger, slide straight into the root and you’re away in the four note pattern. Now hit the 4th, slide two frets to the dominant 5th and you are at the start of the upside down house pattern. Simples. Never on beat one.
Griff all of that makes since, but using these notes is just in the scale How do I use the notes to sound like they belong in the song the bands playing ? Hope some one can help me Thanks again Griff
I do dig this video.
One thing I’ve done to help my soloing and to help with jam skills, is just put on the blues channel or some blues player on youtube, and play along. You’ve got a band going, no pressure, and no one in the band cares if you practice soloing over their solo. You’ll get good a quickly picking out the key, if it’s a major or minor sound so you know the right pentantonic scale, then play something in the key. The more I do it, the better I get.
Dan, hey bro, i do the same thing with cable tv Blues channel. A large variety of styles to fit in with. I have confidence that I can jam with just about all of them. I’m just a front porch player but I occasionally visit some local jam, open mic nights. Thanks to Griff , I have knowledge to use my skills with out worry about the listeners. I crank it up and let it rip. I’m old, 81, but enjoy all of it. I’m in New Orleans area, and have much to choose from. Give-em hell Dan.
I started playing in a band in 1960, and in 3 years we earned one of the top spots behind the Iron Curtain. I wish I had a teacher like you… My learning was based mostly on cover songs at the time, whatever we could find on Radio Luxembourg and the odd LP someone could get hold of. (Early we tried cool jazz and Dixieland, me on banjo, but not very popular at the time) Our idols were the Stones, Dave Clark Five, and the British Invasion bands in general, and instrumentals like the Shadows and Jonny and the Hurricanes. Blues soloing at the time for me was more like Chuck Berry, mostly on two strings and very much like what would stick, not like BB King Clapton or similar, and not much deliberate structuring. But the cover songs and attempted playing their solos taught me a lot. Initially it was only me on guitar, so I used mostly full 6 strings for rhythm guitar parts to fill up the sound space. Later we converted to the usual bass, solo and rhythm setup that opened up many possibilities and fun. I proudly say that I built several tube/valve amps with E84 tubes, including tremolo and reverb. Little did I know how right I was with the design for best sound – even by today’s standards – except we were always looking for more volume. But we did not use distortion yet. I stopped playing in 1966 when I left the country and landed in Winnipeg when the Guess Who was on top. I could not dream of breaking into the music scene, so I gave it up and worked as an engineer. I recently got a great Ibanez guitar and started to jam with my grandkids, some of the old songs. They love it and me too
Hey Griff,
I have purchased the ABGU course, Essential
Blues Chords and recently “Sunshine of Your Love.”
SoYL is over my head as an advanced beginner and
wonder, if any, about your return policy.
Thinkin’ I better finish what you have given me. At
78 yo, it may be a lifetime to get through ABGU in any
useful way. Thank you much. I save all your posts &
mine for pearls I may use in the future.
Okay I saw the video before this one and I think the question I had was sorta answered . Starting in the A Minor box then jump way up the neck to the house or 4 note solo which is the box 2 . Why have to go so far up the neck . In a slow blues one would have the time I guess to travel that far . I conserve space and time. I also think Billy Gibbons spends time in the basement . So There is a lot of music there . I just guess that I prefer and like the lower tones. So much rock and blues there. Happy B day Oct 10 Griff .
Pro tips that sound great, and always work. Thanks Griff!
Hi Griff and all,
great video and great tip, still I have a question.
Ok so using the example, a Blues in A , you´re suggesting that you can rely on the rule of starting a solo on A itself and on G as the flatted 7th and belongs to the chord.
Fine and understood, still when improvising (or trying to do so) I find that sometimes it sounds interesting to start on the fifth (an E) which also belongs to the chord but also on the fourth grade which is a D…..and here comes my question/doubt. I am not really able to find a “rule” that helps me understand when it sounds good to start on D.
Of course I get if I’m on the D chord, what I’m referring to is when I’m on the A7 chords.
Thanks for the nice videos and all the great info
Hey Guys…yes GUYS …IF I weren’t married I’d think this was a dating site…all guys, no women. Yes I am that…a 60 year young woman and I’ve been playing since age eight. That is a long time yes. A very long time. What I want to know is why there are no women who write in and leave you messages.
So far I like what I see here.
You are a very good instructor, and I like how you have organized yourself and the lessons. It feels spontaneous and fresh, yet to make it look that way you are either a fantastic natural born teacher and guitar player or a real good fake it until you make it sort of guy.
Either way, what I’d like to say sounds sort of bad but I don’t mean it in a bad way at all.
But I have to ask… Is there any way you can show me something I may not already know?
I know that sounds snobby and like I am bragging but I am not.Not at all. It’s just that I have very little free time and would like to know if I ought to wait it out or look for something different.
Thank you guys for reading this novel of an email. And please pay close attention to your teacher and the experience and wisdom he is giving you. Yes, I’d give him an A+ and that is not obtained easily from me.
Take care, Kristy
Try his courses. You may see something you have never learned before. bluesguitarunleased.com /courses
Watch Griff with his band live. If there is nothing in there you don’t know, I would start my own website.
I’ve often wondered that myself Kristy.
It’s not like there aren’t a fair number of Ladies out there playing guitar, or trying to learn the darn thing.
As we know there are some very very good female guitarists out there.
Maybe it’s down to the fact that the vast majority of you tube guitar channels aren’t run by women..? There are one or two but not many.
Do women feel uncomfortable with a guitar tutor that’s not a woman..?
But why would that be so much of an issue on you tube..?
Some years ago now I took some lessons from a young Lady, I had no issue with that, she was very good.
That only ended because she moved.
And she sorted an issue or two I had I wasn’t even aware of..
Stick around. Griff has stuff for all levels, and he’ll challenge you pretty soon if he hasn’t already. And it never hurts to revisit the basics, as Griff will tell you. Glad to hear there are some women in the group…why aren’t there more?
Great information, knowing that you can also use the note below the root note as another starting place really helps.
Good tip thanks ,keep them coming.
Willem
Thanks Griff
Hi Griff, I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while I appreciate your daily emails, they’re about the only ones I don’t delete right away! When my phone “dings” in the morning I know it’s close to 7 (you’re very consistent). I have very little time to play, but I do enjoy your videos. They heip keep me inspired. Thank you!
top advice as ever
thanks
Hey Mr. Hamlin,
Really like your program ! I have picked up a boat load of great stuff
I”d love to see a holiday sale promoting some of that stuff as gifts.
I know my 14 y/o would love to get another chance at getting the
Classic rock program for a huge discount like you had a couple
months ago. Keep the faith.
Greg P.
If you have ever bought any courses from Griff you’ll receive an email from him if he has a sale.
Looks like you’ve updated the camera. Very crisp, very clean.
Thanks. Haven’t changed the stuff but I’ve learned a thing or two about color correction. Glad it’s working!
Cool! Thanks Griff!
10/08/18
Perfect timing for this video Griff. I’m just getting back into soloing practice after a summer hiatus. I was having a tendency to start lower and I wasn’t liking what I heard. I ‘ve been following the Slow Blues “Blueprint” too, which is an excellent training aid. But now, I’ll also use some of the smaller patterns you’ve suggested. Thanks
Great info is always Griff. I’ve used this to help my brother he has the common problem of playing up and down the scale and that’s what it sounds like. Then I showed him the four note solo and the house pattern he’s off and running thanks Griff I’m slowly becoming a bit of a teacher also 🙂
I’ve found myself in a similar spot where I’m teaching the 4-Note or something similar to other players. Good stuff…
Simple but effective, great for “on the porch”. Thanks again Griff
Griff , this is a very informative video . I have been playing for quite a while , and have been doing this . It helps the new players to know when to play . Take care , Mike Z.
Hi Griff
good vid …… still in the headlights though. but getting there.
Nice—————————!
One of your best short videos! Much appreciated.