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:
Downloads
This VideoUse this link to download this video and save it for later.
The TABUse 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"
I don’t really like the sound of the chords in that context, but nevertheless a good lesson.
Michael- Sydney-Downunder July 5th 2023
Happy Birthday!
Hello Griff
Another great lesson. I’m still loving it.
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.
Enjoyable. Thank you
Amazing and cool chord progressions! I’m definitely going to use this in one of my songs!
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.
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.
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
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!
Love it! Dang, I’m at work now. Can’t wait to get home to try this!
really like the acoustic stuff, thanks
Slow it down a bit and you’ve got The Pusher.
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!
Thanks for the reminder! Takes me back, way back, LOL
a nice mix of jazz and blues
Thanks Griff – I really enjoyed it.
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
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..
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.
Niiice! Thanks once again Amigo!
D
I too loved the picking version. Not discordant at all!
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”.
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
Thanks for the lesson Griff
…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!
Sounds discordant and plain wrong.
It sounds wonderful to me. Too bad you can’t just appreciate.
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.
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.
insert sure above no option to edit? strange
Brilliant! More options! Gotta be good!
Cheers GH.
could not download the video – it just launches the video again
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.
Thank you, great lesson.
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.
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!