Trading Fours is something that comes up a lot on gigs, but for some reason I rarely see it discussed. And since I was working with some students who asked about it, I made a video š
Trading Fours is simply playing a solo for only 4 bars of the 12 bar blues progression at a time. And then you trade.
If there were 3 or 4 people, you’d go round robin style, but since it’s just you and me, we’ll just go back and forth. I’ll play 4 bars, then you play 4 bars, and so on.
This will force you to keep track of the progression, but it’ll also let you dip your toe into the soloing pond and just try some stuff out without having to commit to a whole 12 bars!
Try to mimic some of the things that I do, either just rhythmically or the notes.
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57 replies to "Trading Fours"
A great way to gain a better understanding of how to fit various positions of the major and minor pentatonic scales as a basis for the solo parts. Also a great way to improve rhythm by playing with you. A really useful and fun exercise. Thanks!
Thanks Griff,
Thatās a very relaxed easy way to get some very useful practice in. It makes jamming along with a more experienced player feel less intimidating and fun.
can’t wait to recovery from my wrist surgery so I can play this. I was air guitaring to the video, this will be very useful. Also helps with counting and timing.
Dude this was so fun
Great fun! Many thumbs up… More please!
Wow that was alot of fun I even love watching and listening to the way you play the guitar very inspiring!!
What is the best exercise for stretching your fingers so that you can place one finger per fret on the acoustic guitar which I find difficult?
I love when you show the tabulature. Wish you would do that every time.
Great lockdown excersize, Griff!
Griff, that was a fun lesson. Showed me how much I still have to learn as I was completely lost
Griff, this is great, but of course, if I try to copy what you’re doing, then the solo sounds wrong because the second 4 bars are not all in I for example, so I’d be in I instead of IV or whatever point in the 12 bars I’m supposed to be.
Griff, Iāve been a follower for years. This ājam lessonā got me off my damn ass and playing along. The BEST and most inspiring lesson, EVER. Instead of memorizing some solo pattern it forced me to improvise, listening instead of looking for frets. My mistakes led all over, but I had to keep playing! Which in turn taught me more about my fretboard pattern connections than the whole shelf of lessons Iāve bought from all over. You are the best.. THANK YOU. Do that again and again.
Griff also sells a DVD called Trading Fours. Buy and u get the whole enchilada and more.
Well done Griff!!!!
Hey Griff,
Is there a tab so we know what to be playing when our turn comes to play solo? And would it also have the chord progression too?
Thanks, Gerry
That was fun, but I’ve got some way to go to move my fingers that fast!!! Perhaps do again with some simpler licks please š
That was fun, but I’ve got some way to fo to moe my fingers that fast!!! Perhaps do again with some simpler licks please š
oops, sorry about double post. No edit function?
LOVE IT
Reminds me a bit of Call and Response except that subsequent phrases – each of the 3 remaining solo parts after part 1 is played- are not a direct response to the preceding phrase. Fun stuff to play around with, especially if most of your playing occurs when sitting around by yourself.
Loved the Trading 4’s stuff Griff. Bought the new corse as soon as I got the mail.
Love this website!! its dope
Hey Griff, this is a great lesson and I am downloading it for later. It would be great to get the TAB sheets for some of these Licks as it will take longer to learn them & memorise them even though Key of G with Box 1 & 2 ..But playing along with you and your Jam track is so CoooooooooooooooooooL. We need more of these types of lessons.
Thanks Heaps
Michael-Sydney-Australia 18th April 2018
Hey Griff, Great to see this again as a refresher.
Working on other courses of BGU at present and with some songs..will check out the course for a later date. Many thanks.
Michael-Sydney-Australia – 4th Nov 2018.
Hi Michael, you don’t need any tabs for this practise. If you know the five patterns of the pentatonic scales, you just try and mimic what Jeff did, or do you own improve over the four bars. Have fun!
I think you just invented a new kind of jam track. I could use a cd full of these. It’s like a jam buddy in a box.
Brilliant!
So now we need a new course from Griff. Lots of trading 4s jam along videos, tabs and help with some Licks, what Licks to play when etc etc. And we will be setup ready for a jam.
New course idea Griff??? š
I sure would buy it….
How about tab for some of those licks? Thanks, even just a couple would help.
Great lesson
very very good. Yet again top stuff.
WoW Griff, that was fun. thanks
Way to go Griff!! Another useful lesson! This reminds me of Joe B. and Eric C. trading ones, twos and fours on FURTHER ON UP THE ROAD!!!
The right video at the right time! Thanks Griff.
What a great little lesson – worth paying for on its own! Even if you know a number of fills and licks already, to make seamless transitions to Griff and back takes concentration or it either clunks across with a gap or steps on the start of his part. Knowing the chord progressions well absolutely essential. Leaving a riff mid term is sort of odd, but get the right final link note(s) before Griff starts his other half and it’s very satisfying, so a number of ‘hidden’ benefits! Great stuff.
Got to admit, that was a blast. At first, I was going to pass… after all, I’m not worthy. Well, I broke out my acoustic anyway and joined in. Was it good? Probably not, but it wasn’t really all bad either. I hit some box 1, 3rd fret and 15th fret and some box 2, 8th and 20th fret. A bit challenging on my acoustic way up the neck with no cutout, but what the hell. No one else around to hear me.
Thanks Griff, another good one.
I don’t ever leave comments, but this one was worthy of a big “thumbs up” Griff. Thanks for all that you do! (including all the posts I didn’t say ‘thank you’ to!)
That was a lot of fun Griff…..and, thanks for letting us download the video so it can be used to practice with on a regular basis. To mimic is one of the best ways to learn. Happy Easter to you and yours.
Trading fours is usually done with a drummer, but it works great between two soloists on different instruments.
Hey, Chandler Huffman, great to hear the “oldies talk”. I’m 75 and still going strong. Started taking lessons from a young jazz guitarist a couple of months ago. Best thing I did – he’s knocking all those bad habits out of me after 30 years of R&B playing in a band.
There’s an old bluesman’s line which goes
” there may be snow on the roof, but if theres a fire in the hearth…..”
Hey Griff! That was fun, and not nearly as hard as I was afraid that it might be. IT was actually easier than trying to make a 24 or more bar solo sound cohesive.
The next time Laura wants to try that, I’ll be ready (Well, at least more ready than I was last time).
Thanks.
Very cool Griff! We should do some of this stuff at BGU Live this year. I like the jam track you chose also…has kind of a Jazz flavor almost. By the way, Happy Easter to you and your family.
Cheers Griff- Brilliant!
That is why it is called “playing the guitar” It is suppose to be fun!!!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Now this was exciting! I’d love to do more of these. I’ve been a long time follower and I have some of your DVDs including the BGU course. I’m 71 years old and have played guitar since I was 13, but between arthritis and not playing as often as I’d like I’ve slowed down some. My point is that you help to keep me motivated and inspired. Excellent instruction, very down to earth for beginners and the more advanced players. Keep up the good work.
Best lesson EVER, except maybe for 10-15 others you’ve done. Great fun. Thanks Griff.
Griff,
Please, Please do several more of these sessions. This is exactly what I need. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
Diane
yep best ever play along and LEARN
Griff,
That was an awesome session on the “trading 4’s”.
I had a ball trying this one on.
Can’t wait to test drive one in Lake Arrowhead.
Cheers
Excellent Excellent way to jam! Thanks Griff!
Well, that has to rank as one of the most fun things I’ve done before morning coffee in a very long time!
What a great lesson!
I used to jam this way with old friend that has since passed away. Looks like I have a new friend to jam with. Thanks Griff and a Blessed Easter to you and your family!
Love those G&L’s.
It goes full circle, doesn’t it? After all these years, Leo and George are still leading the way.
Griff , this is really a cool way to jam with a friend , or even a couple others . I get together once a week with some friends to play . I will suggest it next week . Of course , playing along with you is a blast !! Thanks for sending . Happy Easter , Mike Z.
This is sooooooooooooooooooooooo cool. This is what’s missing in my playing, bouncing ideas off of another guitar. I try to play with a blues channel that I get in my cable music package, but I don’t get the clean space to respond too. I hope the Easter Bunny comes hoppin’ up your bunny trail and you and your family have a wonderful day.
Griff where do you get all the backing jam tracks you use in your videos?
Edward, Griif sells lots of different backing tracks. Follow this link:
http://bluesguitarunleashed.com/course-catalog/#jamtracks
Great Saturday morning Jam. Very very cool,be falling back on this one for lots of Fun. Thks.