Today’s Lockdown Lessons is about a common Blues Embellishment. You’ll hear this all over Blues Rhythm Guitar parts so I’m going to explain its derivation in order that you can both understand it and invent your own ways of applying it.
Read MoreLockdown Lesson: Blues - Playing into the V7 Chord
Here’s another quick Lockdown Lesson. This time we’re playing into the V7 chord.
This is a pretty clever little idea that can be used either for lead or for rhythm guitar:
It also accompanies lessons I - IV Chord & Turnaround.
The idea utilities symmetry by chromatically descending a major triad from the I chord down two semitones from A - Ab - G but when you get to the G major triad you’re actually hearing it as it relates to E7 (albeit omitting the note G itself). What used to be the 3rd & the 5th of the major triad now becomes the 5th and the b7 of E7 (the V7 chord) see the below diagram for reference.
If you’ve found this quick lesson to be useful or interesting please share it about a bit!
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Thanks so much, James.
Lockdown Lesson: Blues Chords I-IV
I thought I’d share another quick Lockdown Lesson today on Blues Chords, specifically cool ways of playing I-IV.
Read MoreBlues Turnaround in A
During ‘Lockdown’ I thought I’d post some quick and hopefully useful lessons on my hitherto sporadic blog. The first of which is this Blues Turnaround in A.
Read MoreFather's Day
My Dad bought me an electric guitar for Christmas in 1989. A 'Marlin Slammer'. It was a Strat copy and it was black, just like Eric Clapton's 'Blackie'.
Dad bought me lots of Eric Clapton VHSs and recorded as much as he could from the TV. I would watch these videos and try to learn how to play. It was a magical time in my life. I'd often just look at my guitar and wonder if one day I'd be able to play it properly - like Eric did.
In 1992 Dad took me to see Clapton at the Albert Hall - my first gig. It was the blues night :) I got a real education. Clapton, Robert Cray, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy (he made his entrance from the ladies toilets). I loved the sound of electric blues guitar and I'll never forget that night.
Dad and I would listen to Clapton in the car, around the house and he'd take me to see him whenever he could.
My Dad died this last Boxing Day and we played Eric Clapton at his funeral. I wondered at the time how I would feel on days like Father's Day, my Dad's birthday, Christmas (the anniversary of my Marlin Slammer) or Boxing Day (the anniversary of my dear Dad's death) and I've decided that with as much happiness as I can I'm going to play some Clapton for him. So here is an appropriate albeit short rendition for my Dad and for those of you who have also lost your Dads and will be thinking of them today. Jxx