Blues in the key of G: jam track lesson – lesson 2: shape 2.
This is the second lesson in the G Blues Scale guitar series. The lesson series include audio, scale diagrams and instructions.
Instructions
The G Blues scale can be used over the whole track, but the final outcome of your solo can be improved by some slight adjustments, see instructions Lesson 1.
"Texas Blues Rock in G" alt. 2
Jam track info
Instruments: Bass, drums and rhythm guitar Chords: G7, C7, D7 (see full progression below) Tempo: 120 BPM
Lesson 2 focus on the shape 2 of the G Blues Scale, played in 5th position. You may prefer play the shape on the 17th fret position instead.
Try not to approach your solo by only think about the scale pattern but also which actual notes you are playing.
Also try to make use of techniques such as slides, bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs. A tip is to bend the note on the 1st string, 8th fret since it will sound great in most cases regardless if you bend a half or a whole step (notice that the D tone at the 10th fret also are included in the scale, but in shape 3).
If you remember the shape 1, from the previous lesson, feel free to merge it with the shape 2.
Explanations
Chords and structure - This blues jam track in in 4/4 time is structured as a 12-bar song, by far the most common song structure in blues. It also uses one of the most standard chord progressions including the I chord on the first four bars. The chords are played in a progression as seen below:
12-bar structure chords in each chorus.
G7
G7
G7
G7
C7
C7
G7
G7
D7
C7
G7
D7
Each bar last for two seconds. The complete structure is played four times (notice that in the last repeat, the D7 turnaround in the 12th bar is replaced with a G chord). The more you jam over 12-bar blues jam tracks with I, IV and V chords, the more you train your ear to hear the chord changes.
Lessons overview
G Blues Scale guitar series include these lessons:
