The blues is the root system of rock, soul, country and a big slice of jazz. It is also one of the most rewarding styles for a developing guitarist, because a handful of ideas, one chord progression, one rhythm and one scale, let you jam with almost anyone, anywhere.
This guide covers the essentials: the 12-bar form, the shuffle rhythm, dominant seventh chords and the minor pentatonic scale. For inspiration along the way, browse our list of the greatest blues guitarists of all time.
The 12-Bar Blues Form
Most blues songs follow a 12-bar pattern built from three chords: the I, IV and V of the key. In the key of A, those are A, D and E.
Here is the standard 12-bar in A, one chord per bar:
| A7 | A7 | A7 | A7 | | D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 | | E7 | D7 | A7 | E7 |
The final E7 is the turnaround, which pulls the ear back to the top of the form so the cycle can repeat.
A popular variation, the quick change, moves to the IV chord in bar 2 and back:
| A7 | D7 | A7 | A7 | | D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 | | E7 | D7 | A7 | E7 |
Count bars out loud the first few times: "one, two, three, four, change..." Once the 12-bar is in your body, you can follow almost any blues jam.
Dominant 7th Chords
The blues gets its tangy, unresolved flavor from dominant seventh chords. Here are the open shapes for the key of A:
A7 x 0 2 0 2 0 D7 x x 0 2 1 2 E7 0 2 0 1 0 0
Compare each to its major version: A7 is A major with the G string left open, E7 is E major with the D string left open. That small change adds a note that makes the chord sound bluesy.
The Shuffle Rhythm
The shuffle is the heartbeat of the blues. Instead of evenly spaced eighth notes, the beat is split long-short, like a lazy gallop: "DUM-da DUM-da." Musicians call this a swing or triplet feel.
The classic shuffle figure alternates between a two-note power shape and a stretch on the same strings:
A shuffle (bars on A) e|-------------------------| B|-------------------------| G|-------------------------| D|--2--2--4--4--2--2--4--4-| A|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-| E|-------------------------| D shuffle (bars on D): move the same shape up one string G|--2--2--4--4--2--2--4--4-| D|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-| E shuffle (bars on E): move the same shape down one string A|--2--2--4--4--2--2--4--4-| E|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-|
Play each pair of notes long-short. Use downstrokes and keep a light palm mute near the bridge for a tight, punchy sound. Play this through the full 12-bar form and you are playing blues rhythm guitar.
The Minor Pentatonic Scale
Almost every blues solo you love leans on the minor pentatonic scale, a five-note scale that sounds good over the whole 12-bar. In A, its notes are A, C, D, E and G.
The most common pattern, often called "box one," sits at the fifth fret:
e|--5-----8--| B|--5-----8--| G|--5--7-----| D|--5--7-----| A|--5--7-----| E|--5-----8--|
Use your first finger for every note at fret 5, your third finger for fret 7 and your fourth (or third) finger for fret 8. The notes at fret 5 on the low E and high E strings are both A, the root note. Starting and ending phrases on the root sounds resolved.
Practice the box ascending and descending with alternate picking, slowly and evenly, before you try improvising.
The Blue Note
Add one note to the minor pentatonic and you get the blues scale: the flattened fifth, E-flat in the key of A. On the box above, you can find it at fret 6 on the A string and fret 8 on the G string. Use it as a passing note on the way to somewhere else; lingering on it sounds tense.
Bends, Vibrato and Feel
The blues is less about how many notes you play than how you play them.
- Bends. Fret a note, then push the string upward (toward the ceiling on the G, B and high E strings) to raise its pitch. A common first target: fret 7 on the G string, bent up a whole step to match the sound of fret 9. Support the bending finger with the fingers behind it.
- Vibrato. A slight, steady wobble of pitch makes a held note sing. Rock the string gently up and down from the wrist, not just the fingertip.
- Space. Leave gaps between phrases. Think of soloing as a conversation: say something, then let it breathe.
To hear these ideas at their most expressive, read our guides to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy and Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues" solo.
Your First Blues Licks
Try these short phrases over an A blues backing track:
Lick 1 (call) e|------------------5-| B|--------8--5--8-----| G|--7b9---------------| Lick 2 (response, resolving to the root) G|--7--5-----| D|--------7--|
"7b9" means fret the G string at the seventh fret and bend it up until it matches the pitch of the ninth fret. Play Lick 1, leave a beat of silence, then play Lick 2. That call-and-response shape is the backbone of blues phrasing.
A Simple Blues Practice Plan
- Rhythm (5 minutes). Play the shuffle through the full 12-bar, counting the bars.
- Scale (5 minutes). Box one, up and down, slowly with a metronome.
- Licks (5 minutes). Loop the two licks above until they flow.
- Jam (5 minutes). Put on a 12-bar backing track in A and improvise using only box one. Play fewer notes than you think you need.
Next Steps
Take the shuffle and power shapes further in Rock Rhythm Guitar, and learn why the pentatonic works in Music Theory for Guitarists. For more blues heroes, see our profiles of Joe Bonamassa and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram.