Blues Rythm and Solos (having trouble)

Okay, I can play pretty much play any chord and any tab, but what i CANT do is put it all together. I am very frustrated because I dont understand what rythm chords go with solo playing and vice versa.

For instance, when your playing 12 bar blues Rythm, what chords can you play? Like A, D, E and in what order? Also, G, C and what else?

What scales or arpeggios can you play over your blues rythm??

I know this is a tall order to answer but i am totally lost and in need of help!!

Thanks

John C.

Hey John-

Hope I can answer at least part of your question. In terms of the chord cycle of the 12-bar blues, I have a lesson on that at this link:

http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10765&s_id=379

The lesson is oriented towards a fingerstyle technique, but the concept of the chord cycle carries over a variety of techniques, from fingerstyle to electric rhythm blues. Pay attention to the pattern of the chord changes in this lesson, in the key of E. How many measures of each chord, etc.

You can then transpose that same pattern to other keys (you mentioned G,C, and D etc.) - keeping the same number of measures, the same relationship of chord changes. That's what make the 12-bar blues predicatable, and therefore, easy to jam on because you can easily predict what is going to happen next.

What chords to use in each key for the basic 12-bar blues? The "one", the "four", and the "five". For example, in the key of E, it's E (1) , A (4), and B (5). In the key of G, it's G (1), C (4), and D (5). Try it - I bet you'll be able to hear it.

As far as riffing and improv, the short answer (if you know your pentatonic scale), is to start your scale on the same root note as the blues key you are accompanying is in. For instance, a blues chord cycle in the key of E would be accompanied by a pentatonic scale starting on the note "E".

Hope this helps!
Best wishes - Lisa McCormick, Guitar Tricks Instructor

Also the "blues" scale is the pentatonic minor scale, not the pentatonic Major scale. The relative pentatonic minor scale to the key you are playing is an interval of a Major 6th above the root note of the key.

Using the same E Major blues chord progression example:
E (root)
F# (Major 2nd)
G# (Major 3rd)
A (Perfect 4th)
B (Perfect 5th)
C# (Major 6th)
D# (Major 7th)

So... if you play a standard pentatonic minor box shape starting on the 9th fret of the bottom-E string.. you will be playing C# pentatonic minor scale. This is the one you will want to fiddle around with while the key is E Major.

Here's the standard box shape if you didn't already know. As there are only 5 notes, there are only numbers 1 to 5.. then it repeats.

e|--1--|-----|-----|--2--|
b|--4--|-----|-----|--5--|
g|--2--|-----|--3--|-----|
d|--5--|-----|--1--|-----|
a|--3--|-----|--4--|-----|
e|--1--|-----|-----|--2--|


Good questions. I am answering them out of order.

Originally Posted by: AleromanWhat scales or arpeggios can you play over your blues rythm??[/quote]
Start here for a basic run down of how to target chord tones in scales to build leads over I-IV-V blues progressions:
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=217
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=232
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=244

Originally Posted by: Aleroman... I dont understand what rythm chords go with solo playing and vice versa.

For a basic overview of how scales and chord relate to one another, check these:
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=426
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=427
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=428
[QUOTE=Aleroman]For instance, when your playing 12 bar blues Rythm, what chords can you play? Like A, D, E and in what order? Also, G, C and what else?

If you are trying to figure out what three chords form a I-IV-V blues chord progression in any key, I have done them all for you (and with backing tracks to play along!) here:
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=406

Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.

Hi John,
I've enclosed a link to some blues lessons. Although I'm repeating what Lisa, Light and Christopher have already said:
Simple 12 bar blues generally use the 1st, 4th and 5th chord from the key that it's played in......C-F-G......G-C-D......E-A-B.....Most 12 bar blues use 7th and/or 9th chords along with a 5 note minor or 6 note blues scale:

http://guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=158

http://guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=10888&s_id=399

Doug

Whoa, that is exactly the info i needed. Thanks everybody. :)

I finally understand the 1, 4, 5 blues method now. I get why i play E,A,B and A,D,E and so forth. But one that i didn't really hear the blues tone was on the F,B,C. Is there a reason for that? It just sounded funny. Thanks.

Originally Posted by: Aleroman....one that i didn't really hear the blues tone was on the F,B,C. Is there a reason for that? It just sounded funny. Thanks.

Hi Aleroman,
I'm not sure if I understand what you mean regarding the F-B-C........Simple I-IV-V blues in the key of F would be made up of the F(I), B-flat(IV) and C(V) chords......Please let us know if that's not what you meant.
Doug