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BluesGuitar101–Solos

HowtoBuildExcitingandCreativeBluesSolosWrittenBy:MatthewWarnockAudioBy:JackTaylorPublishedBy:GuitarforLifeLLCCopyright2018GuitarforLifeLLC

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TableofContentsHowtoUseThiseBookMinorBluesScalesMajorBluesScalesArpeggiosBluesChordShapesBluesPhrasingCallandResponseRepeatingPhrasesBluesSoloingRhythmsEssentialLicksAbouttheAuthor

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HowtoUseThiseBookBeforeyoudiveintothiseBook,takeaminutetounderstandhowit’sdividedtogetthemostoutofyourtimeinthepracticeroom.Therearetwo“halves”tothiseBook,thefirstfocusesontechnicalsoloingdevices,andthesecondhalfisaboutorganizingthoseitems.Combined,theseapproachesteachyouwhatnotestouseinabluessolo,andthenhowtoorganizethosenotesjustlikeyourfavoriteplayers.Ifyouonlylearnwhatscalestouseinyourbluessolos,butnothowtoorganizethoseideas,yoursolossoundlikenoodling.Ifyoufocusonlyonorganizationaltools,yoursolosaren’talwaysaccurateinregardstonotechoice.It’sthemarriageofthesetwoapproachesthatgivesyouthebestpracticeroomexperiencewithbluessoloing.Here’sabriefoutlineofhowtoworkoneachhalfofthiseBooktogetthemostoutofyourpracticeroutine.

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Part1–BuildingBlocksInthefirsthalfoftheeBookyoureview,orlearn,aboutthefourmainbuildingblocksofbluessoloing.

Ø MinorBluesScalesØ MajorBluesScalesØ ArpeggiosØ Chords

Thesebuildingblocksallowyoutomoveontothesecondhalfofthebookwhereyoulearnhowtocreatememorablebluessolos.SpendenoughtimetogettheseconceptsunderyourfingersbeforemovingontothesecondhalfoftheeBook.Youdon’thavetomastereverythinginthefirsthalfbeforeexploringthesecondhalf.But,youdoneedtohaveenoughmaterialdowntobeabletosolooverbluesprogressionsbeforemovingbeyondthenotesinyourstudies.Havefunwiththischapterasyousetyourselfuptomovebeyondthetechnicalsoloingdevicesintotheorganizationalsideoftheblues.

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Part2–BeyondtheNotesInthesecondpartofthiseBookyoulearnhowtomovebeyondthenoteselectionpartofbluessoloing.Hereyoulearnaboutphrasing,spacing,callandresponse,repetition,buildingenergy,etc.inyoursolos.Thesearetheitemsthatmanybluesguitaristsknowareimportant,butdon’tusuallyknowhowtotackleintheirstudies.Thematerialinthissecondhalfhelpyoubringthenotesyouplaytolife,andyoucreatememorablesolosatthesametime.Ifyou’realreadycomfortablewithbluesscalesandarpeggios,youcanskiprighttothissection.Ifyoufindthissectiontoughtostartwith,gobacktothefirsthalfandspendtimereviewingthenotechoicematerialbeforegoingforward.Soloingoverbluesprogressionsisfunformanyguitarists,butifyoudon’thaveorganizationordirectioninyoursolostheyfallflat.Thissectionhelpkeepyourplayingexciting,engaged,andinteractive,everythingyouneedtocreatesolidbluesguitarsolos.

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BluesChordShapesAswellasusingscalesandarpeggios,manygreatbluesguitaristsbringchordsintotheirsolostobuildintensityandenergy.Inthischapter,youlearn3-notechords,smallshapesthatareeasiertoaddtoyourbluessoloscomparedtolargergrips.Becausethey’reonly3notes,someofthesechordsdon’thavearootnote.Sincethebassplayeriscoveringtherootnote,youcanalwaysdroptherootoutofanychordinabluessongandnotmissit.Whilerootlesschordssoundcool,they’retoughertovisualize,asyoudon’thavetherootasareference.Ifyoudigthosechords,makesuretospendthetimetobeabletoplaythemindifferentkeyssoyoucanusethemeffectivelyinyoursolos.Havefunwiththesechordsshapes,learntheminafewkeys,andaddthemtoyourbluessoloswhencomfortableoverthebackingtracks.

3Note7thChordsThefirstgroupofchordsuses1-3-b7and3-5-b7tooutline7thchords.Worktheseshapesoneatatimeasyouaddthemtoyourvocabulary.Whenready,takethemtootherkeysandthenplaythemoverbackingtrackstoexpandtheminyourvocabulary.Onceyouhaveahandleonthesechordsoverthebluesform,addthemtoyoursolostotakethemastepfurtherinyourpracticeroutine.

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3Note9thChordsTherearetwotypesof9thchordsbelow,3-5-9and3-b7-9,toexploreinyourplaying.9thchordssoundsgreatoverI7andIV7chords,butcanbeusedoverV7chordsaswell,though7#9chordsaremorecommonlyused.Learntheshapesbelowandthenworkthemoverabackingtrackasyouexpandonthesechordsinyourplaying.

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3Note7#9ChordsThelastgroupofchordsoutline7#9soundsinyourplaying,andusetheintervals3-b7-#9,exceptthelastchordwhichis3-5-#9.7#9chordssoundgreatoverV7chords,sooverE7inthekeyofAblues,buttheycanbeusedanywhere.The#9intervaldoescreatesometension,sobepreparedtouseandresolvethattensionwhenaddingthesechordstoyourplaying.Afteryoutryoutthechordsbelow,playthemoverafewbackingtrackstohearhowtheysoundinamusicalsituation.

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BluesChordLicksAfterlearningblueschordshapesonguitar,youcanlearnafewphrasesthatusechordsinasoloingsituation.Eachoftheseclassicblueslinesuseschordsindifferentways.Learneachphraseinafewkeys,thentaketheselinesandconceptsintoyourownsolostoseehowtheyfitintoyoursoloingvocabulary.Thefirstchordlickusesatripletrifftocreateabuildupinthefirstbar,that’sthenreleasedinthesecondbar.AfteryouplaythislickoveranA7chord,takeittootherkeysandthenaddittoyourbluessolostointegratethislineintoyourplaying.AudioExample13

ThenextlineusesanA9chordwithasmallbendontheuppernotetoreachuptothe#9ineachchord.Then,afteradescendingrunyoufinishonanA9chordinthelowerregister.Bendingnoteswithinachordistoughtodo,butit’sanessentialconceptwhenusingchordsinyourriffsandsolos.

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Afterworkingthislineinafewkeys,experimentbyaddingbendstootherchordsinyourvocabulary.AudioExample14

ThelastlineusesA7#9chordshapestocreatetensioninthisStevieRayVaughanstyleline.Remember,youcanuse7#9chordsanywhereinablues,thoughtheyfitmostnaturallyontheV7chord.Ifyouusethemelsewhere,bepreparedforthetensionthatthe7#9chordcreates,andthendealwiththattensioninyoursolos.Workthislineinafewkeys,thentakeittoafullbackingtrackasyouexpandonitinyourpracticeroutine.

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AudioExample15

SoloWithBluesChordsYounowtaketheblueschordsfromthischapterandusethemtocreateafullsolooverabluesprogression.Afteryoucanplaythissolofrommemory,keepthesinglenotesasis,butreplacethechordswithyourownshapes.Then,keepthechordsaswrittenandreplacethesinglenotes.Finally,writeyourownbluessolousingchordsandsinglenoteconceptsfromthiseBooktotakethingsfurtherinyourplaying.

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AudioExample16

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BluesPhrasingNowthatyouknowwhattouseinyourbluessolos,youlearnhowtoorganizeyourplayinginthesamewayaslegendarybluesartists.Thefirstconcepttoaddressinyoursoloingworkoutisphrasing.Guitaristsareknownforoverplayinginoursolos.Becauseyoudon’thavetobreathewhenyouplayguitar,youdon’treallyeverhavetostopplaying.And,manyguitaristsplaynon-stoplinesintheirsolos,causingtheirplayingtobecomepredictableandprobablyboring.Toavoidthisprobleminyourplaying,andelevateyoursolostothenextlevel,youfocusonphrasingexercisesinthischapter.Anyoftheseexercisescanbeworkedoveranybackingtrack,soplaythemoveranyandallbackingtracksfromthiseBook.Phrasingissomethingmanybeginnerbluesguitaristsforgetaboutintheirsolos.But,it’sabigpartoftheplayingofyourfavoritebluesartists.Thereforeit’sworthspendingtimeoninyourpracticeroutine.

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IntroPhrasingExercisesThefirstgroupofphrasingexercisesfollowsthenaturalfour-barphrasingofthebluesforminyoursoloing.Becausethebluesformcanbedividedintothreephrasesoffour-barseach,youbeginbyusingthosetobreakupyourphrasing.Inthefirstexercise,yousolofortwobarsthenleavetwobarsofsilenceineachfour-barphrase.Putonanybackingtrackfromthisguideandsolooveritwiththis,andallexercisesinthischapter,inyourstudies.Makesuretonaileachofthesephrasingexerciseseveniftheyseemsimpleatyourlevelofdevelopment.Theseintrophrasing-exercisessetyouuptomoveontothemoreadvancedexercisesinthelastpartofthischapter.

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Younowreversethepreviousexerciseasyourestinbars1-2andsoloinbars3-4ofeachfour-barphrase.Whenyouhavethisexerciseunderyourfingers,mixitupwiththepreviousexercisetotakeyourphrasingfurther.

Inthisexerciseyousoloinbars2and3ofeachfour-barphrase.Bydoingso,youleavespaceatthestartandendofeachfour-barphraseinyourbluessolos.Thishelpsaddbreathtoyoursolosandallowsthebandtoreactoneithersideofyourlines.

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Withthisexerciseyounowsoloforonebar,thenresttwobars,thensoloforabarineachfour-barphrase.Thisbreaksupyourlinesinthemiddleofeachfour-barphrase,aswellasteachesyoutosolooverthephrasebarriers.Becauseyousoloinbar4,thenbar1,ofeachphrase,youstartalineinbar4ofonephraseandenditinbar1ofthenext.Thiscreatesanunexpectedphrasingoutlinethatbringsnewlevelsofcreativitytoyourplaying.

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IntermediatePhrasingExercisesYounowmoveontomorechallengingphrasingexercisesthatdon’texactlyoutlinethe4-barbluesphraselengths.Thefirstexercisefeaturesa3+2phrasingoutline.Here,yousolofor3bars,thenrestfor2bars,andrepeatthatphrasingcomboforyourentiresolo.Countalongifneededandfeelfreetowriteoutasolousingthisphrasingoutlinebeforesoloingwithitinrealtime.

Withthisphrasingexercise,yousolofor3barsthenrestfor3bars.Thismeansthatyoudon’tusethefour-barphrasingofthebluesasaguideline,youplayoverthatphrasingwiththisexercise.

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Makesuretocountalongandgoslowatfirstwiththisphrasingexercise.Then,whenyou’recomfortablewithit,solooveranybackingtrackwiththisphrasingoutlineasyoutakeittoyourrealtimesolos.

Thefinalphrasingexercisesarethetoughestofthebunch,asyourestfor6beatsthensolofor6beats.Thismeansthatyourphrasesare1.5barslong,withbothsilenceandyourlines.Countalong,andwriteoutthecountingifneeded,toreallynailthisphrasingoverthebackingtracks.Ifit’shelpful,writeoutasoloingstudywiththisphrasingoutlinefirst,thenworkonsoloingwiththisphrasinginrealtime.

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Here’sthereverseofthepreviousphrasingexercise,whereyounowrestfor6beatsthensolofor6beats.Goslowwiththisexercise,workitoverbackingtracks,andkeepthischartinfrontofyouaslongasyouneedit.Overtime,youwanttoworktowardssoloingwiththisphrasingoutlinefrommemory.Ifit’shelpful,youcanwriteasolostudywiththisphrasingoutlinebeforeyoucreatelinesinthemomentoverbackingtracks.

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BluesPhrasingSoloTofinishyourintroductiontobluesphrasing,here’satwo-chorussolothatusesvariousphrasingconceptsfromthischapter.Afteryoulearntoplaythissolo,withtheaudioexampleandbackingtrack,writeoutyourownsolowithafocusonphrasing.Fromthere,yourgoalistobeabletosolooveranybluestuneandbringcreativephrasingintoyourlinesoverthatsong.

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AudioExample17

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AbouttheAuthorIgrewuplisteningtorock,andIstilllovethatmusic.But,it’ssoloingIreallylove,andthat’swhatdrewmetobluesandjazz.MyloveofbluesandjazzhastakenmefromsmalltownCanadaaroundtheglobe.Istudiedatthreeofthetopjazzprogramsintheworld,startingwithMcGillUniversity,thenWesternMichigan,andfinishingwithaDoctoratefromtheUniversityofIllinois(UIUC).I’vetaughtover6000privatejazzguitarlessons,andmystudentsrangefrombeginners,tomusicProfessorsatNYU,andeverythinginbetween.I’vealsotaughtjazzguitar,popularmusic,andmusicbusinessatuniversitiesinCanada,theUS,theUK,Brazil,andNepal.I’veplayedover2500gigsin8countriesandsharedthestagewithRandyBrecker,StefonHarris,andSlideHampton.Someofmyfavoritegigswereat:

• LincolnCenter• InternationalAssociationforJazzEducationConference• NuJazzFestival(Brazil)• SavassiJazzFestival(Brazil)• InternationalJazzDayFestival(Nepal)

Jazzandblueshavebeeninmylifefor20years,andeverydayI’mgladIfoundthesegreatgenre.Becauseofthis,Iwanttosharethisloveofbluesandguitarwithyou.Youneverknowwhereit’llleadyou.