Blues Guitar Lessons for Different Students
As a guitar instructor for students ranging from beginners to pros, I have to adapt the guitar lessons to each guitar student’s skill level and their dreams. Some guitar students want to be the next Eric Clapton or B.B. King. Others want to emulate Ottmar Liebert or Chet Atkins. The wonder of the guitar is that it can do it all.
Recently I was giving guitar lessons to two East Bay guitar students (1 in Livermore, the other in Walnut Creek CA) with different skill levels and different stylistic needs – both wanted to play the blues.
Beginner bass guitar player, Mike in Walnut Creek has been studying guitar with me for a year and really struggled with the 6-string guitar. After 6 months he switched to bass guitar. He figured two less strings on a 4-string Fender Precision Electric 4 string bass might be easier for him.
I have him working with my series of easy to play bass guitar grooves that are based on a 1 measure pattern known as a box pattern. This means a pattern played in one position ( 4 fret span ) and then used in 12 bar blues format. These will be known as Bass Patterns 1, 2 and 3 with standard notation as well as tab and even sound wav.
Mike is tired of just practicing & reading music. He’s champing at the bit to go jam. So I told him to just get down 12 bass patterns and then you will be ready once you learn how tom play in any key. This the first of 4 groups of lessons for beginner bassists that want to start jamming. Remember , less is more. Keep your patterns very simple.
- Bass Guitar Lesson Pattern 1 Music Sheet
- Bass Guitar Lesson Pattern 2 Music Sheet
- Bass Guitar Lesson Pattern 3 Music Sheet
Heads will turn when you use this finger pinching blues pattern a la Chet Atkins. Most guitarist when playing rhythm blues guitar patterns stick to the traditional patterns like from songs like “Kansas City” or “Johnny B Goode” by the great Chuck Berry. Don, an excellent guitar student in Livermore CA, has been playing serious guitar for over 25 years. He said he was in a typical mental block when jamming at local clubs in Contra Costa County and Solano County.
He found himself always resorts to same rhythm guitar patterns. This blues guitar pattern What I taught Don and what I’m teaching you today incorporates your right hand pinching strings 6,4 and 3 using a pick or straight all fingers. I have made it easy for all levels with correct fingerings and practice slowly in 2 bar phrases. Once you have mastered this every beat pattern, use it along with traditional rhythm blues patterns and you will receive a lot of positive comments from other musicians. I have included an mp3 with traditional piano because it is easier to hear the clear groove.
Questions & inquiries always appreciated.
Guitar & Banjo Lessons
Livermore & Walnut Creek CA
(925) 695-7060
Leave a Reply