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Playing the blues chord changes (Patreon)

Published:
2024-09-13 16:41:12
Imported:
2024-09

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Hi all! I thought I'd go blues this week, with a look at one of my favourite strategies for improvising over the 12 bar changes. There are so many options when it comes to the blues, but this is a super effective way of describing the chords which just uses simple major and minor pentatonic scales.

Tab can be found below. I've written out my solo as well as some of the scale patterns that I discuss in the video. The backing track is attached too.

Hope you enjoy the lesson!

Adrian

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Effortlessly nail blues chord changes with this simple method

Here's one simple, but very effective method I like to use for soloing over blues chord changes. Tab and backing track can be found on Patreon (pay what you like): https://www.patreon.com/anyonecanplayguitar My NEW intermediate-level soloing course: https://courses.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk My latest album: https://zodiactoys.bandcamp.com/releases Please subscribe here for many more YouTube lessons: https://www.youtube.com/c/anyonecanplayguitarcouk Check out my website: https://www.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk Social blah: Instagram (occasionally I post here): https://www.instagram.com/acpgtr/ Twitter: no Facebook: a page exists, I never look at it 00:00 Hi 00:29 Play-through 01:18 Approaches to improvisation 02:32 My method 03:17 Scale shape review 06:40 Scale usage over the blues 12:59 My solo breakdown 17:48 Gear used in this video 18:54 Bye

Comments

Mahesh Vaswani

Thanks Adrian good lesson understanding and playing the blues.

Jordan Zimmerman

If you encounter a song with a quick change, would it make more sense to stick to major? That way the switch to minor for the 4 chord is more pronounced? Or are you switching to minor for that quick change? Thanks!

Brian Batko

Nice. I will have to return to this lesson when I get a chance.

Ted Andersen

Great Stuff Adrian -- If I wanted to get more closer to the theory of "playing the (blues) changes", would I do Am-Pent over the 1, Dm-Pent over the 4, and Em-Pent over the 5? Or, would some of the pentatonics be major . . . or, would some of them shift to Mixolydian?

NB

Excellent stuff Adrian. I liked your list [1] Pentatonics Maj and Min, [2] Blues Scale, [3] Mixolydian mode, [4] Dorian mode, [5] Diminished scales, [6] Arpeggios, and [7] Triads. Now the challenge... 12 bars of each. Nice lesson idea ;)

Jim Parker (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-07 18:00 Loved this one, Adrian. After your mention of Eric Clapton, I dug out the old Bluesbreakers cover of Freddie King’s ‘Hideaway’. This was when Eric Clapton was still playing a Les Paul (I don’t think he has ever sounded as good on a Strat) and it is a masterclass in fluid shifting from major to minor pentatonics. https://youtu.be/m9N8Qi6zLSU?si=2pDQJbLNYEljfJHD
2024-09-14 06:41

Gary Ainsworth

I’ve been lazily playing the blues scale for years and never known any theory and thus getting bored with my limited licks. I’ve always wanted to know how to vary this without playing the same old notes from songs I’ve learned. This is an excellent tutorial for me, bite sized but informative enough to advance my playing (hopefully). The fact that I could consume the your content while having my morning brew and be inspired to try your teachings fills me with enthusiasm. Thanks for great channel. Always look forward to your lessons 😊🎵

Thomas Clark 🎸

You are one of the best teachers on YouTube, will try this one, and look to inroll more later!👍

Mark

Brilliant lesson. Thank you 👍

anyonecanplayguitar

Yes, I love Bluesbreakers era Clapton too. I might well try and do a Clapton video as I've never done a full video devoted to his playing.

anyonecanplayguitar

Haha yes, nice idea! I'll make a note of it and maybe I could develop it into a video.

anyonecanplayguitar

Thanks Ted. There are just so many options, it's hard to give a definitive answer to this. It's not a case of right or wrong, it's just about different colours. I suppose dominant 7 arpeggios over each chord would be describing the changes in the clearest way, but just doing that might be a bit predictable and boring. Minor pentatonics as you suggest can work. Personally I'm not such a fan of the sound of Dmin pent over the IV. Mixolydian is just another option, which tends to give you a bit more of a jazzy, sophisticated sound. I could definitely make more videos exploring some of these things in a bit more detail!

Pete Conklin

Never has it been shown to me so clearly the difference between minor and major pentatonic and how to use them. Brilliant! Cheers!!

John Weatherford

Great way to present this concept, Adrian. In the backing track it sounds like your bass is playing D Maj pent. over the IV, but the guitar sounds great playing Am Pent. over this. Just interesting I guess that the two instruments don't necessarily have to be playing the same scales through a chord progression.

Pete Ross

Super lesson linked together knowledge I had in a way I can make use of and now understand why when I hit the "wrong" note in scale it sometimes works, suddenly the fretboard has opened up a little more!

Mark Kelly

Great backing track. Better than iReal pro by a mile

Stephen Soule

Inspires me to keep at the task of nailing those scales.

Allen Merrell

GREAT lesson. Has changed my way of thinking about how to approach playing and practicing. Light bulb moments everywhere in this lesson.

albergo

It seems switching from Amaj to Amin pentatonic on the IV is almost the same as switching to the Dmin pentatonic. That seems to work as well, perhaps even better for the chord tones, picking up the flat third of the D which is not in the Amin pentatonic (if I have this right). Sorry for the nerdy theory bit here, just wondering how you think about that, Amin vs. Dmin on the IV.