Ultimate Summer Blues Party!

You have two choices. One stop playing and just smile for the next three to five minutes while the drummer, bass player and other musicians play. Becoming more frustrated, angry and losing your self confidence.

Or you can try to figure out the chords and key.

So how do you figure out the chords while playing?

First you recognize they are playing the blues.

For starters you can look over at the other guitar player(s) and see if you recognize any chords.

Ok you Are the Guitar Player.

Well you could look over at the Keyboard player and see if you recognize any chords.

Ok you have never laid your hands on a keyboard and have no idea what he is doing.

Well lets check out the Bass player.

He keeps playing a lot of notes but you notice he seems to hit the 5th fret on the low E string.

Thats a clue...

Try the Key of A....

Now the 12 Bar Blues is a basic pattern of chords.

The A Chord for 4 Bars (4 Beats each bar) Here is a sound file in of a band playing the blues in A.
Double Click on Play

Your browser doesn't support the EMBED tag, but you can still listen to the music on this page by <a href="http://www.guitar5day.com/midi/ablues.MID">clicking here.</a>

Try just playing either the Open A string or the A note at the 5th Fret. To make sure that sounds right.

Once you are comfortable that is the right note and key listen for the change to the D chord.

The D Chord for 2 Bars

Then back to the A chord for 2 more bars.

Now the E chord for one bar. The D chord for one Bar

Back to the A chord and then the "Turn around" To E and we stat the 12 bars over.

EZ Exercise For Ear Training Here is a little exercise to help with hearing the note: Play the Open A chord. Now try to sing the A note. Now sing and hold the note and find the A note on your guitar ( Open A string or 2nd Fret of the G string) Did you sing the right note? Keep doing this until you can confidently find the note. Now play a C chord and repeat the process.

Andrew Koblick has played and taught guitar professionally for 30 years and has produced two guitar education DVDs. Another in currently in production. The Amazing Guitar 2.0 DVD: Over 10,000 copies are now used by guitar players to see fantastic improvement fast. For more information: Click here for Amazing Guitar The Ultimate Fretboard DVD: The fastest and easiest way to understand the important C-A-G-E-D system to learning the guitar fretboard and organizing the notes on the guitar. For more information: Click here for Ultimate Fretboard Soon to be released: Ultimate Blues Primer DVD July 2006: Learn to play the Blues on Guitar. Basic lessons on the 12 bar blues. Learn important Blues riffs. Learn how to build a solo with special guest Jerry Cortez. Learn how to Jam with your own band and improvise.