Anyway, when feeling both blue & funky nothing matches the mood better than a funky blues! Here for your jamming pleasure is a groovy jam track, inspiration coming from watching Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan maul the Minor Pentatonic for 90 minutes on Mr. King’s “In Session” special on PBS.

This is a typical 12-bar blues progression in the key of A. Insert your favorite blues lyrics on top. I keep hearing “Rock Me Baby” over this, but that is B.B. King, not Albert. Maybe a funkified “Crosscut Saw” instead?? Oh well, have fun!

Funky Blues Jam Track – Key of A

Download Jam Track (Right click – Save As)

Here are some scale patterns to experiment with:

Scale diagrams software at www.NeckDiagrams.com

And here is the tab for the groove/bass line. I wrote each part of the riff just once, it is up to you to remember your blues form – Play A/A/A/A/D/D/A/A/E/D/A/A:

Stay tuned to GuitarTeacher.com.

While the term ‘oldies progression’ might help you memorize these chord changes you will hear this progression used by groups from ranging from Pearl Jam to Green Day, from the Village People to the Black Eyed Peas!

Learn the progression in five keys (the keys of C, G, D, A and E major) in this video guitar lesson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZi2hbhLrC8

Here are the chord changes for all five keys for you to practice with. The tab includes a secondary arpeggio picking guitar part that nicely compliments the 6/8 strumming pattern.

Key of C

Key of G

Key of D

Key of A

Key of E

I think I will post guitar jam tracks to these progression shortly for you to practice with. Until then, practice hard and have fun!

Our daily guitar lessons feature on-screen tab and diagrams and are completely FREE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b4vammUZMM

I personally use a combination of guitar pick, fingers and nails for my right hand technique. Sometimes I use the flesh of the right hand fingers for the tone that it gives so, as I say in the video, I do not grow out my right hand nails as long as a typical classical or flamenco style guitarist might.

If you are interested in exploring this topic further, here are a couple of good resources for you to review.

http://www.flamencoshop.com/flamencoguitar/guitarnails.htm
http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_2215296_shape-fingernails-classical-guitar.html

Our daily guitar lessons feature on-screen tab and diagrams and are completely FREE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsduAtbArU4

This warm-up exercise (shown to me by guitar madman Steve Trovato) is one of the best I know of to cure the bad habit of letting your fingers drift far away from the guitar neck while you play. Based off a common one-finger-per-fret exercise with a dastardly twist, working through this guitar warm-up will help ingrain good left hand finger position.

Here is the tab for the exercise covered in this video.

Play with one-finger-per-fret and only move each finger when needed to play the same fret on the next string. Simply concept but not-so-simple to do!

Speaking of this exercise, my Facebook friend, Justin, wrote:

“yeah, thats a dastardly twist alright. my fingers come so far off the board they damn near poke me in the eye!!!”

LOL. I love it! So wear protective eye wear if needed and stay safe!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGfLXYmnEzw

The Minor Pentatonic scale is one of the most widely used scales in improvisation in every musical style so it makes sense to know it well all over the guitar neck. When it comes to moving beyond the first pattern learned (see my lesson on 4 Scales You Should Know) the next step is usually to introduce five overlapping patterns, each staying strictly in position on the neck. In reality, most Blues and Rock soloists connect these positions in very repeatable ways creating just two patterns that cover the entire neck.

The diagrams and tab examples in the the video can be found in this previous post on GuitarTeacher.com:

==> The “Secret” Pentatonic Shapes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4PBK9BF5DU

In my experience, many guitarists only know the root note of the chord that they are playing. In other words, they know that an E minor chord has an ‘E’ note and a B7 chord has a ‘B’ note, etc. Well, chords are made up of three or more notes and these notes can be arranged in any order.

For today’s guitar lesson the idea is to keep a note constant as the highest note (skinniest string) and change the bass note chromatically under it. The melody note in the examples is a high E note.  There is more than one right answer to this exercise but here is what I came up with:

If you work through this exercise you should realize that any note can be harmonized with any bass note. This should make you a more creative rhythm guitarist and a more knowledgeable melody writer and songwriter, as well.

There are many more exercises I have to share with you to make you a better rhythm guitarist. If you would like insider access to more of these video guitar lessons, I would be happy to show you.

Click Here To Continue >>

Footprints Jam Track

The progression is a great one for jamming. It is a 12-bar progression using just four relatively simple chords – Cm7, Fm7, D7 and Db7. The track has two distinct different feels for soloing over divided into two choruses each.  And, since it swings in the time signature of 6/4, this jam track makes for a great change up from the usual ‘common time’.

Though the progression is open to scale substitutions (especially over the D7-Db7 changes) you can solo nicely using just the C Minor Pentatonic Scale. Here are some scale suggestions. The Dorian mode works well over the Cm7 chord. The Aeolian is excellent for the Fm7 change.

Guitar Jokes

1
Q: Why are so many guitarists jokes one-liners?
A: So the rest of the band can understand them.

2
Q: How many guitar players does it take to cover a Stevie Ray Vaughan tune?
A: Evidently all of them.

3
Q: How do you know when the stage is level?
A: The lead guitarist is drooling out of both sides of his mouth.

4
Q: What’s the difference between a keyboard and a synthesizer?
A: Who cares – neither one’s a guitar.

5
Q: What do you do if your rhythm guitarist is drowning?
A: Throw him his amp.

6
Q: What do you call a guitarist who breaks up with his girlfriend?
A: Homeless…

7
Q: How do you get a guitar player off of your front porch?
A: Pay for the pizza.

8
Q: How does a guitar player show he’s planning for the future?
A: He buys two cases of beer instead of one.

9
Q: How do you get two lead guitarists to play in perfect unison?
A: Shoot one.

10
Two guys were walking down the street …one was destitute…
the other was a guitar player as well…

11
Q: What do you call a successful guitarist?
A: A guy whose wife has 2 jobs.

12
Q: What do you call in “in-tune electric guitar?”
A: An oxymoron.

13
Q: What do you tell a guitarist that is freaking out?
A: Don’t fret.

14
“Mommy, Mommy! When I grow up I want to be a guitar player!”
“Now Johnny, you can’t do both!”

15
Q: What do you call a guitar player without a lawnmower?
A: Unemployed.

16
Q: Did you hear about the guitarist who was in tune?
A: Neither have I.

17
Q: How many lead guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None…they just steal someone else’s light.

18
Q: How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Five – One to change the bulb and 4 do watch him and say “I can do better than that.”

19
Q: How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one– but he’ll go though a whole box of bulbs before he finds just the right one.

20
Q: In the 22nd Century, how many guitarists will it take to change a light source?
A: Five – One to do it and 4 to reminisce about how much better the old tubes were.

21
Q: What do you say to a guitar player in a 3-piece suit?
A: “Will the defendant please rise …”

22
Q: What’s black and blue and laying in a ditch?
A: A guitarist who’s told too many drummer jokes.

23
Q: What is the first sign you’re hallucinating?
A: Two guitar players are playing in tune.

24
Q: How do you make a guitar player’s car more aerodynamic?
A: Take the pizza delivery sign off the roof.

25
Q: What’s the difference between a guitarist and a pizza?
A: A pizza can feed a family of four.

26
Q: What’s the difference between a guitar player and a certificate of deposit?
A: The CD will eventually mature and make money.

27
Q: What’s the difference between a lawnmower and an Electric Guitar?
A: You can tune a lawnmower.

28
Q: How many Electric Guitar players does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Five. One to change it and four to discuss how Eric Clapton would have done it.

29
Q: What does a Heavy Metal Musician use for birth control?
A: His personality.

30
Q: How does a lead guitarist change a light bulb?
A: He holds it and the world revolves around him.

31
Q: How do you get a guitar player to play softer?
A: Put sheet music in front of him.

32
Q: What’s the definition of a minor second?
A: Two lead guitarists playing in unison.

33
Q: What do you call two guitarists playing in unison?
A: Counterpoint.

34
Q: What do you throw to save a drowning guitarist?
A: Pro-Tools.

35
Q: Whats one way to paralyze a guitarist?
A: Tell him the red light is on.

36
Q: How long does it take to tune a 12-string guitar?
A: Nobody knows.

37
Q: What is the difference between a guitarist and a Savings Bond?
A: Eventually a Savings Bond will mature and earn money!

38
Q: What is the difference between a guitar and a tuna fish?
A: You can tune a guitar but you can’t tuna fish.

39
Q: What is the definition of an optimist?
A: A guitar player with a business card.

40
Q: How many blues guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Four, one to change the bulb and the others to sing about how much better the old one was!

41
Q: What do you say to a jazz guitarist at work?
A: Big Mac and large fries please!

42
Q: How long does a guitar stay in tune?
A: About twenty minutes, or until someone plays it.

43
Q: What’s the definition of an optimist?
A: A guitarist with a mortgage.

44
Q: Why was the amplifier invented?
A: So the guitarist would have a place to put his beer.

45
Q: How many jazz musicians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. Jazz musicians can’t afford light bulbs.

46
Q: What did the lead guitarist get on his IQ test?
A: Drool.

47
Q: What did the blues guitarist’s tombstone read?
A: “I didn’t wake up this morning.”

48
Q: What would a guitarist do if he won a million dollars?
A: Continue to play gigs until the money ran out.

49
Q: What do a guitar solo and premature ejaculation have in common?
A: You know it’s coming and there’s nothing you can do about it.

50
Q: What’s the difference between a Lead Guitarist and the PLO?
A: You can negotiate with the PLO.

51
Q: How can you tell when an electric guitar is out of tune?
A: The strings are vibrating.

52
Q: Why do guitarists have to be awake by six o’clock?
A: Because most stores close by six thirty.

53
Q: What’s the range of a Gibson Les Paul?
A: Depends on how far you throw it.

54
Q:  What do you call a stressed guitar player?
A:  Strung out!

55
Q : What is a gentleman?
A:  A guitarist who can play fusion but doesn’t.

56
Q: What do you call a guitar player that only knows two chords?
A: A music critic.

57
Q: Why did the guitar player get angry with the singer?
A: The singer turned a string and wouldn’t say which one.

58
Q: What did the guitarist do when told to turn his amplifier on?
A: He caressed it softly and told it that he loved it.

59
Q: Why bury guitarists six feet under?
A: Because deep down they are very nice people.

60
Q: How do you make a guitarist’s eyes light up?
A: Shine a flashlight in his ear.

61
Q: What’s the difference between a guitar player and a bag of garbage?
A: The garbage gets taken out at least once a week.

62
Q: How many bluegrass players does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. They won’t touch anything electric.

63
Q: How do you make a chain saw sound like an Electric Guitar?
A: Add vibrato.

64
Q: What’s the difference between an Electric Guitar and an Acoustic Guitar?
A: The Electric Guitar burns longer.

65
Q: What’s worse than telling jokes about guitarists?
A: Laughing at them.

Thanks to the following web pages which were used for reference:

http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/jokes.html

http://www.acousticfingerstyle.com/jokes.htm

http://www.ahajokes.com/music_jokes.html

http: www.reviewmylife.com/guitar/jokes.htm

http://www.tenstorylove.com/guitjoke.html

Joke #2 might be my personal favorite. If you have a favorite guitar joke, highlight them in the comments. And, if you have any guitar jokes that I possibly failed to include, please do the service of providing them in the comments, as well

To tune to Drop D is very easy. Simply lower the pitch of the 6th string down a whole-step from E to D. The pitch of your guitar strings from lowest to highest is now DADGBE. The 6th string harmonic at the 12th fret should now match your open D note on the 4th string.

10 Famous Guitar Riffs in Drop D Tuning – Video Guitar Lesson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsAkVoOcQK4

Here are the sheet music examples from the video.

10 Famous Guitar Riffs in Drop D Tuning

“Moby Dick” – Led Zeppelin

“Dear Prudence” – The Beatles

“Everlong” – Foo Fighters

“Slither” – Velvet Revolver
“Black Hole Sun” – Soundgarden

“Killing In The Name” – Rage Against The Machine

“Your Body Is A Wonderland” – John Mayer

“Last Resort” – Papa Roach

“Higher” – Creed

“Animals” – Nickelback

Drop C# Tuning

A lot of bands use a variation of Drop D where all strings are tuned down an additional 1/2-step. We will cover these in an upcoming members guitar lesson.

Until then, keep rockin’ the Drop D tuning.

Storm Stenvold
=GuitarTeacher.com

The Bluesbreakers album with Eric Clapton and John Mayall is a must-listen-to record for all guitarists with blues/rock roots. The song “Hideaway” off that disc is a great instrumental that bands often cover. For jam nights, I prefer the song “Steppin’ Out” from the same album. There are fewer breaks than “Hideaway” and no groove changes to ‘train-wreck’ your jamming fun. Plus, the song’s uptempo shuffle groove is sure to get attention!

Here is a jam track for you to warm-up your chops!

Clapton Jam Track – Key of G

Rhythm Guitar Parts

The rhythm guitar comp is a very straight-forward, but fast, I-IV-V 12-bar progression with chords played on the “1″ and the “and of 2″. The G7 and G9 chords in the following example are essentially interchangeable and are there for variety.

Lead Guitar Part

Learn to play this simple (but fast!) 12 bar head at the beginning and end of the tune and you’ve got the song.

Check out the following resources for more Eric Clapton sheet music and blues guitar instruction:

• Eric Clapton sheet music
• Eric Clapton on Songsterr.com
• Private Online Guitar Lessons