Most guitar players spend more time learning "lead" guitar than they do working on their rhythm chops. Whether you're a pro, a weekend warrior or just jam with your buds, you'll play far more rhythm guitar than lead, and have a much better chance of getting and keeping the gig if you can play great rhythm guitar. Top educator and blues-rock maestro Jeff Scheetz presents 50 Blues Rock Rhythms You MUST know!
50 Blues-Rock Rhythm Licks You MUST Know covers licks, riffs and rhythmic patterns in the style of Joe Bonamassa, Jimi Hendrix, SRV, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Allman Brothers, Billy Gibbons, David Gilmour, Keith Richards, Eric Johnson, David Grissom, Robin Trower, Jeff Beck, Johnny Winter, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Van Halen and many of the other kings of the blues-rock six-string.
Scheetz's new handpicked collection of moves will further guide your development of the tools, techniques and vocabulary you'll need to unleash soulful lines and take your blues-rock rhythm playing to the next level; Hendrix-style chordal moves, tasty inversions to spice up a boring progression, right-hand funk, percussive strums, using open strings as drone notes, big stretch chord voicings, essential 12-bar progressions, 5/4 and 7/8 odd time signature licks, using your hand as a human capo, 6/8 grooves, octave shapes, double-stops, syncopation and much, much more. All in all, Jeff shows you how to transform classic rhythms into a fresh, post-modern blues-rock vocabulary.
Get a grip on these 50 Blues Rock Rhythms You MUST Know and you'll possess enough blues-rock firepower to light up Texas, Chicago and everything in between!
What you'll learn
Navigate a 12-bar blues progression using barre chord shapes
Apply proper alternate picking patterns for shuffle rhythm
Use palm muting to control unwanted string noise
Execute a trill between minor third and major third
Coordinate right-hand muting while executing left-hand pull-offs
Welcome to 50 Blues Rock Rhythms you MUST know! One of the most overlooked aspects of playing is rhythm – and yet, ask ANYONE from a band what they want in their guitar player and what will they say? "A good rhythm feel"! So how can you get a good and varied rhythm groove on? I am here to help you with that.
I have picked out 50 different rhythm patterns, from 12 bar blues must knows, to some funky vibes, a few more "rockish" themes, and even a couple of odd time signatures thrown in as well. I teach you these and then give you the rhythm tracks so you can work them to death! I really tried to pick out various grooves that you would encounter in your playing career – just to make sure you were ready when you come across them!
So grab your toys and let's make some noise!
2Solidify
On this riff I am really just emphasizing the groove. The E7 sets it in a bluesy feel, but our overdrive keeps it a bit nasty, and then riffing through basically the E minor pentatonic scale makes it seem a little funky. You can actually change the riff around quite a bit as there is plenty of room between notes to experiment. Using the right pickup setting on my custom Overture guitar makes this one sound just right. Let's start this rhythm course off with the mantra we will be coming back to many times on our funky stuff - "Keep the right hand moving up and down at ALL times"!! Thank you.
3Can't Wait 6/8
Tricky chord switches are always a way to make things sound unpredictable. This riff has a bit of the ole Jimi while sounding a little southern at the same time. Sliding chords and various inversions make it a little challenging to get this one up to speed.
4Joe B or not to be
Joe Bonamassa is one of the most prolific guitarists in the last decade. He has successfully navigated the bridge between blues and rock. This is a riff that he uses to give a standard 12 bar progression a bit more of a nasty rock feel. Keep it steady and watch your muted strings.
5JMH
Another way Jimi used chord picking was to include some single string riffs intertwined with the chords. As a matter of fact this going back and forth between chords and single note lines is really one of the things that made Jimi such an amazing rhythm player - it was all part of the groove for him.
6Indie
While this one may be best played with horn-rimmed glasses and jet black hair covering at least one eye, wearing black "skinny" jeans, it can also be beneficial to those of us who are not alt rockers. There are some really good stretches here, and of course the droning open strings give it a stable feel.
7Texas law
There are many ways to jam out a shuffle, but perhaps none is as "Guitar Centric" as the Texas style shuffles brought to the limelight by Stevie Ray Vaughan. No jam is complete without a good Texas guitar shuffle. You can use this one to hone your skills at keeping some strings muted while some ring out. That is the key to the percussive sound that will make this rock!
Been with True Fire for 6 months now and have seen my playing improve.
The True Fire courses are excellent and I see my playing improve noticeably in the 6 months since I took a break from play of several years. These courses are allowing me to get past many of the road blocks I had in improving. This course particularly is addressing a gap in my style that is much needed. I will continue to use True Fire courses for several years to come as I like the range of styles and difficulties. I just wish they had a punk guitar course.
O
Ohio5665
Verified buyer
01/13/26
Full of great ideas to keep me busy!
F
fwielers
Verified buyer
03/01/25
Learn to Play with ‘intrigue'
Been struggling a long time, on my own, to get these rhythms right. Now with this course I finally nailed it. But is is sooo much more, to get you to a higher level of playing with energy and ‘intrigue’.
Z
zoopit
Verified buyer
11/22/21
Fun Course
Very fun and informative course. I am an intermediate player and learned a lot from this. Mr. Sheetz covers the material in a clear manner and keeps the pace of the instruction at a good rate. Highly recommend.
