dongolfer
Verified buyer
10/07/26
Guitar Lab Power Chord Blues Riffs
Good course, lots of ideas and excellent instruction
Guitar Lab: Power Chord Blues Riffs
An intensive examination of guitar techniques and theory
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About this course
This course is designed for beginner players who want to learn how to solo in a blues and rock style as well as intermediate players who want to develop more options in their soloing. The power chord is a powerful tool for generating strong stable riffs. In this course we will examine the application of a power chord as a foundation with an emphasis on rhythmic variety. As you study the various riffs that are presented, you will be able to refine your technique and also see more options thus increasing your soloing skill.
What you'll learn
- Execute root position and first inversion power chords across the fretboard
- Navigate diagonal pentatonic scale forms with power chord awareness
- Apply hybrid picking to play open voicing power chords
- Use power chords to punctuate lead lines and create rhythm parts
- Target strong chord tones when changing chords
Release date: 05/29/2014 • 2h 40m runtime
Sample lessons
Root-Fifth Fingerboard Layouts
Voicing Options
Riff #6
Power Chord With 4 To 5 pt.2
Riff #18
Power Chord With 2 To b3
I Power Chord Arp
5th String Diagonal I Min Pent
What's included
35 lessons • 2 charts • 1 Jam Tracks
This course is designed for beginner players who want to learn how to solo in a blues and rock style as well as intermediate players who want to develop more options in their soloing. The power chord is a powerful tool for generating strong stable riffs. In this course we will examine the application of a power chord as a foundation with an emphasis on rhythmic variety. As you study the various riffs that are presented, you will be able to refine your technique and also see more options thus increasing your soloing skill.
Diagram 1shows the layout of an A5 (power chord) over the entire fingerboard. The A notes are the roots (1) and the E notes are the fifths.These scale degrees are labeled in red. Any combination of the root and fifth will generate a power chord. We will be working throughout this group of lessons in the fifth position. It is important that you learn to visualize these roots and fifths.
Diagrams one through eight show the A minor pentatonic scale in various positions on the fingerboard. The roots of this are labeled in red and the remaining three scale degrees (b3, 4, and b7) which form the A minor pentatonic scale are labeled in black. Diagrams nine and 10 show the analysis of the five notes in the A minor pentatonic scale when you are playing over the IV7 chord (D7) and the V7 chord (E7). For the 20 examples presented in the tablature, you will be using diagrams one and two. You will then be able to transfer these riffs to other areas on the fingerboard by using these other scale forms. It is important that you memorize the scale degrees in diagrams one, two, and three as you go through each riff example. This will allow you to transpose to any key and also build on the information presented in this course. Your ultimate goal will be to memorize all five scale forms in terms of scale degrees.
Chart number one shows the changes for the 12 bar blues progressions that will be your backing tracks. Both of these are in the key of A. Notice that progression number one is very basic. It does not have a quick change and also does not end on the V7 chord. Progression number two has the quick change (the IV7 in measure two) and it ends in measure 12 with the V7 chord. Chart number two shows various rhythmic options over a shuffle feel. I will demonstrate these so that you'll see how you can get a lot of mileage out of one riff. For this lesson you will be using example 1 which is simply an A5 on the first and second strings. Remember that you can play these notes together or arpeggiate them.
In this lesson you will learn how to add the b5 to 5 move to the A5 to create a bluesy sound. I will demonstrate various ways of playing this grace note D# to E move.
In this lesson you will learn how to add the 4 to 5 to 1 move. I will demonstrate various ways of playing this move.
In this lesson you will learn how to add the 4 to 5 to A5 move. I will demonstrate various ways of playing this move.
+ 28 more lessons
Reviews
16 results
Earldapearl
Verified buyer
09/18/25
Power chord blues riffs
Great teacher,very well explained materual at a reasonable pace.
timmcguinness
Verified buyer
06/09/25
Easy Learning with Power Chord Blues Riffs
Excellent demonstration of very simple yet extremely useful concepts. Many light bulb moments already. Would recommend for anyone wishing to further learning and utilizing more of the fretboard.
markj
Verified buyer
05/16/25
Genial. Super gut.
waltero1
Verified buyer
03/30/25
Power chord blues riffs
Still working my way through it. Some great guidelines for working through a blues chord progression.
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