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Guitar Lab: Slow Blues Principles, Vol. 1

Master the essentials of slow blues

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Guitar Lab: Slow Blues Principles, Vol. 1
Brad Carlton

Brad Carlton

Educator

blues, blues-rock

Genres

About this course

Guitar Lab: Slow Blues Foundations Vol. 1 is a step-by-step guide for beginners, intermediates, and even veteran players looking to strengthen two essential skills: articulating chord changes and locking into the groove. Brad Carlton leads you through a slow triplet blues in F, focusing on chord shapes, root targeting, vibrato, and minor pentatonic modes—all designed to reveal and refine the core of your blues playing. By building a solid foundation, you’ll gain the tools to create authentic riffs, stay in the pocket, and express the deep soul of the slow blues.

What you'll learn

  • Identify where chord changes occur in a 12-bar blues
  • Understand the two critical weaknesses slow blues reveals: articulating chord changes and staying in the groove
  • Understand minor pentatonic scale modes in blues context
  • Develop awareness of chord changes while soloing
  • Build technical foundation with vibrato and root targeting
Release date: 05/01/2025 • 1h 41m runtime
intermediatelate intermediateacoustic guitarguitarelectric guitarlickspracticejamming
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Sample lessons
Harmonic Analysis | Dominant (Major) 12 Bar Blues
Harmonic Analysis | Dominant (Major) 12 Bar Blues
Lesson & Demonstration

What's included

11 lessons • 1 charts • 1 Jam Tracks

I’m Brad Carlton. I play guitar, and I’m going to help you play a slow blues. This course is designed for absolute beginners, intermediate players, and even guitarists who’ve been playing for years—decades, in fact. From all my years of teaching, I’ve found two major weaknesses that slow blues will expose and force you to address: articulating the chord changes and staying in the groove.

We’ll be playing over a very slow triplet blues in F, which is great because it keeps things tight down here in first position. In Volume 1, we’ll start with the basics—looking at the chords, targeting the roots, working on vibrato technique, and exploring the modes of the minor pentatonic scale. I’ll help you build a solid foundation, and as we go, you’ll learn different riffs, formulas, and approaches so you can take this blues in any direction you want.

So grab your guitar, and let’s play some slow blues
In this lesson, we’re going to dive deep into the heart of the blues by learning to play a slow blues in F, working together to strengthen two key skills: articulating chord changes and staying locked in the groove. We’ll break down the 12-bar blues form, explore the roles of the I, IV, and V chords, and learn how to feel the rhythm, count triplets, and stay grounded on beats two and four. Along the way, we’ll develop our ear, practice bending and vibrato in first position, and build comfort playing in a key that challenges our technique. Whether we’re brand new to blues or have been playing for years, this journey will help us connect what we hear to what we play, deepen our feel for the music, and lay a solid foundation for soulful, expressive blues guitar.
In this lesson, we’re going to explore the theory and technique behind playing a dominant blues by working with seventh chords and learning how to articulate them clearly within a 12-bar blues in F. We’ll break down what makes these chords sound bluesy, practice voicings like F7 and F7(6), and discover how to choose the right chord shapes to fit with the band—staying out of the way of the bass and keys while complementing the overall sound. Along the way, we’ll learn how to build extensions, experiment with different fingerings, and listen closely to everything happening around us so we can play tastefully and musically. By the end, we’ll be able to play through the entire form confidently, lock into the groove, and lay a solid chord foundation for the slow blues.
In this lesson, we’re focusing on the four chord—B♭—and learning how to play it confidently within the 12-bar blues. We’ll memorize the scale degrees and chord numbers (F is one, B♭ is four, C is five) so we really know the form, and we’ll work on a B♭9 voicing that builds right off the chord shapes we’ve already learned. As we play along with the track, we’ll practice hearing where the chord changes happen, locking into the groove with triplets, and using simple rhythms or arpeggios to clearly articulate the changes without overplaying. Together, we’re building not just the chords, but the feel and timing that make the blues come alive.
In this lesson, we’re digging into the five chord and learning how to use different voicings—like C9 and C7♯9—to bring color and variety to our blues playing. We’ll explore how these chord choices affect the sound, how to listen closely to what other musicians (like the organ or keyboard) are playing, and how to adjust what we play to complement rather than clash. We’ll practice playing through the 12-bar blues form, experiment with guide tones, and discover how even playing just two notes can outline the harmony and leave space for other instruments. Along the way, we’ll sharpen our ears, improve our timing, and build a deeper understanding of how to support the groove while staying musical and tasteful.
In this lesson, we’re learning how to target the root note to anchor our solos and build a strong melodic foundation for playing the blues. We’ll explore where the root lives across the fretboard, practice locking it into the groove with a slow triplet feel, and discover how playing just a single note can still convey rhythm and feel. As we work through the 12-bar blues, we’ll train our ears to hear how the root functions over each chord—sounding strong over some, weaker over others—and start recognizing how chord tones guide our phrasing. Along the way, we’ll begin blending theory with feel, learning how to resolve ideas and make musical choices by listening closely and playing intentionally.
In this lesson, we’re learning how to use modes within the minor pentatonic scale to outline the chord changes in a slow blues, helping us connect what we play to the underlying harmony. We’ll practice shifting our focus from the root of the one chord to the root of the four chord, learning how the same scale shapes take on new meanings depending on the chord underneath. By targeting these roots, starting and ending phrases on them, and experimenting with different note choices, we’ll develop a deeper sense of phrasing, groove, and musical storytelling. As we play through the 12-bar form, we’ll train our ears to hear where we are, build confidence moving between chords, and start crafting lines that really follow the blues.

+ 4 more lessons

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Reviews

11 results

JCrammondjr

Verified buyer

11/12/26

Liking this slow paced approach to blues concepts and a better understanding of the location of the individual notes within the chords as a late beginner I’m beginning to get these concepts but not feeling overwhelmed by a fast paced approach. Brad isn’t showing off his chops like a lot of instructors that seem to leave me in the dust he is deliberate and patient . The only thing that’s frustrating is that I’m not finding all the charting that he mentions through the lessons ?

GioTepe

Verified buyer

10/08/25

Perfect if you want to know ‘why’ something works

Like other Brad courses, this is a highly technical one that is perfect for those why certain notes work in a key and a chord progression. I suggest you start with one of the other Brad courses to get started on his method.

minicolossal

Verified buyer

09/04/25

Great for improvise

That's a great lesson, explain the theory and technique clearly. Great for improvise and writing music.

markj

Verified buyer

08/29/25

Genial

LoungeActor

08/09/25

Tons of good Info here

I laugh at myself. . . . I tried to resist Brad Carlton for months. I never got in to his teaching style. Someone here mentioned charisma. Yes - he has the charisma of a DRILL INSTRUCTOR - ha - It may take a while to warm up to him and his 'in your face' teaching style. . . . But - once you do - and once you take on a lesson of his that is of a true interest of yours - then you are in for a beneficial worthwhile learning experience. I recommend replaying the lessons - he throws out so much information, nonchalantly at times - some bits of key information might go un-noticed. I highly recommend this entire series on Slow Blues.

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