One Man Jam: Blues, Vol. 2

Before we start learning new techniques, I want to share my philosophy on optimizing your practice. We'll focus on five key tenets of skill acquisition. The first is perfect repetitions. In my teaching experience, I've found that sloppy practice is a major progress killer, leading to adverse muscle memory. To optimize progress, train yourself to execute slow, meticulous repetitions. Practicing with a metronome or a loop, and gradually increasing BPM as you gain proficiency, is an excellent method.

The second tenet is embracing the fundamentals. While they may not seem as exciting as learning advanced riffs or licks, dedicating time to basics like scales, music theory, and the names of the notes on the fretboard will strengthen your foundation and facilitate skill acquisition. It also allows you to internalize and creatively use techniques you observe.

The third tenet, intervallic learning, involves revisiting new skills at expanding intervals. This approach tricks your brain into viewing these concepts as essential. We will continuously revisit theoretical concepts, scales, chord changes, and melodic ideas in this manner throughout the course.

The fourth tenet advises against over-diversifying. Beginners and intermediates often jump between lessons or practice a wide range of techniques simultaneously. Focus on a single goal until you achieve it, reflecting Bruce Lee's philosophy of mastering one technique thoroughly.

Lastly, the fifth tenet states that composition is key. For me, composition has been the main driver of progress. Writing original songs or practice routines helps in applied learning. Use the techniques covered in this course as raw material for your creations. Recording and critiquing your work is an excellent way to advance as an artist and technician.

So, let's begin with the first routine!

In this lesson, we'll focus on a Key to the Highway inspired routine, played over an 8-bar 1-5-4 progression in the key of A. The progression includes an A dominant 7 (or A major), the V chord E7 (or E major), and the IV chord D major. We'll also incorporate a D# diminished passing chord, previously covered in our lessons.

This 1-5-4 progression with A major, E major, D major, and the D# diminished chord, serves as a foundation. The diminished chord effectively transitions us back to the I chord, making it an excellent passing chord. We'll continue to use the minor blues scale in the key of A, as explored throughout this course.

Moreover, we'll transpose our scales to fit over different chords. For instance, over the E chord, we'll use the major pentatonic scale. Remember, you're playing the major pentatonic scale correctly if it resembles the tune "My Girl". We'll also visualize our chords in various CAGED positions. For example, the A major or A7 can be played in its D shape, and the same applies to the E chord. This is particularly useful for lead elements, as we'll often be outlining and arpeggiating the D shape.

Now, let's practice the chord progression without lead fills to grasp the rhythm. We'll play the A dominant 7, then move to the V chord, down to the IV chord, add the optional passing chord, and cycle through this progression. Understanding the chord progression and rhythm is crucial before adding fills.

Finally, we'll integrate everything into a full routine, starting with a demonstration. This will include the chord elements, the rhythm, and the introduction of lead fills to enhance the routine.

In this performance and breakdown, we delve into a Key to the Highway inspired routine, set in the key of A over an 8-bar 1-5-4 progression. You'll learn to play and understand the significance of an A dominant 7, E7, and D major chords, along with a D# diminished passing chord. We will also revisit the minor blues scale in A and explore transposing scales to match different chords, using the major pentatonic scale over the E chord as an example. The lesson includes a focus on CAGED positions for chord shapes, particularly the D shape for A major/A7 and E chords, essential for lead elements. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of this progression and be ready to incorporate both rhythm and lead elements into a full routine.

In this performance and breakdown, we delve into a Key to the Highway inspired routine, set in the key of A over an 8-bar 1-5-4 progression. You'll learn to play and understand the significance of an A dominant 7, E7, and D major chords, along with a D# diminished passing chord. We will also revisit the minor blues scale in A and explore transposing scales to match different chords, using the major pentatonic scale over the E chord as an example. The lesson includes a focus on CAGED positions for chord shapes, particularly the D shape for A major/A7 and E chords, essential for lead elements. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of this progression and be ready to incorporate both rhythm and lead elements into a full routine.

In this next routine, we'll delve into minor techniques in the key of A minor, playing a 1-4-5 progression with A minor 7, D minor 7, and E dominant 7 chords. It's common in minor blues to use a dominant 7 chord for the 5 chord. We'll explore different voicings of these chords across the fretboard.

Next, focus on the minor blues scale. We've already memorized it, but now we need to understand how to use it in the keys of A minor and D minor. Additionally, we'll explore two other techniques. Over the E7 chord, we can create a diminished sound using a diminished arpeggio or pattern based on the major third of the 5 chord. This technique adds an interesting tension to your performance.

We'll also learn a captivating arpeggio for the D minor 4 chord, another powerful technique. Once you're familiar with the chords and lead elements, we'll work on the basic rhythm, playing over A minor or A minor 7, D minor 7, E7, and A minor 7 in various positions. To conclude the routine, we'll use an A minor add9 chord, known for its melancholic sound and stretch requirement.

Having outlined the components of this routine, we'll start with a demonstration. I'll play through the entire sequence and then break it down bar by bar.

In this lesson, we will explore minor blues techniques in the key of A minor, focusing on a 1-4-5 progression using A minor 7, D minor 7, and E dominant 7 chords. You'll learn to find different chord voicings across the fretboard, use the minor blues scale effectively in A and D minor, and apply unique techniques like diminished arpeggios over the E7 chord for added tension. We'll also cover a special arpeggio for the D minor chord and conclude with the emotionally rich A minor add9 chord. The lesson culminates in a comprehensive demonstration, followed by a detailed, bar-by-bar breakdown of the routine.