I have absolutely no interest in playing blues and I really don’t like blues. Is it ok to skip practicing stuff from this blues module? I mean still I’ll watch all the lessons from it, just to be aware of that style, but I don’t want to practice that stuff. (I’m not really a beginner, if that is relevant for the answer in any way)
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Ah, I just found the answer in the last lecture of the blues module:
“BUT… The Blues is not to everyone’s taste - and this module is a taste of it. If it’s not your thing - learn the chords, explore the shuffle strumming, and then move on!”
Sorry!
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I found it easier to get the shuffle rhythm with the shuffle riff than when playing the shuffle rhythm strumming with the 12BB progression. When I recorded myself I realized that my rhythm was too even. I found it useful to listen to a few songs with the shuffle rhythm and play along. I played SRV’s Pride and Joy (from my CD) in Transcribe and played back at 75 % speed. (I just saw that it is listed on the Blues Songs for Beginners list). It is technically Texas shuffle, but it still works. You could also use the YouTube audio Pride and Joy played at 75% speed.
For those who think that shuffle rhythm is just used in the Blues take a listen to a great classic rock track with the great guitarist Joe Walsh. Rocky Mountain Way from 1973 on YouTube. The entire song is one long shuffle rhythm. I will admit that it is blues based but it does rock. I saw that this had 14 M views (or listens) so some people must like it (including me.). BTW, this song was the first rock song to use the high powered talk box with electric guitar.
Perhaps an even better example is one of my all time favorites Reelin in the Years -Steely Dan also from 1973. Listen at 75% speed as you can hear the 12BB shuffle behaid the solo. BTW - from Wikipedia: “ It has reportedly been rated by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as his favorite solo of all time.”
I feel very fortunate to be pursuing this with the guiding hand of a great teacher.
Learning so much and loving every minute of it, thanks for the brilliant lessons 
The link in the youtube video to the jam tunes is broken!
Hello all. At 7:30 Justin plays a turn-around and then after says he will show that on a vid coming out for a song. No new song that shows the chord progression and turn-around. I’m pretty sure it’s the E7 at 5th fret, 4th, 3rd,2nd then B7 at 3rd and 2nd fret. Is there a video that shows the chord 12 bar blues turn arounds? Still pretty new at this and enjoying it very much. I talk this online course up to everyone I talk about guitar. Love it and thank you.
(First, kudos for including the time stamp of the video, makes things a lot easier. )
Yes, this is correct. I believe for the E7-shaped chords, he’s muting the 6th and 4th strings, and you’re hearing mostly the 5th and 3rd strings.
I play a similar turnaround fingerstyle, and I pluck only strings 5 and 3.
Hey Patrick,
Welcome to the community mate.
The turnaround is a fairly common blues one, where it descends chromatically ( ie one note/ fret at at time) from a particular starting point - in this case, from the D note on fret 5.
In this one, Justin is using doublestops ( ie. 2 notes played at the same time) ; one on the A string, and one on the G string. Hes muting the D & E strings.
(All these pairs of 2 notes form an interval called a Major 6th).
So the turnaround starts on the DB doublestop ( 5th and 4th frets) , then descends to C#A# 》 CA 》BG#,
then Justin plays the B7 chord at the end , with the little slide from above.
There are endless permutations of the above that you will come across over time.
Cheers, Shane
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Thank you both for the explanation. I’ll work on muting the E and D strings. Much appreciated.
When moving between A7 and D7 (and back) is it bad form to leave my first finger on the B string when playing A7? The third finger on the B string at C# lets me get away with it, but I don’t want to develop bad habits.
I’m a little confused by the Blues Progression lesson – not the I, IV, V, I get that, but the 7 chords. The notes say e.g. I=A, IV=D, V=E and at first Justin says to play A, but then the D is a D7 and when we’re back to A that’s become an A7 too. Later in the lesson, it seems like he’s using 7 chords for everything, but still writing them as just A, D etc. Are we supposed to be learning these progressions using only 7 chords everywhere?
My husband just took me on a tour of some familiar rock songs to show how songs I’ve known forever, not just blues, use these same progressions (neat!) – but not with 7 chords.
7th chords are a big part of the blues sound. By adding the flat 7 to a major chord it pulls your ear to the minor tone using a major chord.
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Adding to what Rick said, for these blues progressions, you will almost always be using the 7th chords. When talking about them, sometimes Justin will not say “A7” but just “A” for simplicity. It’s understood in this context that he means A7.
And yes, many rock songs use these blues-like progressions, but omit the 7th. It makes them sound less bluesy and more rock.
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Definitely having a ton of fun with the quick change blues progression. It jives really well with me and playing it with the shuffle rhythm and 7 chords came naturally. Probably helps a bit that I’ve been practicing some blues songs like “Born Under a Bad Sign” (the Cream version) and “Riding with the King” (Clapton / BB King)
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