Beginner Blues Solo

Get started with blues guitar solos on your guitar! This one uses the A minor pentatonic scale and is loads of fun! :)


View the full lesson at Beginner Blues Solo | JustinGuitar

Here is a matching backing track created by:
| Richard_close2u | Community Moderator, Official Guide, JustinGuitar Approved Teacher

12 Likes

Excellent lesson Justin. I’ll give the Guitar Pro a shot, however, it would be nice to have the backing track in the Beginners App.

3 Likes

I have aspirations to be able to noodle bluesy improvs over a BT one day. This is a wonderful lesson to dip a toe in the water. It wasn’t part of the BC when I did it a few years ago, so bravo on a great addition.

I produced a recording of me playing this when I had it down to an OK level, which also included playing the guitar rhythm part from the Shuffle Riff lesson.

It is posted in AVOYP here: My First Beginner Blues Study


Posted the above by hitting “Leave A Comment” on the website. Love this integration and the way it automatically replaced the URL I pasted into the Comment with the Title of the Topic in AVOYP.

On the website you don’t get the Discourse Post Editor so in future I’d probably make such a Post in the Community.

And it would be cooler still if the “Leave A Comment” button could somehow launch the Community and open up a new Reply on the Topic. @LievenDV @Richard_close2u perhaps an idea for the Backlog, though not a priority.

6 Likes

Another great lesson.
To have this backing track in the Beginner App would be great

1 Like

Wonderful lesson. Could learn this solo pretty fast somehow. :slight_smile:

1 Like

I try to learn bending with this solo. For a start it’s easier to bend only a half tone up.
Is it right that I could do that when I arrive on the 8th fret first (E) string and 7th fret third (G)string? I am confused as in the minor scale there is a full tone gap while in blues scale it’s only a half tone. Which one would apply here for the blues solo?

1 Like

Hello @yoshee and welcome to the Community.
Justin has a whole learning course on blues playing and bending in Grade 5 - some way up ahead in the learning path. It is a skill that requires defined practice and good technique from the start.
Take a peek here if you want though be aware that you may find some of the technique a stretch from grade 2.
As to your questions …

Thinking of the minor pentatonic / blues scale only, a half step bend of the 8th fret first string would not land on a scale note but similar on the 7th fret of the G string would (specifically it would bend to the ‘blue note’).

Hope that helps.
Cheers :smiley:
| Richard_close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide

1 Like

What you are describing is often known as the “Blues Curl” though it is not always as much as a semitone.Quite often it is bent just slightly sharp depending on how you like it to sound.

2 Likes

Hi folks, just a question on this. I find myself naturally using my index finger to make a barre at the 5th fret a lot during this solo. Is that good practice? Or should I be looking to only use the tips of my index?

1 Like

@tismith227
Hello welcome to the Community.

You want to be using individual fingers. There are occasions when you will lay a finger flat across a couple of strings during lead guitar playing. This technique is called double stops. You will come to that in good time.
For now, individual fingering.

Hope that helps.
Cheers :smiley:
| Richard_close2u | JustinGuitar Official Guide & Approved Teacher

3 Likes

Thanks @Richard_close2u . I rewatched the video lesson again and watched how Justin is carefully ensuring only one note rings out at a time, so I’ve been working to emulate that.

2 Likes

I don’t have a Windows computer or a Mac so I can’t use Guitar Pro. I get errors importing the Blues solo file into Muse Score and Tuxguitar. I have successfully imported other GP files into Muse Score. Are the GP files locked?

1 Like

Yes, Justin has placed an edit-lock on them. Are you not able to download and use the pdf instead?

Cheers :smiley:
| Richard_close2u | Community Moderator, Official Guide, JustinGuitar Approved Teacher

Yes, I can download the pdf. I would prefer to be able to import the gp so I can add my own edits.

1 Like

Any tips for coming up with your own backing track for this one?

1 Like

Welcome to the Community, Jonathan.

I found it helpful when first using the A minor pentatonic over a 12BB to record my own BT, just a very simple play through using a shuffle rhythm. I stuck to a slow blues ie 4 bars of the A7 to start.

How you make the recording depends on your gear and tech, but could be as simple as recording it with a mobile phone. A good idea to record with a metronome or drum track to aid good timing.

And there are many BTs available in YT if you spend some time searching.

Hope that is the kind of input you were looking for, but perhaps I am misunderstanding?

1 Like

Where can I find the backing track?

2 Likes

Can you use the pdf and build your own guitar pro file?

I have just uploaded one in the original post at the top.

Hope that helps.
Cheers :smiley:
| Richard_close2u | Community Moderator, Official Guide, JustinGuitar Approved Teacher

Not that its a huge deal, but by locking the gp file, the ability to slow the tempo is also locked. Love Guitar Pro 8. I practice with it daily. It helps reinforce staying in time. Wish Justin would put out more stuff as gp’s

1 Like