Blues Archives - GUITARHABITS

Cool Blues Guitar Lick in the key of D

Looking to spice up your blues guitar playing? You’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’ll break down a Blues Lick in D that’ll add some serious flavor to your solos. Whether you’re just starting out or an intermediate player looking to expand your skills, this lick is a fun and powerful addition to your repertoire.

Why Play in the Key of D?

Before we dive into the lick, let’s take a moment to explore the key of D—a fantastic key for blues guitarists. Why is D so popular? For one, it’s relatively easy to play in, thanks to its open strings and familiar chord shapes. But more importantly, it has a raw, distinctive sound that feels right at home in blues music.

In the key of D, the primary chords are D7, G7, and A7—the classic I-IV-V progression that forms the backbone of countless blues songs. When improvising, you can lean on the D blues scale (or D pentatonic scale) to create those soulful, expressive lines.

A Simple 12-Bar Blues Progression in D

Let’s set the stage for this lick with a 12-bar blues progression in the key of D, a standard format in blues music. This is the perfect structure to practice over:

| D7 | D7 | D7 | D7 |
| G7 | G7 | D7 | D7 |
| A7 | G7 | D7 | A7 |

Feel free to jam over this progression to really get the feel of the key. Now, let’s move on to the good stuff—the lick itself!

The Cool Blues Lick in D

In the video lesson, we’re playing a Blues Lick in D based on the D blues scale. The lick incorporates double stops—playing two notes at once for a fuller, richer sound—and uses bend-ups and bend-downs. These techniques are classic in blues guitar and help create that signature emotional pull in your playing.

The beauty of this lick lies in its simplicity and expressiveness. By combining these techniques, you’ll be able to craft a line that sounds both bluesy and melodic, with just the right amount of tension and release.

How to Play a Blues Lick in D

Ready to play? Below, you’ll find the tablature for the lick as demonstrated in the video. Take it slow at first, and focus on nailing the bend technique and the timing of the double stops. Once you’ve got the feel, try speeding it up or adding your own personal touch.

Tabs for the Lick:

Final Thoughts: Take This Lick to Your Next Jam!

With these new techniques under your belt, you’re ready to incorporate this lick into your own solos and jam sessions. Try it over the provided 12-bar blues progression, or adapt it to different keys and progressions for added variety. Remember, blues is all about expression—don’t be afraid to play around with the lick and make it your own!

Enjoy the journey, and keep on playing!

📨 Join Guitarhabits and receive Free Quality Guitar Video Lessons, Exclusive Content, Tips, Tricks, Resources & (bi)Weekly Guitarhabits’ Backpack Email full of good guitar stuff. 🎸🎁 SIGN UP FOR FREE: https://www.guitarhabits.com/sign-up-guitarhabits/

Support my work here: https://www.guitarhabits.com/donate/ 💚🎸

2 Heavenly Blues Turnarounds Guitar Lesson

By Klaus Crow 2 Comments

If you’re a blues guitarist, you know that a good turnaround can give real flavor to your song, lift up the entire piece and make it stand out, so that’s what we’re going to do today!

A turnaround is a short musical phrase that leads back to the beginning of a song or progression and typically starts on the last two bars (or measures) of a 12-bar blues shuffle or 12-bar blues progression.

So if you’re playing a blues tune and you want to incorporate a turnaround, start by counting out the 12 bars of the progression, and then begin the turnaround on the 11th and 12th bars.

While turnarounds are often used to signal the end of a chorus or verse, and set up the next one, today’s heavenly blues turnarounds are only used at the end of a blues progression to finish the song with some raw and soulful blues elegance.

Add these two heavenly blues turnarounds to your repertoire and you’re good to go.

Remember, the key to mastering these turnarounds is practice, so be sure to spend plenty of time working on them. Grab your guitar, watch the video lesson and get started!

Happy playing!

TABLATURE

If you want more turnarounds you can also check out the Robert Johnson Style Turnarounds or 6 Cool Guitar Blues Turnarounds.

📨 Join Guitarhabits and receive Free Quality Guitar Video Lessons, Exclusive Content, Tips, Tricks, Resources & (bi)Weekly Guitarhabits’ Backpack Email full of good guitar stuff. 🎸🎁
SIGN UP FOR FREE: https://www.guitarhabits.com/sign-up-guitarhabits/

Support my work here: https://www.guitarhabits.com/donate/

Bluesy Blues Lick in the key of E

By Klaus Crow 2 Comments

Breaking Down the Blues Lick: Understanding the Key Elements

To fully appreciate the power of this blues lick, let’s take a deeper dive into some of its key elements. First, we’re working with the blues scale, which is a modified version of the minor pentatonic scale. It adds that all-important “blue note” (the b5) that gives blues its signature flavor. If you’re familiar with the minor pentatonic scale (1, b3, 4, 5, b7), the blues scale simply adds the b5, creating a more expressive, emotionally charged sound.

The hammer-ons and double stops we use in this lick are essential for capturing the gritty, soulful vibe of the blues. Hammer-ons allow you to create smooth, fluid transitions between notes, while double stops give the lick a richer, fuller sound, as you’re playing two notes simultaneously. Together, these techniques will add depth and character to your playing.

Tablature

Practice Tips: Start Slow, Stay Consistent

When learning this lick, don’t rush! Start slow and focus on getting the feel of the notes before trying to speed things up. One of the beauties of blues music is its expressive, laid-back nature, so playing at a slower tempo can often make your playing sound more soulful. As you become more comfortable with the lick, gradually increase your speed, but always make sure you’re hitting the right notes with precision.

If you’re struggling with the timing of the hammer-ons or double stops, don’t worry—these techniques can take a little time to master. Be patient, and keep practicing! One way to really get a feel for the phrasing is to listen to some of your favorite blues guitarists and try to mimic their phrasing and timing.

Adding Your Own Twist

Once you’ve got the lick down, don’t be afraid to make it your own! Try experimenting with slight variations in timing or phrasing, or even add in your own ornamentations like bends or slides. Blues is all about personal expression, so feel free to make this lick your own.

You can also try incorporating this lick into different sections of your own solos. It can work beautifully in both major and minor blues progressions, and you can adapt it to fit any key by simply moving it up or down the neck.

Final Thoughts

Remember, the more you practice and experiment with blues licks like this one, the more your musicality will grow. Blues guitar is about feel and expression, so don’t be afraid to play with emotion and put your personal touch on each note you play.

I hope you have as much fun learning and playing this lick as I did teaching it to you. Keep practicing, stay inspired, and most importantly—enjoy the journey!

Want more licks like this check out “Mastering a Gorgeous Blues Guitar Licks“

📨 Hi there, Join Guitarhabits and receive Free Quality Guitar Video Lessons, Top Content, Tips, Tricks, Resources & (bi)Weekly Guitarhabits’ Backpack Email full of good stuff. 🎸🎁
SIGN UP HERE: https://www.guitarhabits.com/sign-up-guitarhabits/
Support my work here: https://www.guitarhabits.com/donate/

2 Beautiful Blues Licks for Beginners and Intermediate

By Klaus Crow Leave a Comment

Hi folks, I hope you have a beautiful summer! It’s a great time to play guitar in the backyard, on the beach or on vacation. There’s always a time and place to practice.

Today we’re going to learn two beautiful blues licks in the key of A and in the key of E that are both suitable for beginners and intermediate. You can see blues licks as the words and sentences that make up your story line. By learning blues licks you create the skills and vocabulary for your soloing and improvisation. Let’s learn some blues language!

2 Beautiful Blues Licks for Beginners and Intermediate

We start with a blues lick in the key of A with the first couple of notes from the A minor pentatonic scale position 2 (D-shape) and the last 6 notes from position 1 (E-shape). We also added the major 3rd to give you that overall happy blues sound.

The second blues lick is in the key of E starting with notes derived the E minor pentatonic scale position 4 (A-shape) and then rolls down to position 3 (C-shape), then goes back using the same notes from position 4 (A-shape) and then goes higher up the fretboard to position 5 (G-shape).

2 beautiful blues licks for beginners and intermediate TABS

If you want to learn more about licks, scales and positions / shapes, soloing and improvisation check out 50CoolBluesLicks.com