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2 Beautiful Blues Licks for Beginners and Intermediate

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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

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Kickass Elegant Blues Lick in the Key of E

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Blues licks are small creative ideas, components and tools for blues soloing and improvisation. They give you the inspiration you need and teach you the skills to develop beautiful melodic and great solos, so today we deliver with a Kickass Elegant Blues Lick.

Video lesson

Kickass Elegant Blues Lick in the Key of E

This Kickass elegant blues lick can be played over a blues shuffle or blues progression in the key of E. The notes are all derived from the blues scale and we end the lick with an E7 and E6/9 chord to give it that elegant finishing touch.

This is a great lick to memorize and ad to your soloing vocabulary so you can grab it out of your pocket whenever you need it to give your playing that extra touch.

Enjoy!

Tablature

If you want to learn more kickass blues licks and really want to learn to solo and improvise with the blues scale around the entire fretboard check out 50CoolBluesLicks.com

Blues Lick Across the Neck – Key of E

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Blues licks across the neck gives you the freedom to play in wider area on the fretboard and gives you the feeling you are really soloing. It’s also one great lick that can be divided into smaller blues licks that can lead to new fresh ideas for your improvisation.

Video Lesson

Blues Lick Across the Neck – Key of E

This lick is in the key of E and is without bend ups. It uses up and down slides and a single pull off and the end. It’s a lick that can be played by both beginners and intermediate guitar players. Beginners can learn to play it at a slower pace and use it to develop their dexterity and build their chops, where intermediate students can get it more up to speed.

It’s a really nice straight forward blues lick to have some fun and add to your blues lick vocabulary.

Below are the tabs, and above the video lesson.

Enjoy!

Tabs

Talk to you in the comments! 🤗🔥

Cool Nifty 12 Bar Blues Riff

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Are you looking to spice up your guitar practice with a cool and nifty 12-bar blues riff? Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, the 12-bar blues is a fundamental structure that offers endless opportunities for creativity.

In this post, we’ll break down a simple yet impressive blues riff with hammer-ons and plucking the strings that’s easy to learn and guaranteed to add flair to your playing. Plus, don’t miss the included video lesson and the accompanied Tabs to help you master it step by step!

What’s in a Name

A while ago I was on holiday with my family and we went the to Veluwe National Park. It’s the largest forest area in The Netherlands. While I was enjoying my coffee, relaxing on the couch and fiddling on my guitar I came up with a 12 bar blues, hence the name Veluwe Couch Blues.

Tabs for the 12 Bar Blues

12 Bar Blues Guitar Lesson TABS

How to Play The Blues Riff

  1. Bars 1-4: Start with a rhythmic pattern based on the E7 chord. Use alternate picking to keep the groove consistent.
  2. Bars 5-6: Shift to the A7 chord. Notice the similar finger shapes, which make transitions smooth.
  3. Bars 7-8: Return to the E7 chord and repeat the opening riff.
  4. Bar 9: Move to the B7 chord and play the designated riff for one bar.
  5. Bar 10: Transition to the A7 chord for one bar.
  6. Bars 11-12: Play the closing riff in E7, resolving the progression beautifully and setting up the next loop.

What Is the 12-Bar Blues?

The 12-bar blues is a classic chord progression used in countless blues, rock, and even jazz songs. It typically follows a structure of three four-bar sections:

  • The I chord (root chord) for 4 bars.
  • The IV chord (subdominant) for 2 bars, followed by the I chord for 2 bars.
  • The V chord (dominant) for 1 bar, the IV chord for 1 bar, and a closing riff in the I chord for 2 bars.

E7 | E7 | E7 | E7
A7 | A7 | E7 | E7
B7 | A7 | E7 | E7 (closing riff)

Why Learn the 12-Bar Blues?

The 12-bar blues is more than just a chord progression; it’s a gateway to musical improvisation and expression. Mastering a few riffs and licks can:

  • Improve your timing and rhythm.
  • Expand your knowledge of scales and chords.
  • Prepare you for jamming with other musicians.
  • Tips for Practicing
  • Start Slow: Use a metronome to keep time and gradually increase your speed.
  • Focus on Groove: Blues is all about feel, so emphasize the rhythmic swing.
  • Experiment with Variations: Add slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs to make the riff your own.
  • Jam with a Backing Track: Playing along with a track can help you internalize the 12-bar structure.

Enjoy!