Licks 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!

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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“

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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

Kickass Elegant Blues Lick in the Key of E

By Klaus Crow Leave a Comment

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