Blues
12-bar blues variations
| Variation | Bars 1–4 | Bars 5–8 | Bars 9–12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | A7 A7 A7 A7 | D7 D7 A7 A7 | E7 D7 A7 E7 |
| Quick change | A7 D7 A7 A7 | D7 D7 A7 A7 | E7 D7 A7 E7 |
| Minor blues | Am Am Am Am | Dm Dm Am Am | E7 Dm Am E7 |
Shuffle (boogie) pattern
e|---------------------------------| B|---------------------------------| G|---------------------------------| D|-2--2--4--4--2--2--4--4----------| A|-0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0----------| E|---------------------------------|
Turnaround
The classic descending lick in bars 11–12 that signals the return to the top:
e|-5--5--5--5-----0--| B|----------------0--| G|-8--7--6--5-----1--| D|----------------0--| A|----------------2--| E|----------------0--|
Targeting chord tones
Pentatonics sound great, but for a solo that "follows the changes", land on the 3rd of each chord as it arrives. C♯ for A7, F♯ for D7, G♯ for E7 — all right next to Box 1:
Jazz
Shell voicings
In jazz guitar a chord's essence is root, 3 and 7; the 5th is usually dropped. These three-note "shells" are light, clear and connect smoothly.
Guide-tone voice leading
The 3rd and 7th of each chord are its "guide tones". Through a ii–V–I they move by a half step or not at all:
| Dm7 | → G7 | → Cmaj7 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice 1 | C (♭7) | B (3) — down a half step | B (7) — stays |
| Voice 2 | F (♭3) | F (♭7) — stays | E (3) — down a half step |
Listen: → →
ii–V–I substitution chart
| Original | Substitute | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| G7 | D♭7 (tritone sub) | Same guide tones (B/C♭ and F); the bass slides down a half step to C |
| Dm7 – G7 | Dm7 – D♭7 | Chromatic descending bass: D – D♭ – C |
| Cmaj7 | Am7 / Em7 | Shared notes; vi or iii in place of I |
| Any chord | Precede it with its own ii–V | e.g. Gm7 – C7 before Fmaj7 |
Acoustic
Percussive slap
The drum-like sound of modern acoustic guitar: the side of your thumb or palm "slaps" the strings on beats 2 and 4 (x), muting them instantly with a snare-like crack.
T T T T e|-0--x--0--x--0--x--0--x-| B|-1--x--1--x--1--x--1--x-| G|-0--x--0--x--0--x--0--x-| D|-2--x--2--x--2--x--2--x-| A|-3--x--3--x--3--x--3--x-| E|------------------------|
- Slap: strike the strings with the heel of your palm near the end of the fretboard — the strings hitting the frets make the crack.
- Body hit: fingertips below the soundhole for a kick-drum thump.
Open tuning cheat sheet
| Tuning | Strings (6 → 1) | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | E A D G B E | Everything |
| Drop D | D A D G B E | One-finger power chords, deep bass; grunge, metal, acoustic |
| DADGAD | D A D G A D | Celtic and folk; suspended, ringing chords (Dsus4) |
| Open G | D G D G B D | Slide and blues, Keith Richards riffs; open strings = G |
| Open D | D A D F♯ A D | Slide, fingerstyle acoustic; open strings = D |
See scales and modes in these tunings with the tuning selector in the Scale & Chord Explorer.