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A lot of guitar teaching programs out there are just not user friendly. A lot of them spend the first several weeks going over sight reading and music theory. After that they might introduce a few chords, or maybe a scale or two. It can be months before you know any songs with that type of program! Now I’m not saying that music theory isn’t good, but unless you’re going to teach at a conservatory, it isn’t really necessary, and the process is very paper oriented and boring.

Or have you tried courses that were confusing and moved way too fast?

A lot of courses assure you that their training is great, and then just send you a booklet with pictures and diagrams that you probably could have bought for a lot less at a music store. These booklets are overly clinical and can be confusing. There is no interactive help, nowhere to go with questions, and no way to know if you’re doing it right.

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Hendrix, Page, Clapton, SRV, the list goes on. These are the greatest riffs ever played on guitar and you can learn them note for note. You’ll find…

• One-click access to detailed lessons that will show you how to play the top 100 classic rock guitar riffs.
• Riffs that range from beginner to advanced.
• Free downloadable material for you to practice your riffs while not on your computer.
• Audio, video, and detailed instruction on difficult-to-master riffs.
• Complete and accurate guitar tabs for each riff.

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Which songs made the list? Click here to join Guitar Alliance and find out!

You may be surprised what you didn’t know about the fretboard!

“CAGED: Guitar Unleashed” is a new guitar course that will take you step-by-step through the CAGED System. Just click on the link below to access to learn more:

CAGED: Guitar Unleashed

When playing music we can use scales as a guide which will tell us what notes will work best for a particular song. The pentatonic scale is a good example. The five notes in the pentatonic are all you need sometimes, but at some point may players want to be able to venture “outside the box”. To do this, we can simply employ the Chromatic Scale.

Every note is part of the Chromatic Scale

Yes, that’s right! Every note is part of the Chromatic Scale. In other words we can say the Chromatic Scale has every note in it, so it’s really not a scale at all. Going from the 5 note pentatonic to every note on the fretboard may sound like a huge jump, but it’s really not if we put things in perspective.

We can always use the pentatonic as a jumping point for our leads. For example, in the audio sample below is a basic chord progression in the key of C. The progression alternates between the C and F chord until it works in a G in a slight change at end (just before it loops back to the beginning). Take a few minutes and practice along with the audio until you have the progression down:

Chord Progression 1

With C Pentatonic Major

Here is the chord progression with and improvised lead guitar part:

In the audio sample above you can hear only notes from the C pentatonic major:

Below are the phrases tabbed out. As you can see/hear , there is nothing “outside the box”:

Phrase 1

Phrase 2

Phrase 3

Thinking Outside The Box

In the audio sample below you can hear many of the same notes from the C pentatonic scale, but you can hear many more “outside” notes, too.

Below you’ll see the lead part tabbed out. See if you can find the places where phrases venture outside of the 5 notes pentatonic major:

Phrase 1

Phrase 2

Phrase 3

Some of the outside notes were simply notes inbetween. In the 1st phrase I rolled off of the 8th fret which is not really an inbetween note (as the scale pattern would dictate), but it was an outside note in a 5 note pattern (beginning with the note on the 8th fret) used to “travel” down to a sustaining note (the 5th note).

The 4 notes leading to the note on the 5th fret are passing tones. These passing tones are quick notes that can walk up or down to a sustaining note. The sustaining note should always suggest the tonality of the song and therefore would come from the standard C pentatonic major. The passing tones don’t have to suggest the songs tonality although some naturally will. Passing tones/notes can be any note since they don’t have to reflect the tonality/key of the song.

Chord Progression 2

The chord progression below could operate as a bridge or other change with the chord progression above. It’s in Am (which is the relative minor of C). The progression alternates begins on the A m and then goes to a G chord then to an F chord. Take a few minutes and practice along with the audio until you have the progression down:

With C Pentatonic /Am Pentatonic

Here’s the chord progression with a imporvised lead pattern that’s completely inside the box. We can use the same scale pattern as above since Am is the relative minor of C:

Thinking Outside The Box

In the audio sample below is the outside the box version. Try to play along to see where the outside notes come in:

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that you don’t have to venture too far from the scale patterns when adding chromatic notes. You should use the scale pattern as a guide! That way you can find your way back home (to the correct key) at any time.

Your lead phrases are like spoken sentences. Begin or end your sentence with a note from the scale pattern.

The starting point is obviously the pentatonic notes. There is 5 of them. Since there are 12 total notes in music, that leaves you with 7 additional notes to play with.

Track 1: Blues In A

Our very first track is in the key of A. The ‘default’ scale would be the A pentatonic minor, but you could also use the A major pentatonic, but use it only in spots-mixed in with A pentatonic minor phrases. The major version of the scale will sound almost too happy. The minor scale gives it that bluesy sound.

A Pentatonic Minor:

More A pentatonic minor scale patterns.

Track 2: A7 Blues

Technically it’s the same key as the first track, but the arragement is spiced up with dominant 7th chords. The same scale suggestions for the 1st track apply to this one as well!

Track 3: Blues In A Flat

A flat is just one step (one fret) down from A. In other words playing in A flat is just like playing in A except we move everything down one fret. Make sense?

A flat Pentatonic minor:

More A flat pentatonic scale patterns

Track 4: B Blues

We’re playing slow blues in the key of B here. I would suggest straight B pentatonic minor here. Practice producing slow vocal like phrases with the notes from the scale pattern.

B pentatonic minor

More B pentatonic minor scale patterns

Track 5: Fast B flat blues

Here’s a fast 12 bar blues track in B flat. This one is perfect for practicing fast runs. Just just the B flat pentatonic minor scale.

B flat pentatonic minor

As an alternate: feel free to add B pentatonic major phrases mixed in (if you’re feeling brave).

Track 6: “Blues In B”

This track is the backing track for jazz guitarist Charlie Christian‘s “Blues In B”. You can try your hand at his solos for the song or create your own.

Charlie Christian “Blues In B”

Track 7: Blues In The Key Of C

This moderate speed walking bass line track is in the key of C, so any version (major or minor) of the C pentatonic will work. Again, that “bluesy” sound comes from the minor version of the scale.

C pentatonic minor

More C pentatonic minor scale patterns

Track 8: C9 Blues Jam

Here’s a variation of blues in the key of C. Use the same scale patterns as the previous track.Â

Track 9: Blues In D

Track 10: D flat Blues

Track 11: D Upbeat Blues

Track 12: E Blues

Track 13: Blues In E flat

Track 14: Blues In F

Track 15: Blues In G

Track 16: G flat Blues

Track 17: Killing Floor

Track 18: Stormy Monday (Key of G)

Track 19: The Sky Is Crying (Key of C)

Track 20: The Thrill Is Gone (Key of B)

This lesson has been broken down a little more than usual so that you can take one set of measures at a time and work hard with them.

Intro

Verse

Trouble Spots

There are two fills in the riff that may give you a problem. The 1st problem area occurs in the 4th measure. Let’s take a look at the 4th measure with it’s correct fingerings labeled in red at the bottom:

Start out slow and slowly build up speed:

The second problem area is the in the 8th measure. This one is a little tougher to get than the first one. Again, the correct fingerings are at the bottom in red.

Complete Transcription To “Black and Blue” (PDF)

Complete Transcription To “Black and Blue” (Power Tab)