Warm Up Exercise
2-string blues riffs for beginners (step by step)
Lesson #271
Video lesson
Get the PDF chord sheet (2 pages)
- Support me on Patreon.com to get access to this and 200+ other PDF chord sheets I've made, plus new PDFs I make going forward (1-2 added each week).
- The cost is $3/month (one month minimum, cancel anytime). Annual plans also available. Here's a free sample if you're on the fence. Thanks!
After clicking the button and logging in to Patreon, look for the PDF attached to the bottom of the post.
Editor’s notes
Hey friends! In this lesson I’ll show you how to use 2-string fretboard patterns to play blues-flavored bass lines using the chords A, D, and E. The best part is, these patterns are repeatable: learn them once, use them in any of the three chords listed above. Whether you want to incorporate this into your strumming or only focus on the bass lines, there’s tons of fun to be had. In the end, this makes for a pretty great warm-up exercise to work into your casual guitar playing.
Tabs of some of the riffs I play
In my video, I show several different riffs using the variations on the prior page. Here are those same riffs in tab form, in case that helps. The main thing I want you to understand here is that the pattern being used in each riff works the same for all three chords. All that changes is the strings you are playing. But the pattern itself is always the same.
Variation 1: just started with the power chords. Use your index finger to play the 2nd fret note on each of these chords.
E –––––––––––––
B –––––––––––––
G ––––––2––––––
D ––2–––0––––––
A ––0–––––––2––
E ––––––––––0––
A D E
Variation 2: adding the left ring finger (on and off) to the 4th fret of each chord.
E ––––––––––– ––––––––––– –––––––––––
B ––––––––––– ––––––––––– –––––––––––
G ––––––––––– ––2–2–4–2–– –––––––––––
D ––2–2–4–2–– ––0–0–0–0–– –––––––––––
A ––0–0–0–0–– ––––––––––– ––2–2–4–2––
E ––––––––––– ––––––––––– ––0–0–0–0––
A D E
Variation 3: bringing in the 4th fret of the thickest string, played with left ring finger.
E ––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––
B ––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––
G ––––––––––––––– ––––––––2–4–2–– –––––––––––––––
D ––––––––2–4–2–– ––0––4––––––––– –––––––––––––––
A ––0––4––––––––– ––––––––––––––– ––––––––2–4–2––
E ––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––– ––0––4–––––––––
A D E
Variation 4 & 5: adding the left pinky to the mix (5th fret of 2nd-thickest string).
E ––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––
G ––––––––––––––––– ––––––2–4–5–4–2–– –––––––––––––––––
D ––––––2–4–5–4–2–– ––0–4–––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––
A ––0–4–––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––– ––––––2–4–5–4–2––
E ––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––– ––0–4––––––––––––
A D E
The songs that inspired this lesson
I should note, this lesson is inspired by these two Bruce Springsteen song, which feature the riffs I bake into this lesson.
Johnny 99:
Open All Night:
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).
Thanks!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent video lessons:
📝 Print-friendly PDFs now available for all new lessons I make, including all those listed below. Get a free sample »
-
Long Haul (stripped version)
by Ian Munsick
Apr 18, 2021 • Lesson #360
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Mary Jane's Last Dance
by Tom Petty
Apr 11, 2021 • Lesson #85
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Sound of Silence
by Simon and Garfunkel
Apr 7, 2021 • Lesson #358
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Kodachrome
by Paul Simon
Mar 31, 2021 • Lesson #357
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Understanding the 12 Notes
Practical Music Theory Ep. 1
Mar 27, 2021 • Lesson #356
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Saskatchewan in 1881
by Colter Wall
Mar 20, 2021 • Lesson #318
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Pancho and Lefty
by Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard
Mar 14, 2021 • Lesson #57
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Keep 'Em on They Toes
by Brent Cobb
Mar 13, 2021 • Lesson #355
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
How to "See" Walk-Ups & Walk-Downs on the Fretboard
Mar 7, 2021 • Lesson #354
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Souvenirs
by John Prine
Feb 28, 2021 • Lesson #353
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Feathered Indians
by Tyler Childers
Feb 26, 2021 • Lesson #107
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Starting Over
by Chris Stapleton
Feb 20, 2021 • Lesson #352
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Lonesome Town
by Ricky Nelson
Feb 14, 2021 • Lesson #38
Watch Video & Get PDF »
-
Simple Twist of Fate
by Bob Dylan
Feb 12, 2021 • Lesson #351
Watch Video & Get PDF »
Browse my all lessons
By lesson type
By song decade
By musical genre
By guitar technique
By musical key
By popular artist
- Johnny Cash
- Tyler Childers
- Tom Petty
- Neil Young
- Nirvana
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Willie Nelson
- John Denver
- Guns N' Roses