Warm Up Exercise
2-string blues riffs for beginners (step by step)
Lesson #271
Video lesson
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Editorβs notes
Hey friends! In this lesson Iβll 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, thereβs 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 βββββββββββββ
B βββββββββββββ
G ββββββ2ββββββ
D ββ2βββ0ββββββ
A ββ0βββββββ2ββ
E ββββββββββ0ββ
A D E
Variation 2: adding the left ring finger (on and off) to the 4th fret of each chord.
E βββββββββββ βββββββββββ βββββββββββ
B βββββββββββ βββββββββββ βββββββββββ
G βββββββββββ ββ2β2β4β2ββ βββββββββββ
D ββ2β2β4β2ββ ββ0β0β0β0ββ βββββββββββ
A ββ0β0β0β0ββ βββββββββββ ββ2β2β4β2ββ
E βββββββββββ βββββββββββ ββ0β0β0β0ββ
A D E
Variation 3: bringing in the 4th fret of the thickest string, played with left ring finger.
E βββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββ
B βββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββ
G βββββββββββββββ ββββββββ2β4β2ββ βββββββββββββββ
D ββββββββ2β4β2ββ ββ0ββ4βββββββββ βββββββββββββββ
A ββ0ββ4βββββββββ βββββββββββββββ ββββββββ2β4β2ββ
E βββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββ ββ0ββ4βββββββββ
A D E
Variation 4 & 5: adding the left pinky to the mix (5th fret of 2nd-thickest string).
E βββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββ
B βββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββ
G βββββββββββββββββ ββββββ2β4β5β4β2ββ βββββββββββββββββ
D ββββββ2β4β5β4β2ββ ββ0β4ββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββ
A ββ0β4ββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββ ββββββ2β4β5β4β2ββ
E βββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββ ββ0β4ββββββββββββ
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:
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