Case Study: Another Great Blues Solo With Just 4 Notes
Demonstration Of The Solo
The Breakdown
Downloads
The Solo 1 Demonstration Video (MP4)This video in MP4 format
- The Breakdown Video (MP4)
This video in MP4 format
The TAB for the solo example.This is the TAB and standard notation for the solo.
42 Comments
Geoff Clegg
November 6, 2014Brilliant as always and thanks for the TAB and yhe Videos
Geoff
steve
December 1, 2015Brilliant! and I totally get it
However, staying in that one position for 12 bars is kind of boring and it sort of sounds the same …
and not to be too critical, but the amp settings are a little too ‘high pitched’ and missing the traditional warm blues tone
but as always, your a great Teach !
Ron
December 14, 2016One of Griifs other lessons points out that the same pattern can be played anywhere you find a root note. Just position the root under your fingers in the same manner as the lesson and play the exact same pattern. It will work! And you get variation with a single riff. Its a great way to do call and response.
Jack
October 22, 2023It’s your job to get creative and make the four notes jump.
And you’d probably blame the amp settings for the reason why you sucked at soloing.
There’s always one ;^{
Bill Mason
October 23, 2023Love the instruction
dennis nakashima
December 16, 2021amazing what you can do with 4 notes! You are great to listen to.
Rick Slagle
November 9, 2014Its not that hard if you listen VERY closely but watch the vids can help too ! thanks Giff !
Dee
November 11, 2014Hello Griff, I have had a look at the 4 note video and it looks to be fun! Can you tell me the total cost of your course not what you are taking off the price! The bottom line is the important bit!! Also, and this is why I haven’t bought anything so far..will it work in the UK? Our TV has a different number of lines to the USA so not sure that DVD’s or CD’s bought in America will work in Britain? Do you do different versions for different countries? I really can’t be bothered with the hqassle of returning things if they don’t work here etc. Thanks in advance for your answers to my queries
Sheldrake9er
December 1, 2015Dee – if you buy the on-line version, it downloads fine for UK computers. The DVDs work fine on PAL (ie UK system). It’s a very good course.
Phil
December 1, 2015Hi Dee
I have a couple of the courses and have found them to work great, really worth it
Mark Wales uk
December 1, 2015Hi Dee I’m from the uk and I’ve had a few of Griffs DVDs they work fine for me
hope this helps all the best
Mark Wales uk
December 1, 2015Thanks Griff for the lesson just when you think what should I work on next you drop me a cool lesson
David Bignell
December 1, 2015Thanks Griff. Great as always.
Bernie Curran
December 1, 2015Hi Griff
Message to “Dee” via your latest lesson: Got Blues Guitar Unleashed about a year ago.
Everything works just perfectly! Maybe it’s just the warm Scottish weather.
Subscribe to a courseDee,then watch your playing soar.
Dave
December 1, 2015Hi Griff, thanks again for providing continuous stream of material, encouragement and excellent course material. It makes me want to buy something from you but I’m still working on the Blues Guitars Unleashed course and the Theory made Useful. You deserve an award for teacher of the year or something….you have my vote for the teacher all-star team.
Kyle
December 1, 2015Great stuff, as always!
Paul Warner
December 1, 2015Great lessons. It’s so good to have something to fall back on if you don’t know where to go or you run out of ideas. I actually practice these four note riffs quite a bit now. I haven’t before but I think they are so important to feeling comfortable in playing a lead solo, that I now include a bunch of these in my repertoire. This is an excellent lesson good for anybody wanting to be decent on guitar.
Oge
December 1, 2015Sorry Griff. but you snowed me right off the bat (not really too difficult). I had the riffs fairly well until I realized that I really didn’t know where I was key wise. I went back to the beginning and think you said we were playing in the first box of the D scale (I don’t hear well either). That doesn’t look like the first box of any scale to me. Did I miss something or do I just need to go back and start my scales over?
Rod
September 8, 2018Griff is using a block of notes from shape 2 of the pentatonic scale. For the position he is using, the scale is Gminor pentatonic. (The notes could equally be from E major pentatonic, but if you listen carefully to what he plays and noodle around on your guitar using the same notes, your ear should tell you that G is the tonic or “root note” that the tune revolves around and wants to return to. A simpler alternative way to decide is to realise that the tune sounds moody or melancholy or sombre, and not bright and cheerful, and so is in a minor key
crawwford sprague
December 2, 2015i have been learning from your lessons thanks.
Legoge47
December 2, 2015Thanks for the lesson.
Wheatie
December 3, 2015I’ve been working on this 4 note solo for about a year and have expanded on it to the point where it’s helped me put together some phrases of my own. I think it’s a starting point that leads you into the right direction.
Doug
December 15, 2015Nice video Could you provide the jam track?
Thanks
Shane London
December 17, 2015Hi Griff, What software are you using to transcribe what you play into music notation w/tab? Or is it something else? For me, its very cumbersome to write down my tunes on music staff book. Please help.
Tom W
December 14, 2016Fun little practice session. In G right. Some how I got a download track in A. No biggie. Transposition lesson as well.
Tom W
December 14, 2016I think I mixed in the backing track from another lesson.
Todd
December 14, 2016AWSOME!!
Love your style of teaching, makes me have to think for myself, and thus remember better and play better. I finally know what to do with this pattern and can see the potential use of it all over the neck, in other patterns as well. By the way, I am half way through the beginning blues course (love it and could not recommend more!) and with all the emails from you since, it has been the best money iv’e ever spent on music instruction.
Willem
December 14, 2016Thanks Griff ,very handy and fun to mess around with.
ChrisGSP
December 14, 2016Hi Griff, That switcheroo is so cute !!! The demonstration is on the ES335, then the breakdown is on the Black Les Paul – I love your Gibsons 🙂
Here’s a thing that I think I have mentioned before – there is no KEY SIGNATURE on the standard notation part of the PDF. That is a real no-no, especially in teaching materials – because it tells the student that the tune is in C when actually it is in G. Can you sort that out in future?
Cheers from the Great Southern Land of OZ.
ChrisGSP
February 25, 2023I see that the key signature is present now. Tx for your that 🙂
Cascade
December 17, 2016Thanks, Griff. Another great lesson.
To all of you wondering whether Griff’s BGU and other courses are worth the investment, the answer is an emphatic “YES”. You will not be disappointed.
The jam track for the new 4 note solo can be found on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjdhSjG9Vwo or you an search for ALL CAPS Blues in G jam track. Enjoy!
Marty Hutchings
September 8, 2018Has anyone else had a problem opening Grif’s blogs using Firefox?
Ken
September 8, 2018Hey Griff. This is so simple yet so effective for that little something extra to have in the arsenal.
On one FaceBook site I follow someone had asked “Who do you recommend to get Blues lessons from?”
Your name came up from various members time and time again. You are very well known as these entries came from a lot
of people in different areas. I think that is quite a compliment to your teaching skills and guitar talents.
P.S> (I chose your name to send in without hesitation!)
Ken
September 8, 2018P.P.S. You have a “killer” vibrato technique! I have learned much from you.
Darryl Manire
September 11, 2018Hi..play some of the strats that you may have..
Neil
September 22, 2018On an acoustic, the full step bend, like in Lick 1, is hard for me to do…very hard indeed. On the electric it’s ok, but I broke a high e string (doh!), so back on the acoustic, instead of the full step bend, I’m sliding from D to E on the 12th fret and sliding back to D again. It takes a bit of practice, but it sounds pretty good. So now I’m practicing sliding for all the full step bends, at least on the acoustic.
Just thought I’d mention it!!
Donald Wilkins
December 17, 2021Well done! Looking forward to more of these ‘4notesolos’.
Bruno Madsen
December 17, 2021Well, technically it’s not a four-note solo when you’re bending up to another note… but I’ll let it go this time! Just kidding… love your stuff and the four note solo is great for working on your feel as opposed to technique. Keep it coming!
Rick lees
October 21, 2023I have a hard time with rhythm…. After all these years of playing that’s been my biggest struggle
Randy
October 21, 2023would really be great if you put the counting along with the tabs
Charlie Husar
October 21, 2023Thanks, Griff. It takes some chops to get those deep bends. What gauge strings do you use?
Ian Elliott
October 22, 2023Great stuff as usual Griff.