Play An 8 Bar Blues
Introduction
The 8-bar blues is a slightly modified version of the 12-bar blues.
Shortening the form to 8 bars creates a song structure that cycles through a bit faster. This gives the 8-bar blues a subtle up-pace feeling.
The Chord Progression
Materials to Use
- Beginners: C minor pentatonic or C major pentatonic
- Intermediate: C minor pentatonic and C major pentatonic
- Advanced: Play different scales for each chord; precede the 3 of each scale with its ♭3, see here for more details.
C Pentatonic Minor
C Pentatonic Major
Basic Chords
Backing Track
When you’re ready, improvise along with the track.
Exercises
- Play the chords C7, F7, and G7 along with the track.
- If you know any other versions of these chords, try those instead.
- Play the C pentatonic major scale along with the track, in time.
- Play the C pentatonic minor scale along with the track, in time.
- Develop 2-3 short melodies using the scales. Each melody should consist of 5-10 notes. Play the melodies with the track.
As the creator of Hub Guitar, Grey has compiled hundreds of guitar lessons, written several books, and filmed hundreds of video lessons. He teaches private lessons in his Boston studio, as well as via video chat through TakeLessons.