Blues Lick Lesson #09 (C minor pentatonic)

Here is my 9th blues lick guitar lesson. In this video, I’ll teach you how to play slow, string skipping blues licks C minor. Recommended playing level: intermediate.  

Play Video
Jamtrack

I recorded a short backing track (Cm) for this lesson, you can find it below. If you want a LONG backing track in a similar style (in Am) you can find it in my jam track shop.

About this lesson

I’m proud to present to you my 9th blues lick guitar lesson. This blues phrase is played over a slow blues-rock jam track in C minor (12-8). In this lesson, I focus on atypical licks that either stay on 1 string or skip strings. The licks fit over a turnaround (last 2 bars of a 12 bar blues. chorus) and come from the C minor blues scale (or C minor pentatonic with the blue note). Variation 2 uses hybrid picking and is inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan‘s playing. So you’ll get a hybrid picking lesson for beginners in this video. Enjoy!

Concepts present in this blues lick lesson
  • skipping strings (vertical phrasing)
  • staying on 1 string (horizontal phrasing)
  • legato (hammer-on, pull-off)
  • hybrid picking
  • C minor pentatonic, blues scale – blue note
Gear

*-The guitar used is a Fender 1994 Stratocaster (stock pickups) Amp: Fractal AX8 preset

👉 Check out my gear page on Thomann: gear-thomann.guitar-inspiration.com

Classic Blues Rock – Jam Track in Cm

C minor backing track (130 BPM), inspired by Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, Fleetwood Mac, Chris Rea & other classic blues-rock tracks from the 70s and 80s. It fits the blues guitar solo I posted earlier. Enjoy! Maarten

Play Video
Buy The Track Here

I offer a high-quality (WAV + MP3) download of this classic blues rock jam track that you can use on your own social media channels. Get it here:

Gear page:

Classic Blues Rock in Cm (+TAB)

Original, classic blues rock instrumental and solo heavily inspired by Dire Straits (Mark Knopfler), Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton, and others. Enjoy!

Play Video
About The Track

This track in the key of C minor brings us the blues-inspired classic rock era of the 70s and 80s. The groove is reminiscent of Dire Straits, but more laid back. I’m a huge fan of Mark Knopfler’s playing, and – in that style – I tried to emphasize hybrid picking (playing with the pick AND fingers) and delicate details in the guitar playing while staying melodic and following the classic blues rock groove. The chorus has more of a Fleetwood-Mac vibe, with a recognizable motif of unison bends.  The middle section is – again – very much inspired by Dire Straits. See if you can spot a reference to Dire Straits in the background 😉

Featured Lick

A few times in this classic blues rock track, I play the above Cm pentatonic lick in the 8th position. This is a typical ‘reply’ or ‘relief’-lick in Mark Knopfler‘s playing. It serves to end a phrase or sequence in a solo.  Above the tab, you can see which notes are played with the pick (bracket = downstroke), and which ones I prefer hybrid picking (H.P). Alternatively, you can play the 8th fret on the G-string with an upstroke. Play a little vibrato on the 10th fret of the D-string and pull-off lightly to end the lick. 

I hope you enjoy this TAB and solo. Jam track is scheduled for release later this week,

Maarten

Gear page: