Acoustic Blues Guitar Lesson - The E Blues Scales And Licks

Downloads

  • This Video (MP4)
    This Video (MP4)

    Mac users should use the MP4 version to download the video

  • This Video (WMV)
    This Video (WMV)

    Windows users should use the WMV version to download this video.

  • The TAB (PDF)
    The TAB (PDF)

    The TAB for the "Down To The Station" tune I demonstrate is not here yet... and that is on purpose. I promise we'll get to it but I want to make sure you learn the parts first so I can show you how they fit together.

Leave A Comment And Tell Me What You Think…

68 Comments

  • Pete from philly

    Reply Reply May 29, 2015

    So that’s what it’s called. I did not know what I’ve been
    noodling on the past year. I’m really phsyched to learn the rest.
    You’re right, I’ve been playing a few licks to it but it gets stale.
    Can’t wait for the rest. Really appreciate you putting this together
    for us.

  • Kirk Bauer

    Reply Reply May 29, 2015

    Can’t wait for tomorrow’s lesson. I, personally feel this is one of the most important and helpful series I have seen to date. Playing the complete song at the start leaves us with the goal. Your teaching using theory along with real time examples leads us with the tools to achieve that goal. Well done Griff.

    • Ross

      Reply Reply February 7, 2017

      Yeah, I’ve always noodled with parts of it so now I’m instantly a hundred times better than I was. Thank you for that

  • John

    Reply Reply May 29, 2015

    Thanks for spelling it out on this lesson. It helps me in order to wrap my head around it until I can visualize the blues. Can’t pick up my ax for about 2 more weeks but I’ll have a song with the tab waiting. Thanks again.

  • Dave

    Reply Reply May 30, 2015

    Best Guitar Teacher on the Web, great lesson. BTW- any discount on the acoustic DVD lessons for repeat buyers? I bought the BGU unleashed for electric. Great stuff!

    Thanks,

    Dave

  • Tom Newton

    Reply Reply July 18, 2015

    Griff,

    I have your Beginning Blues Course and I really enjoyed it. On some of your examples you set the metronone at 60 beats per minute. What is the typical number when you play up to speed. These e-mails you are sending are great. I will be ordering the rhythm lessons in the near future.

    Thanks for inspiring me to get strumming again (I’ll be 78 in September).

    Sincerely yours,

    Tom Newton

  • Joe

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    I’m anxious to see (and print) the tab for this. (I already printed out the E Minor Blues scales from DVD 3.)
    Hopefully you’ll get this to us soon (before I forget about this!)

  • DocDave

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    IS the TAB for this in the videos somewhere? I have them and would go back, but really need the TAB for this or I’m not gonna get it, but I could play it if I have the music written out for me……PLEASE! I’m sure Im not alone.

    • tony

      Reply Reply August 5, 2016

      yeah man i get it no tab for scale patterns thats is being used, just tab for song . jumpig about from a minor to e blues to e minor thought its about the blues in a minor jump around, jump around, creatures of habits tend to learn one thing at a time, be specific its a tonal change man hate the word scales it really means ladder man . got to figure out how to climb it while totally making sence of it in your mind .totally lost it when discovering the blues scale wasnt just in 5 patterns ,but, six. mind you now blues scale not, a minor scale what the heck . just another feather ta tickle your bullocks bloke .its not what you know but the music you make .

  • bob l

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    hi griff my name is bob I am 63 and just starting out I know its a little late to be starting out but iworked all my life and now that I am retired I want to learn so I can have some fun with my 5 grand kids so con you send me the tabs so I can learn them a littie at a time I wish I had staeted a lot sooner can you keep in touch with me I watch your videos a lot but I am just a beginner so I really appreciate when you go slow it means a lot thanks bob l thanks hope to hear from you

    • Ron

      Reply Reply January 11, 2019

      Hello Bob 1. I am grateful to Griff for what he has provided. I am 61 myself and am just now learning about tabs myself. I copied a blank tab sheet from the internet and watched and noted the finger placement as Griff discussed the scale and licks he described. If there was a way to photograph and paste what I have worked out I would. The process of doing it myself is helping me to learn the licks. Haven’t finished quite yet. The final licks are not described as thoroughly as the beginning of the video. You might give it a try.

  • Warren

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    Great Griff, keep them coming.

  • Tombo

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    Thanks Griff. Visually I’m picturing this lesson as box 1 in “zero” position, meaning the index finger being replaced by the nut or open string. Oddly enough it visually comes easier by using the last three fingers as I would if that box 1 were played on the fifth fret. I’m probably not making sense at this point. None the less, great lesson. Thank you for all you do.

  • tony

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    kOOL BEANS FOR BEGINNERS OR MAYBE SEE IT AGAIN

  • Paul Warner

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    This is great stuff. I think I will learn this one all the way through and really have a blues song in my repertoire. I am very picky when it comes to the blues and a lot of it I am not crazy about, but the ones I do like I am really crazy about. I never heard this song before, I don’t think, but I think it will be well worth learning.
    The other day’s video where a lot of people spoke about the pinkie finger stretching was very interesting. Everyday I do pinkie stretch exercises and pinkie fingering exercises so that I don’t have a problem stretching 5-6 frets if I need to, and that the finger is as fast as the others in doing scales and so on. I use a lot of jazz chords in stuff that I create so the pinkie having the dexterity for these chords is important.
    Paul

  • Curtis cowell

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    Griff I am so excited to work on this! Thank you so much. I am currently recovering from a head injury from a car accident so I have to start slow. I can,t thank you enough!

  • Darren

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    Too cool! Don’t know if I’ll ever be good enough to play that, but I’d sure like to! Just started BBG, I guess I’ll see how it goes. I’m a long way off from being able to play that.

  • COLONAL

    Reply Reply February 4, 2016

    Please Griff cut to the chase. You waffle on too much and it is very irritable. This has been mentioned before. You also repeat stuff that you have gone through not long before.
    All time consuming.

    • Sam

      Reply Reply February 5, 2016

      seriously dude?

    • Jim

      Reply Reply February 6, 2016

      What Colonal haven’t you had enough of the one and ugh two and ugh WTF It would take ugh ten years to learn the song at this pace, this guy will not teach guitar he just takes baby steps, all he was teaching was the a minor scale not the song. One and ugh two and ugh unsubscribe!

      • Paul Wilson white (UK)

        Reply Reply May 18, 2018

        Hey why don’t you and the colonal buy a course instead of moaning you.may get some where.
        And if you can not play a blues song using that rhythm be it in E or A then you have no clue about blues music what so ever.
        I also think you should both grow up and apologise to Griff.are you not adults erh stop acting like children

    • Kaz Wagner

      Reply Reply April 29, 2020

      If there’s part of the lesson you don’t want to listen to, all you have to do is skip it by moving the cursor forward. Some people are more detailed than others and I’m sure lots of viewers appreciate his detailed explanations. By the way, you used the word irritable when you meant irritating. You are the irritable one.

  • ERROL CARROLL

    Reply Reply February 5, 2016

    EXCELLENT VERY INFORMATIVE WELL DONE ERROL

  • Andrew Hendy

    Reply Reply February 5, 2016

    Hi Griff ,
    Thanks for all the lessons you send out , you have certainly helped me a lot .
    This tune is something I have been playing off and on for 35 years and you are
    absolutely correct in that you need it . It got me into guitar playing as a kid when
    I first saw it done !
    The best thing is that there is a huge number of ways to play this and with some extra sugar added they always sound good so long as the timing is right .You can even change the rhythm many times during the one song and it will be fine if the timing is right .
    Thanks again

    Andrew

  • David Slatton

    Reply Reply February 5, 2016

    Some great lessons from someone who plays as well as you do and knows what they’re talking about.Much appreciated….DBS.

  • Dale aka Fingerlick

    Reply Reply February 5, 2016

    Hi Griff,
    I want to thank you. You don’t have to give away any of this but you do. Because you do, I purchased BBG and BGU a couple of months ago. I’m slow but gettin there.
    No other lesson site goes to the length you do. We might get a lick or a riff here and there and are then directly prompted to purchase to learn more. You don’t do that. In your free emails you take us step by step by step through a whole song and when we’ve got it you send out yet more of your life learned blues wisdom. I can’t express adequately how refreshing this is in this day of money grabbing, all about me mentality in which we live!
    You are a true Blues Treasure, Griff Hamlin and I am glad to be your student.
    Dale Griggs
    Fingerlick on the Forum

    • Dave Sinclair

      Reply Reply March 1, 2016

      Yes I agree Fingerlick , i wish I would have thought to say that in my comment , it is sooo refreshing !!

  • priscah

    Reply Reply February 5, 2016

    Griff,
    Please,please,i need your beginners Blue course lessons so that i can understand the scales.
    I cann’t even figure out how he’s moving his fingers.
    Hoever,i have downloaded for my future reference.
    NB:Am still waiting for my previous reply.
    Thankyou and i wish ypu well.

  • Cujoe

    Reply Reply February 5, 2016

    Griff, this is good stuff and I am very big fan of yours. I have learned a lot from you over the years. Griff in some of your other courses you talk to combining major and minor pentatonic scales and I kind of get it but I can’t visualize it. Could you create some charts with them combined, like 1&2, 2&3, 3&4, 4&5, and 5&1? Can you provide some guidance on going from playing scales and noodling to actual soloing and changing chord shapes like E to C and from 7s to 9s. I am not talking about the open chords. Thanks a lot.

    Troy,txs

  • erdogan essat

    Reply Reply February 5, 2016

    HI Griff i just want to thank you for the lesson and you are best guitar teacher on the web.

  • Leo

    Reply Reply February 6, 2016

    Hi Griff, Just finished downloading the second part of this lesson and can’t wait to get into it. Thanks for all the information you send out to us. I just wish I hand found you when I was a lot younger. You are a great teacher and all the material I have ordered from you in the past year has been great along with all the material you have sent out in your emails. I have saved them all on discs and have them cataloged for easy practice lessons. I just hope all the younger people know what they are getting sent out by you and learn to appreciate all that you do for us. I know I do! I hope you have another great year this year and keep up the great work. Just a note from the “Blues Man 75”.

  • John England

    Reply Reply February 8, 2016

    Excellent mini-series Griff, starting with the end product then showing how it is created.

  • Tony

    Reply Reply February 16, 2016

    That’s for everything!!! I’m really going to the next level of no return.

  • Michael Chappell

    Reply Reply February 20, 2016

    Hey Griff,

    Since I purchased your BGU Acoustic Playing On The Porch which I have yet to get to but these great little mini series brought me to the point that I can’t wait to try them out on my Acoustic electric ( Both Dry & Electric).

    Really Great lesson and we all appreciate your continuous time & effort to teach us such great blues music.

    Hey, I have just had my 69th Birthday and I am catching on quicker than I thought and that is because our teacher is Griff Hamlin of BGU.. I would say it is Never to Late to learn Blues Guitar.

    Michael-Sydney-Australia

    • Michael Chappell

      Reply Reply February 20, 2017

      Hey Griff,
      I have seen this lesson before and is a great refresher. I have just had my 70th Birthday and I am catching on quickly. Our grand kids like having a step grandfather who is a Rocker and slowly becoming a Blues Guitarist with BGU and best of all Griff Hamlin is our teacher.

      I simply like getting these email lessons.

      Michael-Sydney-Australia 21st Feb 2017

  • Dave Sinclair

    Reply Reply March 1, 2016

    Hey Griff I really love your insight and instruction, i’m not a blues player but i am very interested, i struggle a bit as i only have three fingers on my left hand , but i just wanted to say thanks for getting me interested again !!

  • Paul

    Reply Reply May 4, 2016

    you are the man I’ve been playing guitar for a long time and every time I watch one of your videos I learn something new never too old to learn thank you very much for your input on the Blues because that’s what I play the blues thanks brother

  • bRENDA

    Reply Reply May 22, 2016

    Griff, every time i watch one of your videos i learn something new on the blues because it helps me in my playing the blues. thanks griff, keep this coming to us.

  • Warwick Smiley

    Reply Reply May 22, 2016

    Hi, These are great refreshing & needed, (as said by you). You are my No1. Teacher who don’t mess around, Like some other’s, You Show what’s to be done, & Tell “Don’t Fall Behind”.All great riff’s, Come from a Scale, which I understand now, As b4 I’d think “How did that one come about”, All notes from chords in the song . I’m getting way off track. Thanks Again.

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  • Kim Alexander

    Reply Reply August 5, 2016

    Thank’s Griff,i bought our son-in-law an electric 6 string for Christmas & these types of lessons go a long way, in trying to help him learn, being a total beginner He is a young dad w/2 kids, a baby & 7 yr.old & he just can’t seem to make time to practice .Here we are 6 months later & he is in the same place,every time we sit down together, since he can’t or won’t practice,it is like starting over -VERY VERY frustrating for me .If it was anyone else i would tell him, forget any more lessons until he starts practicing ,but i just can’t do that to family ya’know? ANY suggestions like you have before on this subject …all i’m asking for is 10 minutes a day -that’s all ? Is that asking too much do you think ? Thank you ,Griff .Respectfully,Kim

  • Larry Howard

    Reply Reply August 5, 2016

    Finally, it’s starting to come together and your showing me the part that was missing! Thank you!

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  • jerry meagher

    Reply Reply December 20, 2016

    Thank you for all the encouragement and instruction griff. I dont delete your emails(except for the sales pitched) but listen and then archive. have a good christmas and happy new year. sincerely
    Jerry.

  • Mutt

    Reply Reply February 5, 2017

    Hay I don’t know if you have any of the things I sent to you but this is great ,see I was stuck in a wheel chair and over the last while I have been able to walk from the living area to my guitar room as a disabled person I was told I probably would not walk again, but this has been the most important thing there is to me my doctor is amazed to I told him about you and he said it was unbelievable but there thank you from the bottom of my heart and I am becoming a great guitar player I love everything you have showed me and I can walk again not to far but it’s getting better every day you are a blessing and I could never repay you for what you have done the guitar is very therapy thank you from the bottom of my heart

  • JACK FLASH

    Reply Reply February 5, 2017

    That was great…definitly goes on Griffs wall of knowlege…having material on the wall is like the cold beer that is behind the glass door at the convienent store…It is yelling…drink me..drink me..drink me…but you have to open the door to get at it…having things on the wall for me is studing while many times with out the guitar in my hand and a book in it instead…or even studing while I am laying in bed…You always have the books open at all times and makes goeing to things much more convient…like having your guitar easily acessable to pick up at anytime and you go deaper into the zone…I also have Daprofe fretmap on one of my guitars that has the blue notes, modes,penatonic scales, and harmonic and natural minor scales easily in color notes…makes it easy for me anyway…I picked back up my guitar after 30 years of not playing….

  • Gavan

    Reply Reply February 5, 2017

    Oh yeah Griff… Thanks ya thank ya thank ya 😉

  • Ernesr

    Reply Reply February 6, 2017

    Great started lessons

  • Tony henderson

    Reply Reply February 6, 2017

    Loving this. Looking forward to the alt pickin and your stretching exersize was amazing. Looking forward to what’s. Next,, like the kid in the candy store..

  • Paul Grammas

    Reply Reply February 7, 2017

    That’s marvelous! Can’t wait to get that down.

  • Jeanne Meisenzahl

    Reply Reply February 14, 2017

    Dearest Griff,thank you so very much I’m excited to play this today and make another music track!!!Your a fantastic music teacher and I wish you the best of day’s today and always,Your Truly Jeanne Meisenzahl

  • Neil

    Reply Reply May 18, 2018

    I’ve been playing scales, E Blues, A Bues, G Blues ect for a while now and I’ve not really know what to do with them!! It’s great that now I can learn to make some music with them. This is just what I need. Thank you

  • Larry Lancaster

    Reply Reply May 19, 2018

    Love this Griff. Thanks so much.

  • Ivory Joe

    Reply Reply September 14, 2018

    Jimmy Reed (Aint That Lovin You), Bill Doggett (Hold It), James Brown (That Dood It) and many, many more all use the E Blues Lick with a Texas Shuffle beat. It is the basic, essential, natural, roots, blues sound at its best.

    • Ivory Joe

      Reply Reply September 14, 2018

      Make that “Honky Tonk” for Doggett…Hold It is also a classic but with different chords…

  • Angie

    Reply Reply September 16, 2018

    I would love to learn to plays some blues I’ve attempted it on several occasions with no luck I need some direction on what to do and how to do it

  • david wetzel

    Reply Reply December 10, 2018

    I have rambled around these nots for years and was so close to the mother load and did not know it,made my evening sir,thank you for sharing with the world .

  • JBJ3

    Reply Reply December 15, 2018

    OK,you have to start somewhere, but this was to be for intermediate levels players

  • Catherine Dejardin

    Reply Reply February 21, 2019

    Very good !
    How do toi play riff and chicago rythme?
    Thank’s you.

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  • phil sher

    Reply Reply May 9, 2020

    Love it. We just can’t easily figure out what notes you playing in the short runs. So in trying to get the licks down we have to reverse engineer the actual notes. Also find the counting very tricky and i know how important you say it is. Love more help there.

  • Dadang Djajadiredja

    Reply Reply August 6, 2020

    Thank you for the excellent lesson.

  • Judy

    Reply Reply December 27, 2020

    I definitely want the tabs for this song It was
    absoutely fabulous I’ve played it over and over The best blues song I’ve heard in a long time 👍👍👍

  • Alex

    Reply Reply November 1, 2021

    Hi! Great lessons. Thanks

  • Thomas

    Reply Reply September 14, 2022

    Great lesson. Thanks

  • Denis Norton

    Reply Reply June 12, 2023

    I find your lesson is fantastic it has helped me tremendously, thank you

  • Steve

    Reply Reply July 8, 2023

    Hi Griff,
    Please could you send me another copy of the first blues in E video, I somehow deleted it.
    Thanks very much,
    Best wishes,
    Steve Read

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