Your homework: Over a static chord, play all the different triplet groove feels from the lesson. Once you’re comfortable, try them over a full 12-bar blues progression. Then take it further by playing in different keys, like A, B, C, and D.
Your homework: Create a one-bar single-note riff and repeat it through a 12-bar blues progression. Keep it locked in rhythmically, and make sure it grooves!
Your homework: Write 29 “partial riffs” based on the minor pentatonic scale using the rules we discussed in the lesson where you’re starting on the root and then adding 2 additional notes. For each of the riffs, try completing the partial riff by turning it into a musical sounding 1 or 2 bar riff, and if you have time, play a 12 bar blues for each of them.
Your homework: Once you’ve learned the 12 melodic riff classes, apply at least 4 of them to a 12-bar blues. See how each flavor changes the vibe.
Your homework: Take some of the examples from the lesson and swap in IV and V arpeggios (D7 and E7). Need a refresher on those shapes? Revisit Lesson 6.
Your homework: Choose 4 or 5 rhythms from the lesson and craft a blues riff. Then test it out in a few different keys to strengthen your fretboard fluency.
Your homework:
1-Play A7, D7, and E7 arpeggios across all six strings to lock in fingerings.
2-Play the arpeggios in eighth notes through a 12-bar blues.
3-Break it down into 3-string mini arpeggios and walk them through the progression.
Your homework: Use two-string arpeggios to build riff ideas. Stick to the same string pair and follow a I–IV–V progression. Then switch to other string pairs and repeat.
Your homework: Create 4 riffs starting on each note of a dominant 7 chord (root, 3rd, 5th, and b7). That gives you 16 riffs total. Next, apply them across a full 12-bar blues.
Your homework: Use the half-bar riff concept to create your own licks. Try them out in a few different keys to build versatility.
Your homework: Experiment with phrasing ideas, start a lick on the root and end on the b7, then try starting on the 3rd and landing on the 5th, and so on.
Your homework: Play riffs that land on chord tones at the start of each bar in a 12-bar blues. Over A7, target A, C#, E, or G; over D7, target D, F#, A, or C; over E7, target E, G#, B, or D. To challenge yourself, rotate through different 3-string sets (high to low).
Your homework: Once you know all the root position chords, play them in several keys to reinforce your memory and fingerings. Also play I–IV–V progressions using each of the five mini chord positions across the fretboard. Use 4 string sets to create 20 different variations of a 12-bar blues.
Your homework: Take all the string patterns from the lesson and play a 12-bar blues progression that uses different string sets in each section of the fretboard.
Your homework: Play I–IV–V progressions in each of the 5 fretboard positions. Once that’s comfortable, combine 2 positions per chord: e.g., for A, use positions 1 & 2; for D, positions 1 & 2; for E, same. Then repeat using positions 2 & 3, 3 & 4, and 4 & 5.
Your homework: Play a full 12-bar blues in all 5 positions—or at the very least, nail it in the second position.
Your homework: I gave you tabs for the top two strings, now it’s your turn to figure out the rest. Use your knowledge of chord tones to find the notes on each string set. For example:
Your homework: Figure out the arpeggio shapes for the IV and V chords. Knowing the chord tones will help! Once you’ve got them, play them in quarter notes (one per beat) through a 12-bar blues.
Your homework: Use the five positions to create riffs or licks that resolve on the 5th of the chord. This helps train your ear and prep you for turnarounds.
Your homework: Visualize 6th and 7th intervals in at least two of the five positions. Then build riff ideas that fit over a 12-bar blues using those intervals.
Your homework: Find ways to connect the IV and V arpeggios smoothly. Once you’ve got the transitions down, write a few riffs or licks that highlight the movement.
Your homework: Play a 12-bar blues like this:
Your homework: Start listening for the feel of the groove (shuffle or straight) in your favorite tracks. Also jamming over albums or even the radio is a great way to train your ears and internalize different time feels.
Your homework: Record yourself improvising over multiple 12-bar blues choruses. Change position each chorus. You can also try switching string sets instead of positions to add more variety.
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