Collectible Guitar MayJun 2017 | Page 36
FRETBOARD
LESS TRAVELED
BLUES ENDING RIFFS Rich Severson
I’m always looking for new ways to play the In this edition, we are going to look at the last | C7
same old songs, riffs, and chord progressions. two measures of a typical blues progression. In / / / /
If you stretch yourself you can bring a new the key of C, a typical blues progression would | C7
freshness to things you’ve played for years be
| F7
| C7
| C7
/ / / / / / / /
| C7
| G7
/ / / / / / / /
| F7
| F7
|
/ / / / / / / / / / / /
| F7
| C7
| G7
/ / / / / / / / / / / /
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/ / / /
and build your vocabulary to use in other
circumstances as well.
Here are 8 ideas that can be used in measures
11 and 12. Take special note of the Ab7 to
Blues Ending Riffs
A¨7 G7
3
3
12
⁄
12
2
3
11
12 11
10
11 10
8
10 9
G7 at the end of each phrase. The voicings
are just a little bit different for each one.
œ b œ œ œ
œ
4 œ b œ œ œ œ œ b b œœœ œœœ ˙˙˙ . . .
& 4
C7
1
by Rich Severson
11 10
10 9
11 10
A¨7 G7
œ b œ œ
œ œ b œ œœ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ . .
b œ œ ˙ .
3
3
9
10
3
8
10 9
7
9 8
5
EXAMPLE #1. The standard turn around riff
starting on the 5th and 3rd descending
chromatically
œ œ œ
3 3 3
C7
A¨13 G13
œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ b œœœ œœœ
& œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ b œ n œ
8
⁄
8
8
9 9 8 8 7 7 5
10 10 9 9 8 8 7
4
6
5
4
˙ . .
˙ . .
3
5
4
5
8
8
8 7
6
7
5
6
4
5
4
3
6 5
3 a riff can sound different played in a lower
higher
3
3
8
⁄
3
3
8
8 8 7 7 6
8
8
6 5
8 8 7 7 6 6 5
3
8
9 8
10 9
10 9
9 10
11
12
3
8
11
12
10
11
8
10
11
9
10
8
9 8
10 9
11
11
11
10
simple
experiment!
#4. Similar to #1, but starting on the b7 and 5th
of C7 descending to the 5th and 3rd.
#5.
A¨9 G9
6
A
and using the “C” as a reoccurring note.
3
2
3
2
C7
A¨13 G13
b œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
b
œ
b
œ
œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ ˙˙ . . œ œ œœ # œœ œ œœ n b œœ œ b œœ œœœ b b œœ œœœ
œ œ
& b œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œœ n œœ ˙˙ . .
C7
octave.
#3. The same notes as #2, just played together
Same
common
5
Root.
4
3
7
and
#2. The same riff played an octave lower;
A¨13 G13
3
3rd
4
3
œ C7 b œ œ œ b œ œ œ ˙ .
b œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ œ œ ˙ ˙ . .
œ œ ˙ .
3
4
the
5
4
8 7
or
3
to
˙ . .
˙ . .
10
10
10
9
tone
idea
with
as
the
#3,
notes
keep a
of #4
#6. Same idea as #5, but inverting the Bb and
G played as 6ths to 3rds now with the G on the
bottom and Bb on top.
#7. Our ending riff harmonized as chords,
keeping the “C” on top.
#8. A harmonization of the original riff in
Cº
C A¨13 G13
Bº
œ b œ
œ
œ œ œœ b b œœ œ b b œœ œœ œ œœ n œœ b œœœ œœ ˙˙ . . b œœœ œœœ # œœ # œœ n b œœ œœ œœœ b œœ œ ˙ .
œ œ œ n œ b œ œ ˙ .
& b œ œ œ œ b œ b œ œ b œ œœ ˙˙..
b œ œ ˙ .
7
C7
3
3
8
⁄
8
9
8
8
8
9
8
7
8
7
8
3
8
7
8
7
6
7
6
6
7
6
5
5
5
6
6
5
4
5
5
4
3
3
3
12
11
12
10
Bº
Cº
8 C7
10
11
10
A¨7 G7
3
11
11
12
10
C
10
10
11
10
9
10
9
9
10
9
8
8
9
8
36
May Jun 2017
The concept of developing or re-arranging a
phrase can bring new life to worn out riffs. Try
taking riffs you already play and apply some of
these ideas. Like anything, the more you do it,
11 10
10 9
11 10
Copyright © 2017 by Guitar College, Inc.
example #1
the easier it becomes, ‘till you can do it on the
fly. Keep pickin’ ‘till next time,
Rich
CollectibleGuitar.com