So, you want to craft guitar solos and rhythms for modern blues guitar, eh? First, you must understand the style and fundamentals of the blues wholesale. Start by listening to recordings by modern blues guitarists to get a feel for their sound and techniques. Practice playing the blues scale and experiment with different variations and note choices to create your own sound. Join Robben Ford in his course Deep Grooves: Modern Blues to hone in on your modern blues guitar craft and be the player you always wanted to be!

Deep Grooves: Modern Blues – Introduction

How do I get better at playing modern blues guitar?

When crafting a guitar solo, focus on your phrasing and timing to create a dynamic and emotional performance. Use bending and sliding notes to add expression and character to your playing.

In addition to soloing, the rhythm guitar part is an important element of the modern blues sound. Work on developing a solid sense of rhythm and groove by practicing different rhythms. Play along with recordings of modern blues songs. Emphasize the backbeat and the swing feel to create an authentic blues sound.

“For this Modern Blues edition, we dug a little deeper to select slower grooves that we felt had a broader emotional spectrum. Each soloing performance is an improvisation presented in an arc, beginning with the pentatonic scale, moving into the major scale that runs through the chord, into arpeggios, and then we combine them all. I’ll also show you chord voicings and the approach I would use for comping over these grooves and supporting the soloist.”

Robben Ford

Do we have your attention?

If you dig this Robben Ford course on how to craft solo & rhythm parts for modern blues guitar, Join TrueFire for free for 14 days of All Access to over 55,000 video guitar lessons across every style and skill level. Dial in your profile, follow a Learning Path, and get personalized recommendations. Learn from the best artists and educators in the world!