Emanuel Hedberg

Minor Blues Ballad Solo - Long Version

Added 2023-05-01 21:26:18 +0000 UTC

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LINK TO BACKING TRACK ON YOUTUBE

You can also download the backing track as a mp3 file

Since this is a very long solo (3.5 choruses) with many different ideas, licks and lines, I recommend that you watch this lesson, if you have time, before trying to work on this solo:

How To Practice My Songs/Études

Hi!

Here is a 12 bar blues in the key of D minor, in the time signature of 12/8.

This is an old solo that I re-recorded and made much longer. The original solo is one chorus long, while this solo is 3.5 choruses.

The backing track is made by the one and only Quist.
He's a great guitar player and teacher. Check out his social media pages:

YouTube
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Patreon

There is a scale/chord explanation available for download.
File name: Analysis.pdf

As usual, you can find the right hand notation in the guitar pro files and pdf file.

p = thumb
i = index
m = middle
a = ring
c = pinky/little finger

Chord Progression & Scales

I have two different lessons available about the minor blues progression

The pictures down below are available for download as pdf files.

Scales Diagrams

Here's a few scale options which I think works great over this progression.

Be sure to also check out my Scale Library.

I have a lesson about the Phrygian dominant scale here

Analysis

Down below is an overview of the solo and whats "going on", theoretically.
I'm also explaining "some of the things that I play", in depth, down below.
Let me know if you have any questions.

The analysis is available for download as a pdf file. File name: Analysis

Bar 3 - 4: In these two bars I'm using some enclosures/chromatics in combination with chord tones.
First off - be sure to check out these lessons down below in order to understand the line fully, that I play in bar 3 and 4.

Lessons about chord tones

How To Mix Chord Tones & Scales (Fundamentals)
How To SPICE UP Of The PENTATONIC scale with CHORD TONES

I talk about enclosures/chromatics in these lessons
Very important lessons if you want to understand the line that I play in bar 3 and 4:

Chromatic scale

I have a lesson about chromaticism. Click the link down below

Chromaticism (Introduction)

The chromatic scale or twelve-tone scale is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone, also known as a half-step, above or below its adjacent pitches. As a result, in 12-tone equal temperament (the most common tuning in Western music), the chromatic scale covers all 12 of the available pitches. Thus, there is only one chromatic scale.

Enclosures/Chromaticism

In this étude I use something called enclosures.
Check out the posts down below where I talk and write about enclosures.

Lesson Xj - Enclosures

Lesson Xk - "The Barry Harris Method"

Written lesson about enclosures (half step below/half step above)

Bar 7 - 8: These two bars consists of a "chord melody lick" which fits over the Gm7 and the Dm7 chord. When you play a "chord melody lick" the underlying melody is very important.
It never sounds good to just play a few random "jazz chords". It all has to make sense, especially the melody.

Bar 8 - 9: Over these two bars I play a pentatonic lick which consists of a sequence of five.
The sequence looks like this:

In this bar I play a C#dim7 arpeggio over A7. C# is the major 3rd of A.
I then, again, approach the chord tones of A7 with chromatics and enclosures.

In order to fully understand why I play a C#dim7 arpeggio over A7 I recommend you watch this lesson:

Diminished 7 chords - How, Why & When Can You Play Them? (Easy Trick)
In this tutorial I talk about how, why and when you can play diminished 7 chords. I also show you an easy trick for how you can play diminished 7 chords.

After the C#dim7 arpeggio I approach the chord tones of A7 with chromatics and enclosures - like I did in bar 3 - 4.
Important to realise is that I play the diminished 7th arpeggio and the chromatics/enclosures with swung sixteenth notes.

The first 11th fret on the B string is a typo, it should be number 9. But you can play 11th also, like I do here