Guitarra Blues Intermedio [Intermediate Blues Guitar]: Guitar Book & CD

Gritty, rhythmically alive, and harmonically adventurous. These techniques pull blues into the funkier, more syncopated territory where a single note choice can shift a phrase from predictable to soulful.

Guitarists who have mastered basic blues changes and lead playing and are ready to deepen their understanding of phrasing, substitution, and the specific grooves of R&B and funk. This works especially well for players balancing classical or jazz study with blues expression, or those building setlists that demand stylistic flexibility.

• Isolate one new chord substitution or extension at a time; practice it in the context of a 12-bar blues before layering it into your usual progression.
• Use the CD to sit in with the rhythm section; start by playing straight changes, then layer in the fills and approach notes from the book once you're confident with the groove.
• Record yourself playing the same phrase with different out-of-scale tones to train your ear on which choices sit well and which ones clash with the changes.

Assign this to intermediate ensemble guitarists preparing for a jazz or contemporary music unit that includes blues repertoire; the fills and funk elements transfer directly to rhythm section work. Solo students working toward recital programs benefit from having a structured path through substitution and ornamentation that goes beyond chord-melody arrangements.

• Blues phrasing and articulation techniques
• Chord extensions and substitutions
• Out-of-scale approach notes and target tones
• R&B and funk rhythmic grooves
• Blues fills and call-and-response patterns
• Harmonic listening and ear training in blues changes