Here’s a typical “ragtime” progression in G: C – C#dim – G – E7 – A7 – D7 – G There are endless arguments about what the blues is and what it isn’t.

You’ll find it in many old blues tunes, such as some by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, through the later recordings of Eric Clapton and many others. The examples I offer here are played in the ...

For example, C-A-D-G-C as we see in the last bars of the blues variation. This falling through fifths can be used to change key, to establish the original key, or to provide variation to a chord ...

I n this lesson, I’d like to discuss playing over what’s known as a I - VI - II - V (“one-six-two-five”) chord progression, which is common in a variety of musical styles, from country to rock to folk ...