Fingerpicking Twelve Bar Blues

In these three examples I've used some pedal point notes. (Here they are alternatively repeated with chords, although this technique is also very often used in flatpicking. )

I think this fingerpicking use of pedal point must have its origin in the piano style of playing. (The same as walking bass) The best thing is to play the examples slow enough at first so that you give a little time to your neurons to make new links. I've learned too that isolating difficulties helps a lot in making things finally work. Don't think this is too hard a job at all, even if you are just beginning. Learning to play things like these has been very rewarding to me and I hope you will enjoy the experience too.

Fingerpicking Twelve Bar Blues I:
*                                
E7 (I)                      A7 (IV)

1
|----0- ----0- ----0- ----0-|----0- ----0- ----0- ----0-|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
0H1-----2------3------4-----|6------7------8------9-----|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|0------2------3------4-----|5------7------8------9-----|


E7 (I)

3
|----0- ----0- ----0- ----0-|----0- ------ ----0- ------|
|---------------------------|-------3------3------1-H-2-|
0H1-----2------3------4-----|1----------1---------1-----|
|---------------------------|---------------------0-----|
|---------------------------|-------2-------------------|
|0------2------3------4-----|0-------------0------------|


A7 (IV)

5
|------ ------ ------ ------|------ ------ ----0- ------|
|----4-/5------4-/-5------4-/5------4-/-5----3----------|
|----5-/6------5-/-6------5-/6------5-/-6-/4------2P0---|
|----4-/5------4-/-5------4-/6------4-/-5-------------2-|
|0----------0---------0-----|----0----------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|


E7 (I)                      Db7 (VI)

7
|----0- ----0- ----0- ----0-|----4- ----6- ----6- ------|
|---------------------------|6------7------8------9-----|
|1------2------3------4-----|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|4------6------7------8-----|
|0------2------3------4-----|---------------------------|


F#7 (II)                    B7 (V)

9
|----0- ----0- ----0- ----0-|------ ------ ----0- ----0-|
|---------------------------|----0------0---------------|
|3------4------5------6-----|8------6------4------2-----|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|2------4------5------6-----|7------5------4------2-----|


(First Time)
E7 (I)                                  Bm11 (V)

11   
|----0- 0-0-0- 0-0-0- 0-----|0----- ----0- ------ ----0-|
|--0----3-3-3--3-3-3--0-----|-------3B4-0-----------3---|
0H1-----4-4-4--4-4-4-/2P0---|1----------2-------/-4-----|
|-------------------------2-|-----------0---------------|
|---------------------------|-----------2---------------|
|0--------------------------|0--------------------------| * 
					      Back to Beginning

(Second Time instead of two previous measures)

E7 (I)

|----0- 0-0-0- 0-0-0- 0-----|------ ----7- ------ ------|
|--0----3-3-3--3-3-3--0-----|0----------7---------------|
0H1-----4-4-4--4-4-4--2P0---|1----------7---------------|
|-------------------------2-|0----------6---------------|
|---------------------------|-----------7---------------|
|0--------------------------|-------0-------------------|



Fingerpicking Twelve Bar Blues II

*                                
E7 (I)                      A7 (IV)

1
|----0- ----0- ----0- ----0-|----0- ----0- ------ ------|
|---------------------------|------------------7--------|
0H1-----2------3------4-----|6------7------8------9-----|
|0------2------2------2-----|5------7------7------7-----|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|0------2------3------4-----|5------7------8------9-----|

E7 (I)                                           E7 aug5

3
|----0- ----0- ----0- ----0-|----0- ------ ----0- ------|
|---------------------------|-------3------3------1-H-2-|
0H1-----2------3------4-----|1----------1---------1-----|
|0------2------2------2-----|0--------------------0-----|
|---------------------------|-------2-------------------|
|0------2------3------4-----|0-------------0------0-----|


A7 (IV)

5
|------ ------ ------ ------|------ 5---4- 3----- ----0-|
|----4-/5------4-/-5------4-/5------7---6--5--------2---|
|----5-/6------5-/-6------5-/6------6---5--4------0-----|
|----4-/5------4-/-5------4-/6--------------------------|
|0----------0---------0-----|----0---------0------------|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|


E7 (I)                      Db7 (VI)

7
|----0- ----0- ----0- ----0-|----4- ----6- ----6- ------|
|---------------------------|6------7------8------9-----|
|1------2------3------4-----|4------6------6------6-----|
|0------2------2------2-----|6------8------8------6-----|
|---------------------------|4------6------7------8-----|
|0------2------3------4-----|---------------------------|


F#7 (II)                    B7 (V)

9
|----0- ----0- ----0- ----0-|------ ------ ----0- ----0-|
|---------------------------|----0------0---------------|
|3------4------5------6-----|8------6------4------2-----|
|2------4------4------4-----|9------7------4------2-----|
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
|2------4------5------6-----|7------5------4------2-----|


(First Time)
E7 (I)                                  Bm11 (V)

11   
|----0- 0-0-0- 0-0-0- 0-----|0----- ----0- ------ ----0-|
|--0----3-3-3--3-3-3--0-----|-------3B4-0-----------3---|
0H1-----4-4-4--4-4-4-/2P0---|1----------2-------/-4-----|
|-------------------------2-|-----------0---------------|
|---------------------------|-----------2---------------|
|0--------------------------|0--------------------------| * 
					      Back to Beginning


(Second Time instead of two previous measures)

E7 (I)                             

|----0- 0-0-0- 0-0-0- 0-----|----0- ------ ------ ------|
|--0----3-3-3--3-3-3--0-----|----0----------------------|
0H1-----4-4-4--4-4-4--2P0---|1------8---7---------------|
|-------------------------2-|-------7---6---------------|
|---------------------------|-------8---7---------------|
|0--------------------------|0-------------0------------|

Just in case you need it, this is a list of the chords that go along the pedal point notes with their names and composition.

Measures 1, 3 & 7:
E7 (no 5)
E|-----|       
B|-----|       
G|--1--|   3   
D|--0--|   b7  
A|-----|       
E|--0--|   Root
                
F#m7 (no 5)     
E|-----|       
B|-----|       
G|--2--|   m3  
D|--2--|   b7  
A|-----|       
E|--2--|   Root
                
Gm6 (no 5)      
E|-----|       
B|-----|       
G|--3--|   m3  
D|--2--|   6   
A|-----|       
E|--3--|   Root
                
Abm aug5        
E|-----|       
B|-----|       
G|--4--|   m3  
D|--2--|   +5  
A|-----|       
E|--4--|   Root
                
Measure 2:      
A7
E|-----|        
B|-----|        
G|--6--|   3    
D|--5--|   b7   
A|-----|        
E|--5--|   Root 
                
Bm7 (no 5)       
E|-----|        
B|-----|        
G|--7--|   m3   
D|--7--|   b7   
A|-----|        
E|--7--|   Root 
                
Cm6 (no 5)       
E|-----|        
B|-----|        
G|--8--|   m3   
D|--7--|   6    
A|-----|        
E|--8--|   Root 
                
C#m+5           
E|-----|        
B|-----|        
G|--9--|   m3   
D|--7--|   aug5 
A|-----|        
E|--9--|   Root 

Measure 4:
E7
E|--0--|   8   
B|--3--|   b7  
G|--1--|   3   
D|--0--|   b7  
A|--2--|   5   
E|--0--|   Root
               
E7aug5	       
E|-----|       
B|--1--|   +5  
G|--1--|   3   
D|--0--|   b7  
A|-----|       
E|--0--|   Root
               
E7/6           
E|-----|       
B|--2--|   6   
G|--1--|   3   
D|--0--|   b7  
A|-----|       
E|--0--|   Root

Measure 5:
A dim
E|-----|       
B|--4--|   -5  
G|--5--|   m3  
D|--4--|   6   
A|--0--|   Root
E|-----|       
               
A7             
E|-----|       
B|--5--|   5   
G|--6--|   3   
D|--5--|   b7  
A|--0--|   Root
E|-----|       

Measure 6:
A6 (no 6)
E|--5--|   R   
B|--7--|   6   
G|--6--|   3   
D|-----|       
A|--0--|   Root
E|-----|       
               
Ab6 (no5)      
E|--4--|   Root
B|--6--|   6   
G|--5--|   3   
D|-----|       
A|-----|       
E|-----|       
               
G6 (no5)       
E|--3--|   Root
B|--6--|   6   
G|--5--|   3   
D|-----|       
A|--0--|   2   
E|-----|

Measure 8:
Db7
E|-----|      
B|--6--|  3   
G|--4--|  b7  
D|--6--|  5   
A|--4--|  Root
E|-----|      
               
Ebm7           
E|-----|      
B|--7--|  m3  
G|--6--|  b7  
D|--8--|  5   
A|--6--|  Root
E|-----|      
               
E dim          
E|-----|      
B|--8--|  m3  
G|--6--|  6   
D|--8--|  -5  
A|--7--|  Root
E|-----|      
               
Fm aug5        
E|-----|       
B|--9--|  m3   
G|--6--|  +5   
D|--6--|  m3   
A|--8--|  Root 
E|-----|       
               
Measure 9:
F#7 (no 5)
E|-----|       
B|-----|       
G|--3--|   3   
D|--2--|   b7  
A|-----|       
E|--2--|   Root
               
Abm7 (no 5)    
E|-----|       
B|-----|       
G|--4--|  m3   
D|--4--|  b7   
A|-----|       
E|--4--|  Root 
               
Am6 (no 5)     
E|-----|       
B|-----|       
G|--5--|  m3   
D|--4--|  6    
A|-----|       
E|--5--|  Root 
               
Bbm aug5       
E|-----|       
B|-----|       
G|--6--|  m3   
D|--4--|  +5   
A|-----|       
E|--6--|  Root 
               
Measure 10:    
B (no 5)
E|-----|      
B|-----|      
G|--8--|  3   
D|--9--|  8   
A|-----|      
E|--7--|  Root
               
A (no 5)       
E|-----|      
B|--6--|  3   
G|-----|      
D|--7--|  8   
A|-----|      
E|--5--|  Root
               
Abm7 (no 5)    
E|-----|      
B|-----|      
G|--4--|  m3  
D|--4--|  b7  
A|-----|      
E|--4--|  Root
               
F#m7 (no 5)    
E|-----|      
B|-----|      
G|--2--|  m3  
D|--2--|  b7  
A|-----|      
E|--2--|  Root
               
Measure 11:
E7 (no 3)
E|--0--|  R 8up
B|--3--|  b7   
G|--4--|  5    
D|-----|       
A|-----|       
E|-----|       

Measure 12:
Bm11 (no 5)
E|--0--|  11  
B|--0--|  8   
G|--2--|  b7  
D|--0--|  m3  
A|--2--|  Root
E|-----|      
               


B  Bend
R  Release
/  slide up
\  slide down
H  hammer-on
P  pull-off
~  vibrato
+  harmonic
x  Mute note

Comments

[Tumyeto77777]

thanks that was very helpful

[PJVILL]

I'd like to make some corrections to this lesson.
The last part (Chords) looks like a mess and I'd
rather delete it if I cannot edit it properly.
Thank you.

[IAmKloot]

well done old bean! good stuff!

[breakdance39]

hey i think this was an awsome lesson, i love the blues and this is a great addition to my bag o' licks,
great lesson

[Hendrix68689]

great lesson, gave me some great ideas bout things i never thought about, thanks alot man.

[TheTr@p]

Its great to have something fresh to play around with. thanks for the lesson. keep it up!!

[irishRW]

aw totally! This has opened up my understanding about alot o things I was curious about. I F**king love the sound of fingerpickin an have been tryin to learn some where i can. This lesson has been a great help. Please do more

[iggy pop]

this lessons been a great help cheers!

[stu18visions]

Very good lesson.

[rossnabinger]

i disagree PJVILL, those chords are correct and very explainative

[Duh4994]

the lesson was great. very helpful

[aadit]

helpful
what do you mean by pedal point notes?

[PJVILL]

Pedal point generally refers to notes that repeat while others change

[dug graves]

great lesson!