Weekly Workout: Master the 12-Bar Blues Shuffle

The beauty of blues is that, on the surface, it’s a simple format, easily understood even by newcomers to guitar. But this 12-bar structure, containing only three chords—the I, the IV, and the V—can be played in myriad ways: from a steady eighth-note shuffle pattern to a jazzy walking bass line with syncopated chordal accents. In this lesson, you will take on these rhythmic styles—the basic tools you’ll need whether playing solo or with a band—all in the guitar-friendly key of E major.