Easy blues solo in A – 12-bar solo for beginners

Goal

Play a complete 12-bar blues solo in A that is simple yet sounds truly bluesy: bends, vibrato, Chuck Berry style double stops and a short turnaround at the end. The whole solo stays in one position of the minor pentatonic (frets 5 to 8): the ideal first solo when you start playing lead.

The progression: a 12-bar blues

| A7 | A7 | A7 | A7 | D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 | E7 | D7 | A7 | E7 |

The solo follows the chords: it lands on A over A7, on D over D7 and climbs to E over E7. Under the tab, each note shows its degree (1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7) with the colours of the scale generator.

Techniques

• Bend “1”: push the string until the note rises a whole step (2 frets). Check your pitch by playing the target note 2 frets higher.
• Bend “¼”: a tiny push, barely a quarter tone. It is the bluesy “colour” on C (♭3).
• R (release): the note in brackets is not picked again, you just let the bend down.
• Vibrato (~~~): on long notes, shake the string evenly.
• Double stops (bar 3): B and high E strings barred at fret 5 with the index finger.
• Passing G# (bar 12): the only note outside the scale, 6th fret on the D string, sliding into E.

The rhythm: shuffle

Blues is played with a swing (triplet) feel: the “+” eighth note comes slightly late, like “TA-da TA-da”. Count “1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +” (under the tab) while listening to the demo.

Listen and play

🎸 Demo: the solo with the backing (75 bpm, 2 choruses)

🎵 Slow backing track for learning (60 bpm)

🎵 Backing track at tempo (75 bpm)

Each track starts with 4 stick clicks, then the solo starts on bar 1.

How to practise

1. Memorise the position (diagram 1) by spotting the A notes (1, in orange).
2. Learn the solo 4 bars at a time (diagrams 2 to 4), with the metronome at 60 bpm.
3. Play the 12 bars over the slow backing track, then over the 75 bpm one.
4. Once you know the solo, keep the same notes and change their order or rhythm: you are improvising!

Going further

Add licks to your vocabulary with Blues Solo (1), (2) and (3), work on phrasing and silence and the 5 essential blues turnarounds.