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Track 32, 0:00
Figure 7-4:
An eighthnote
riff in
the style of
Freddie
King’s “Hide
Away.”
T
A
B
Shuffle (qr=qce)
E7
0 0 4
2
5 2 4 2
2
A7
0 0 4
5 2 4 2 2
Adding a little funk: 16th-note riffs
Funky blues usually sound that way because 16th notes are in the mix. In a
16th-note groove, the tempos tend to be moderate. But because the beats use
16th-note subdivisions, the groove sounds quite active. Often the bassline
and drums (particularly the hi-hat) employ 16th notes to lend support to the
scratchings laid down by the guitar. Figure 7-5 is a 16th-note riff on the low
strings that you play with strict alternate (down-up-down-up) picking.
Track 32, 0:21
Figure 7-5:
A 16th-note
riff, using
alternate
picking.
124 Part II: Setting Up to Play the Blues TEAM LinG
T
A
B
E7 A7
0 3 4
2 2 4 2 0 3 4
2 4 2
E7
0 3 4
A7
2 2 4 2 0 3 4
2 4 2
Throwing rhythm for a loop: Syncopated
eighth-note riffs
Although syncopation isn’t a huge influence in the blues (compared to, say,
jazz, R&B, and funk), it’s used sometimes and is always a welcome treat. For
more information on syncopation and its mechanisms, flip back to Chapter 5.
Figure 7-6 shows a syncopated blues line consisting of a dotted eighth, a tie,
and 16th notes.