Learn The 16 Bar Blues Form For Beginners

Explore techniques to play popular standard blues guitar songs!

If you're a bit tired of just playing the 12 bar blues sequence, get ready - the 16 Bar Blues sequence will level up your game. :)

In this Blues Guitar Study lesson, we will explore using a riff and moving it around a blues chord progression. We'll also look at making up your riff and how to move it around your fretboard.

I'll teach you the 'Tore Up A Sidestep' and answer one of the questions that I get the most: which picking technique should you use? We'll learn an arrangement in the C-chord and how to write your own blues riff. Loads of fun stuff ahead!

Grab your guitar, and let's get stuck in. :)

🚨 Log into your account to download the studys TAB and Guitar Pro file in the resource section for free!

How To Explore Your Riff In A 12-Bar Blues Sequence

Explore this set riff in the key of C. You can make up a riff any way you like - but it can be easier to have a starting point like the one I show you here. Once you get the idea of moving a simple riff around to follow the chords, writing songs will be more straightforward.

Have a go at writing your own riff based on my Blues Study, and follow my tips on how to do it. :)

First, you'll want to know how to sidestep into a chord. In the video, I show you how to sidestep with the C7 chord. This means approaching a chord from a semitone (one fret) below or above it.

Usually, the chord will 'land' on beat 1, so the sidestep chord will be on beat 4 of the bar before! When you're comfortable with sidestepping, keep an ear open for the 16 Bar Blues sequence. Chuck Berry and Freddie King used to do this lot. Check out the Freddie King classic "Tore Down" to hear a similar chord sequence in action.

💡 The 16-bar sequence is like the 12-bar sequence, but you'll stay 8 bars on the first chord. This is a commonly used trick in Blues Standards.

Blues Guitar Picking Techniques

Guitar picking is a complicated thing, especially with more complex blues guitar riffs. Every guitar player does it differently - your picking technique will depend on your style and preference! If you're a beginner guitar player, keep it simple and choose the one that feels most comfortable.

A specific picking technique is effective in this 'Tore Up A Sidestep' riff. Instead of thinking of your guitar picking as 'down' and 'up,' you'll approach it in an in and out motion.

To do this, you'll need to slightly angle your pick to get this motion to get a direct line of movement. This way, you're pick won't get trapped between the strings - and you're picking will have a better flow!

💡 This picking technique is called Downward Pick Slanting. Also called DWPS, this term was coined by picking expert Troy Grady of Cracking The Code. I am still working on this picking technique and wish I had understood it earlier in my guitar journey!

Try it out and see how it feels - it won't work for everyone, but it's worth exploring! :)