Blues in D — syncopated muted strums
The syncopated muted accents in this exercise aren't spread randomly across the 12 bars: they land on the final turn (bars 9 to 12, A7-G7-D7-A7), blues' classic 'turnaround' that leads the grid back to its start. That's no coincidence: in a blues played with a band, this is exactly the spot where the rhythm tightens up the most, to clearly signal the return to the first chord.
Tips
First play bars 1 to 8 without syncopation, then isolate just the turnaround (bars 9-12) where the difficulty is concentrated.
Listen to an existing 12-bar blues and spot that same rhythmic tightening at the same point in the form.
Once the turnaround is solid, loop the whole grid: it's by playing several rounds in a row that its 'relaunching' role actually makes sense.
Chord progression — D
Chords
Related sheets
- Blues in G — alternating bass fingerstyle (Level 5)
- Warm-up — wide-stretch chromatic run (Level 5)
- Blues in E — fast changes (Level 5)