Blues in A: From Warm-Up to Improvisation in 10 Sheets

This PDF guide has you play the blues in A in ten sheets, from warming up to improvising over the 12-bar progression (A7, D7, E7). It follows the logic of the Blues in E pack, in another key: the same progression and the same minor pentatonic scale in position 1, shifted up five frets, at fret 5 instead of the open strings.

A path in four stages

• Week 1 — Warm-up and progression: loosen the fingers on the A string, then lay down a steady strum over the 12 bars.
• Week 2 — Changes and palm: the real A7-D7-E7 changes, then the progression as muted strums.
• Week 3 — Scale and riff: position 1 of the A minor pentatonic, its descent on its own, then a riff that runs through the whole scale.
• Week 4 — Lick, arpeggios, improvisation: an ending lick, the progression as arpeggios, then free improvisation.

Why stay in A from start to finish

One key, one progression, one scale: every sheet builds on the same base, so you do not spread yourself thin. The move from E to A is instructive too: the three chords A7, D7 and E7 are played in open position, while the scale climbs to fret 5. The scale follows the key, not the position of the chords.

What the PDF adds to the online sheets

It is not just a collection of the site's sheets. The guide explains its learning order, offers a week-by-week practice plan and adds, for each sheet, its place in the path and a tip specific to the guide. Every sheet also links back to its online version.

Two versions of the same guide

The A4 version suits reading on a computer and printing. The eBook version has 108 × 144 mm pages (3:4 ratio) designed for 7-inch e-readers (Kobo, Kindle, Boox…), with enlarged text and diagrams; it stays readable on phones and tablets. The content is identical, only the layout differs.

Who is it for?

Guitarists who know a few open chords and want to play and improvise over a real 12-bar blues. Plan on one sheet per session, and only improvise once the progression is secure.