mp3: Off Beat Blues Guitar/Lead Jam Track
wma: Off Beat Blues Guitar/Lead Jam Track

mp3: Off Beat Blues Bass Jam Track
wma: Off Beat Blues Bass Jam Track

mp3: Off Beat Blues Drums Jam Track
wma: Off Beat Blues Drums Jam Track

Time/size: 5 mins/7.0mb. 80 beats per minute/bpm

Funked up blues jam track: This is a funky 12 bar blues progression in the key of Db.

Backing track instruments: electric guitar, fretless bass and drums.

Progression: Db7, Gb7, Db7, Ab7, Gb7, Db7, Gb7-G7-Ab7.

Suggestions: Start off playing the Db Blues scale over the entire tune and then try the Db Mixolydian mode over the Db7 chords, the Db Blues scale over the Gb7 chords and the Ab Mixolydian mode over the Ab chords.

Off Beat Blues Chords and Progression

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Db7 E|--x-- B|--2-- G|--4-- D|--3-- A|--4-- E|--x--

Gb7 E|--x-- B|--5-- G|--3-- D|--x-- A|--4-- E|--2--

Ab7 E|--x-- B|--7-- G|--5-- D|--x-- A|--6-- E|--4--

G7 E|--x-- B|--6-- G|--4-- D|--x-- A|--5-- E|--3--

Off Beat Blues Scale Suggestions

1. Db Blues Scale - 9th Position - Two Octaves

The Db Blues scale you can play over the entire progression. Once you get comfortable with that and want to add some different sounds to your playing, start off playing pattern 2, the Db Mixolydian mode over the Db chord in the progression.

E|-----------------------------------------9-12-9-
B|-----------------------------------9-12---------
G|-------------------------9-11-12---------------
D|------------------9-11--------------------------
A|-------9-10-11---------------------------------
E|-9-12-------------------------------------------

2. Db Mixolydian Mode - 10th and 13th Positions - One Octave and 5 notes

Play the Db Mixolydian mode over the I7 chord (the Db7 chord) that the progression starts with. In the 5th bar, when the chord moves to the Gb7, play the Db Blues scale below in pattern 3.

E|------------------------------------13-14-16-14-13--------
B|-----------------------11-12-14---------------------16-14-
G|----------10-11-13-----------------------------------------
D|-11-13------------------------------------------------------
A|-------------------------------------------------------------
E|-------------------------------------------------------------

3. Db Blues Scale - 4th Position and move it on up - Two Octaves

Here is the Db blues scale starting in 4th position and moving it up the neck to play some of the pattern used in pattern 1. You can move between the two patterns when playing the Db blues scale.

Play this scale over the IV7 chord (the Gb7) chord after using the Db Mixolydian mode from pattern 2.

E|-----------------------------------------
B|----------------------------------12-14-
G|---------------4-6-9-11-12-13---------
D|-------4-5-6----------------------------
A|-4-7------------------------------------
E|-----------------------------------------

4. Ab Mixolydian Mode - 10th Position - One Octave

When you get to the Ab7 chord (the V7 chord), try using the Ab Mixolydian mode in 10th position which is shown in the guitar tab below. When the progression moves down to the Gb7 chord go back to the Db Blues scale and then play either the Db blues scale or Db Mixolydian over the I7 chord.

You have A LOT of options with these 4 patterns. Work with each one, learn the notes on the guitar and turn them into music. Don't play them as scales/modes - create your own guitar licks as you play along with the blues jam track.

E|---------------------------------
B|---------------------------------
G|----------------------10-11-13-
D|----------10-11-13--------------
A|-11-13--------------------------
E|----------------------------------

Off Beat Blues Bass Tab

The bass guitar to Off Beat Blues is a Motown inspired funk bass line that complements the rhythm that the drummer is playing.

Play it with groove and add a bit of bounce to it. You can throw in some extra notes to lead into each beat.

If you want to spice it up a bit more lead into each Root note, walking up from the b7th (2 frets) or the 6th (3 frets) from the Root note you are moving towards. You can use this as a kind of rule for mucking around with walking bass lines that lead into the chords you are moving too. It's a very good way to start walking chromatically (semi-tone by semi-tone/fret by fret).

Get busy, get creative and most importantly get funky.

G|------------------------------------------------------------6--------------
D|----------------------------------------------------------6---6------------
A|-4-4---4-4---4-4-4----4-4---4-4-4---4-4---4-4-----------4-4-----
E|-------4-----4--------4-----4--------4-----4------------------------0-1-

G|----------------------------------------------------------------------------
D|-------4---4-------------4----4--------------------------------------------
A|-----4---4---4--------4----4----2-3-4-4-----4-4----4-4-4------4-4------
E|-2-2------------2-2-2------------------------4-------4---------4-------2-3-

G|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D|-------6---6-------------4---4--------------------------------------6-----------
A|-----6---6---6--------4---4----2-3-4-4-----4-4---4----------6----6-----2-
E|-4-4------------4-2-2---------------------4-------4----2-3-4----------4----

Off Beat Blues Drum Chart

Get funky with the groove.

Web page with drum instruction: Off Beat Blues Drum Chart

Download: Off Beat Blues Drum Chart