25 Blues Licks You Must Know

by Andy Widders-Ellis • Guitar Player, August 1992

Ex. 1

~ ~ ~
q. = 60-72 A 7 (I7) Ex. 2
q = 100-138

~
Full
Full Full Full A 7 (I7)
S S
5 5 5 5
8 8 8 8 (8 ) (8 ) 5 10
6 5 6 11
7 6 5 4 7 7 12
7 6 5 4 7 6 5 4 7

Ex. 3 Ex. 4
q. = 92 q = 60

D 9 (IV7)
10
~~ A 7 (I7)
S S S ~~~
D 9 (IV7) B b7 (I7)
6 6 6
S
6
S
6 \
Full
~~
13 8
11 X 9 7 5 7 5 6 8 8 9 9 8 6 8 6
X 7 5 8
X 7 9

Ex. 5 Ex. 6 Ex. 7

q = 63
q. = 63 q = 120
G 9 (I7)

~~~ ~~ ~~
Full
C 9 (IV7) Full
1/4
\ S \
3 5 3 \ 8 S
3 6 3 6 3 11 10 8 10
5 5 3 7 9 7 9
5

*Bend on slow version only.

Ex. 8
F #7 (V7)
~~~~
E 7 (IV7) B 7 (I7) q = 122

~~
Full Full Full
1/2
\ \ \
\ 10 10 7 7 7 (7)
10 7 10 10
10 (10) 9 13
© 1997-98 Notes On Call. www.notesoncall.com

Ex. 9
q = 60

~~
A 7 (V7)
A b7 (IV7)
E bm7 (Im7)
D m7 (Im7) Full
S S
S S S \ S
13 12 4 5 4
13 7 4 4
14 14 12 10 9 10 12 12 6
12 6 7 6 4 4
6 4 6

25 Blues Licks You Must Know 1 2 3

 Ex. 10 Ex. 11
q = 60-75 q = 96

D 9 (IV7) A 7 (I7) E 7 (V7) D 7 (IV7)

S S S S S S S S

9 10 10 10 10 10 5 15 14 12 13 12 10
8 9 8 7 8 7 8 7 8 9 5 6 16 14 12 13 14 12 10 11
11 11 11 7 5 14 14 14 12 12 12 7 7

Ex. 12 Ex. 13
q = 76-116 q = 80-104 G7
E b9 (IV7)
B b7 (I7)
~~~ ~~
C9 2
(I7)
A 7 (I7) Full
Full
1/2 (IV7)
S \
\ \ 6
8 7 5 11 ( 11 ) ( 11) 8 10
9 7 5 6 8 8 (8) 6
7 7 7

Ex. 15
Ex. 14 q = 72 alternative ending
q = 140 PB PB

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

1/2 Full 1/4 1/4
G 7 (I7) D 7 (V7) D 7 (V7)
B 7 (I7) \ \ \ \ S S
10 12 12 12 10 10 3 3 3 3 3
12 12
4 5 6 5
3 3 2 2 1 1 0 3 4 0 5 4
4 5 6 5

~~
Ex. 16
q = 115
Ex. 17
q = 80

~~~
G 7 (I7)
—\ C~7(I7)
Full
Full F 9 (IV7)
1/4
\
\ 15 15 11 10 8
15 15 18 18 15 18 15 8 11
17 17 15 10 10 8
17 17 10
© 1997-98 Notes On Call. www.notesoncall.com

Ex. 19
Ex. 18 q = 138
q = 138
E 9 (I7)

~ ~~
E 7 (V7)
A 7 (I7) Full
1/4
S S
5 \ \
5 8 8 7 5
5 6 7 5 14 (14 ) (14 ) 13 12 12
7 5 14 14
7

25 Blues Licks You Must Know 1 2 3

 Ex. 20
q = 116
E 7 (I7)

~~ ~~~~~
Full
S
\ 12
15 15
14 (14 ) (14 ) 13 12
12 14
14 12 10 11
Let Ring

Ex. 21
C 9 (I7)
q = 104-126

S
1/4
~ S S

8 11 8 8 8 10 8
8 9 9 9 7 9 7
8 10 8

Ex. 22
q = 92
C 9 (I7)
Full

\ 18
~~~
18 (18 ) (18 ) 15
17 15
17

Ex. 23 C 7 (I7)
©»63
S
Full

\
(15 )
~~ ~~
Full

\ ~~
15 13 15 15
13 16 13 15 13 15 13 13
14 14
© 1997-98 Notes On Call. www.notesoncall.com

Ex. 24 Ex. 25
©»108 ©»72
B 7 (I7) F #7 (V7)
~~ ~~ ~~~
Full
E 9 (IV7) B 7 (I7) Full
\
10 7 10 10 7 \ 7 S
7 10 7
9 7 9 9 7 9
9
8 9
Let Ring

25 Blues Licks You Must Know 1 2 3