Session 4: More Blues Tools

Sliding Finger Pattern

Here is a helpful finger pattern that outlines the main positions on guitar. It’s an easy and great sounding way
to create a melody that travels a lot on the guitar by using common finger patterns.

Basic Sliding Riff

Here is the basic version of the sliding finger pattern. The root of this riff is the 5th string C.

Sliding Riff in C (5th String Root)

Here is the full version of the sliding riff in the key of C. The riff is based off of the 5th string root of C. Notice
the difference between the ascending and descending versions. This pattern can be moved to any key using
the 5th string root.

Sliding Riff in F (6th String Root)

Here is the full version of the sliding riff in the key of F. The riff is based off of the 6th string root of F. Again,
notice the difference between the ascending and descending versions. This pattern can be moved to any key
using the 6th string root.

Blues Guitar with Steve Krenz 54 www.learnandmaster.com/bluesresources

Session 4: More Blues Tools

Finger Patterns & Positions

Using common finger patterns to play riffs in many
octaves on the guitar is very easy. Finger patterns that
involve two adjacent strings can be repeated an octave
up by moving up 2 or 3 frets and moving to the next
string set down on the fretboard.
Playing Tip
One simple melodic idea can be played
in several different positions on the
guitar using the same fingering.

Example 3
Here, the same finger pattern is used in all three octaves of this riff. After you play the original riff on the 6th-
5th strings, then you move up two frets and play the same finger pattern on the 4th-3rd string set. From
there you can move up three frets and play the same finger pattern on the 2nd-1st string set.

Example 4

Example 5

Blues Guitar with Steve Krenz 55 www.learnandmaster.com/bluesresources