Blues Dues – The V Chord
Soloing strategies for playing over the V chord in bar 9 of a 12-bar blues.
If you are a guitar player, then chances are you can't count how many times you've been asked to jam over a 12-bar blues. Not only is it a ton of fun, but everyone knows a 12-bar blues and it's a great way to break the ice when playing with someone or a group for the first time.
Not only are the blues fun to play and a way to be musically expressive, but people love listening to the blues. I'm sure every time you go to a bar or somewhere they have a live band, you will hear a few 12-bar blues. One thing that I always pay attention to is how the soloist plays over the V-IV change that happens in bar 9 and 10 in a blues. Beginners and professionals alike usually sound great over the I and IV chords, but one thing that definitely separates the novice from the pros is how they handle that V chord. In this post, we're going to go over a few of the options available when playing over the V chord.