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Six String Strummin' · Intermediate · Unit 4 · Lesson 2

Lesson 2: The Blues Shuffle

The two-note engine of the blues ·

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • I can play the E5-E6 shuffle with a swing feel.
  • I can move the shuffle to the A strings.
  • I can play 'Shuffle In'.

🕸Swing the Eighths3 min

  1. Play open-string eighths straight, then again with a swing: long-short, long-short.
  2. Think 'doo-dah doo-dah' instead of 'one-and two-and'.
  3. Swing lives in the blues — get it in your arm before the lesson.

✋The Shuffle Move5 min

  1. Hold the power chord; your pinky (or ring) rocks fret 4 on and off.
  2. Swing the eighths: 'doo-dah', long-short — never robotic.
  3. Palm-rest lightly; the shuffle should chug, not clang.

🥁Count It3 min

  1. Count the rhythm out loud before you play.
  2. Turn on Counts or the metronome and lock in with it.
  3. Loop it slowly first; speed comes on its own.
1 Swing It Straight bar, then swung bar — hear the difference, keep the swing.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop

📖Play It7 min

  1. Read it slowly and cleanly the first time through.
  2. Drag-select any tricky spot and loop it.
  3. Use the tempo slider — move up only when it's clean.
2 E Shuffle E5-E6-E5-E6 in swung eighths — pinky reaches fret 4.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop
3 A Shuffle Same move on strings 5-4 — keep the low string ringing.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop

🎵Shuffle In7 min

  1. Play 'Shuffle In' with the band — the drummer swings with you.
  2. Relax the wrist; the shuffle is a groove, not a workout.
4 Shuffle In The shuffle walking between E and A — pure roadhouse.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop

👂Train Your Ear2 min

  1. Press play on any line above, look away, and listen once through.
  2. Hum the first bar back, then find it on the guitar by ear.

✨Make It Yours3 min

  1. Take one idea from this lesson and bend it — change a rhythm, reorder the chords.
  2. Play your version twice so it sticks.

MY ENDING (write or describe it):

🏠This Week at Home

⭐Practice Tracker

Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5
Shuffle Inonce through, daily
The Blues Shuffleclean & steady
Metronome onat least one exercise
My own variationmake one up

★ Check off each day you play — ten focused minutes counts. Consistency beats marathon sessions.

🍎Teacher Guide

PREP

  • The Blues Shuffle: The two-note engine of the blues

COMMON MISTAKES & FIXES

  • Rushing ahead of the beat. → Fix: Turn the metronome on and drop the tempo until it feels easy.
  • Buzzing or muted notes. → Fix: Press just behind the fret with the fingertip, thumb relaxed behind the neck.

IF STRUGGLING

  • Drop the tempo well below comfortable and loop one bar.
  • Play just the chord changes (or just the rhythm) before combining.

IF ADVANCED

  • Bring it to full tempo with the metronome.
  • Add your own variation — a different rhythm, an extra chord.

EXTENSIONS

  • Apply tonight's skill to a song you already love.

TALKING POINTS

  • You're building real technique — the same fundamentals every guitarist runs on.

✅Assessment

Tap one level per skill — saved on this device.

Accuracy
Plays the right notes and chords.
Timing
Keeps a steady beat.
Tone
Notes and strums ring clean and clear.

★ BrightNote · Six String Strummin' · Intermediate · Unit 4 · Lesson 2 · v1.0 · generated from lesson data

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