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This is an E♭ major blues shuffle backing track: a Chicago-style shuffle: a boogie bass walking up and down the chord, the guitar rocking between fifth and sixth on the low strings. It plays the 12-bar blues progression in E♭ major at 96 BPM in 4/4, round and round, so you can practise soloing, rhythm or both.
E♭ and D♯ are the same pitch; the chords are spelled in E♭. The player above is set to this track. Press Play, slow it down or speed it up, mute the guitar to play the chords yourself, or mute the bass to play the bass line. You can also switch key or style without leaving the page.
How the band plays it
Everything swings: each beat splits into a long and a short note, the triplet feel of Chicago and Texas blues. The drummer leans on beats 2 and 4, and the bass walks a boogie line up and down each chord.
The chords
The 12-bar blues: four bars of the I chord, two of the IV, two of the I, then V, IV, I and a turnaround on V. In E♭ major that is E♭7, A♭7, B♭7.
1E♭7
2E♭7
3E♭7
4E♭7
5A♭7
6A♭7
7E♭7
8E♭7
9B♭7
10A♭7
11E♭7
12B♭7
In numbers: I7 = E♭7 · IV7 = A♭7 · V7 = B♭7. The numbers count from the key’s root, so the same progression works in any key.
The shapes the guitar plays
Power chords: the root and fifth, with the octave on top. Palm-mute them for the chug, let them ring on the accents.
Play the rhythm part yourself
Mute the guitar and play the shuffle riff yourself: root and fifth on two low strings, stretching your third or fourth finger up to the sixth on every second beat. Keep the palm lightly on the strings. Mute the guitar in the player and the band leaves the part to you.
What to solo with
E♭ minor pentatonic: E♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ D♭. The classic blues sound, bend the ♭3 toward the 3.
E♭ blues: E♭ G♭ A♭ B𝄫 B♭ D♭. Minor pentatonic plus the ♭5 blue note.
E♭ mixolydian: E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C D♭. Every note of the I7 chord.
Phrase like a singer: a short line, then space. Bend the minor third slightly sharp over the I chord, land on the major third of the IV chord, and use the turnaround in the last two bars to set up the next chorus.
Notes to aim for
Scales get you through the track; landing on the chord tones makes a solo follow the changes. The strongest notes over each chord are its 3rd and 7th:
Chord
Root
3rd
5th
7th
E♭7
E♭
G
B♭
D♭
A♭7
A♭
C
E♭
G♭
B♭7
B♭
D
F
A♭
How to practise with it
Listen to one time round the progression and count the bars.
Play the root note of each chord on the beat, then the whole chord with the band.
Solo with E♭ minor pentatonic, starting and ending phrases on E♭.
Aim for the 3rd of each chord as it arrives (the table above).
Raise the tempo by 5 BPM when it feels easy, or try the same track in another key.
Common questions
What chords are in this E♭ major blues shuffle backing track?
E♭7, A♭7, B♭7, in the order E♭7 | E♭7 | E♭7 | E♭7 | A♭7 | A♭7 | E♭7 | E♭7 | B♭7 | A♭7 | E♭7 | B♭7.
What scale do I use over an E♭ major blues shuffle?
E♭ minor pentatonic (E♭ G♭ A♭ B♭ D♭) is the first choice; E♭ blues and E♭ major pentatonic and E♭ mixolydian also work.
Can I change the tempo or key?
Yes: change the tempo or tap another key in the player and the band follows from the next bar. Every track is made live, so any tempo sounds natural.
Can I download it?
Yes: from the menu, save it as an MP3 or WAV file, as MIDI for your music software, or print the chord chart.
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