This study is in a 16 bar blues form - something a little different than anything we've done up to now. The chords are still the I-IV-IV chords of the key (A-D-E).

Play the study in 2nd position, where your first finger takes the notes on the 2nd fret. The rest of the notes art played using the one-finger-per-fret method, with the exception of the open-string notes, of course.

Practice this tune slowly, working for a clean, solid, rhythmically steady sound. Don't worry about bringing it up to tempo. Just listen closely to what you're playing and try to make the guitar sing.

First Boogie in A (rhythm guitar part)

The rhythm guitar part for First Boogie in A is a type of spread rhythm, based on the ones you have already learned. The difference is that it's a two-bar rhythm pattern. Also, we reach up one more note, to the seventh of the chord (ex. on the 3rd beat of bar 1 for the A chord, bar 5 for the E chord and bar 9 for the D chord).

You can hear the rhythm guitar part better on the backing tracks, without the lead guitar part to distract you.

Remember, as the rhythm player you must be right on time, all the time. Everyone else is depending on you.

Work this tune slowly.