This is it. Lesson five. We’re finishing this 12-bar blues solo today — and I’ve only got one reminder. Did you put your time in? Good. I’m done lecturing you. If you stumble here, it’s because your scales need more work. That’s just how it goes.

This is Part 5 of the Slow Blues Solo Challenge. If you’re jumping in cold, go back to Part 1 and start from the beginning.

Riff 9 — The Peak

If you played riff eight with the right fingering — first, third, first, third — your hand is already in position for this. No shifting needed.

Riff nine starts on the second beat. Fifteenth fret, second string, hammer to the 17th with your pinky. Then pick the 15th fret first string, back to 17th fret second string, and one more hit on the 15th.

This is the highest point of the entire solo. The reason it goes here is because this is where the chord progression hits the B minor seventh — the highest chord change. The solo peaks where the harmony peaks. That’s not random. That’s how you write a solo that follows the music.

At the end of riff nine, you hit the 17th fret first string and slide it down. That’s a BB King trick. Let it ring and fade as it slides — you’ve got time because this is a slow tune.

Riff 10 — Coming Back Down

After the peak, we bring it back to earth. Riff ten is straightforward — 14th fret third string, back and forth to the 12th fret, then cross over to the fourth string and do the same thing. It starts on beat two and the timing is relaxed.

These two riffs work together beautifully. Riff nine pushes to the top, riff ten eases you back down. Tension and release. That’s the whole game in blues.

Riff 11 — The String Bend

Now we add one more technique — the string bend. Third string, 14th fret. Get your other fingers in behind it for support because you need to go a whole step up.

The note you’re bending to is the same pitch as the 12th fret second string, so you’ve got a built-in reference. Pick the second string open, then bend the third string until they match. Once you know the feel, you won’t need the reference anymore.

Riff eleven starts on beat two. Bend that note, let it ring on the E tonic, and hold it. That sustained E sets up the final bar perfectly.

Riff 12 — The Blues Note

The last riff adds one note that lives outside the basic pentatonic scale — the chromatic passing note between the 4th and 5th scale degrees. Some people call it the flatted fifth. Some call it the devil’s note. Most just call it the blues note.

It’s a hammer-on followed by that chromatic note, timed to land right with the rhythm track. The whole riff has a strong, final feel to it — like the last sentence of a story.

And that’s it. Twelve riffs. Twelve bars. One complete blues solo.

Putting It All Together

In the video, I play through the solo three times over the jam track. The first time is close to what I taught you. The second time I start making variations — same note groupings, different timing and embellishments. The third time I take the ideas and just go with it.

And that’s what I want you to work toward. Don’t memorize my exact timing. Learn the note groupings and then put your own spin on them. Each riff is like part of a sentence — learn the words, then have a conversation.

If you didn’t get it all in five days, don’t sweat it. Take a couple extra days. A couple weeks on this and you’ll be solid. A year of working with these note groupings and you could play a solo in any key — because all you have to do is move the same patterns to a different spot on the neck.

Now that you’ve got a complete solo under your fingers, it’s time to branch out. The chord-following lesson shows you how to match your pentatonic positions to each chord in a 12-bar progression. And once you’re ready to build riffs of your own, this pentatonic riff is a great next step.

Head back to Part 1 anytime you need a refresher on the scales. And check out the rest of the Blues Soloing lessons for more ideas to add to your playing.