If there’s one riff that sounds like the blues, it’s the boogie. That walking, bouncing bass pattern you hear in every juke joint and roadhouse from here to Mississippi. Colin’s been playing this one for decades, and it sounds just as good on acoustic as it does on electric.
In this lesson, he covers the acoustic blues boogie in the key of A with three open patterns and two different 12-bar progressions:
The Two-Note Pattern
The boogie pattern is based on a power chord. Your root note and its perfect fifth. That’s your foundation. Then you add one more note: the major sixth. Keep the fifth held down with your first finger and drop your ring finger onto the sixth.
So you’re really just going back and forth between two notes while the open string rings out as your bass note underneath. Colin counts it like this: “one-a-two-a-three-a-four.” You add the sixth on the “a” beats. That’s the basic boogie rhythm.
Three Open Patterns
In the key of A, you’ve got three open positions to work with.
The E pattern uses the open sixth string as your root. Your first finger plays the fifth (2nd fret on the A string) and your ring finger adds the sixth (4th fret). This one feels the most natural for most people.
The A pattern moves to the open fifth string. Same shape, just shifted over. First finger on the 2nd fret of the D string, ring finger on the 4th fret. This is your one chord in the key of A.
The D pattern uses the open fourth string. First finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, ring finger on the 4th. This covers your four chord.
Same pattern, three string pairs. Once you’ve got the shape under your fingers on one string, moving it to the others is just a matter of aim.
Picking Options
Colin shows a couple different ways to pick this. You can use all downstrokes, which gives you a heavier, more driving feel. Or you can alternate pick (down-up) for a smoother, lighter sound.
Try both. Some songs want that chunky all-downstroke attack. Others sound better with the alternating feel. There’s no wrong answer here. It’s blues, so play what feels right.
Two 12-Bar Progressions
Colin walks through two common 12-bar blues progressions using these patterns. Both are in the key of A.
The first one goes: four bars of A (the one chord), two bars of D (the four chord), two bars of A, one bar of E (the five chord), one bar of D, then two bars of A. That’s your classic 12-bar form.
The second progression skips the D in the turnaround. Instead of the E-to-D move at the end, you hold the E for two bars before coming back to A. This is another common variation you’ll hear all the time.
Both work. The differences are subtle, but they give the blues a slightly different feel. Try playing along with the video until the changes become automatic.
Putting It All Together
The beauty of the acoustic blues boogie is that you can sit down anywhere with an acoustic guitar and have something that sounds complete all by itself. No band needed. Just you, three open patterns, and a 12-bar form.
If you’re working on your blues rhythm guitar skills, this is one of the first things worth getting solid. The boogie pattern is the backbone of so many blues and rock tunes, and once it’s in your hands, you’ll use it all the time.
If you’re just getting started with the boogie pattern, the guitar boogie riff lesson covers the basics in open position. And once you’re ready to move up the neck, the movable boogie pattern lesson shows you how.
Keep the fire lit, and keep playing the blues.