A major scale in a blues? Yeah, it shouldn’t work. But Howlin’ Wolf proved it does. We’re diving into Part 3 of this series, and this time we’re building a riff using the A major scale—something that feels wrong until you hear it ring out.

The A Major Scale for Blues

This isn’t your typical blues scale. Forget the minor pentatonic for a moment. The A major scale gives you a different flavor—brighter, more open. Howlin’ Wolf used this to cut through the mix on “Killing Floor.” It’s got that edge, that rawness.

Here’s the fingering. Start your 2nd finger on the 5th fret of the 6th string (not your first finger—that’s the key). Your pinky lands on the 7th fret. From there, the pattern is:

• 6th string: 5-7
• 5th string: 4-5-7
• 4th string: 4-6-7
• 3rd string: 4-6-7
• 2nd string: 5-7
• 1st string: 4-5-7

Keep your thumb behind the neck, centered. Don’t wrap it around—not for this one. It gives you better control on these wider intervals.

The Killing Floor Riff

The riff is built from that A major scale, with one trick: a chromatic passing note. It slides between the 4th and 5th scale degrees—different position than Part 2. This gives you that slick, soulful movement Howlin’ Wolf loved.

Here’s where timing matters. The 3rd note hits as a triplet group. Everything else? Doubles. All downstrokes. Don’t get cute with alternate picking here—commit to those downstrokes. They’re what makes this sound authentic.

Start slow. Get the scale under your fingers first. Then add the timing. Speed comes after you’ve got the muscle memory locked in. There’s no rush.

Adding Seventh and Ninth Chords

Now we layer in the chords. You’re working with A7, D9, and E9. Don’t worry if ninth chords feel new—they’re not as strange as they look.

The A7 is an E7 shape moved up. A barre chord at the 5th fret. D9 and E9 use a “kink barre” with your 3rd finger. That means your 3rd finger handles multiple strings, but not in a straight line—it kinks to hit the right frets.

The Full 12-Bar with Chords and Riff

A 12-bar blues in A uses three chords: I (A), IV (D), and V (E). Here’s how it breaks down:

• Bars 1-4: A7
• Bars 5-6: D9
• Bars 7-8: A7
• Bars 9: E9
• Bars 10: D9
• Bars 11-12: Turnaround

When you move to D, shift that same scale pattern to the 5th string root. Same fingering, new location. E is two frets higher than D. Easy.

Here’s the magic: substitute the root notes of your riff with chord stabs. That means when your riff hits the root, instead of playing the scale note, hit the full chord. It anchors everything. Gives you that fat, meaty sound.

Your turnaround at the end uses a chromatic walk. You’re moving down those chromatic notes to set up the next 12 bars. Smooth, intentional, no rushing.

Putting It All Together

This is where patience pays off. Start by playing just the riff over the A7 chord. Get that sitting in your pocket. Then add the chord stabs. Finally, add the turnaround. Each step should feel natural before you move to the next.

Howlin’ Wolf didn’t overthink it. He played what felt right. Your job is to feel it the same way. Don’t just play the notes—play the song.

Check out the other parts of this series: Part 1 (Smokestack Lightning) and Part 2 (Backdoor Man). Learning about the double stop rhythm pattern will also enhance your rhythmic vocabulary. Each one builds your understanding of how these classic blues riffs work.

Keep playing. Keep listening. The more you work with these shapes and progressions, the more natural they’ll become. That’s how you develop your voice as a blues player.