Every guitar player dreams of learning to play the blues. Its not just about the scales and solos, but also about the raw, heartfelt chord progressions that underline every great blues tune. The beautiful thing about blues guitar is that, contrary to what you might think, you dont need a repertoire of hundreds of chords to play thousands of songs. In fact, with just these ten chords, you can unlock the potential to play virtually the entire blues songbook.strongRoot 6, 7th Chord E7 for instance:strong This is a dominant 7th chord rooted on the 6th string. Its open, rich sound is a cornerstone of the blues genre. Songs like Sweet Little Angel by B.B. King are centered around this chord.strongRoot 6, 7th variation Chord E79 for example:strong Also known as the Hendrix chord, this 7th chord variation adds a sharp 9th for a distinct, dissonant blues-rock sound. Jimi Hendrixs Purple Haze uses this chord extensively.strongRoot 5, 9th Chord C9 for instance:strong This is a dominant 9th chord rooted on the 5th string. Its often used in turnarounds, those repeating chord progressions at the end of a blues progression. Rock Me Baby by B.B. King prominently features this chord.strongRoot 5, 7th Chord D7 for example:strong These chords add a jazzy flavor to blues progressions. Muddy Waters Hoochie Coochie Man uses this chord, which brings a deep bluesy feel.strong13th Chord G13, for instance:strong These jazzier blues chords are used for color and tension, often found in more complex blues progressions. Freddie Kings Hide Away features this chord.strongRoot 5, 9th variation Chord C95, for example:strong This altered dominant chord can add color and dissonance to your blues progressions, often used in jazz-blues. This can be heard in Chitlins Con Carne by Kenny Burrell.strongRoot 5, Dominant 7th Chord C7, for instance:strong This is the bread and butter of the blues. It gives us that classic, undeniable blues sound. T-Bone Shuffle by T-Bone Walker features this dominant 7th chord.strongRoot 5, minor 7th Chord Dm7 for example:strong These minor chords often provide the melancholic sound associated with the blues. The Thrill is Gone by B.B. King is a quintessential example.strongRoot 6, minor 7th Chord Em7, for instance:strongThis chord, rooted on the 6th string, often plays a part in minor blues progressions. Eric Claptons Old Love features this chord prominently.strongRoot 5, minor 9th Chord Cm9 for example:strong These chords are more common in jazz-blues progressions, offering a sultry, complex sound. Aint Nobodys Business by Freddie King uses this chord beautifully.These ten chords form the basis of many common blues progressions, such as the 12-bar blues I7-IV7-V7, the 8-bar blues I7-IV7-I7-V7, and the 16-bar blues I7-IV7-IVm7-V7. Theres a whole world of music that opens up when you learn these basic chord shapes.Remember, the beauty of the blues lies not only in the notes you play, but also in how you play them. Your attitude, feeling, and expressiveness will make these chords come alive. After all, its not the number of chords you know, but what you do with them that truly counts.Youll have all of TrueFires advanced learning tools at your finger tips to personalize your workspace and learn at your own pace. You can loop, slow down, or speed up any section of a lesson. Plus, all of the tab and notation is synced to the videos for the optimal learning experience. Youll also get tab and standard notation files to print out, Guitar Pro files, and all of the backing tracks to practice with.Grab your guitar and lets play the blues