Delta Blues Guitar Lesson - Play Fingerstyle Like Robert Johnson

Ever wanted to just sit out on the back porch or on your sofa and play some Delta blues?

Well, today I’m going to share with you exactly how anyone can start with this Delta blues guitar lesson in the style of the great Robert Johnson.

For this lesson, I won’t be using a pick. I’ll be playing fingerstyle (no pick).

So grab your guitar and let’s get started!

Delta Blues Chords

The first thing we’ll cover is these classic blues chords you’ll need to know. This blues is in the key of A major. Now a blues in the key of A would typically revolve around just 3 chords A7, D7, and E7. This would be the I, IV, and V, in the key of A. 

We’ll use all 3 of those chords. Plus we’ll make a few classic Robert Johnson style adjustments to them to tap into that iconic Delta blues sound.

Let’s take a look at a few of those moves. The first chord is an A7 played in 7th position like this:

This chord looks like a common open position D7 chord just shifted up higher on the neck. It’s not a chord shape I would strum. But one I would use in this style 100%.

Remember when playing fingerstyle you can control which strings to play with your fingerpicking hand. This means you can often get away with fingering chords that you wouldn’t normally play with a pick. 

It’s just one of the big differences between fingerstyle and non-fingerstyle.

Then from there, you can simply drop the 3 frets notes of this A7 shape down one fret and you’ll get an Adim chord like this:

This is a chord shape Robert Johnson used extensively. And it has also been adopted by players like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton as well.

I will also use this other variation on the A7 chord played down in open position like this:

For the IV chord (D7) a common chord shape heard in this style is the IV chord in 1st inversion. 

An inversion is when you play a chord but have a different chord tone other than the root note in the bass.  

A D7 chord in first inversion means that the D7 chord is played with the F# note, the third, as the bass note. This is different from the root position D7 chord, where the D note is the bass. For this chord shape, I use my fretting hand thumb on the 2nd fret of the low E string like this:

This creates a slightly different sound than the root position D7.

For the V chord, I use just two fingers. This looks like a standard open-position E chord with the 4th string played open like this:

Having that open 4th string in the chord adds the seventh (D) to the E chord. This makes the chord a dominant seventh a classic sound of the Delta blues style.

Delta Blues Guitar Lesson For Beginners 

Now that you have a few Delta blues guitar chords under your fingers. 

Let’s next turn our attention to the fingerpicking hand. To play in this style you want to start to develop thumb independence. This is the ability to make your thumb move freely and independently from your fingers, allowing you to do two things at once. Eventually, you can create a freedom that allows you to play a steady bass line with your thumb while also playing melodies against it. 

There are many benefits to this. 

In this example, our thumb is going to play on every beat in a quarter-note rhythm.

We’ll follow a typical 12-bar blues. There are only 3 bass notes we’ll play. A, F#, and E. 

For the A, we’ll play the open 5th string:

e|----------------------------------------------------------|

B|----------------------------------------------------------|

G|----------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------|

A|--------0------------------------------------------------|

E|----------------------------------------------------------|

For the F#, we’ll play the 2nd fret on the 6th string:

e|----------------------------------------------------------|

B|----------------------------------------------------------|

G|----------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------|

A|----------------------------------------------------------|

E|---------2-----------------------------------------------|

This F# is used for the D7 (IV chord). Remember that the D7 is played in 1st inversion. We want to think of our fingerpicking hand thumb as being a bass player. And the bass player here is playing the F# instead of the D root note. Also, remember that I play this F# with my fretting hand thumb as well. (See video above for demonstration)

Finally, for the E we’ll play the open 6th string.

e|----------------------------------------------------------|

B|----------------------------------------------------------|

G|----------------------------------------------------------|

D|----------------------------------------------------------|

A|----------------------------------------------------------|

E|-------0-------------------------------------------------|

From there we’ll apply this steady quarter-note bass line to the 12-bar blues.

That’s going to go like this…

Tip: I often use a palm mute with the bass line. And this is going to help once you start…

Adding in melodies

Once your fingerpicking hand is starting to move automatically. Then you can really start spicing it up by adding in some bluesy counter melodies against the bass pedal notes.

The A minor blues scale is a variation of the minor pentatonic scale. It takes the A minor pentatonic scale (A, C, D, E, G) and adds a "blue note," the flattened fifth (Eb).

This Eb creates the characteristic dissonance or "blue" feeling that's central to blues music.

The formula for the scale is 1, b3, 4, b5 (Eb), 5, b7.

The flattened fifth (Eb) is the key interval, providing the "blue" tension.

Understanding the intervals and how they interact within the scale will deepen your appreciation for its unique sound.

Here is an example of this scale played in the 5th position:

Classic Delta Blues Turnarounds

A blues turnaround is a musical phrase that acts as a bridge or pivot point at the end of a blues progression. It's like a musical sigh of relief, a moment of tension release, and a signal that the journey is about to begin again. It’s usually 2 bars, but can be longer or shorter. And often involves a chromatic movement, meaning it uses notes outside the main key of the song. This can create a sense of tension and anticipation.

While there are many variations on blues turnarounds. Here is one of the most iconic ones Robert Johnson used, as well as many other Delta blues players:

Listen for these at the end of the verses. So after singing a verse or before going into an instrumental section. These turnaround types of licks help transition smoothly between sections.

Conclusion:

To wrap up this Delta blues journey, we've covered the essential chords, fingerpicking techniques, and even dipped our toes into the iconic turnarounds of blues legends. 

Remember, practice is key. Start slow, master the basics, and gradually add those layers on top of the rhythm. 

This lesson is just the beginning of Delta blues guitar. So keep practicing, and for another great blues lesson check out this Boogie Chillen guitar lesson next!