Midnight Blues Guitar Lesson (Gary Moore)

Gary Moore was a phenomenal musician. 

Today I want to share with you one of his AMAZING blues guitar songs.

It’s slow…

It’s groovy…

And it gives me goosebumps every time I hear it!

This is the kind of song you can easily picture being played in a smoky dark club well after midnight.  

It’s a minor blues, and the rhythm part mixes a riff and some sweet chords together. 

And then of course, Gary plays brilliant slow blues licks over the top of this progression which reminds me a lot of songs like “Thrill is Gone” and many other classic blues tunes. 

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Midnight Blues” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Midnight Blues?

"Midnight Blues" is a blues rock song written and performed by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore. The song was released in 1990 on Moore's album Still Got the Blues. 

It is one of Moore's most popular songs and has been covered by many other artists, including Joe Bonamassa, Beth Hart, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Moore recorded "Midnight Blues" at Battery Studios in London, England, with producer Andy Wright. The song features Moore's signature blues guitar playing, as well as his soulful vocals. The lyrics of the song are about the dark and lonely feelings that come with being in love.

"Midnight Blues" was a commercial success, reaching number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was also critically acclaimed, with many reviewers praising Moore's guitar playing and vocals. The song has been nominated for several awards, including a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Here are some of the credits and accolades that "Midnight Blues" has received:

• Released: 1990
• Album: Still Got the Blues
• Chart position: UK Singles Chart #22
• Awards: Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1993

Midnight Blues Chords

There are 6 chords total you’ll need to know to play “Midnight Blues”, those chords are Cm7, Fm7, Eb7, G7, Ab, and Bb. Let’s take a look at some ways of playing these shapes on the neck.

Cm7 can be played using all 6 strings at the 8th position like this:

Then to play Fm7 we’ll shift down one string and play a bar chord with the root on the 5th string like this: 

Eb7 is also played with a root on the 5th string. Here we’ll mute the 6th and 1st strings like this:

G7 is played as a bar chord at the 3rd fret like this:

Then Ab shifts up one fret to the 4th fret like this:

Note: You can also use an Ab7 which would be the same chord as G7 just moved up one fret.

The final chord you’ll need to know is Bb and this comes in later in the song during the bridge. Bb can be played like this in 6th position:

What key is Midnight Blues in?

“Midnight Blues” by Gary Moore is a blues in the key of Cm. There are two parts to the song. The first part is a 16-bar blues progression. The second part is an 8-bar bridge section that comes in throughout the song and just gives the listener a brief release before it goes back to the 16-bar blues.

Midnight Blues Guitar Solo Lesson

The main scale you will want to use for soloing over this song if you want to sound like Gary Moore is the C minor blues scale. The C minor blues scale is a six-note scale that uses the notes: C - Eb - F - F# - G - Bb

The C minor blues scale can be played in ascending or descending order. It can also be played in different positions on the guitar. Here is the most common way to play it in the 8th position:

The C minor blues scale is a great scale to use for improvising over blues chord progressions because it just fits the style. The blue notes in the scale will give your solos a more authentic bluesy sound.

The intervals in a scale are the distances between the notes of the scale. Intervals are measured in semitones, which are the smallest intervals used in Western music. There are 12 semitones in an octave.

The intervals in the C minor blues scale are as follows:

Interval | Semitones

------- | --------

1-b3 | 3 semitones (minor third)

b3-4 | 1 semitone (minor second)

4-b5 | 1 semitone (minor second)

b5-5 | 3 semitones (minor third)

5-b7 | 2 semitones (minor second)

Conclusion:

Gary Moore was a phenomenal guitarist and songwriter, and his song "Midnight Blues" is a classic example of his blues rock style. The song features Moore's signature slow blues licks, a catchy groove, and soulful vocals. "Midnight Blues" is a must-listen for any fan of blues or rock music.

If you're a guitarist, I encourage you to learn the chords and scale for "Midnight Blues" so you can play along with the song. You can also use the C minor blues scale as a starting point for improvising your own solos over the song's chord progression.

Keep practicing and for another great slow blues guitar lesson check out this Thrill Is Gone guitar lesson or Stormy Monday guitar lesson next!