Rhythm Guitar Survival Guide – Blues

By Erik Holmbom

The Rhythm Guitar Survival Guide – Blues from LickLibrary.com is a deep–dive, note-for-note guitar lesson designed to give players a complete and practical command of blues rhythm guitar. Taught by Erik Holmbom, this course focuses on the essential grooves, feels, and harmonic ideas that define great blues playing. Rather than isolated licks, you’ll learn complete rhythm parts that work in real musical situations, helping you become a more confident, reliable, and creative rhythm guitarist in any blues setting.

This course is structured around three cornerstone blues rhythm styles: Blues Shuffle, Triad Shuffle, and Swing Blues. Each style is explored through progressions and breakdowns, creative ideas and concepts, and targeted workouts that reinforce technique, timing, and feel.

Blues Shuffle

Blues Shuffle Progression & Breakdown

The Blues Shuffle is the backbone of countless classic blues tracks. In this lesson, Erik breaks down a traditional 12-bar blues shuffle progression, showing how dominant chord shapes and moving bass notes interact to create that unmistakable rolling feel. Understanding this structure allows you to lock in with the rhythm section and maintain a strong groove that supports both vocals and lead guitar.

Blues Shuffle Ideas & Concepts

Here, you’ll explore variations on the basic shuffle using rhythmic accents, subtle chord embellishments, and dynamic changes. These concepts teach you how to keep a repeated progression interesting without overplaying. The benefit to the viewer is learning how to sound expressive and musical while still serving the song.

Blues Shuffle Workouts

The workouts focus on timing, endurance, and consistency. By practicing these shuffle patterns at different tempos, you’ll develop a rock-solid sense of groove and improve your ability to hold down rhythm parts for an entire song or jam session with confidence.

Triad Shuffle

Triad Shuffle Progression & Breakdown

Triad-based shuffles introduce a more melodic and harmonically aware approach to rhythm guitar. Erik breaks down how small triad shapes move across the fretboard to outline chord changes clearly. This approach helps players avoid relying solely on full chord grips, making their rhythm playing more flexible and mobile.

Triad Shuffle Ideas & Concepts

In this section, you’ll learn how to connect triads smoothly, use partial chords, and imply harmony without cluttering the mix. These ideas are especially useful in band settings where clarity is key. The benefit is greater fretboard awareness and the ability to adapt your rhythm playing to different musical contexts.

Triad Shuffle Workouts

Focused workouts reinforce accuracy and clean transitions between triad shapes. These exercises improve left-hand coordination and right-hand precision, ensuring that your rhythm parts sound tight and intentional at any tempo.

Swing Blues

Swing Blues Progression & Breakdown

Swing Blues brings a lighter, jazz-influenced feel to blues rhythm guitar. Erik breaks down swing-style chord progressions that emphasise movement, space, and rhythmic bounce. Learning this progression helps players understand how swing differs from straight or shuffled feels.

Swing Blues Ideas & Concepts

This lesson explores chord substitutions, rhythmic syncopation, and tasteful embellishments that define swing blues rhythm guitar. The benefit to the viewer is learning how to add sophistication and groove while maintaining a relaxed, swinging feel that complements soloists perfectly.

Swing Blues Workouts

The workouts focus on internalising swing timing and smooth chord transitions. By practicing these patterns, you’ll strengthen your rhythmic phrasing and gain confidence playing in more nuanced blues and blues-jazz settings.

About the Guitarist

Erik Holmbom is a highly respected guitarist and educator known for his deep understanding of blues, rock, and roots-based music. His playing is influenced by classic blues rhythm masters as well as modern players who blend groove with harmonic sophistication. Erik’s teaching style is clear, practical, and musical, making complex rhythm concepts accessible while always keeping the focus on feel and real-world application.

Guitar Techniques Used in This Course

• Chord Progressions
• Arpeggiated Chord Progressions
• Barre Chords
• Power Chords
• Palm Muting
• Alternate Picking
• Syncopated Rhythms
• Double Stops
• Slides
• Hammer-ons
• Pull-offs
• Vibrato

The Rhythm Guitar Survival Guide – Blues is an essential course for any guitarist looking to master authentic blues rhythm guitar and become a stronger, more musical player in any blues environment.