addictive · bm · 60 bpm · patterns not licks

BLUES
sequences

Eight patterns that play themselves once you start. Built-in metronome below. Drone MIDI for the harmonic anchor.

PATTERNS THAT LOOP YOU IN

Metronome

60BPM

±5

—

The problem with isolated licks is they don't connect to anything. Sequences are different — they're patterns that resolve into each other. Your hand always knows where to go next. Start the metronome above, pick a sequence, let the pattern carry you.

How sequences work

A sequence repeats a small 2-4 note idea through different scale positions. Your brain learns the shape; your fingers move through the positions automatically. That's why they're satisfying — you're not thinking about notes, you're feeling shapes move across the neck.

Play any of these once and your hand will start doing it on its own. That's the test of a great sequence — it teaches itself to your fingers.

SEQUENCE 01 · THE FOUNDATION

The Four-Note Climb

EASY 60 BPM 4 NOTES/BEAT

The most fundamental blues sequence. Once your hand learns it, you can play this for 10 minutes without stopping. Pure muscle memory training.

START HERE NUMBERED PATH END

Tab

e|--------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------------|
G|-------------------7-9-7-9-7-9-7-9----|
D|-------7-9-7-9-7-9--------------------|
A|--7-10-7-10-7-10----------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|

   pattern: low-high-low-high across each string
   1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

The pattern

Pick a note, then the next note up, then back to the first, then up again. Move that 4-note shape to the next string and repeat. Your hand makes the same motion over and over, just at different positions.

Why it sticks Like rocking a chair — once you start, it keeps itself going. Hand alternates between two frets, then jumps strings, repeats. No decision-making required.

SEQUENCE 02 · TRIPLET FEEL

Threes Through The Pentatonic

EASY 60 BPM 3 NOTES/BEAT

Three-note groups feel different from four-note groups. They give the line a rolling, dancing quality — like the music is breathing.

Tab

e|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|
G|------------------7-9-10------------|
D|---------7-9-7-9-------7------------|
A|--7-9-10---------------------9-10---|
E|--7---------------------------------|

   Groups of 3 ascending:
   B-D-E | D-E-F# | E-F#-A | F#-A-B

The pattern

Play 3 ascending notes, then start the next group one note up. Like climbing a ladder where each rung has 3 steps. Your last note of one group is the first note of the next.

Why it sticks Triplets feel natural — your hand wants to fall into a "DA-da-da | DA-da-da" rhythm. Adding speed feels effortless because the pattern doesn't change, just the position.

SEQUENCE 03 · THE SIMPLEST

Down-Up Pairs

VERY EASY 60 BPM 2 NOTES/BEAT

So easy you'll feel silly. But play it slowly with intent and you'll hear something musical emerge. This is the secret behind the BB King box.

Tab

e|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|
G|--------------7---9-----------------|
D|-------7---9------------------------|
A|--7--10-----------------------------|

   Pairs going up:
   B-D | D-E | E-F# | F#-A
   
   The LAST note of one pair
   is the FIRST note of the next.

The pattern

Two notes, two notes, two notes. The overlap between pairs means you never lose your place. Your finger is always landing on a note that's already part of the next pair.

Why it sticks Continuous motion, zero thinking. This is the engine of the BB King box — that's why he could play in this zone for 60 years and never get bored.

SEQUENCE 04 · EXPRESSION

The Bending Sequence

MEDIUM 60 BPM BEND/BEAT

Now we add expression. Every beat starts with a bend. Same shape, different position. Builds your bending stamina while you practice the pattern.

Tab

       Beat 1         Beat 2         Beat 3         Beat 4
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|--7-b(9)-7-7---|---7-b(9)-7-7--|--10-b(12)-10--|--10-b(12)-10--|
G|---------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|

   Bend F# to A, hit F#, F#
   Move up to 10th fret position, same pattern

The pattern

Bend → release → hit the original note twice. Then shift to the next pentatonic position and do it again. The release "reloads" your finger for the next strike.

Why it sticks STRETCH-pluck-pluck-pluck. Same motion as bouncing a ball — once it starts, it carries itself. Your wrist gets into a rhythmic rocking pattern.

SEQUENCE 05 · SOPHISTICATED

String-Skipping Pairs

MEDIUM 60 BPM SKIP B STRING

Sounds harder than it is. Skipping a string makes any sequence sound 10x more sophisticated. You feel like a fusion player without much effort.

Tab

e|----7---10----7---10---------------|
B|------------------------------------|
G|--7---9----9---11-------------------|
D|------------------------------------|

   Skip the B string between G and high e:
   G7-e7 | G9-e10 | G9-e7 | G11-e10

The pattern

Note on G string, jump to high e string. Two notes per beat, but with a string skip in between. The visual separation makes it feel difficult — actual finger motion is small.

Why it sticks Harmonically rich — the skip creates wider intervals than stepwise playing, so each pair has more "punch." Sounds modern and unpredictable while remaining technically simple.

SEQUENCE 06 · THE EXHALE

Descending Cascade

EASY 60 BPM PULL-OFFS

Mirror image of Sequence 1. Going DOWN feels different from going up — like an exhale. Practice this one when you're tired.

Tab

e|--10-7-----------------------------|
B|------10-7-------------------------|
G|-----------9-7---------------------|
D|---------------9-7-----------------|
A|-------------------10-7------------|
E|------------------------10-7-------|

   Pairs descending across strings.
   Use pull-offs where possible.

The pattern

Same as Sequence 3 (down-up pairs) but in reverse. Each pair descends one string. The high note pulls off to the low note — half the work is done for you.

Why it sticks Descending lines feel like RELEASE — no tension to build, just gentle falling through the scale. Your hand naturally wants to relax as it goes down. Perfect low-energy practice.

SEQUENCE 07 · CONVERSATION

The Question-Answer Loop

MEDIUM 60 BPM 2 BARS

Two short phrases that COMPLETE each other. Once you've played the question, your hand HAS to play the answer. Loop them together — addictive forever.

Tab

QUESTION (bar 1 — rising):
B|--7-b(9)~~~7---10---------|
G|----------------------9---|

ANSWER (bar 2 — descending):
B|--10-7--------------------|
G|------9-7-----------------|
D|---------9-7--------------|
A|-------------9------------|

The pattern

Rising bend + 2-note rise = the question. Descending walk through pentatonic = the answer. Loop them together. The CONTRAST between rising and falling is the music.

Why it sticks Teaches you the SHAPE of music itself — question and answer. Once you start playing in this pattern, every phrase you improvise will naturally fall into call-and-response. You're having a conversation with yourself.

SEQUENCE 08 · THE SECRET WEAPON

The 4-Position Rotation

HARDER 60 BPM WHOLE NECK

Same 6-note pattern, played in 4 positions across the neck. By the end you've covered the entire fretboard. Learn this and you'll know Bm pentatonic in every position.

Tab — Same shape, 4 positions

POSITION 1 (frets 7-10):     POSITION 2 (frets 9-12):
G|--7-9-7---|                   G|--9-11-9--|
D|--7-9-----|                   D|--9-12----|
A|--7-10----|                   A|----------|

POSITION 3 (frets 12-15):    POSITION 4 (frets 14-17):
G|--12-14-12-|                  B|--14-15----|
D|--12-14----|                  G|--14-16-14-|
A|-----------|                  D|-----------|

   Each position uses the SAME fingering shape.
   Position 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 covers the whole neck.

The pattern

Learn the small 6-note shape in Position 1. Then play the EXACT same fingering shape in Position 2 — your hand just shifts up the neck. Repeat for positions 3 and 4. Same shape, four homes.

Why it sticks Repetition of shape with variation of position is HOW the brain learns the fretboard. After a week of this, you'll know Bm pentatonic in every position automatically — no thinking required.

PLANThe 7-Day Build

Start with 1. End with all 8. Build gradually.

DAY 1

Sequence 1 only · 20 minutes

Just Sequence 1 at 60 BPM. Four cycles of 5 minutes. By minute 20 your hand will be doing it without thinking. That's the goal.

DAY 2

Sequences 1 + 2 · 10 min each

Add Sequence 2 (threes). Notice how it FEELS different from Sequence 1 — rolling triplet rhythm vs steady fours.

DAY 3

Sequences 1, 2, 3 · 7 min each

Add Sequence 3 (pairs). You're now training: fours, threes, twos. Different rhythms, same scale.

DAY 4

Add Sequence 4 · 5 min each

Add the bending sequence. Now you're training expression alongside pattern. Bend tuning matters — match pitch carefully.

DAY 5

Add Sequence 5 · 4 min each

Add string skipping. Tricky at first — your hand wants to play stepwise. Persist. Sounds great once locked in.

DAY 6

Add Sequences 6 and 7 · 3 min each

Add descending cascade and question-answer. Now you have rising AND falling vocabulary, plus phrasing.

DAY 7

All 8 sequences · 2-3 min each + improvise

Full rotation. Then use the last 5 minutes to IMPROVISE — drop fragments from any sequence into a free solo over the Bm drone. The vocabulary is in your hands now.

PHILOSOPHYWhy This Works

Sequences ≠ Licks

Licks need musical taste — you have to decide when and where to play them. Hard when you're not feeling inspired.

Sequences need only physical commitment

Start the pattern. Let your hand finish it. They build fretboard knowledge, finger independence, timing accuracy, and ear training — all simultaneously. Most importantly: they make practice feel like PROGRESS even on bad days.

You don't need to feel inspired. You just need to start the pattern. The metronome above is your friend. Click play, pick a sequence, go.