Blues Guitar Chords That Actually Sound Like the Records — Unlock the Fretboard Fast

Are you still stuck playing the same tired blues guitar chords? Discover how to elevate your playing with the chord secrets pros use—and finally sound like you mean it.

I was 16, hunched over a pawn shop Strat, fumbling through a 12-bar blues in A. It sounded fine—technically. But it didn’t feel like the records I loved: B.B. King, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy. Then my teacher scribbled two new chords on a napkin: A13 and D9. I played them, and it was like someone opened a window. The room changed. The sound was deeper. Fuller. Alive. That day, I learned the secret: the right chords speak. They don’t just fill space—they tell a story.

This blog will teach you how to do the same.

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What Are Blues Guitar Chords, Really?

You know the classics: E7, A7, B7. But blues guitar chords go way beyond those stock shapes. At their core, blues chords are about feel. The dirty voicing of a G7 with an open D string ringing. The lift of a quick change from A7 to D9. The punch of a turnaround that lands you right back into the verse with swagger.

Blues chords are dominant, dissonant, expressive. They come alive when you lean into extensions like 9ths, 13ths, and altered voicings.

Let’s break it down.

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The Bedrock: Dominant 7th Blues Guitar Chords

The heartbeat of blues guitar is the dominant 7th chord. It’s got just the right mix of major and minor tension.

A7 (open position):

e|---0---
B|---2---
G|---0---
D|---2---
A|---0---
E|-------

Use it in your 12-bar blues progression and feel the grit.

Pro Tip: Try hammering on the C# on the B string with your second finger to add subtle movement. Little moves = big soul.

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Next-Level Extensions: 9ths and 13ths

A9: The Smooth Operator

e|---0---
B|---0---
G|---2---
D|---0---
A|---2---
E|---0---

Play this in place of your A7. It’s smoother, jazzier, but still has that blues dirt.

E13: The Secret Sauce

e|---0---
B|---0---
G|---1---
D|---1---
A|---2---
E|---0---

Use E13 in your turnaround. You’ll sound like you’ve been gigging on Beale Street for years.

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The Emotional Blues: Minor and Diminished Blues Guitar Chords

Minor Blues Progression (Key of Am):

| Am  | Am  | Am  | Am  |
| Dm  | Dm  | Am  | Am  |
| E7  | Dm  | Am  | E7  |

This variation is your go-to when you want that slow, smoldering vibe. Think “The Thrill Is Gone.”

Diminished Chords (For Tension and Release)

D#dim7

e|---1---
B|---0---
G|---1---
D|---0---
A|-------
E|-------

Use this between A7 and D7. It adds cinematic tension—like something big is about to happen.

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The 12-Bar Blues Guitar Chords (And Why It Still Rules)

Let’s review the classic form in the key of A:

| A7  | A7  | A7  | A7  |
| D7  | D7  | A7  | A7  |
| E7  | D7  | A7  | E7  |

But don’t just play it straight. Here are 3 pro tweaks:

1. Replace A7 with A9 or A13
2. Throw in D#dim7 before D7
3. Use a turnaround: A7 – F#7 – B7 – E7

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3 Must-Know Blues Guitar Chord Progressions

1. Chicago Shuffle in G

| G9 | C9 | G9 | G9 |
| C9 | C#dim7 | G9 | E9 |
| A9 | D9 | G9 | D9 |

2. Slow Burn in E Minor

| Em | Em | Em | Em |
| Am7 | Am7 | Em | Em |
| B7 | Am7 | Em | B7 |

3. Jazz-Infused Blues in C

| C13 | F9 | C13 | C13 |
| F9 | F#dim7 | C13 | A7 |
| Dm9 | G13 | C13 | G13 |

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🎸 Unlock the Neck: Back FretDeck on Kickstarter

Still stuck in one pentatonic box? You’re not alone.

Most guitarists plateau because they can’t see the fretboard. They memorize patterns but never internalize them. They solo in one position. They noodle. They get lost.

I was there, too—until I built FretDeck.

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🎯 Here’s the Story

Years ago, I was grinding the same tired licks in A minor. I knew one position and tried to stretch it across the fretboard, hoping for magic. But my solos sounded boxed-in, repetitive, uninspired.

Then I broke the pentatonic scale into five movable patterns, connected them by key, and practiced them as a deck—with built-in modes, prompts, and challenges.

That system became FretDeck: Pentatonic Scales Edition.

Now I can solo anywhere on the neck, in any key, with full confidence—and so can you.

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✅ The Offer: FretDeck – Pentatonic Scales Edition (Kickstarter Exclusive)

FretDeck is a premium card deck that teaches you to visualize and master the fretboard using the pentatonic scale system. It’s the only tool designed to teach you all 60 minor pentatonic shapes in every key—plus their modal variations.

What You Get:

• 🃏 60 Visual Scale Cards (12 keys × 5 patterns)
• 🎯 Practice Prompts
• 🎸 Bonus Access to Pentatonic Secrets (Kickstarter-only mini-course)
• ✍️ Kickstarter Exclusive: Pentatonic Secrets Deck
• 💬 Access to our private Guitar Freaks Hangout Discord channel

This isn’t another scale chart. It’s a physical training system for unlocking the fretboard, note by note, key by key.

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🔥 Don’t Miss This

The first 200 backers get early bird pricing, exclusive rewards, and lifetime access to updates.

👉 Back FretDeck now on Kickstarter
👉 Join Guitar Freaks Hangout (Discord) for jam tracks, weekly practice prompts, and real feedback.

Stop guessing. Start soloing.
FretDeck is your roadmap to the fretboard.
Let’s unlock the neck—one card at a time.

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Final Thoughts: Why Blues Guitar Chords Matter

Every legendary blues guitarist—from Freddie King to Marcus King—understood that chords are not just functional. They’re emotional. A good blues chord sings. A great one hurts.

If you want to master blues guitar chords, don’t stop at the basics. Push into extensions. Explore voicings. Let your rhythm playing breathe.

Because that’s the magic of the blues: it’s simple. Until it isn’t.

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CTA: Want to stop sounding like everyone else? Master blues guitar chords and unlock your own voice. Download BluesCraft, join the community, and start feeling your chords.

👉 Back the Kickstarter 👉 Join Guitar Freaks Hangout

To deepen your understanding of pentatonic scales and their application across the guitar neck, explore our comprehensive guide: Guitar Pentatonic Patterns: The 5 Simple Shapes That Unlock the Entire Neck.