5 Licks to Target the RIGHT Notes in Your Blues Solos

Ever feel like your solos sound a little… random? Like you're playing notes that technically work, but don’t land the way you want?

Here is your solution:
Target the right notes.

When you start hitting the strongest notes in the chord—like the root, third, fifth, and even the sixth or ninth—your solos instantly sound more intentional and confident. In this lesson, I’ll walk you through five licks that do exactly that. These aren’t just cool licks—they’re practical examples of how to target strong notes in the blues.

Let’s get into it! We’re working in the key of C blues today, and we’ll use dominant 7 and 9 chords: C7, F9, and G9.

Lick 1 – Landing on the Chord Tone

This lick is all about building phrases that resolve to strong chord tones. We’re talking the root, third, and fifth. By aiming to land on one of these at the end of your phrase, your solos sound complete—like you meant to play that.

This lick lives in Pattern 1 of the minor pentatonic. You bend the minor third, resolve back down, and finish on the root. It’s a textbook example of phrasing that aligns with the chords—and it makes a world of difference in how your solo feels.

Lick 2 – Featuring the Major Third

Now let’s sweeten things up! The major third is what gives dominant 7 chords their character, and it adds polish and professionalism to your sound. It’s also one of the most common “hidden in plain sight” tricks that separates average solos from great ones.

In this lick, you start with a double-stop bar, then do a hammer-on from the minor third to the major third. It’s got that classic blues flavor that sounds gritty and sweet all at once. You bookend the lick with that minor-to-major shift, adding a familiar vocal-like quality to your lines.

Lick 3 – Using the Sixth for a Sweet Sound

Want to sound a little more melodic without losing that blues edge? Try targeting the sixth degree of the scale!

This lick plays with the sixth in the context of the F chord, which gives it a smooth, soulful vibe. It's a subtle touch, but using the sixth in a blues phrase adds color and melodic interest. It sits somewhere between major and minor—and that gives you creative flexibility, especially when switching between chords in a 12-bar blues.

Lick 4 – Chromatic Movement Around the Third

Ready to spice things up a little more? Here we use a chromatic walk that surrounds the major third, giving it a jazzy, modern twist.

The lick starts up high, walking chromatically from the fifth to the third, with some slides and turns that create movement and tension. It sounds slick—but we still resolve to that strong chord tone at the heart of the lick: the major third. A quick tip though—don’t overdo chromatics! Sprinkle them in. Too much and your solo starts to feel aimless.

Lick 5 – Resolving to the Ninth

We finish strong by resolving to the ninth—a sophisticated and satisfying note to end on.

This lick includes a cool sliding double-stop that outlines the G9 chord, then pulls back into some familiar minor-to-major moves before finally resolving up to the ninth on the high E string. It’s perfect for the final turnaround of a 12-bar blues. You could even move it around to use in different spots throughout your solo.

Final Thoughts: Confidence Comes From Connection

When your solos connect with the chord progression—when the notes you play actually match the harmony underneath—it shows. You sound more intentional. You sound more advanced. And most importantly, you sound like you mean it.

These five licks are designed to help you start targeting strong notes, but the big takeaway is this:

Strong notes = strong solos.

Random notes = random results.

Thanks for listening to today's episode. See you on the next one!

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