[Free Guitar Pro tabs] 15 powerful blues licks to add to your arsenal

15 blues guitar licks guitar pro with backing track

Looking to spice up your playing with some serious blues power?

These 15 blues licks are the perfect way to elevate your skills and give your solos that authentic, soulful feel. Whether you’re jamming alone or trading licks with other musicians, these killer phrases will add fire and emotion to your playing. Plus, we’ve got you covered with free Guitar Pro tabs to help you learn them fast and easily!

Grab your guitar, dive in, and start grooving with these must-learn blues licks that every guitarist needs in their arsenal!

These licks were composed by one of the members of the Guitar Pro team Florent Elter. Each Guitar Pro can be downloaded above. They all include an audio track, making it perfect for practice along with a backing track! You can also download a zip file with the 15 Guitar Pro files here. Enjoy!

Lick 1

This plan is played on a C7 chord, which is the first degree in C major. It is based on the C major pentatonic scale with a resolution on the fundamental C of the C7 chord. We advise you to play the plan slowly, gradually increasing the tempo.

Lick 2

This plan is played over an F7 chord corresponding to the fourth degree of the key of C major. It is built on the notes of the F7 chord with a resolution on the note C, which is the fifth of F7. Pay attention to the phrasing, as the first notes are piquant.

Lick 3

This plan is played on a G7 chord corresponding to the fifth degree of the key of C major. This is a cycled plan using a one-tone bend. I recommend bending with fingers one, two and three and using the fourth finger to play the note D on the E string.

Lick 4

This plan is played on a chord of Bb7, which is the first degree in C major. It is built on the pentatonic scale of Bb major. To give effect to the last note of the plan, we bend it by a quarter-tone.

Lick 5

This plan is played over a chord of Eb7 corresponding to the fourth degree of the key of B major.
The first part of the plan uses the B minor pentatonic scale, while the second is based on the B major pentatonic scale.

Lick 6

This plan is played on an F7 chord corresponding to the fifth degree of the key of Bb major. It uses a series of sixth intervals, frequently used in the blues.

Lick 7

This plan is played over a B7 chord, which is the first degree in the key of B major. It is based on the pentatonic scale of B minor, with a resolution on the seventh of the B7 chord, A. The third of the B7 chord, the note D#, will add relief to the plan.

Lick 8

This plan is played over an E7 chord corresponding to the fourth degree of the key of B major. It is built on the notes of the E7 chord with resolution on the third and root of the chord. To give effect to the double notes G and D, you bend them by a quarter tone.

Lick 9

This plan is played over an F#7 chord corresponding to the fifth degree of the key of B major. It is built on the notes of the F#7 chord, F# A# C# E.

Lick 10

This plan is played over a chord of E7, which is the first degree in the key of E major. It is played on the E minor pentatonic scale. Pay attention to the change of position between the notes in the twelfth fret and the bend in the seventeenth fret.

Lick 11

This plan is played over an A7 chord corresponding to the fourth degree of the key of E major. It is built on the notes of the A7 chord, A C# E G.

Lick 12

This plan is played over a B7 chord corresponding to the fifth degree of the key of E major. It is built on the notes of the B7 chord, B D# F# A.

Lick 13

This plan is played over a chord of A7, which is the first degree in the key of A major. Make sure that the bend of a tone and a half in the twelfth fret of the E string is in tune. It is played on the A minor pentatonic scale.

Lick 14

This plan is played over a D7 chord corresponding to the fourth degree of the key of A major. It is built on the notes of the D7 chord, D F# A C. It is resolved on the seventh of the chord.

Lick 15

This plan is played over an E7 chord corresponding to the fifth degree of the key of A major. It is built on the notes of the E7 chord, E G# B D. To play the fast passage smoothly, I recommend starting slowly and gradually increasing the tempo.

We hope you liked these cool licks and that they will inspire you to compose your own, feel free to comment below!

We’re also happy to share with you Kingfish’s interview at the 2024 Main Square Festival:




Download printable blank guitar tabs and music sheets

Here is a selection of blank editable sheet music for guitars and basses for you to download.

You can edit these Guitar Pro scores easily with the software Guitar Pro and export them in several formats (PDF, SVG, PNG, MIDI, GP5, GPX, ASCII and Audio) or simply print them out.

You can customize these Guitar Pro scores in just a few clicks, and save a lot of time in your creation process.

Feel free to share your suggestions and questions with us in the comments.

Download the Guitar Pro demo

Blank guitar sheet music for downloading and printing

Standard notation for 6-string guitar

Download the template

Standard notation for 6-string guitar with tabs

Download the template

Tabs for 6-string guitar

Download the template

7-string guitar

Tabs for 7-string guitar

Download the template

Standard notation for 7-string guitar + tabs

Download the template

8-string guitar

Standard notation for 8-string guitar + tabs

Download the template

Tabs for 8-string guitar

Download the template

The models available in Guitar Pro

Modern rock band

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Modern_Rock_Band-724x1024.jpg

Thrash band

Californian punk band

With Guitar Pro, transpose in 1 click, adjust the layout, edit chord and scale diagrams, add audio files and preview the audio rendering of your compositions.

With tools like the metronome, looper, Fretboard view, audio track and more, you’ll be able to improve your guitar playing more quickly.

With Guitar Pro, you can export and share your compositions in a multitude of formats, or print them out for rehearsals and concerts.

Share your feedback and questions with us in the comments section.

You can find all the models in Guitar Pro in the “Models” tab on the home page.

Download the Guitar Pro demo

Chuck Berry Boogie Rhythm: Pickup Music Playthrough

Joshua Ray Gooch is here to educate you on some classic rock ‘n’ roll riffs! 

In today’s lesson, we’ll dive into the legendary rhythm style of Chuck Berry. Make no mistake, rock ‘n’ roll guitar wouldn’t be what it is today without him, so let’s pay homage. 

By the end of this article, you’ll know the background and context of this style, and how to play perhaps the most core rock ‘n’ roll riff there is.

So stick around… it’s gonna B. Goode.

A brief history of rock ‘n’ roll

Class is in session! We’ll get to the riffs in just a moment, but first, some valuable insight into this genre’s DNA.

Early roots

Rock and roll’s roots can be traced back to the 1940s and early 1950s, with pioneers like Fats Domino, and Bill Haley & His Comets laying the groundwork with their Rockabilly sound. 

But what we consider true rock ‘n’ roll didn’t start until the mid-1950s. Artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis were revolutionizing the genre. 

Unique rhythm

One of the key elements of early rock ‘n’ roll is its rhythm. Steve Jordan, the renowned drummer, explains that early rock and roll drummers were originally jazz musicians who played swing, shuffle, and big band styles. 

The unique “rock ‘n’ roll sound” emerged from the combination of these shuffle rhythms with the straight eighth notes played by guitarists and pianists like Chuck Berry and Little Richard. 

The “rock” is the straight 8th notes, and the “roll” is the triplet shuffle underneath. This juxtaposition of rhythms is what creates that distinctive feel.

The birth of musical rebellion

For some of you, 1950s rock ‘n’ roll is your grandpa’s music. But it’s important to bear in mind that this style was extremely controversial at the time. 

The music was energetic, rebellious, and targeted at the youth, earning the label of “the devil’s music.”

When you listen to old rock ‘n’ roll records, try to appreciate it in context. It was basically the punk rock of its time – and most of society was horrified by it. 

If that’s not rock ‘n’ roll, I don’t know what is.

How to get the iconic Chuck Berry sound

It takes more than some vintage gear to be Chuck Berry, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Tone

These are the steps for an ideal setup, but if you don’t have all (or any) of the gear, don’t sweat it – only the fourth one matters!

  1. A semi-hollow body guitar like the Gibson ES-335 with humbucker pickups for a rich, warm sound. 
  2. A tube amp at high volume with moderate bass, elevated midrange, and moderate treble. 
  3. A touch of light overdrive for slight grit and sustain.
  4. Keep effects minimal and play with energy and enthusiasm.

Playing style

You’re not going to master Chuck Berry’s guitar-playing style in ten minutes, but you’re about to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

One thing to note: play with down strokes as much as possible, it just gives it a more aggressive sound. Even today downpicking is the choice for most punk and heavy metal guitarists – thanks Chuck!

Okay, let’s learn a few fundamental rock ‘n’ roll exercises.

Exercise 1: Basic Chuck Berry rhythm

What’s the first ingredient in our rock ‘n’ roll guitar lesson? Blues!

Everything stems from somewhere, and a lot of blues guitar ideas crossover into early rock ‘n’ roll. We’ll start with a simple 12-bar blues progression in B-flat. 

Some of you may already be familiar with this type of riff but play along anyway to get into the swing of things.

Download the Guitar Pro 8 file at the top of the page.

Positioning your fingers

  • Place your index finger on the 6th fret of the low E string – this is our root note (B-flat aka Bb).
  • Your middle finger goes on the 8th fret of the A string.
  • Use your pinky to toggle on and off on the 10th fret of the A string.

The strumming pattern is straight 8th notes. Play all downstrokes, with no muting. 

Strum twice without the pinky pressed down, then twice with the pinky – rinse and repeat!

Moving between the I, IV, and V chords

So what do these Roman numerals mean?

The number system is a great way to communicate a chord progression. First, it’s more simple than naming each note. Second, you can transfer the progression to any key instantly!

For example, if we’re in the key of C, it looks like this:

  • C – D – E – F – G – A – B
  • I – II – III – IV – V – VI – VII

Each number matches a note in the scale, so to play a I – IV – V in the key of C, the chords are C – F – G.

We’ll play this riff in the key of Bb, which looks like this:

  • Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A
  • I – II – III – IV – V – VI – VII

So the I chord is B, the IV chord is Eb, and the V chord is F.

Easy peasy!

The ‘I’ chord – Bb

You’ve already learned how to play the riff with a Bb root note, so let’s move on to the IV chord.

The ‘IV’ chord – Eb

Move the same shape across one string set so your index finger is on the 6th fret of the A string – now your root note is Eb.

Exactly the same shape and strumming pattern. Now for the V chord.

The ‘V’ chord – F

Okay, this is where things get really complicated. Slide the whole thing up two frets. 

Done.

Congratulations, you just learned a I – IV – V rock ‘n’ roll progression in the key of Bb!

Exercise 2: Adding the flat seven

In this exercise, we add the flat seven to our previous riff. It gives us a little extra flavor and some more variation to play with.

This is quite a finger stretch so if you’re not already limbered up, run through these warmups.

Finger positioning

Everything remains pretty much the same. The position and basic riff pattern don’t change all you need to do is slide your pinky finger one more fret to hit that flat seven. 

Got it? Okay, let’s play through the whole riff.

Download the Guitar Pro 8 file at the top of the page.

Exercise 3: Mix it all up

Although the basic chord progression may be simple enough, there are a ton of ways to keep it interesting. 

Here are a few different ideas to keep you rolling.

Melodic variations

Play the fifth, sixth, and flat seven notes in various rhythms – they can go in any order. As long as you play that straight 8th-note rhythm, it’ll sound great.

Which notes you accent makes a big difference too. Emphasize some beats more than others and it’ll massively change the feel of the riff.

Different chord positions

You don’t need to stick to one area of the neck – try different positions. Wherever you find the root note chord is a potential home for the riff.

For example, our key is Bb and our I, IV, and V chords are Bb Eb, and F. Where else could we play the V chord (F)?

We have an F on the 1st fret of the low E string, right? So slide the whole shape down there to beef things up!

  • Keep this in mind when you’re playing in different keys.
  • Try to keep these types of rock ‘n’ roll riffs in a low register.
  • The higher up the neck you take them, the weaker they sound.

One last thing to consider: The frets are further apart the lower you go on the neck, so some of those finger stretches could get a little tricky. 

Try to find the sweet spot where it’s low enough to sound strong, without being uncomfortable to play.

Time to jam!

Now you’ve locked in all those exercises, it’s time to put them to work.

Play along with Joshua in the jam section of the video. Once you’re comfortable with that, check out some other rock ‘n’ roll backing tracks online.

Try to challenge yourself with different tempos and keys – have fun with it!

Want More?

This mini-lesson is part of the Rock Learning Pathway from Pickup Music. 

It takes you through the decades of rock ‘n’ roll history so you gain a deeper understanding of this huge genre.

Right now you can get a 14-day free trial to all of Pickup’s content! There’s no better time to level up your guitar playing.

[TUTORIAL] How to change the tuning of a track in Guitar Pro 8

Tutorial tuning Guitar Pro

Here’s a quick tutorial to help you locate and modify the tuning of a track in Guitar Pro 8.

Any questions? Drop them in the comments!

Before We Begin

  • Start a new project or open your file in Guitar Pro.
Guitar Pro 8 home page, how to change the tuning.

Where is the tuning?

For a New Project

  1. Open a New Project:
    Open a new project in Guitar Pro, and a window titled “Add a Track” will appear.

  2. Configure the Track:
    Choose the instrument, the number of strings, and the tuning.
Add a track in Guitar Pro

For an Existing Project

  1. Select the Track:
    Select the track you want to tune.

  2. Access the Tuning Window:
    • Go to the inspector on the right.
    • Click on TRACK > MUSICAL NOTATION > Tuning.
Guitar tuning adjustment interface in Guitar Pro

You can also access the tuning window through Click-and-Edit by clicking directly on the tuning type displayed at the top left of the score.

Partition avec tempo et accordage standard Click-and-Edit

You can configure instruments with up to 10 strings, including electric and acoustic guitars, basses, and other instruments. Each string can be tuned individually.

Examples of Alternative Tunings

Drop D: This configuration lowers the lowest string of a standard guitar by a whole tone (from E to D), making it easier to play power chords with one finger. (DADGBE)

Open G: Frequently used in blues and folk, this tuning adjusts the strings to form an open G chord when played open. (DGDGBD)

DADGAD: Popular in Celtic music, this tuning offers a distinctive sound that allows for complex chords and unique melodies.

Choosing the instrument and configuration

In the tuning panel, you can choose from a variety of instruments and the number of strings they have.

Tuning Options

Tuning List: A dropdown list offers most standard, dropped, open, and other variant tunings.

Selecting standard tuning details in Guitar Pro

Listening and adjusting each string

Before applying a tuning, you can use the audio preview function to listen to each string individually by clicking the play button in the tuning window.

Play tuning parameters in Guitar Pro

This allows you to hear how each string sounds with the new tuning before finalizing the changes.

Customization and saving tuning

How to save custom tunings?

You can save your own tuning configurations in Guitar Pro. To save a tuning, simply adjust the strings to your preference, then select the ‘Save Tuning’ option to save it for future use.

Guitar tuning adjustment interface in Guitar Pro

Application and Visualization

Applying a New Tuning to an Edited Track

  1. Choosing the Tuning: Once the tuning is selected, apply it to the chosen track.
  2. Finger Position Adjustment: When you change the tuning, it may be necessary to adjust the finger positions on the score. Guitar Pro offers two options:
    • Automatic Adjustment: The note positions are modified to maintain the original pitches.
    • Keep Finger Positions: The notes remain in the same positions, but their pitches change according to the new tuning.

Example: Changing from Standard Tuning to Drop C

To illustrate, here is Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”: one in standard tuning (EADGBE) and another in Drop C tuning (CGCFAD).

  • Score in Standard Tuning:
Guitar Pro Moonlight Sonata Standard Tuning
  • Score in Drop C Tuning with Kept Finger Positions:

The note positions on the fretboard remain the same, but the pitches change according to the new tuning. This means that the played melody will sound different because the notes will be lower.

Guitar Pro Moonlight Sonata Drop D
  • Score in Drop C Tuning with Finger Position Adjustment:

The note positions on the fretboard will be adjusted to maintain the original pitches. This may result in shifts on the fretboard.

Guitar Pro Moonlight Sonata Drop D
  1. Applying a New Tuning to an Edited Track: Once the tuning is chosen, apply it to the selected track by adjusting or retaining the fingering of the score according to the tuning. The score will be updated.
  2. Displaying Tuning on the Score: You can display the current tuning directly on the score for reference.

In the TUNING window > Show > Preview > check the “Visible” box to display your instrument’s tuning on the score.

Setting musical notation parameters in Guitar Pro

Tips

  • Test Different Tunings: Explore various tunings to discover new sounds.
  • Use the Save Function: Save special tunings for future projects to save time.

We hope this tutorial helps you make the most of this essential feature in Guitar Pro 8.

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below.

How to Connect Guitar Pro with Your DAW to Use VSTi

By integrating Guitar Pro with your DAW you can:

– improve your workflow
– create professional-sounding compositions with VSTi.

Here is a step-by-step quick guide to help you virtually connect Guitar Pro to your DAW using a virtual MIDI cable.

Any questions? Ask us in the comments!

What is a VSTi?

VSTi (Virtual Studio Technology Instrument) are plugins that simulate musical instruments. The majority of them can be controlled by MIDI events through a DAW.

Just like Guitar Pro’s RSE, using VSTi allows you to access a wide range of sounds. From pianos to synthesizers, drums, and guitars, you can bring your compositions to life with the sounds of your choice.

Preparation and Installation of the Virtual MIDI Cable

To connect Guitar Pro to your DAW, a virtual MIDI cable like loopMIDI is required.

Windows: LoopMIDI

  1. Download and install loopMIDI from the official website (free).
  2. Restart your computer after installation.
  3. Launch loopMIDI. A virtual port “loopMIDI Port” will be created by default.

Preparation and Installation of the Virtual MIDI Cable in LoopMIDI.

Mac: MIDI Studio

On Mac, you can use MIDI Studio to create virtual MIDI cables without third-party software.

  • Step 1: open “Audio MIDI Setup” via Spotlight and choose “Show MIDI Studio” from the Window menu.

Open "Audio MIDI Setup"
  • Step 2: double-click the IAC Driver icon (Inter-Application Communication). An IAC Driver port will be created.

MIDI Studio Interface IAC Driver Double-click the IAC Driver icon
  • Step 3: add virtual MIDI cables by clicking the + sign. You can create multiple ports if necessary, each for different applications.

Add virtual MIDI cables add with IAC Driver Properties

Step 2: Configuring Guitar Pro to Transmit MIDI Data

Selecting the MIDI Output Device

  1. Open Guitar Pro and load your project.
  2. Go to Preferences via the top menu Guitar Pro 8 > Preferences > Audio/MIDI
  3. Select “loopMIDI” (Windows) or “IAC Driver” (Mac) as the MIDI output device.


Switching Tracks from RSE to MIDI

By default, Guitar Pro uses the Realistic Sound Engine (RSE) to produce sounds. However, instead of sending notes to the RSE, we will configure Guitar Pro to send MIDI events in real-time to loopMIDI (Windows) or IAC Driver (Mac). Here’s how to do it.

  1. Select a track in your score by clicking on it.

  2. Activate the Inspector via View > Show Inspector > Track. The Inspector allows you to see and modify the properties of the selected track.
  1. Switch the track from RSE to MIDI: In the Inspector, locate the sound section of the track and find the option to switch from RSE to MIDI by selecting the corresponding button.

By following these steps, your track in your Guitar Pro project will be configured to send MIDI notes in real time to loopMIDI (Windows) or IAC Driver (Mac).

Tip: Switch all Tracks from RSE to MIDI

To convert all tracks in your project at once, go to the menu at the top of the screen.

  1. Select Sound.
  2. Click “Convert All Tracks to MIDI”.

Assigning MIDI Channels in Guitar Pro

What is a MIDI Channel?

A MIDI channel allows the use of the same MIDI cable (physical or virtual) to transmit data from different instruments in parallel.
A MIDI cable supports up to 16 channels.

Assigning MIDI Channels in Guitar Pro

For each track in Guitar Pro, 2 MIDI channels are defined chronologically by the order in which the track is added. Each track generates two MIDI tracks, sent to two different MIDI channels:

  • One channel for the instrument notes.
  • One channel for the notes corresponding to Pitch Wheel effects (Slide, Bend, etc.).

It’s essential to know the MIDI channel used. Here’s how to proceed:

  1. Activate the Inspector:
    • Go to View > Show Inspector > MIDI SETTINGS.

  1. Select a track to see its details and assign the appropriate MIDI channels. For example:
    • Guitar 1: channel 1
    • Guitar 1 Effect: channel 2
    • Guitar 2: channel 3
    • Guitar 2 Effect: channel 4
    • Bass: channel 5
    • Bass Effect: channel 6
    • Drums: channel 10 (default)

Guitar Pro will then send MIDI data to the dedicated loopMIDI (Windows) or IAC Driver (Mac) port, with each track using the following MIDI channels.

Step 3: Configuring the DAW to Receive MIDI

The configuration for transferring MIDI data between Guitar Pro and a DAW follows similar principles across different software, with some specific variations depending on the DAW used. We’ll look at the configurations for Ableton Live and Logic Pro, but this method can also be adapted to other DAWs like FL Studio, Reaper, etc.

Ableton Live

  1. Open Ableton Live and go to Options > Preferences.
  2. Activate the MIDI input in the Link, Tempo & MIDI tab by checking the “Track” box for the loopMIDI port.

Configuring the DAW to Receive MIDI Ableton
  • Create MIDI tracks corresponding to the Guitar Pro tracks.
    • Create a new MIDI track by clicking Create > Insert MIDI Track or using the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+T (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+T (Mac).

Setting Up MIDI Tracks for Music Notes

For each instrument, create a dedicated MIDI track for the music notes.

  • In the “MIDI From” section of the track, select “loopMIDI” as the input source.
  • Just below “MIDI From”, choose the appropriate MIDI channel (e.g., Channel 1 for Guitar 1 notes, Channel 3 for Guitar 2 notes, etc.).

Setting Up MIDI Tracks for Effects

For each instrument, create a dedicated MIDI track for the instrument’s effects.

  • In the “MIDI From” section of the track, select “loopMIDI” as the input source.
  • Just below “MIDI To”, choose the appropriate MIDI channel (e.g., Channel 2 for Guitar 1 effects, Channel 4 for Guitar 2 effects, etc.).

Setting Up MIDI Tracks for Effects Ableton

Arming MIDI Tracks

  • Click the Arm (In) button on each MIDI track and start playback in Guitar Pro to hear the sound of the notes and effects of each instrument.

Ableton Live Arming MIDI Tracks

Step 4: Using VST with DAW Tracks

Adding VST to a Track

  • Preparation
    • Ensure that your VSTi are properly installed on your computer and recognized by Ableton.
    • To verify this, go to Options > Preferences.
    • In the “Plug-ins” tab, make sure the “Use VST2 Plug-In Custom Folder” and “Use VST3 Plug-In System Folders” options are enabled, then click “Rescan”.

Inserting the VST

  1. Open Live’s browser if it’s not already open.
  2. In the browser, go to the “Plug-ins” section to find your installed VSTs.
  3. Drag the desired VST from the browser and drop it onto the MIDI track you just created.
    • For example, for the drum track (channel 10), you can use the “Studio Drummer” VST from Native Instruments.

Logic Pro

Setting Up Audio Output and MIDI Inputs

  • Step 1: Launch a new project in Logic Pro or open an existing project.


Create New Track Dialog Logic
  • Step 2: Enable advanced settings mode in Logic Pro.

Enable advanced settings mode in Logic Pro
  1. Go to Logic Pro > Preferences > MIDI > Inputs.
  2. Check the box for the Virtual MIDI Cable used in Guitar Pro.

Verify IAC Driver is recognized in Logic Pro

  1. Go to Logic Pro > Preferences > MIDI > Inputs.
  2. Check the box for the Virtual MIDI Cable used in Guitar Pro.

Verify IAC Driver is recognized in Logic Pro

Creating MIDI Tracks

  • Create external MIDI tracks for each instrument in your Guitar Pro project:
    • Go to the Track menu > New.
    • Select “External MIDI” and click Create.

Create New Track Dialog

Setting Up MIDI Tracks to Receive MIDI from Guitar Pro

  • For each instrument, create a dedicated MIDI track:
    • In the track pane, select “IAC Driver Bus” as the MIDI input.
    • Choose the appropriate MIDI channel under “MIDI Input Channel” (e.g., Channel 1 for Guitar 1 notes, Channel 3 for Guitar 2 notes, etc.).

Setting Up MIDI Tracks to Receive MIDI from Guitar Pro in Logic

Selecting the VSTi

  • In the mixer, choose the virtual instrument you want to use:
    • In the “Input” box, click on the instrument slot of the MIDI track to open the instrument window.
    • Select the desired VSTi for each MIDI track.
    • You can find your own VSTi under “AU Instruments”.

Logic Pro setup for an external instrument plugin.

Arming and Recording Tracks

  • Step 1: enable monitoring for all MIDI tracks:
    • Click the “I” (Input Monitoring) button next to the Arm (R) button and start playback of your score in Guitar Pro to hear all active MIDI tracks.

Arming and Recording Tracks in Logic Pro Track View
  • Step 2: arm each MIDI track for recording:
    • Click the Arm (R) button on each MIDI track to prepare them for recording.
    • Click the global record button to start recording each instrument.

Logic Pro Track Recording.

Recommended VSTi

To further enhance your experience, here are some VSTi recommendations:

  • Pianos: Addictive Keys, Ivory II.
  • Synthesizers: Serum, Massive, Sylenth1.
  • Drums: Superior Drummer, EZdrummer.
  • Guitars: Ample Guitar, Shreddage.
  • Basses: MODO BASS 2, EURO BASS III.

Troubleshooting

  1. The DAW does not recognize the virtual MIDI port:
    • Ensure that the MIDI port is correctly configured in the DAW’s MIDI preferences and that it is enabled.
  2. High latency or delay:
    • Try reducing the buffer size in your DAW’s audio preferences or use ASIO drivers for better performance.
  3. VSTi compatibility issues:
    • Make sure the VSTi are properly installed in the appropriate folders and that the DAW has scanned the plugins.

Unlike traditional music production software (DAWs), Guitar Pro does not fully support VSTi in a standardized manner. Although Guitar Pro can communicate with a DAW via MIDI, facilitating the use of VSTi, it is important to note that this integration can lead to compatibility issues and limited functionality for some VSTi.

Conclusion

By connecting Guitar Pro to your DAW and using VSTi, you open the door to a multitude of sonic and creative possibilities.

This integration not only allows you to transfer MIDI data to your DAW in real time but also enhances the sound quality of your projects while taking advantage of the flexibility and advanced production tools that DAWs offer.

Explore the new features of Guitar Pro 8.

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Until July 5, 2024, save 20% on Guitar Pro 8 and 50% on the mySongBook tabs library.

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🎸Why do you need Guitar Pro 8?

Guitar Pro will help you create, play and share your tabs with an intuitive and easy-to-use tool.

For over 25 years, Guitar Pro has been helping musicians around the world learn to play the guitar, compose songs, transcribe scores, and share them!

The 8th version of Guitar Pro has been available since May 2022 and has received a warm welcome from guitar players around the world. Guitar Pro 8 brings a large number of new features to the service of the guitarist and the musician in general.

🎵The audio track: a new feature that everyone was waiting for!

With Guitar Pro 8, you can now add an audio file to your scores to transcribe a song correctly and more quickly, improve the sound of your scores, or even practice with a backing track.


The possibilities are endless and this new feature will definitely help you a lot both in editing and in learning and practicing your instrument.

Discover the powerful “Command Palette” that will save you a lot of time. Quickly locate and use the most useful editing features of Guitar Pro in seconds.

Check it out!



With this new version, you’ll enjoy editing scale diagrams! Customize and add scale diagrams to your scores.

Editing scale diagrams in Guitar Pro 8.

You’ll also enjoy new design options to help you customize your tabs more easily and with more precision, take a look:



And you’ll be happy to know that many new editing options to facilitate your transcription work have also been added to the StyleSheet.

You can now set the spacing of the chords diagram in the score header, the systems, the staff, and the scale diagrams.

The font of the music symbols and indications is now editable like palm muting, slap, pop, rasgueado, pick scrape, and many more.

A pedalboard view is now available allowing you to view the effects used for each track and modify them to adjust your sound quickly and precisely.

Pedalboard Guitar Pro 8
The new Guitar Pro 8 pedalboard view!

And many other new amazing and useful features to help you to become a better guitar player.

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The large tabs collection is accessible directly in Guitar Pro 8. Thousands of scores of essential hit songs for guitarists are available via a subscription in Guitar Pro 8.

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mySongBook in Guitar Pro 8


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mySongBook – Tommy Emmanuel Angelina tab.

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How to find relative minor and major keys

If you’re one of those guitarists who shy away from music theory, today is the day you change your ways!

Pickup Music founder Sam Blakelock is here to lay down some essential theory, in a way that won’t make your brain ache. Understanding how chords relate to each other is essential for guitarists. Whether you want to write singable songs or improve your improvisation – this lesson will help you.

It isn’t just jazz musicians that need to know harmony and theory. We can all benefit from getting the fundamentals under our belt. That’s exactly what we’re about to do.

If you’d like to see some demonstrations of the ideas in this article – check the video guide here.

Pickup Music founder Sam Blakelock, is here to demystify a fundamental music theory concept.

You’ll Learn

  • All the chords in the key of C major.
  • How to navigate a major key using your fretboard.
  • Different chord groupings – tonic, subdominant, and dominant.
  • The concept of relative minor and major on guitar.

This mini-lesson is perfect for guitarists aiming to elevate their songwriting and improvisational skills!

If you want to learn more, we’re currently offering a 14-day free trial with full access to all our content. Structured lesson plans, interactive jams, and personalized feedback on your playing – sign up now!

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Chords in the key of C major

Thank goodness for C major! It makes understanding theory so much easier. Before we discover what a relative minor is, let’s build a key together from the ground up.

This is how we find the chords of any major key. First, we need a major scale.

  • Follow this pattern of whole steps and half steps: W – W – H – W – W – W – H
  • Whole step = two frets 
  • Half step = one fret

Here’s how it looks on the fretboard, starting on a C note –  3rd fret of the A string.

The notes we get from following this pattern from the C note are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B (the C major scale).

  • Whatever fret you start this pattern on, it’ll always give you a major scale. 
  • If we memorize one more simple pattern, we can work out the chords too!

The quality (major/minor) of chords follows this pattern: Major – Minor – Minor – Major – Major – Minor – Diminished

Okay, let’s lay out all that info and see what we’ve got.

StepsWWHWWWH
NoteCDEFGAB
Qualitymajminminmajmajmindim
NumberIiiiiiIVVvivii

That’s it! We’ve got everything we need to build the chords in the key of C major. Here they are along with the individual notes that make each chord – the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th.

ChordRoot3rd5th7th
ICmaj7CEGB
iiDmin7DFAC
iiiEmin7EGBD
IVFmaj7FACE
VGmaj7GBDF
viAmin7ACEG
viiBmin7b5BDFA

How to categorize chords

We can group these seven chords into three groups – a tonic group, a subdominant group, and a dominant group. This is a common framework that jazz musicians use for thinking about chord progressions.  

Tonic

This is a ‘safe’ or ‘home’ sound with little to no tension. The chords in this group are:

  • The I chord – Cmaj7 is our tonal center.
  • The iii chord – Emin7 has the same notes as the tonic (except for the D)
  • The vi chord – Amin7 again has the same notes as the I chord (besides A)
ChordRoot3rd5th7th
ICmaj7CEGB
iiiEmin7EGBD
viAmin7ACEG

Subdominant

These chords want to move somewhere, but they don’t pull as strongly as dominant chords. The chords in this group are: 

  • The ii chord – Dmin7
  • The IV chord – Fmaj7

Like our last group, these chords are connected through their similar notes – only differing by one. 

ChordRoot3rd5th7th
iiDmin7DFAC
IVFmaj7FACE

Dominant

These chords have the most tension, they really pull towards another chord for resolution. 

  • The V chord – Gmaj7 has a tritone between the 3rd and the 7th
  • The vii chord – Bmin7b5 also generates a lot of pull toward the tonic.
  • Like the other groups, these chords share similar notes.
ChordRoot3rd5th7th
VGmaj7GBDF
viiBmin7b5BDFA

What about the relative minor?

As we’ve just seen, certain chords perform similar functions within a key – perhaps none more so than the I and vi chord.

The vi is the relative minor of the I. This works in reverse too – in the key of A minor, Cmaj is the relative major.

How to find the relative minor on guitar?

If you don’t want to do all the calculations and need a quick trick to find the relative minor of a chord, try this:

  1. Take whatever major chord you’re playing, and slide it down three frets.
  2. Now change that major shape into a minor
  3. Bingo! There’s your relative minor chord.

What about finding the relative major of a minor chord?

You guessed it – slide a minor chord up three frets and change it to a major shape. And you thought music theory was complicated?

Harmony is a mirror

We see repeating patterns and reflections everywhere in music – not just on the fretboard.

The more you understand about theory the more secrets you’ll unveil. Those little tricks will speed up your learning and save time during the writing process, for example:

  • If you learn the relative minor to each chord, you don’t need to learn the relative majors.
  • Just like A is the relative minor of C, C is also the relative major of A – it’s the same for every key.
  • This is evident if you read sheet music – the key signatures are the same, just with a different tonic.

A little theory can save you loads of time in the long run – freeing you up to be more creative.

What’s next?

That wasn’t too bad, right? Music theory doesn’t need to be painful – and getting your head around some basic principles will be a huge benefit to your playing.

Without proper guidance, learning new concepts can be pretty overwhelming though. To cut out the confusion, we recommend you check out some of Pickup Music’s Learning Pathways. These structured plans have step-by-step lessons, interactive jams, and 1-on-1 feedback.

They’re currently offering a 14-day free trial, so sign up and see for yourself!