Theory
Yesterday you got the feel of landing on the root A over A7. Today one chord changes — D7. Appearing at bars 5–6 of the twelve-bar blues, this chord has a different 'home' from A7. When the chord changes, the home you land on has to change with it for the solo to follow the changes. If yesterday's home was A, today's home is D. Staying right inside the same box while moving only the end note to D — that's all today is.
Happily, D sits at a comfortable spot inside Box 1. String 3 fret 7 is exactly D — the very next string over from yesterday's A (string 4 fret 7), at the same fret. Without moving your hand, you just cross one string. Move your finger from yesterday's A up one string and that is today's home, D. The chord tones of D7 are in this box too — A (the 5th) and C (the b7). Settling on these also sounds stable over D7.
Today's key is 'moving house.' The moment the chord changes from A7 to D7, the landing spot moves house too, from A to D. Your hand stays in the same box; only the home you aim at changes. Once this 'just change the home' becomes familiar, wherever the chord changes across the twelve bars, your hand finds the next home on its own. At first, go slowly, checking D's position with your eyes; once you're used to it, practice so your hand goes to D naturally the instant you hear the chord change. Today, landing clearly on the root D over the single chord D7 is enough.
▶ BPM 70. Roll the pentatonic and land on the root D (string 3 fret 7) at the end of the bar. The green note is today's new home — the home of D7.
See it
Let's see where the home of D7 is inside Box 1. The string 3 fret 7 D glowing green is today's landing spot.
▶ The green D is today's home. The blue notes (A, C) are chord tones of D7, so they're good to land on too. Yesterday's home A now sounds as the 5th of D7.
Same box, and you only changed the home you aim at from A to D, yet the chord change comes through clearly.
Today's practice
0–10 min · Warm-up BPM 70. Repeat the shortest landing: start on the b3 and settle onto the root D.
▶ BPM 70. Ring the b3 (string 3 fret 5) for a half beat and settle onto the root D (string 3 fret 7) for a half beat. On the same string, just two frets up is home.
10–20 min · Brain training (today's target = landing on the root D) Before real practice, check with your eyes where D sits inside Box 1. Picture yesterday's A and today's D side by side, and you'll know in advance where your hand goes when the chord changes.
20–40 min · Real practice: a D7 landing phrase (BPM 70) Roll the pentatonic for two bars, then land the last note on the root D. While D7 rings, placing the end on D makes the solo fit the chord perfectly.
▶ BPM 70. In bar 1 roll through D7's chord tones (A, C), and land on the root D at the end of bar 2. Make the half beat crossing from the note just before to D clear.
Yesterday to A, today to D — you only changed the end note, and the solo starts walking along with the chord.
40–50 min · Recording Record the landing phrase over a D7 backing (or a metronome). Check by ear that the end sits exactly on the root D.
Today's completion criteria: Over D7 you rolled a pentatonic phrase and then landed the end of the phrase clearly on the root D.
Common mistakes in landing over D7. Most come from the habit of 'staying in yesterday's home A.'
▶ Over D7, to D. The green D is today's home to return to. When the chord changes, move the landing note to D too.
- Landing on A even after the chord changes. Sitting on A over D7 isn't bad since it's the 5th, but the root D draws the chord far more clearly.
- Hunting for D somewhere other than string 3 fret 7. It's the very next string over from A, at the same fret. Just cross one string.
- Placing the landing on a weak beat. D has to sit on a strong beat for the chord change to be heard.
- Brushing past D in a hurry. The landing note needs to ring for at least half a beat to feel like a 'new home.'