Lesson 35 - The Backdoor Pattern

April 11th, 2008

Details

Well here it is, the conclusion to the series of lessons on what I call “The 5 Essential Blues Boxes”. People have often asked why I teach some of these boxes on only 3 strings, and this lesson is the answer. Quite simply, I don’t like to teach things that aren’t used, and as useful as boxes 2, 3, and 4 are on the top 3 strings, the traditional blues shapes have been equally useless to me on the lower 3 strings.

So here is how I utilize the bottom 3 strings in the big empty area of my box diagrams. I call it the backdoor pattern, and it comes in handy for songs like Voodoo Chile’. Not nearly as useful as the boxes themselves, but it’s kind of the last piece of the puzzle for the way I see the fretboard.

Like all my lessons on the boxes, please don’t confuse this with something you read in a book, because it’s probably way different. This is just the way I look at the fretboard. If it works for you, run with it. If it’s not your thing, and you prefer more traditional theories, I ain’t mad at you. To each his own :)

Gear


Guitar


Amp

  • Brand: Fender
  • Model: Blues Junior Tweed NOS Edition
  • Mods: None
  • Tubes: Stock Groove Tubes
  • Speaker: Stock Jensen

Full Lesson

For a limited time you can download the whole lesson in HD. Right click on the link below, and choose “Save Link As” or “Save Target As” to download the HD quicktime video.

HD Video Link


Leave a Comment

23 Comments

  1. Jim in Austin TX Says:
    August 18th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

    Hi Anthony. Thanks for offering your lesson excerpts for free, and your entire backdoor pattern lesson as well. I had a few minor suggestions that might improve your lessons…

    The rationale for your patterns - basically excerpts from the standard CAGED sequence - would be clearer if you labeled the root (and possibly) fifth of the scale/key you’re playing in on your diagrams. I was already familiar with the patterns you talked about, and I also mostly use the top three strings when I move out of position 1 (E-form), but the roots & fifths are the most important landmarks on the fretboard for me. When I know their locations it’s easier to hang other notes of the scale off of those anchors.

    In the backdoor pattern lesson, you do mention that you detune your guitar by a 1/2-step, but the diagrams sure make it look like you’re playing an F-minor pentatonic in position 1, even though it’s clear your finger uses open strings and is really anchored in E-minor. And to further confusion, it sounds like Eb-minor when played (as I think you mention verbally at one point). I’d probably re-do the diagrams so that the lowest notes in position 1 are clearly open strings - maybe draw them behind the nut if you need to. The ideal solution would be to play it all like the diagrams show - tuned normally as EADGbe and played in Fm pentatonic. But what a hassle to record the video again.

    You might also mention when you show the two different forms of the backdoor pattern that they’re really just the same pattern. i.e. if Pattern A is 3 steps on one string followed by 2 steps on the next higher string, and Pattern B is 2 steps followed by 3 steps, you can see each pattern starting at different points when you connect them all in your diagrams. Well, that’s more obvious on a diagram than it is when I type it here ;)
    Anyway, thanks again!

    - Jim from Austin, TX

    [Reply]

    Anthony Stauffer ( StevieSnacks Teacher ) reply on August 30th, 2008:

    Your point about making open notes more clearly marked well taken, and will be done so in future lessons :)

    [Reply]

  2. ppatrickatrick Says:
    July 22nd, 2008 at 4:36 pm

    love your lessons,i get better every day!!!Keep the blues alive !!!!!!!!

    greetings from Holland

    [Reply]

  3. Roger Bremner Says:
    July 18th, 2008 at 8:35 am

    thanks a lot man I love these lessons and with out a doubt thet are the best ive seen

    [Reply]

  4. fat strat…….. Says:
    April 30th, 2008 at 7:09 pm

    I want to drop you this line to tell you how much I’ve enjoyed the lessons I’ve purchased. Great stuff and you do it justice!
    One question….Can you still purchase all the lessons listed? I see that several do not have the buy button.
    Thanks so much.

    [Reply]

    Anthony Stauffer ( StevieSnacks Teacher ) reply on April 30th, 2008:

    Thanks man,

    Some of my lessons are permanently retired from the store because they were lessons on copyrighted songs which I’ve since learned are a big no-no to teach. However, I’m (slowly) working on getting the one’s that aren’t back in the store.

    [Reply]

  5. Lawrence Tan Says:
    April 23rd, 2008 at 11:40 am

    Hey brother, thanks for the stuffs you’ve been sharing on this site and on youtube, it’s really helpful on my playing. I love SRV and it’s fun that you made it look easier for me to learn his stuffs. Thanks for your generous attitude in sharing your knowledge to us. Keep it up.

    [Reply]

    Anthony Stauffer ( StevieSnacks Teacher ) reply on April 30th, 2008:

    No problem my man. Just glad to share what I can.

    [Reply]

  6. Blues4jesus Says:
    April 23rd, 2008 at 9:42 am

    Once again you hit on some excential playing that many may not appreciate because its not super flashy, You always hit the meat in your lessons, The substance your sharing will make the differance in the guitar arsenal from being ok to having substance, I enjoy your lessons and I seem to be able to retain what Ive learned on here more then from lessons Ive had when I started out 3o yrs ago. Well done once again.

    [Reply]

    Anthony Stauffer ( StevieSnacks Teacher ) reply on April 30th, 2008:

    Thanks so much, and I’m happy the lesson makes sense to you!

    [Reply]

  7. LJ Says:
    April 19th, 2008 at 2:22 pm

    Even though I’m new to blues, I found your box patterns useful for creating recognizable licks. I like this pattern and see how useful it can be once added to the right riffs.
    Thanks.

    [Reply]

    Anthony Stauffer ( StevieSnacks Teacher ) reply on April 19th, 2008:

    Hi LJ,

    Glad you are finding this useful, be sure to keep your eye out for my full 12 bar solo lessons which will use these boxes to provide a reference for the licks in each solo.

    Thanks for writing,
    Anthony

    [Reply]

  8. Bob M Says:
    April 18th, 2008 at 10:43 pm

    Anthony- just wanted to say how much I enjoy your style of teaching and thank you for the effort to put these videos out here. I’m trying to finish the solo for Tightrope and then move on to harder SRV styles. Thanks again

    [Reply]

    Anthony Stauffer ( StevieSnacks Teacher ) reply on April 19th, 2008:

    Hi Bob,
    You’re very welcome, and I’m glad the lessons are helping you,
    Anthony

    [Reply]

  9. Alex Reese Says:
    April 13th, 2008 at 9:02 pm

    Hey Anthony,

    I’ve only been playing guitar for about three months now, and i can play bits and peices of certain songs, and i was recently watching SRV live at austin, texas, and theres a point in the song “Voodoo Chile” where he begins to play a certain chord extremly quickly, and then hits one of the highest notes i’ve ever heard him play. It’s on youtube, and i was wondering if you knew how he did that. Also in the same song, right before the part i just mentioned, he plays a note while using the whammy bar, which gives it a really nice effect, and you can see him strumming with the whammy bar. I tried this, and it turned out horrible. Hints? I’ve got a lot more questions, but i dont want to take up too much space, so throw me an e-mail if you have time. Thanks.

    [Reply]

    Anthony Stauffer ( StevieSnacks Teacher ) reply on April 19th, 2008:

    Hi Alex,

    Can’t make any promises about future lessons at this point, but any really difficult sequence is a possibility :)

    [Reply]

  10. Lowell Waite Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 5:05 pm

    Thanks, man. Much appreciated!

    [Reply]

  11. Timmy Fitzgerald Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 11:17 am

    Hey Anthony
    I knew these as extended scale positions for like what you call the Clapton box and the root box, but your neat embellishments with the references as to how Stevie and Jimi used them will be sure to help everyone who learns the boxes move between them and open up the “realestate” , this is a very helpful lesson and i hope your students take advantage of it. I downloaded it and will use it as a refresher course ! Have a great weekend !

    [Reply]

  12. diego Says:
    April 12th, 2008 at 6:24 am

    i love you

    [Reply]

  13. Timmy Fitzgerald Says:
    April 11th, 2008 at 11:55 pm

    Hi Anthony, I noticed that too, but it’s late, get some rest , you work too hard.

    [Reply]

  14. josh Says:
    April 11th, 2008 at 10:56 pm

    The download link for the free backdoor pattern video does not work.

    [Reply]

    Anthony Stauffer ( StevieSnacks Teacher ) reply on April 11th, 2008:

    I didn’t realize people would need to have an account at Vimeo to download the video, so I’m uploading it to my own server right now. I’ll have the new link available within the hour.

    [Reply]

    josh reply on April 12th, 2008:

    Thanks for fixing the link. Great lesson. When will you be posting more on voodoo chile lessons on the net are really sparse for thise song.

    [Reply]