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Strumming with Walking Basslines (feat. Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan)

Lesson #493 • Jul 14, 2023

In this week’s lesson I’ll answer a question about combining strumming with walking basslines — using Bob Dylan’s classic Blowin’ in the Wind as an example. This will help you capture the distinctive guitar sound Dylan is using during the chorus, which goes a long way in elevating a 3-chord song. And of course, you can use this technique in plenty of other songs & situations – so it’s absolutely one worth getting the hang of.

I should note, this is not a tutorial for the full song! Rather, in answering the question sent in by Song Notes member Michel, I show exactly how I integrate walking basslines into the strumming of the chorus section. This may not be the exact notes Dylan plays, but it captures the essence of the song all the way.

  • 0:00 Overview
  • 1:06 Chords, Progression & Strumming
  • 3:41 Bassline Tab (Key of C chords)
  • 9:41 Bassline Tab (Key of D chords)

Instructional PDF 1 page

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Follow along with the print-friendly PDF!

It includes all of my notes for this lesson, allowing you to follow along at your own pace. You're free to download, print, and share the PDF across your devices.

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Exercise Playthrough (Key of C)

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Exercise Playthrough (Key of D)

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Listen to Bob Dylan’s Version

Here’s Bob Dylan’s album recording of Blowin’ in the Wind:

Interested in a Full Lesson for Blowin’ in the Wind?

I’d love to make a full video lesson for Blowin’ in the Wind at some point – along with a print-friendly song sheet including all the lyrics/chords/etc. If you’d like me to get it done sooner than later, let me know by clicking the button below.

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In the meantime, here’s a few tutorials teaching the full song from other teachers I trust and recommend:

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