Tips on playing the Blues

[rattycaster]

Ok now im feaking confused. im not sure what is considered blues. i dont consider myself a blues player so im going to have to ask for your oppinions if this following songs and players are considered blues.

1] Redhouse by Hendrix , 2] Texas Flood by Stevie
3] Working from 7 to 11 by Led Zeppelin
4] Have you ever loved a Woman by Clapton
5] Stuff by Jonny Winter
6] Slow Blues in "C" by Alvin Lee
7] Garry Moore bluesy stuff

I never really got into the hard core stuff like Muddy Waters or BB King . im just wondering where this guys rate. thanks...

 

[FatStrat]

all of that stuff is blues to me. Blues is a style and form as much as it is a life long dedication....the guys in Zep were tipping their hats to where RnR come from...that's cool in my books.

 

[uncouth_rustic]

Ok now im feaking confused. im not sure what is considered blues. i dont consider myself a blues player so im going to have to ask for your oppinions if this following songs and players are considered blues.

1] Redhouse by Hendrix , 2] Texas Flood by Stevie
3] Working from 7 to 11 by Led Zeppelin
4] Have you ever loved a Woman by Clapton
5] Stuff by Jonny Winter
6] Slow Blues in "C" by Alvin Lee
7] Garry Moore bluesy stuff

I never really got into the hard core stuff like Muddy Waters or BB King . im just wondering where this guys rate. thanks...

I consider those guys to be capable blues interpreters, but not the genuine article like the pioneers of the early-to-mid 20th century.

 

[FatStrat]

I consider those guys to be capable blues interpreters, but not the genuine article like the pioneers of the early-to-mid 20th century.

so you're suggesting no one who's not from the 50's actually plays authentic blues?

 

[uncouth_rustic]

so you're suggesting no one who's not from the 50's actually plays authentic blues?

Not at all. They're gifted musicians of course who in some cases did it alot louder and faster, but at the end of the day they remain blues interpreters instead of pioneers or innovators.

 

[FatStrat]

Not at all. They're gifted musicians of course who in some cases did it alot louder and faster, but at the end of the day they remain blues interpreters instead of pioneers or innovators.

I suppose you could look at it that way...but then rock hasn't had many stylistic innovators over it's history as well.

 

[hipbluescat]

Here are my tips:-

1. know what it means to be treated like a black man
2. listen to every blues artist you can - know your history
3. know your chords
4. work out the songs that you dig man
5. be honest with yourself
6. get help/guidance from the best players you can

Most of all be ready for a hard road that just gives you more joy has you go down it!!!

 

[marT]

This might seem cynical or bigheaded or whatever but I don't think the blues is something you can teach. At least not entirely. Sure you have to start somewhere.

I have tried many times to teach people this and that with regards to the blues. Some people already have "it" and get it easily and other people just don't understand.

For example they will be like "how did you do that?" or "what notes did you play there". And the biggest one "how do you know what to play next"

The answer to them all is "I have no idea". I do not consciously think about the notes I am playing, they happen before i even have time to think.

My point is. Sure go ahead and learn some songs and get a bit of a grips on the "blues" but I think it would be hard to become a great blues musician learning from the theory. Its more a emotional response. Which is why I love it so much and why everyone can relate to it.

You either have it or you don't IMO.

 

[SoloDallas]

Many good things have been said here. I haven't read it all.

If I may, I'd like to add a method that worked (and works) well for me.

- Sing internally. Huh? (You might think). Yup. Sing inside of yourself (or even outside if you wish). I found myself in the years with blues phrases running in my mind, during the day, while doing things.
The blues might be considered more than other musical genres as our internal voice. I am rather sure that most if not all blues players have those musical phrases (melodies) running inside of their minds at all times.
Those are golden moments, and I humbly think one should try to bring it out on the instrument, the guitar for all of us here.
So, listen to all the good music that has been listed up there, and in time, this will develop your inner musical phrases that you will then try and put on the instrument.

- Record yourself and listen to what you did over and over.

These two were and still are two very important steps for me.

Good luck,

D68

 

[csteward]

Learn a few different scales, like Major, Minor/Major Pentatonic, and Dorian, and then mix them together.

Also you have to play from your heart, I mean sure you can just go a play a whole barrage of notes, but when it comes down to it, it's the soul put into it that counts. Alvin Lee does play a whole lotta notes, but you can tell he still puts some soul into it.

Also how don't you like Duane's Tone? It's very bluesy, and he was a blues purist according to Clapton. I guess it's cause you're more use to strats I guess, especially with SRV. I can't stand his tone because it's too thin. On the other hand, Rory Gallagher who also plays strats, has a nice thick tone. Albert King is definitely a good place to start too.

Here's a list of players:
Duane Allman
Clapton
Rory Gallagher
BB King
Albert King
Freddie King
Paul Kossoff
Peter Green
Muddy Waters

You should also work on your vibrato, if you don't use one normally. And slide guitar if you want.

Yeah Dallas, I do have blues phrases go through my head, but not all the time. Sometimes they happen at the most random times too, it's weird.

 

[csteward]

3] Working from 7 to 11 by Led Zeppelin

Actually called Since I've been Loving You.

 

[csteward]

This might seem cynical or bigheaded or whatever but I don't think the blues is something you can teach. At least not entirely. Sure you have to start somewhere.

I have tried many times to teach people this and that with regards to the blues. Some people already have "it" and get it easily and other people just don't understand.

For example they will be like "how did you do that?" or "what notes did you play there". And the biggest one "how do you know what to play next"

The answer to them all is "I have no idea". I do not consciously think about the notes I am playing, they happen before i even have time to think.

My point is. Sure go ahead and learn some songs and get a bit of a grips on the "blues" but I think it would be hard to become a great blues musician learning from the theory. Its more a emotional response. Which is why I love it so much and why everyone can relate to it.

You either have it or you don't IMO.

MarT, you are speaking the truth here. It doesn't sound cynical or bigheaded, it's just true. And I have people ask me the same questions all the time, and they just don't understand it's comes from your soul, and not from you just thinking about it and playing it out. And most of these kids play a totally different style of music, mostly the newer rock stuff, which I don't listen to. I've had my many down times in my life, I think that's also a factor that plays into having the blues, is having at least one really bad experience. The ultimate thing to be able to do in your blues career, is to be able to hit one note, and have it mean so much, and be able to get an emotional reaction out of a person who is listening to it.

I think the same goes for singers, it seems the best ones sing from their soul.

 

[clayville]

I love it when a five year-old thread gets revived. It's like the conversation that never ends.
:salude

But just to play along, I agree with the folks who suggest working backwards from T-Bone, and who suggest really listening. Many of us started playing guitar and playing the blues because of the white blues-rock interpreters (many of whom I love to this day), but it's a revelation to go back through the roots and seriously listen.

To me, the vocabulary for playing the blues comes from the feeling, from what you pick up with your ears -- not from connect-the-dots licks. If you can't hear it, you can't feel it. If you don't feel it, you can't play it.

And I'd rather be moved by a small handful of notes dripping in emotion than left cold by hundreds of them that say nothing.

 

[SoloDallas]

If you can't hear it, you can't feel it. If you don't feel it, you can't play it.

And I'd rather be moved by a small handful of notes dripping in emotion than left cold by hundreds of them that say nothing.

Shoot! A five years thread lol
Hadn't even noticed.

But I learnt one good thing as well. Your phrase up there. What an amazing quote to never forget.

 

[Bluuzman]

Learn the basics inside out and then learn how not to make your runs and licks sound like scales, but to sound like the music you hear in your head. Sounds weird but learning the theory and not conciously applying it makes your playing open right up....you'll know the notes to play, it's all about how you're playing them.

:2cool In my opinion, that's a good approach.

 

[1954Gold]

For me, this performance by Son House is the core of the blues:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwjGytOVVQA

 

[straightblues]

Here is a little lesson on BB King licks. Learn these, it will take you weeks or months to master these seemingly simple little licks. You should be able to play them within an hour. http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa052901e.htm

Next, you need to learn the blues boxes. Here is a lesson that will get you going on that. http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa052901e.htm It is not a lot of notes, but it is a lot of emotion.

And the thing that got me the farthest the fastest was this - Find a blues shuffle track to play over. Then pick three notes from the blues box. Use only the three note (spots on the fretboard) for your entire solo. Bend them, slide into them, combine them, hamer on, pull off, etc. (by doing this you get a lot more than three notes.) Doing this will force you to play with feel and emotion otherwise three notes will become very boring. It will also force you to slow down. Really work at this, then combine this style with the other scales and runs you are doing in a rock context and you will be doing very well.

Here are some licks that will be useful as well. http://www.scribd.com/doc/2318372/25-Blues-Licks

 

[csteward]

Another tip I can give you is to not just listen to Blues music, but also old R&B and Soul music, and try to cop some of the licks they do. A band for just this thing is Wet Willie, although they're not the soul music I was talking about, they kind of blend blues, gospel, soul, and a little bit of funk and country together, and make this great sound. They are a Southern band.

 

[Wisertime]

There's a lot of good advice here. I'd like to add a bit of info about playing lead guitar. Gary Moore once told me that Albert King told him to "Play every other note." In other words, as with many rock players who are trying to play blues solos, Gary used to play too fast and with way too many notes back in his early blues days. Blues solos have to be articulate and expressive. The notes sometimes have to cry and ring. Gary is an excellent blues artist now because of that advice. Both Sonny Landreth and Robben Ford are great lead players and blues solo artists, primarily because they were horn players at one time. This is a great way to learn proper phrasing when soloing on the guitar, because horn players have to stop to take a breath every now and then. This opens up doors to excellent phrasing and style when soloing, especially on the guitar. The best blues guitarists play sentences with periods (or stops) when they solo.

 

[clayville]

Gary used to play too fast and with way too many notes back in his early blues days. Blues solos have to be articulate and expressive. The notes sometimes have to cry and ring. Gary is an excellent blues artist now because of that advice.

Mebbe I should give Gary another chance then.