Beginner seeking blues basics

I've been playing rock n roll guitar for quite some time now, but as I've gotten older, I've become more interested in basic, old, dirty, grimy blues. I can hear it in everything now! and i would like to get closer to the source!

There are so many books and videos out there, youtube vids etc...

I'm just looking for that one BASIC book or video that will have so much meat on it for a new player and telecaster owner like myself, that i will have the basic, necessary understanding of the most common scales and chord progressions used in basic blues, and how it generally all fits together.

is there a tried and true, "go to" basic blues bible for beginner/intermediate players that over time, is just so widely used and truly great that it never goes out of print?

or if you could give a new blues guitar player only one basic book or dvd what would you suggest?

thanks!

I really like Dennis Dullea's Texas Blues DVD. It is not full of theory but lots of licks, bends even a nice section on T-Bone Walker. The link is here. Check out his videos on youtube to see if you like the style.

http://www.texasbluesguitar.net/

This clip is a nice blues in A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg2IoxsVGoU&list=UUwlEXdRjdOJhWlugLFaUEiw&index=2&feature=plcp

Well for starters, make sure you have the basic I-IV-V 12-bar progression deeply ingrained in your soul. Part of the joy of playing blues is emphasizing the changes. You need to get to the point where you don't have to listen for them, but that you just "know" when it's going to happen because of its predictable cadence.

So in A, it looks like this (in 4/4 time)

A / / / A / / / A / / / A / / /
D / / / D / / / A / / / A / / /
E / / / D / / / A / / / A / / /

Then start to learn all the variations. So what I refer to as a "quick IV" is you play the IV chord (in this case a D) for the 2nd measure

Then focus on the "turnaround", which is usually the last 2 measures (11 and 12). In in this example, instead of playing 2 straight measures of A, play something like this

A / D / A/ E /

This breaks up the progression, since you repeat the whole 12-bar progression, it keeps it more interesting than playing 6 straight bars of A (meaning the last 2 bars 11 and 12, and then the first 4 bars when you start the progression again).

Or play 9th chords for the IV and V chords and a 7th for the I. And on the V-IV walkdown (measures 9 and 10), play a flat V chord as you walk down tot he IV, like:

E / / Eb D / / /

And be able to transpose this progression into any key.

Then for solos, probably start with the basic pentatonic minor. Try to emphasize the changes of the chord progression with the notes you play in the solo. Then learn some of the "extra" notes that you can add/substitute into the scale to give some added flavor.

Then play around with the major pentatonic scale. Try things like playing the minor pent over the I chord and the major pent over the IV chord.

Boy I don't know if this helps at all. The blues is so rich, there's a million and a half variations. The key is to get grounded in the basics and then start branching off from there.

Cheers,
Doug

Well for starters, make sure you have the basic I-IV-V 12-bar progression deeply ingrained in your soul. Part of the joy of playing blues is emphasizing the changes. You need to get to the point where you don't have to listen for them, but that you just "know" when it's going to happen because of its predictable cadence.

So in A, it looks like this (in 4/4 time)

A / / / A / / / A / / / A / / /
D / / / D / / / A / / / A / / /
E / / / D / / / A / / / A / / /

Then start to learn all the variations. So what I refer to as a "quick IV" is you play the IV chord (in this case a D) for the 2nd measure

Then focus on the "turnaround", which is usually the last 2 measures (11 and 12). In in this example, instead of playing 2 straight measures of A, play something like this

A / D / A/ E /

This breaks up the progression, since you repeat the whole 12-bar progression, it keeps it more interesting than playing 6 straight bars of A (meaning the last 2 bars 11 and 12, and then the first 4 bars when you start the progression again).

Or play 9th chords for the IV and V chords and a 7th for the I. And on the V-IV walkdown (measures 9 and 10), play a flat V chord as you walk down tot he IV, like:

E / / Eb D / / /

And be able to transpose this progression into any key.

Then for solos, probably start with the basic pentatonic minor. Try to emphasize the changes of the chord progression with the notes you play in the solo. Then learn some of the "extra" notes that you can add/substitute into the scale to give some added flavor.

Then play around with the major pentatonic scale. Try things like playing the minor pent over the I chord and the major pent over the IV chord.

Boy I don't know if this helps at all. The blues is so rich, there's a million and a half variations. The key is to get grounded in the basics and then start branching off from there.

Cheers,
Doug

thanks for the info, i started playing/trying/following what you suggested and then dropped down to E and this came out..

(verse)
eeee
aaee
baeb

(just before chorus only) is this called a bridge? i change up the strumming/rhythm, all i know is that is somehow ties something together...
eeee
aaee
f#aeb

chorus
edaa (all barre chords) e played with open bottom e string
edaa (all open chords)
edaa (all barre chords)
edaa (all open chords)

can you tell me what im doing here? it's definitely got a rock n roll vibe going on in it and it sounds kind of like a lot of classic 1970's punk when i play it fast, its weird how it just came out of me while trying to follow some of the structure above..

what is this im playing?

If it sounds like Rock and Roll, it probably is.

You are taking a basic 12 bar blues, adding a sub (the F#, which relates to the A) and then you're adding the chorus structure.

It could still be a Blues.. but it would depend on feel.


A lot of folks around her recommend the book "Blues You Can Use". It's a good basic book. It'll give you a basic understanding of very basic blues structure.

But, and I feel like a broken record, to really learn to play Blues, you have to listen to them (just like any other style of music). You can pick up the basics by mimicing some songs and artist out there. Lotta modern guys start with Clapton and SRV. Clapton really got the bug from Robert Johnson. If you study Robert Johnson's music and style, you will end up knowing the basics of modern Blues music. His song patterns and progressions followed the style of the time and really set the foundation for a lot of modern music in general, but definitely the forms of Blues we recognize today.

A good song example is Sweet Home Chicago. It's one of the easiest to play and certainly commonly played and recorded! It's a typical 12 Bar Blues with a quick IV.

Rock N Roll is nothing but the blues shifted into the next gear.

What ddwered and axis said. The more you listen to the music you are trying to play, the more you will get a feel for the timing and phrasing. You can easily take a 12 bar format and speed it up and make a rock and roll song out of it, ::cough, cough:: led zeppelin I... 1-4-5 is common to many types of music, even punk, so it's all in how you play it.

[QUOTE=Axis29;4022411]If it sounds like Rock and Roll, it probably is.

But, and I feel like a broken record, to really learn to play Blues, you have to listen to them (just like any other style of music). You can pick up the basics by mimicing some songs and artist out there. Lotta modern guys start with Clapton and SRV. Clapton really got the bug from Robert Johnson. If you study Robert Johnson's music and style, you will end up knowing the basics of modern Blues music. His song patterns and progressions followed the style of the time and really set the foundation for a lot of modern music in general, but definitely the forms of Blues we recognize today.

i hear that! i really do feel that i would even pick it up easier, faster, and "better" just listening to the 29 songs i have of his.

The internet is a wonderful thing!
You could go to "You Tube" and just enter "Blues Riffs", "Blues Progressions", etc. and most likely do well.
I liked "Play Blues Guitar", by Keith Wyatt DVD, but just about any beginning Blues book or DVD should cover the basics and some others in this thread provided some excellant examples and refs.
Enjoy!...12 Bars, Flat 5th, I-IV-V, Turnaround and out....

A LOTof it is vocabulary, I think.

So, some "classic" tunes are a great way to learn.

If you like Electric Blues styles, maybe consider getting the Greg Koch/Hal Leonard DVD called "BLUES". It will show you a set list worth of classic versions of tunes. Learn it front to back, and you'll have a good starting base from which to continue.

Here's a good website:

http://www.12bar.de/

HTH.

+1

&

http://bluestab.skyrock.com/

This was posted a few days ago by Fezz, useful if you want to learn some blues scales.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/500/medium/Picture_10.png

This link will take you to a few youtube links that have full DVDs by BB King and Buddy Guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49zfyzSBM1s

http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Guitar-Inside-And-Out/dp/089524148X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1332364233&sr=8-5

I like this one, from the guy who wrote the Heavy Guitar Bible (which is also quite cool).

http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Guitar-Inside-And-Out/dp/089524148X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1332364233&sr=8-5

I like this one, from the guy who wrote the Heavy Guitar Bible (which is also quite cool).


That's a great one IMO. I have a bunch of blues books, but still refer back to that one the most.

Here's a couple parts I scanned recently from it showing the blues scale, and relative scale (same pattern, three frets down):

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt246/tap4154/BluesScale.jpg

And here's the blues scale and relative scale overlayed:

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt246/tap4154/BluesRelativeScales72.jpg

thanks for all the great info guys. i really love the scale above, i can totally follow this! and based on some of the information given to me, i just ordered from amazon 2 books:

Blues You Can Use (Blues You Can Use)
John Ganapes, John N Ganapes

Blues You Can Use Book of Guitar Chords (Blues Guitar Instruction)
John Ganapes

getting these two books was the cost of a cheap guitar lesson, (i'm almost broke) and i'm sure will serve me far, far beyond one guitar lesson. thanks:)

Personally, I've never learned or tried to learn anything from a book...not saying you can't. There's lot's of variations to the blues. Each person is different in what they hear, feel and bring to the blues.

You mention that you come from a rock background...but want to venture into as you say "basic, old, dirty, grimy blues"...my suggestion would be to start with the basic foundation which is already based in rock by listening to a lot of Jimmy Reed. Eddie Taylor played some cold-blooded stuff. Learning to play with soul and being able to say more with 4 notes than 40...ie...learning how to let it breath and phrasing...

Eddie Taylor, Robert Lockwood, Louis Myers, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush, Lonnie Johnson, Young Buddy Guy, Young BB when he was on fire, Goree Carter, Teddy Bunn, Gatemouth Brown & Tiny Grimes speaking of dirty and grimy...where Hollywood Fat's got alot of inspiration...

Here's Hollywood doing a Gatemouth tune...Okie Dokie Stomp
odf_8OLZ4AQ

...or for really clean and tasteful playing...Anson is da man...
s9EJChkMW1k

jes my cent and a half...

i've never opened up a guitar book either. but i've always wanted to play this chuck berry infused johnny thunders type stuff in the past, listened to a lot of it, and it never happened. i had to look for outside help

i'm guessing that if i grasp a global understanding of the fretboard (which i think i have, but know i dont) in a blues setting, (what better?) my own style will seep out, and it will surely have elements of what i like anyways.

p.s. thanks for the name dropping above. ive started with howlin wolf, muddy waters, and rob johnston.

that's a good start...Hubert Sumlin w/ Wolf!

Here's Roy Rogers take on RJ...one of the very, very few that truly get's it...
Wsr6rn4TFbY

[QUOTE=burtf51; Young Buddy Guy, Young BB [/QUOTE]

Thats why I posted the links to the BB and Buddy videos. From the conversation on the tapes you can see they are getting alot of mileage from phrasing, bends, space and feel while using simple scales. Sometimes they can not express in words the theory of what they are doing but by watching you can see.

elmore james & lightnin hopking on one side, then the 3 kings on the other. You plug & play along them, once you mastered your 8; 12 and 16 bars progression (rythm wise). Google it & find your way. For melody / soloing - there are no shortcuts. Just play along these dudes, & figure it out as you go. Any method, scales, etc..is very useful - but mileage is (as it always was) the very foundation of a blues player. Play those blues positions & bends till you bleed. Till your parents / room mates wanna kill you / till you get thrown out of your apartment / till you break the strings. Then start again. make them yours.

Personally, I've never learned or tried to learn anything from a book...not saying you can't. There's lot's of variations to the blues. Each person is different in what they hear, feel and bring to the blues.

You mention that you come from a rock background...but want to venture into as you say "basic, old, dirty, grimy blues"...my suggestion would be to start with the basic foundation which is already based in rock by listening to a lot of Jimmy Reed. Eddie Taylor played some cold-blooded stuff. Learning to play with soul and being able to say more with 4 notes than 40...ie...learning how to let it breath and phrasing...

Eddie Taylor, Robert Lockwood, Louis Myers, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush, Lonnie Johnson, Young Buddy Guy, Young BB when he was on fire, Goree Carter, Teddy Bunn, Gatemouth Brown & Tiny Grimes speaking of dirty and grimy...where Hollywood Fat's got alot of inspiration...

Here's Hollywood doing a Gatemouth tune...Okie Dokie Stomp
odf_8OLZ4AQ

...or for really clean and tasteful playing...Anson is da man...
s9EJChkMW1k

jes my cent and a half...

Superb taste & great advice..... +100!!!

I would just listen to a lot of the Blues Masters, Albert King, BBKing, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, Luther Allison, Lightnin' Hopkins, etc. Immerse yourself in their music for the next year or so.

Also BLUESHAMMER!

well, i just got blues you can use and BYCU "chords" and i just grabbed the first lesson and LOW AND BEHOLD, I HEARD THE CRAMPS "TEENAGE WEREWOLF" which is probably based on an old blues song anyways. so i'm playing this, feeling great, and can hear where it's leading before i play it! then, i'm not playing this song anymore and it's becoming my own!

Hot damn! Why didnt i do this sooner?

i clicked "embed" on this youtube vid, it did not imbed, so you'll have to click.

http://youtu.be/HrbTkNwbUz8