Nope. It'll be interesting to see how it goes.
Have some tips on teaching beginner blues?
- Thread starter Charlie Bernstein
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.
Here's how I like to start.
I tell the guy/girl to go away and listen to the stuff he/she likes. Or to my suggestions, if he/she can't decide. Homework.
Pick one of his/her suggestions- a really simple structure, with three chords. Work at that one song, until he/she develops timing and can find a groove. Playing together, with a metronome, or along with a record, helps some people. Others are fine on their own but get nervous, when asked to demonstrate what they've been working on.
I find, if I start into the theory, scales and lead licks, at too early a stage, a lot of students will just noodle- and never progress past their favourite three bars, of their favourite tune. I always want them to learn complete songs, with consistent timing and some semblance of a groove. Singing- if at all possible.
I spent too long noodling around in circles,myself. I never want to perpetuate that stagnant approach. Learning whole songs is a confidence booster, in a way that playing the hook, from 'Smokestack Lightning' really isn't.
I tell the guy/girl to go away and listen to the stuff he/she likes. Or to my suggestions, if he/she can't decide. Homework.
Pick one of his/her suggestions- a really simple structure, with three chords. Work at that one song, until he/she develops timing and can find a groove. Playing together, with a metronome, or along with a record, helps some people. Others are fine on their own but get nervous, when asked to demonstrate what they've been working on.
I find, if I start into the theory, scales and lead licks, at too early a stage, a lot of students will just noodle- and never progress past their favourite three bars, of their favourite tune. I always want them to learn complete songs, with consistent timing and some semblance of a groove. Singing- if at all possible.
I spent too long noodling around in circles,myself. I never want to perpetuate that stagnant approach. Learning whole songs is a confidence booster, in a way that playing the hook, from 'Smokestack Lightning' really isn't.
ASATKat
Poster Extraordinaire
There is no 1 type of blues, there's acoustic blues, there's electric blues. You can't teach the two the same way. As different as A & B.
Acoustic cowboy chords uses open strings. Electric blues/rock has far less first position open strings and moves around the neck with power chords and barre chords. If you as a teacher don't know how read the name and then play E7#9, maybe in a few ways, then you can't honestly teach blues/rock or any style that goes up the neck.
Ask them what style of blues they want to play, and you, as a good teacher, will show them the right material. Maybe it's soloing like John Mayer.
On first visit the student should walk away with a written out tab paper that explains the John Mayer thing they want.
Learning the cowboy chords has nothing to do with playing like. And to say cowboy chords are a good starting foundational thing,,, then the student walks away with nothing he could call a breakthrough to John Mayer's style, a win. Then that was a total fail. You did not talk about what he came to you about.
Private lessons should not work like your taking a class at the Jr College. A good private teacher knows many angles on how to teach a specific thing. They improvise and are flexible in real time. The classic movie example of "practicing scales on the piano with the teacher standing over you to 'scold you' when you do something wrong. There are lots of teachers that teach that way. The same is true about working through music book series, like "I'm graduating to book 3 of how to read on saxophone".
THAT is not what 90% your guitar students want. If you can't deliver blues rock for what it is then cut the student loose, maybe you could suggest some electric blues rock teacher in the area. And that good energy will come back to you in good ways.
Acoustic cowboy chords uses open strings. Electric blues/rock has far less first position open strings and moves around the neck with power chords and barre chords. If you as a teacher don't know how read the name and then play E7#9, maybe in a few ways, then you can't honestly teach blues/rock or any style that goes up the neck.
Ask them what style of blues they want to play, and you, as a good teacher, will show them the right material. Maybe it's soloing like John Mayer.
On first visit the student should walk away with a written out tab paper that explains the John Mayer thing they want.
Learning the cowboy chords has nothing to do with playing like. And to say cowboy chords are a good starting foundational thing,,, then the student walks away with nothing he could call a breakthrough to John Mayer's style, a win. Then that was a total fail. You did not talk about what he came to you about.
Private lessons should not work like your taking a class at the Jr College. A good private teacher knows many angles on how to teach a specific thing. They improvise and are flexible in real time. The classic movie example of "practicing scales on the piano with the teacher standing over you to 'scold you' when you do something wrong. There are lots of teachers that teach that way. The same is true about working through music book series, like "I'm graduating to book 3 of how to read on saxophone".
THAT is not what 90% your guitar students want. If you can't deliver blues rock for what it is then cut the student loose, maybe you could suggest some electric blues rock teacher in the area. And that good energy will come back to you in good ways.
Last edited:
Stratocast
Tele-Holic
you may want to let him work on some Stones tunes since last year Paul McCartney was quoted as saying the Stones were more of a "blues".. band,,, lol ..... a few tunes come to mind... "Miss You".. "Beast of Burden".. oh and what about "It's only rock n roll"?...or "Shattered"? ska-dooby...lol...I don't think blues has to necessarily be about losing your girl... or your job ....or your wife... Country can deal with those topics....
the Stones taught us how to enjoy blues.. with songs like their remake of "ain"t too proud to beg"....
Stratocast
Tele-Holic
now you're talking..."For what it's worth".. a band I was in years ago did that song.. it can be a blues/acid song...what about I'm your Captain/closer to home?.. the ending of that song... is bluesy.. and can be drawn out... I used to play a 2 minute lead at the end of that song.. a good song to learn blues leads on..
Good thoughts.
Some great songs there, often steeped in blues technique, but to my ears they're rock 'n' roll. There are some great blues and R&B covers on 12 x 5, but I'd rather go to the sources.
Here in whitebread Maine, a lot of musicians don't know the difference. They think Wonderful Tonight is blues. I once told a blues bass player here that my favorite blues bassist was Willie Dixon, and he said, "Who?"
Nothing more embarrassing than being on stage with a singer who introduces "Little Red Rooster" with "Now here's a song by the Rolling Stones!" Willie does flip-flops in his grave.
One thing I like about this guy is that he knows the difference. So we're not going to delve into Mick/Keith/Mick or Stevie or Eric or John/Paul/George/Ringo.
Love all those folks (well, maybe a little lukewarm on SRV), but to dig the blues, like I say, gotta go to the source. (See Teletimetx's post 79.)
Blues and country cover some real downer topics. But they're also frisky and playful and wise in ways that few rockers have mastered. Kick back with some Bessie Smith or Gary Davis or Jimmy Reed or Memphis Minnie or Sonny and Brownie. You'll be grinning in no time — even (or especially) through the tears.
Great, great band. What's not to like? (Besides "Miss You" and "Angie," of course.)
But I dug the blues a long time before I dug the Stones.
Last edited:
4 Cat Slim
Poster Extraordinaire
Here in whitebread Maine, a lot of musicians don't know the difference.
Don't be so hard on Maine. When I lived in Houston some 40 years ago, I once played with a singer who would
introduce Don Gibson's Blue Blue Day and Guy Mitchell's Singing the Blues with "I'd like to play y'all some blues here...".
I guess he thought that any song with the word "blue" in it was a blues. That would sure make a lot of artists blues singers,
kind of scary when you think about it...
Don't be so hard on Maine. When I lived in Houston some 40 years ago, I once played with a singer who would
introduce Don Gibson's Blue Blue Day and Guy Mitchell's Singing the Blues with "I'd like to play y'all some blues here...".
I guess he thought that any song with the word "blue" in it was a blues. That would sure make a lot of artists blues singers,
kind of scary when you think about it...
Stratocast
Tele-Holic
maybe he was Not ignorant... just thought the pun was funny .... we had a singer in our band that tried to be humorous like that as well when introducing songs... a lot of times his humor fell flat..
Stratocast
Tele-Holic
hmm.. interesting.... I guess perhaps Eric C.. has gotten a reputation as being a bit of a blues player...but I never thought of him that way.....One band I was in used to do a cover of wonderful tonight.. I played keys on that song in the background..... but I never looked at it or thought of it as a blues song... we only played it.. to give the folks something to slow-dance to..
If I was going to do a Clapton song.. I wouldn't mind doing "Pretending".. or "Badge"... we had some good basement jams on "Badge".. this guitarist we had at one time...could play Clapton to a tee... but we never did it on stage.....
the problem we had in different bands.. I was in... is that we had to remember to do songs that would make people get up and dance.. even if they only slow danced...that way they would exercise ..... .get thirsty.. and buy more booze.. playing to a bunch of seat warmers... never did much for us , or the bars that hired us..
we even did
"Rockin Robin" for a bit.. when they told me they wanted to perform that song .. I said... "oh that Jackson 5 tune".. and they said... "WHO?"...
For three or four years I was in a band that could get everyone in the room on their feet and dancing. It was a soukous band. The bandleader was from the Congo and had had a successful music career there until the Mbuto people drove him out of the country. Played djembe and sang. Had the range of Roy Orbison.
The guy was magic. If you don't know the sound, check out Kanda Bongo Man and Diblo Dibala.
Hm. Did someone else do it?
=O.
In my duo, I play it on a roundneck Dobro. It makes it sound real rootsy even though it's not blues. But with this guy, I'm sticking to the roots: Delta and Chicago. That's more than enough to keep the poor guy busy.
True 'nuff. Good observation. Most rock and jazz is blues-influenced. We're sticking with the artists that did the influencing.
I harbor doubts.
Groove.
billy logan
Tele-Afflicted
(sry too much coffee. Mebbe this help SOMEBODY. Idk)
play a certain little pattern of single notes over the I
move l.h. (convoy) (parallel motion) up 5 frets, play the same little single-note melody over the IV
then, when it's time for the V, move it up to 7 frets higher than the I, and play the same darn little single note pattern there.
^^^That ^^^ will sound unforgivably corny. Horrible. Predictable.
However:
THEN you learn (teach) a second, different little single note pattern. Play that one over the IV chord. Revert to the original blues cliché over the I and the V.
You can see where I'm going.
.............. learn (teach) a third, different melody fragment* ............. Play that one over the V chord
Student sounds almost good already
(btw. Over the V chord: hint at (bend up to, or almost up to) the notes unique to the V7 chord.
e.g., In the key of G, those notes unique to the D7 chord are F# and A
otherwise you end up with a pentatonic veil over evvvverrrrthang!
*e.g., the 1st 4 notes of "When The Saints"
play a certain little pattern of single notes over the I
move l.h. (convoy) (parallel motion) up 5 frets, play the same little single-note melody over the IV
then, when it's time for the V, move it up to 7 frets higher than the I, and play the same darn little single note pattern there.
^^^That ^^^ will sound unforgivably corny. Horrible. Predictable.
However:
THEN you learn (teach) a second, different little single note pattern. Play that one over the IV chord. Revert to the original blues cliché over the I and the V.
You can see where I'm going.
.............. learn (teach) a third, different melody fragment* ............. Play that one over the V chord
Student sounds almost good already
(btw. Over the V chord: hint at (bend up to, or almost up to) the notes unique to the V7 chord.
e.g., In the key of G, those notes unique to the D7 chord are F# and A
otherwise you end up with a pentatonic veil over evvvverrrrthang!
*e.g., the 1st 4 notes of "When The Saints"
Last edited:
Stratocast
Tele-Holic
Yes. Bobby Day. In 1958. So the Jackson 5 we’re not the guitar writing virtouosoes a lot of people think they are. A lot of their tunes they did not even write They were performers. The same difference as between actors and novelists. Some people got the moves and some write the moves.
Dik Ellis
Tele-Afflicted
Teach him some 7th chords and not to fear playing chords anywhere on the neck
On it! Thanks!
jaxjaxon
Tele-Holic
First you need to know how the scale is made what notes are not normally used for a root and what note is added as A extra root. The Scale consist of 6 notes they are based off the minor Aeolian scale. If you play it in A the scale is A C D D# E G This is not to say a lead played over a blues progression can not use the other notes it is missing, Just that when you play the chords for a progression the B and F chords are not used. The typical progression for blues is A D D# E and is considered a I IV IV# V the chords can be played in the minor or major form. You can make twelve bars with the four chords and at the end of the twelve bars a thing called a turnaround is done This where You use a different progression using the same roots. like with the A D D# E you would go E D# D A the simple example. That is the basic level of the blues. The reason you can use a major or minor chord for your progression is that its Jazz. Try doing a simple shuffle beat four beats A four beats D and so on when you get to the last bar of the E change into straight on strum for each chord A D D# E or E D# D A for the turnaround.
For a more complicated feel use the other two roots in the progressions A D G C E A. DGA
For a more complicated feel use the other two roots in the progressions A D G C E A. DGA
