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Posts Tagged ‘blues guitar’

Learn How To Play The 12 Bar Blues On Guitar

October 6th, 2009
by Michel Pale

It?s hard to describe how to play the 12 Bar blues on the guitar when you don?t have one in front of you. It?s also hard to play it if you have never done it before and you are interested in playing the 12 bar blues . What isn?t hard is writing about it so that you can get fired up enough to want to play it, or, if you play , and have lost your way, to re-kindle that passion so that you can learn the proper way.

Many who hear some music that they love and want to play it, often see themselves up on stage having the time of their lives with mobs of screaming fans who just can?t get enough. Well, learning should be that way too if you approach it properly.

The first thing you need to know if you are bitten by the bug is to know how to go about learning properly, and that means, wanting to really learn. If you go about it recklessly, then you won?t go far before you lose interest, and you may never touch the guitar again, and that would be a shame because all you really needed was to learn how to learn.

Start by finding a good instructor. You can usually find one by seeing where all the real musicians go. If you begin your instruction there, then you will be introduced to the world of 12 bar blues in the right way, by taking it slow at first so that you get the chords and the progression right, and then, getting it smooth. Never worry about speed, which will come once it?s fluid enough.

Once you have the basics then you can get into the theory, which is all about structure and form, and that has to with tonic chords, dominant chords, sub dominant, etc., then the 12 bar blues progression that is blended in with it. Remember, this all takes time, but if you take the time, you will get out of it what you have put into it.

There are three main chords that you need to know, and they are A7, E7, and B7, and from there, once you?ve got those down, you can move on to different keys, fifth notes, and how it all combines into that sound you first fell in love with, and wanted so much to learn. Once you do get proficient, there is a tendency to show off how technically good you are by trying to cram all you know into everything you play, and that is where the style gained through confidence is learned, and that is what makes you stand out.

So keep in mind that you must be technically proficient enough so that you can create an emotional impact, and when you do that, there will be someone else out there who will want to play the 12 bar blues guitar just like you!

About the Author:

Michel Pale Music , , , , , , , ,

Blues Guitar Chords & Progression – BB King Style

October 6th, 2009
by Zack Roberts

Learning how to play and improvise with a great blues backing tracks is not as easy as it might seem to a beginner but the one good thing is that focused learning and practicing with a great blues backing track will help a lot in understanding blues chords and progression.

Using blues backing tracks is an important aspect of playing blues lead guitar. Blues is considered to be one of the origins of jazz music and you will find some influence of blues even in contemporary jazz. Most of the blues music and the ones used in common blues backing tracks are pentatonic scales and the mixolydian scales. These scales can be used in rock too and hence the ones used for blues are enhanced with the blues notes. If you understand the basic of the blue notes then you will be able to improvise over blues backing tracks with ease. Basically, blue notes use a drop in the pitch of the 3rd, 5th and 7th of the major scale. If you hear a professional talk about a blues scale then what they really mean is the pentatonic minor scale with a blue note like b5.

There are many people who jam to blues backing tracks in the C key and the chords used could be C, C7, G7, and F7. If th tracks are meant for a solo then the Am pentatonic scale will be quite useful and perfect to a certain degree. Some of the other options of blues backing tracks include C-minor pentatonic comprising of the c-blues scale and c-major and Bb major scales in Dorian mode.

Blues Chords and Progression

Here are some characteristics of the blues chords and progression, which will definitely help you to play blues backing tracks effectively:

Most of the blues chord progressions are in a 12 bar form. Apart from this, you will also find 14, 16, 24 or even higher number of bar forms for blues. The tonic chord in blues progression is basically the dominant 7th chord. The blues music has been predominantly defined not only as music that focuses on chord changes as well as scales but also on feeling. There are 3 basic chords in blues and they are all dominant 7th chords.

Some of the blues backing tracks techniques include:

Using hammer-on or even a slide right from b3 to natural 3 Mixing the Mixolydian scale with the dominant blues scale

Mixing scales is probably the best way of enhancing blues guitar playing techniques.

Blues Tabs

In the first part, you need to use the C Mixolydian scale with a natural 3. In the second half of the 2nd bar, you need to use the C-minor pentatonic scale using a flat 3. If you really want to pursue blues backing tracks techniques then the best place to learn is by listening to recording of blues guitarists or legends like BB King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. You can also listen to some of the compositions of famous jazz guitarists like Kenny Burrell and George Benson.

About the Author:

Zack Roberts Music , , , , , , , ,

Blues Guitar Chords & Progression – BB King Style

October 4th, 2009
by Zack Roberts

Learning how to play and improvise great blues riffs and licks s is not as easy as it might seem to a novice but the one good thing is that focused learning and practicing with a great blues backing track will help a lot in understanding blues chords and progression.

Using blues backing tracks is an important aspect of playing blues lead guitar. Blues is considered to be one of the origins of jazz music and you will find some influence of blues even in contemporary jazz. Most of the blues music and the ones used in common blues backing tracks are pentatonic scales and the mixolydian scales. These scales can be used in rock too and hence the ones used for blues are enhanced with the blues notes. If you understand the basic of the blue notes then you will be able to improvise over blues backing tracks with ease. Basically, blue notes use a drop in the pitch of the 3rd, 5th and 7th of the major scale. If you hear a professional talk about a blues scale then what they really mean is the pentatonic minor scale with a blue note like b5.

There are many people who jam to blues backing tracks in the C key and the chords used could be C, C7, G7, and F7. If th tracks are meant for a solo then the Am pentatonic scale will be quite useful and perfect to a certain degree. Some of the other options of blues backing tracks include C-minor pentatonic comprising of the c-blues scale and c-major and Bb major scales in Dorian mode.

Blues Chords and Progression

Here are some characteristics of the blues chords and progression, which will definitely help you to play blues backing tracks effectively:

Most of the blues chord progressions are in a 12 bar form. Apart from this, you will also find 14, 16, 24 or even higher number of bar forms for blues. The tonic chord in blues progression is basically the dominant 7th chord. The blues music has been predominantly defined not only as music that focuses on chord changes as well as scales but also on feeling. There are 3 basic chords in blues and they are all dominant 7th chords.

Some of the blues backing tracks techniques include:

Using hammer-on or even a slide right from b3 to natural 3 Mixing the Mixolydian scale with the dominant blues scale

Mixing scales is probably the best way of enhancing blues guitar playing techniques.

Blues Tabs

In the first part, you need to use the C Mixolydian scale with a natural 3. In the second half of the 2nd bar, you need to use the C-minor pentatonic scale using a flat 3. If you really want to pursue blues backing tracks techniques then the best place to learn is by listening to recording of blues guitarists or legends like BB King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. You can also listen to some of the compositions of famous jazz guitarists like Kenny Burrell and George Benson.

About the Author:

Zack Roberts Music , , , , , , , ,

Little Known Ways To Playing The Blues

June 27th, 2009
by Tom Simpson

Interested in learning to play the blues guitar? Here’s a bit of history and tips for the aspiring blues musician. Roots Jazz & the Blues ! Jazz, the only sound of its kind, it evokes a lost era in the 20th century. Imagine the gentle sound of a slow piano, the scent of whisky creeps into the room, saxophone, followed by smoke, then soft light. Often melancholic, chilling, softly tapping a nerve you didn’t even know was there. Sometimes uppity and playful as if coaxing your inner child to come out -and even then it might succeed in rekindling comfortable yet sad memories or dreams you thought lost and buried. Nothing is like it.

But even something as great as jazz has its roots, it has to come from something as great if not greater, and that is the awesome blues licks that gave birth to countless other genres.

Blues guitar lessons are always a good idea and will go a long way to teaching you everything from the essential basics to nailing serious licks. This may cost you, but if you’re serious about learning the blues, then be prepared to spend a bit. Also, the internet offers cheaper alternatives. You can even learn online from the comfort of your own home. Listen to great blues music. Of course the best way to learn is by practicing on a guitar, but listening to the greats: B.B. King, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, of course Robert Johnson, will help you get an idea of how to really shred licks.

If you’re having a tough time following the pros, you can go online and download instructional blues backing tracks you can follow step by step. What’s great about these tracks is you can pick the tempo of your downloads, thereby pacing yourself for what you’re ready to play. Play every chance you get. When you have nothing to do, pick up the guitar and play. When you’re taking a break from work, practice. Constantly playing the guitar will get you better in no time.

Play in front of your friends and ask them if you’ve improved. If they say no, then take that as a signal to practice more. If they say yes, then take that as encouragement. Either way, it’s good for your guitar playing.

Soul. Perhaps the most important part of the process. It’s the reason the blues exist, heck, it’s why music exists. You need soul to bring out some soul in your playing. But don’t force this -it should come out naturally. Obviously, any aspiring musician needs a guitar. Acoustic will do, and so will electric -as long as you can play the blues, so can both guitar types. Listening to good blues music and trying to imitate good licks will help. But if it’s too difficult to follow the greats, blues backing tracks can be downloaded online and are great instructional tools, useful to both amateurs and pros. Finally, like any other skill, practice makes perfect. Dexterous fingers don’t happen overnight. Play until you’re tired of playing, and then to relax, play some more -that’s the blues guitar, you either love it or leave it.

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Tom Simpson Music , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Get To Know The Secret Of Blues

June 27th, 2009
by Tom Simpson

The soul is to the body of a person as music is to the body of society. Music permeates into the soul of society and gives every decade its special mark. When we relieve the 50’s or the 60’s or the 70’s or the 80’s, its always the music of that generation that we reminisce. As we play on the music of a certain generation, the memories all go crashing down as we smile, we cry, we laugh at the good old days. Somehow the blues had made its mark on our collective spirit that it will not and cannot go away. Originating from the pains and struggles of the black people, the blues represent the most poignant of all musical genres. The music is so haunting it feels like pain. It chokes the heart so beautifully while the lyrics become forever etched in our memories. The blues has already become part of us and it is here to stay. For every serious musician, one cannot say that he or she is a complete artist without learning to play the blues. Blues backing tracks are now available in the internet is helping the new gene

From the Southern United States in the 19th century, blues has sneaked its way in the music world yet has reached its peak of prominence during the 20th century. At present, the continuous revival of blues prominence is focused on by blues backing licks services open for public viewing online. A lot of great innovations are offered by these licks to satisfy every music buff that go on searching for the latest updates in blues. Moreover, these internet offers are catering basically to guitarists or to anybody who can never do away with their guitars and for those who want to make improvements on their guitar playing skills.

Before the next generations slowly forget the importance of the blues to music, we have to give every budding musician blues guitar lessons much like history lessons in the classroom. It is good that with the advent of the internet and the availability of blues tutorials, we can be more or less sure that the blues will always be here to stay. What is great is that the internet can provide a complete sensation of playing the blues. We can easily Google famous blues artists and even watch them actually play. We can research and hear their melodies and we can access a variety of blues songs from the fast tempo to the very slow ones. What is more, we can actually start from the basics of blues then evolve a new genre that effectively combines blues music to the modern ones.

The websites also offer another one of its famous deals; a blues guitar lesson. This service is open to anyone who wants to learn more about not only playing the guitar, but playing it well with his own uniqueness. It is almost similar to being taught by the masters of blues such as Eric Clapton, BB King and Albert King. What is even more exciting is the fact that the website offers ten blues licks for every download. Further, the site gives information on how anyone can avail of a ten-week guitar free course and the entire catalogue of the best blues. Apart from these, the website keeps its online viewers posted on the latest available blues lessons online.

We will observe that different masters have a quality uniquely their own. This is because the skill and technique in playing the blues are all generic but the way of really playing it from the soul is uniquely one’s own.

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Tom Simpson Music , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,