A question for the ol' blues dogs of thefret

[ibanezjunkie]

i wish to play mroe blues, ALOT more blues, because...well i just like blues.

i know most of the scales and what not, i have the 'blues attitude' according to my guitar teacher.

any licks or anything you could share?

 

[Robert]

#1 thing you must do: Listen a lot to great blues players. I don't think it's possible to play really good blues until you listen to some of the best blues players. By listening, you will get a good feel for timing, rhythm, phrasing, etc - and this is important because the best blues players are always strong in this area. For starters, spend some time with these guys on your iPod.

1. T-Bone Walker
2. B.B. King
3. Stevie Ray Vaughan
4. Robert Johnson
5. Albert King
6. Eric Clapton
7. Buddy Guy
8. Muddy Waters
9. Otis Rush
10. Johnny Winter
11. Peter Green
12. Ronnie Earl
13. Freddie King
14. Mike Bloomfield
15. Earl Hooker
16. Elmore James
17. Albert Collins
18. Hubert Sumlin
19. Duane Allman
20. John Lee Hooker

 

[just strum]

Robert posted some good recommendations.

Combine his recommendations with your desire to get married at such a young age and you should be well on your way at being a blues sensation.

 

[birv2]

I would second Robert's recommendations and add my personal fave, Luther Allison.

Grab that old Chess stuff -- Muddy, Wolf, Willie Dixon, etc., and really listen to those guitar parts. They sound deceptively simple, but everything else you hear is built on that stuff.

And you know about the minor pentatonic scale, right? Make sure you know that up and down the fretboard and that you can do the scales in every key (not too hard on a guitar, just moving your hand).

And the fastest way to learn is to play live with others. See if there's a blues jam in your area that you can go to. Get to know other players, watch what they do, steal licks, etc.

That should keep you busy for a while!

Welcome to the club!

Bob

 

[sumitomo]

Good list Robert,and birv2 hit a good one amazing how many blues classics Willie Dixon wrote(performed)I got a killer book Wllie Dixon the master blues composer,I mean it covers so much and all the artist who made some of these songs famous.Maybe some Little Walter for taste?Sumi

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I would second Robert's recommendations and add my personal fave, Luther Allison.

Grab that old Chess stuff -- Muddy, Wolf, Willie Dixon, etc., and really listen to those guitar parts. They sound deceptively simple, but everything else you hear is built on that stuff.

And you know about the minor pentatonic scale, right? Make sure you know that up and down the fretboard and that you can do the scales in every key (not too hard on a guitar, just moving your hand).

And the fastest way to learn is to play live with others. See if there's a blues jam in your area that you can go to. Get to know other players, watch what they do, steal licks, etc.

That should keep you busy for a while!

Welcome to the club!

Bob

And presuming you know the minor pentatonic, get to know its extensions. (which you also may know). Extending that scale up and down the fretboard opens all sorts of options for sliding into notes, bending, etc. Also, Robert has all sorts of good blues lick lessons over on Dolphinstreet.com. Good place to learn licks to put in your arsenal.

 

[Jimi75]

Besides all technical tipps here, which are all great and correct, I would always recommend to study the HISTORY of the Blues! The Blues is not just something that you like to play, not just a bare 12 bar thing. I figured that with our band we couldn't play Blues songs until we were able to understand, to feel, maybe also to "identify". The Blues comes in many forms, it doesn't depend on the colour of your skin. Think about the everyday Blues The Blues is so much stronger than any other kind of music, once you slip in with your band, you can play 20 minutes and it seems like a 5 minute song, you make people react to your music. It's a journey and it's your decision to jump on that train or not.

There is so many players out there that play super technical, but there music remains superfluous, thin, no message.

Here's my advice (I agree 100% with Robert on the Listen Listen Listen side and the players he suggested)

Go tho the public library and get some books on the Blues. I highly suggest to get the folllwing:

- "The Search For Robert Johnson" - DVD
- "Martin Scorsese presents the Blues" - 7DVDs, it's a very cheap box, but you can also get the DVDs one by one. This is a must have.
- "10 days out" - CD&DVD by Kenny Wayne Shepherd
- Read biographies...start with BB King's which is a great read.

Good luck my friend and hey it's also okay if you just wanna jam a little 12bar Blues

Jimi75
:AOK:

 

[Rocket]

The Blues is not just something that you like to play, not just a bare 12 bar thing. I figured that with our band we couldn't play Blues songs until we were able to understand, to feel, maybe also to "identify". The Blues comes in many forms, it doesn't depend on the colour of your skin. Think about the everyday Blues The Blues is so much stronger than any other kind of music, once you slip in with your band, you can play 20 minutes and it seems like a 5 minute song, you make people react to your music. It's a journey and it's your decision to jump on that train or not.

There is so many players out there that play super technical, but there music remains superfluous, thin, no message.

+1

 

[birv2]

Jimi is so right about knowing the history of the blues. I got into the blues back in the 60's through guys like Clapton, Butterfield, etc. Now I'm going back to the roots, and they are SO deep.

I also just got back from Chicago and if you ever get the chance and want to drink from the well... make that trip! We hit the festival during the day and the clubs at night, and I came back a hundred times more knowledgeable and excited about the real blues.

They say the blues is easy to play but takes a lifetime to master. I agree, though it's not as easy to play as people think. Bob Margolin was a white boy who ended up as Muddy Waters' guitarist, and he writes about the schooling that Muddy gave him here.
A great read.

I could go on all day, but I won't....

Bob

 

[Perfect Stranger]

If you want to listen to some of the newer blues players that seem pretty good to me ...listen to:

Walter Trout
Joe Bonamassa (my favorite)
Jonny Lang (another favorite)
Robben Ford (not real new, but good)
Warren Haynes
John Pearson

 

[just strum]

Besides all technical tipps here, which are all great and correct, I would always recommend to study the HISTORY of the Blues!....
Good luck my friend and hey it's also okay if you just wanna jam a little 12bar Blues

Jimi75
:AOK:

Wow, never heard it put that way, great advice.

This is such a Blues influenced forum, I'm surprised it doesn't have its own section "Nothing But the Blues"oke:

 

[TS808]

If you want to listen to some of the newer blues players that seem pretty good to me ...listen to:

Walter Trout
Joe Bonamassa (my favorite)
Jonny Lang (another favorite)
Robben Ford (not real new, but good)
Warren Haynes
John Pearson

My thoughts too...listen to some of the newer blues as well....I second that. Although alot of the newer players copped alot of styles, they have a different "attitude" or edge to their music.

I'd also recommend:
Henry Garza (Los Lonely Boys)
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Chris Duarte (this guy is AMAZING)
Tommy Castro (great rhythm player)
Derek Trucks (is amazing at slide...has alot of soul).

 

[birv2]

I like SRV, Duarte, Bonamassa, Trout, and others as well. Not trying to be an old fogie and insist on blues purity. But I do think you learn more from going back to the roots. And all those guys I listed above would agree.

Another good young cat is Oli Brown, a British blues guitarist.

 

[Perfect Stranger]

The originators definitely were great! However, I don't really think you have to have picked cotton in Mississippi to be able to play the blues. Knowing and appreciating the history of a certain type of music, any type of music is a good thing indeed, but some of our greatest blues players never even saw a cotton field. Some came from the industrial cities of Great Britain and other places. I know for a fact that a 57 year old, balding, overweight white guy can feel the blues.....and if you can feel the blues you can play the blues IMHO. I could be wrong...

 

[BluesHowler]

Robert is correct in his list of blues players to listen to.

I'd also add http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=r.l.+burnside+guitar&aq=6&oq=r.l.+burnside R. L. Burnside. His style of blues is Mississippi hill country blues and is a very rare style in today's music.

I feel that his timing is spot on and his musical phrasing is awesome.