Learning how to play the blues without coming from the deep south and having any of those poor life stories to share thru your music may sound tough but if you learn to listen deep into the soul of the songs, it’s as easy as 123. Now back in the 1920's and 1930's, blues guitar players like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Son House, Robert Johnson, and Lonnie Johnson were the influential performers of the day. They used a slide which was often made out of a knife blade or the broken or sawed off neck from a bottle. Most of the music was improvised, and unaccompanied. The form of the songs were loose, and were rarely, if ever, played the same way twice.
Can you believe it, Joe Bonamassa – 12 years old and playin’ the blues.
To become a killer blues guitarist, you first need to feel the chords and rhythm patterns that you’re playing. Without being grounded with strong rhythm in your blood, your lead guitar lines will fall short and out of place all the time. Again, looking back to the great blues guitarists, after World War II in the 1950's, blues guitar became electrified and amplified. Starting in Chicago, the new electric blues were characterized by the sounds of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Reed. All of these players grew up in Mississippi, but migrated to Chicago. The bands typically had, in addition to the electric guitar, harmonica and a rhythm section of bass and drums. Sometimes there would also be a saxophone, though it would be relegated to a rhythmic support role.
B.B. King and Freddie King were also making names for themselves at this time. They were somewhat unique at the time because they did not make use of the slide to play the guitar. B.B. King has long been considered one of the greatest blues guitar players of all time. Freddie King has often been called the King of the Boogie Woogie guitar.
While Chicago had it's own sound in the 1950's, some other artists such as T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker were creating what some call the California Blues style. T-Bone Walker was born in Dallas, while Hooker was born in Mississippi. The California Blues Style that they helped to forge was smoother than the Chicago Blues and is somewhat of a melting pot for Chicago Blues, jump blues, and some jazz swing. So as you can see, there are many different types of blues music and you need to find the style that best agrees with your style of guitar playing, and then practice, practice, practice.
Here he is again at 12 years old, Joe Bonamassa (playin’ the blues)
It is very important to learn your blues scales along with your pentatonic scales because they are heavily used in blues style music. Also, remember that you don’t have to win a race with your blues solos. It is far more important for you to have short, tasteful lines that are catchy, and can carry you into your next series of notes that bring you back to your starting point, allowing you to grab a second or so before you lead into your next line of solos that blend together to create a complete blues solo.
It all sounds pretty complicated but in most instances, blues solos are impromptu so you don’t necessarily have to remember your solo, note for note, each time to play it. Playing the Blues can be a lot of fun, so if your interested get off your duff and grab you ax and get to work. I am, I have a lot of work to catch up on. I hope you join me and we both can learn how to rock this house ”playin’ the blues”.
I don't know if you notice young Joe Bonamassa at 12 years old, playin’ the blues. He’s from Syracuse, New York which is far from the deep south, and yet at 12, he could play the blues better than most guitarists do at 30 including yours truly. If you listen to his videos, he makes a lot of sense about learning to play the blues and applying it to the guitar. Check it out for yourself before you start practicing tonight or tomorrow, whenever. It’s worth the time.
Well, I hope you have a great evening and remember to hug those kids of yours. The grow up far too quick.
Until Next Time;
Musician By Night
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