Teaching myself the blues? Would like any tips you may have come across in your !


Question: I am a musician, albeit a classical musician. I play several instruments and at one point made a living playing clarinet. I don't enjoy classical music, I'll be honest. That's why I moved on. I do have quite a talent (if I do say so myself! lol) for picking up an instrument, but I also know that it is easy to get stuck in a rut or headed down an unproductive practicing path. At this point I have been learning the notes on the fretboard and playing some beginner tunes that I have found online at guitarnoise.com. I know basic chords and am starting to branch out with others. I did take some early lessons so as to learn the absolute basics of proper positioning and playing. I want to learn to play blues music and this is where I'm feeling stuck. I want to learn the music of my favorite blues players but don't know where to start. I'm not good enough yet to be able to listen and immediately know what chords and notes to play. Shall I look for the sheet music?


Answers: I am a musician, albeit a classical musician. I play several instruments and at one point made a living playing clarinet. I don't enjoy classical music, I'll be honest. That's why I moved on. I do have quite a talent (if I do say so myself! lol) for picking up an instrument, but I also know that it is easy to get stuck in a rut or headed down an unproductive practicing path. At this point I have been learning the notes on the fretboard and playing some beginner tunes that I have found online at guitarnoise.com. I know basic chords and am starting to branch out with others. I did take some early lessons so as to learn the absolute basics of proper positioning and playing. I want to learn to play blues music and this is where I'm feeling stuck. I want to learn the music of my favorite blues players but don't know where to start. I'm not good enough yet to be able to listen and immediately know what chords and notes to play. Shall I look for the sheet music?

Well, there are so many resources on the web and available with CDs, DVDs and instruction books - it is mind-boggling.

You have a distinct edge on most people who play blues, in that you know how to read music and you understand form and harmony. The rest should come easily.

On guitar, the basis of the blues is the 12-bar form and the I-IV-V progression. Seventh chords are also widely used in blues guitar. If I were a person who was learning to play blues guitar (especially acoustic), I would listen to and learn the Piedmont Blues style, using finger picking on the upper strings and thumbing the lower strings. This is a somewhat similar style to classical guitar.

This style is best represented by Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, Blind Blake, Blind Willie McTell and a modern combo, Cephas and Wiggins. (Note: you don't have to be blind to play this style!)

Give a listen to John Cephas and Phil Wiggins (these are friends of mine) and see/hear what I mean. Once you do, you won't want to do anything else.

Start to listen to the great bluesmen Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Muddy Waters etc. See what you can glean from this great blues men! If you can't figure out what the music is then go buy the sheet music and put your own spin on it. Good luck and keep on truckin!



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