Learn Blues Guitar

Guitar Lessons Newmarket

2011-08-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Blues is a musical art form I feel that lead the way for understanding
Jazz.

The blues progression is very simple but so many still have a hard time playing it. The hard part to learn in a blues progression is how to play the turnaround chords with the right amount of time value for each bar to bring the blues progression back to the top. This then is a correct blues progression that can be played over and over again.

There are blues guitar type songs that are played on one chord. This is called more of a static chord vamp to create lyrics sung on top of the one chord vamp. Licks in one key centre then start to flow an lay musical phrases over the vamp.
The other blues guitar chord progressions are the 8 bar blues, 12 bar blues, and the 16 bar blues. The correct turnaround chords have to be played in the correct tempo of the song without speeding up or slowing down during the turnaround bars. If you can get through these blues chord progressions without getting lost during the turn around chords you are on your way of becoming a great blues guitarist.

Blues guitar is an art form that is very healing and I call it testifying.

The blues guitar in its early folk blues days paid great attention towards the consistent chord vamp or a blues progression. In early times the use of a 3, 4, or 6 note riff repeated at a certain time in the chord progression gave the blues progression song a feeling that you are being rocked in a cradle like a baby child.

Blues guitar techniques are used to express how you feel. The use of vibrato, pre bends, muting & dampening strings, real high bends, double stops notes, and double stop bends, and so many other techniques to learn to express yourself the best.

Most of these techniques take a lot of time to learn to do correcly. My advice is jump in and try to do all of them. The more you do it the more you will learn. It is very important I feel to be shown from a pro the way to play certain musical techniques on the guitar. If someone shows you right up close how these techniques are done you are very fortunate.

I have many DVD video courses on so many areas of learning blues guitar.
In the higher level of the blues masters they can make the blues guitar talk and people respond at a primal gut level, and understand what the blues artist is saying.

I tell all my blues guitar students to start writing their own blues lyrics at a young age. I encourage my students to sing. Without a song to sing a bunch of guitar solos will get boring. Get discovered singing your own great hit song and have a chance to play some real nice guitar on them.

By: Rick Washbrook
July 8, 2011

http://www.washbrookmusic.com

How do you learn to play blues guitar ?

2011-08-20T02:37:00.000-07:00

When you first learn to play blues guitar learn the basics from someone that knows how to play the blues. A lot of inexperienced guitar players are very weak at the turnaround section of the blues progression. If you are not sure how to play the turnaround bars that get you back to the head of the tune everything will fall apart. The players will not know where the ( 1 ) down beat is.

First learn easy beginning blues turnarounds. Learn to play the 12 bar blues, the 8 bar blues and the 16 bar blues. This is a must to learn blues guitar.

Listen day and night to blues. Be careful what you wish for cause it may happen. It is going to turn you into a good blues player if you are exposing your self to it all the time.

Learn blues note licks & riffs in different friendly blues keys like E, A, G, C, F, and Bb.

Learn the pentatonic blues scale in all positions.

Get use to playing your guitar in front of people. Try and find Jams around your town to try out singing your new songs, and playing your blues guitar solos.

You have to really try different amps for you to find the right sound and match for your guitar and amplifier. I can't stress how important this is. You have to find a perfect match for your guitar and amp.

Learn how to play your blues licks in different positions on the guitar fret board.

Learn the different groves in the blues. There are shuffle rhythms, Chicago rhythms, Delta rhythms, swing blues rhythms. This is a few of the blues feels. Knowing the different blues grooves is a must to learn to play blues guitar.

It is so important to learn classic blues licks, and classic double stops

String bending on the guitar is a blues guitar technique that will get better as you're mature as a player. A guitarist can develop his own signature string bends.

Learn to use blues unison bends. They produce a very cool sound. Jimmy Hendrix used this technique.

How do you learn to play ‘blues guitar? Listen to great blues guitar players.
Eric Clapton
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Robert Cray
B.B. King
Buddy Guy
Robben Ford
Rick Washbrook
Muddy Watters
Howlin' Wolf
Jimmy Page
Mike Bloomfield
Magic Slim

By: Rick Washbrook

June 22, 2011

source : http://www.washbrookmusic.com

How to Play Basic Bass Chords

2011-08-20T01:25:00.000-07:00

When most of the people think of learning the bass guitar I'm sure they feel the one note plucking that generally occurs in pop music. Nonetheless there is much more to the bass that newbies possibly do not comprehend and will not ever hear unless they are involved in a jazz or blues music.

Myself, I'm a guitar player who has lately turn into considering studying to play bass guitar so I know just how unique the electric bass guitar can sound. Actually in the event you go search YouTube you'll discover some amazing bass players including Roy Vogt or Victor Wooten who take playing the electric bass guitar to an entirely new level.

Bass guitar chords grow to be a massive aspect of making beautiful music on the instrument whenever you want to actually master the bass. Such as the guitar bass guitar chords are nothing at all much more then more then one string becoming played at a time. Of course the notes that you're playing on those strings need to make sense together, but we'll leave the theory behind that for an entirely different report.

I'll assume you are finding out on a 4 string bass guitar. Most chords you'll understand will span across all four strings at a time. Do not let this overwhelm you because it is not as difficult as you might think. Also I'm going to assume which you know the names with the string in your bass guitar: E, A, D and G. This really is the identical because the leading 4 strings on a guitar.

Ok let's take a look at some fundamental bass guitar chords.

E Chord

As a way to play an E chord you have to fret E string in the 7th fret, the A string at the 6th Fret, the D string at the 4th fret as well as the G string in the 5th fret. This shape will really feel awkward at 1st, but with some practice of holding the form, removing your fingers after which placing them on the bass once more it is going to start to really feel natural.

D Chord

To play a D chord you fret the E string at the 5th fret, the A string at the 4th fret, the D string in the 2nd fret and the G string at the 3rd fret. Like the E chord the D chord form will really feel a bit awkward at 1st but with practice and taking things slow it will commence to feel comfy soon after a whilst.

G Chord

The final chord we'll appear at on the bass guitar in this report may be the G chord. This chord is created really a ways up the neck but it's not all that challenging considering that you place your fingers on the 12th fret with the A, D and G strings. You also will fret the 10th fret from the E string.

So that is a basic primer on bass guitar chords. Grab your own bass and practice these chord shapes at the same time as switching in between them. Even when you've been playing bass for an even though but have in no way discovered chords you could uncover these shapes hard. If that is the case don't be difficult on oneself just take your time and practice.

source : http://www.learningbasstoday.com

MXR Guitar Effect

2011-08-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

Top 3 Reasons to Get a MXR Guitar Effects Pedal
Their rad, their rad, their rad. Ok the real reasons.
They make the following three most awesome guitar effects.

1-MXR '78 Custom Bad Ass Distortion – A most popular MXR effect.
Old school effect, from the full stack amp setup, in your face effect, with the warmth of all tube power. A first for the Dunlop Custom Badass design team. factory moddeed for out of the box performance.

2-MXR Distorion+ : 70's soft clipped distortion used by the likes of Randy Rhoads and Jimmy Hendrix.
The yellow box may be small but the great distortion heard can be heard by todays Guitar Legends, Legends of the past and their recordings. A unique distortion still on the shelves that is uniquely the Distortion+.

3-MXR Fullbore Metal Guitar Effects Pedal For extreme metal tones. The Fullbore Metal puts your guitar in high gear with unmatched ultra high gain. Has combined with built-in Noise Gate to keep out the static associated with ultimate output levels.

MXR guitar effects have been used for decades. With their bucket brigade technology they last just as long. MXR Effects Pedals originated with some of the best effects pedals in the 70's and still inspire with effects like the Carbon Copy.

List of other top selling MXR Guitar Effect Pedals include:

MXR ‘74 VINTAGE PHASE 90 - CSP-026MXR ‘76 VINTAGE DYNA COMP - CSP-028MXR 10-BAND EQUALIZER PEDAL - M108MXR 6-BAND EQUALIZER PEDAL - M109MXR AUTO Q - M120MXR BASS BLOWTORCH - M181MXR BASS D.I. - M80MXR BASS OCTAVE DELUXE - M288MXR BLUE BOX - M103MXR BOOST/LINE DRIVER - MC-401MXR BOOST/OVERDRIVE - MC-402MXR CAE WAH - MC404MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay M169MXR CLASSIC 108 FUZZ - M-173MXR DIME® DISTORTION - DD11MXR DISTORTION III - M-115MXR DISTORTION+ - M104MXR DYNA COMP - M102MXR Eddie Van Halen FLANGER - EVH117MXR EL GRANDE BASS FUZZ - M-182MXR FLANGER - M117RMXR Fullbore Metal Distortion Pedal No. M116MXR GT-OD OVERDRIVE PEDAL - M-193MXR KERRY KING 10-BAND EQ - KFK1MXR MICRO AMP - M133MXR PHASE 100 - M107MXR PHASE 90 - M101MXR PHASE SHIFTER - EVH90MXR SCRIPT PHASE 90 CUSTOM SHOP SCRIPT PEDAL - CSP-101SLMXR SMART GATE - M135MXR STEREO CHORUS - M134MXR SUPER COMP - M132MXR TREMOLO STEREO - M-159MXR VARIPHASE PHASE PEDAL - CSP-001MXR ZAKK WYLDE OVERDRIVE PEDAL - ZW44

Want to be a rockstar

2011-08-20T01:20:00.000-07:00

Everybody dreams of being a RockStar when they grow up, out of a million, you would be lucky if one of those people become a real RockStar, why? Because they had the determination to make it, unlike all the others they left behind. If you want to be a RockStar, you need determination, flexibility, common sense and of course an amazing musical ability.

People often think of 'RockStars' as drunken drugged up idiots with a whole lot of STI's. This description of a RockStar is correct, but the life style of 'Sex, Drugs and Rock N' Roll' has really just withered down over the years to 'Rock N' Roll'. The reason for this because drugs are now stronger and kill many people before they can be a RockStar, and the STI's are now a lot worse than they were twenty years ago and can kill you now. So if being a RockStar still sounds relevant to you, you need to follow these steps.

1.    Practice

Practice as much as you can, practice as often as you can, because every second you spend practicing will put you one second above your competition. Whatever you play, Drums, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals or anything else, just learn every thing you can, no matter what style you like, learn every style, Blues, Flamenco, Rock, Jazz, Metal etc. It is not abnormal for someone to practice upwards of ten hours a day, if you are not committed to this, stop now and decide on something else for a living because being a RockStar is not for you. For those willing to put in the work, read on.

2.    Make Your Music

No matter what style you play, there has to be an audience or else you will never make it, if that means playing a style you don't really like then that is too bad. If you are lucky enough to be able to play the music you like then that is great. The easiest way to make a sound that a lot of people will like (including record labels) is to look at the charts, make a similar sound with a unique flavor and you should have a sound people want to hear.

3.    Get Your Band Together

If you are just playing an Acoustic Guitar and singing this isn't so important, but for anything else you need to assemble your band. Post ads in local newspapers, on online message boards and go to your local Music store and ask if they have a notice board for you to place an ad on. Ask around and eventually you will find people wanting to play the same style music as yourself.

4.    Promote Yourself

No matter how good you actually sound, you need to promote yourself so people can actually hear you. Start by playing a few free gigs and work your way up to paying gigs. Play covers plus your originals so people have a reason to go see you other than taking a chance listening to an all original band. Get a demo CD done, doesn't matter how, just get it recorded, then send it out to Record Labels and sell it at your gigs to help you get your name out. You may also want to send your demo CD out to small radio stations, the biggies won't take a chance with a demo but small stations often do.

5.    Get a Manager

Once you can afford it, get a manager, put an ad in the Newspaper and you will find one very fast. They will do a lot of work for you so you can concentrate on your music. Get them to promote you and hopefully you can get picked up on a record label.

If these steps don't work for you, don't give up, just keep going, you may want to professionally record a CD and get your manager to get it sold throughout the country. You can also have your own tour, by hiring out venues and doing a lot of organizing, this can be the best way to get your name out there.

Remember that people will only listen to music they want to listen to, don't try to change the people, change your music. If it takes you through a few styles of music that is ok, if your ultimate goal is to be a RockStar, you will do whatever it takes to get to that goal, so if that means practicing 10+ hours a day for 10 years, you will do it.

Source : http://www.guitarburningspeed.com

How to become a good speed guitarist

2011-08-20T01:15:00.000-07:00

Right, now you’re playing guitar, but want to play at guitar-burning speeds? Are you awed by people like Kirk Hammett and Jimi Hendrix and the breakneck speeds they play at? If you’re just starting out with speed guitar, here are some tips and ideas for you to get good at it.

Get comfortable: Always warm up before starting speed guitar practice. Find a pick you are comfortable with, and a comfortable position – one that is relaxed, not tense. Also find out how you prefer to attack the string - perpendicular or at a slight angle?
Coordination. This is one of the most underrated aspects of speed guitar. Most people think you only need a quick left hand on the fretboard – but picking skills are vital, as you will see! Good speed Guitar Lesson needs a high level of coordination between your right and left hand.

Make sure your left hand is light on the strings, and does not need to move too much – use your wrist for most movements. A correct right hand technique involves correct picking, as we will see below. Don’t underestimate any of these components!

Alternate picking. This refers to a technique involving quickly alternating the pick stroke upwards and downwards. The quicker your right hand can make these strokes, the quicker your playing will be. To practice alternate picking, simply use a guitar pick to play one note with a “down” stroke and the next with an “up” stroke. Play all notes in these motions. It is important to aim for clean, accurate notes first – try for speed later!
Tremolo picking. A useful way to practice alternate picking is through tremolo. Simply put, tremolos are fast recurrences of a single note. Try and begin each of your lessons/practice sessions with tremolos. They really help warm up your right hand!

Playing tremolo is simple - pick any phrase and then triple each note. Try out a wide variety of styles using this method – blues, jazz, solos – the works. Be patient, and you’ll see the huge advantages this technique brings you!

Chromatic exercises. This is another set of useful exercises to help you become a good speed guitarist. Chromatic exercises involve playing 4 consecutive frets, ideally with increasing speed. These exercises will also build your finger strength – a vital skill for speed playing. Use a metronome to chart your progress – begin with a speed of around 100-120 BPM, and slowly increase. Also, use variations within your chromatics to mix it up!

Use a metronome. You can do hundreds of exercises to build your speed skills, but without actually using a metronome there’s no guarantee you’ll get faster. A metronome will help you measure your speed in definite terms – and this is always motivating! Most standard electronic keyboards are equipped with a metronome – or you can download free ones from the internet. Use it to increase the number of notes you can play per beat of the metronome.
Focus on the music. Good speed playing is nothing without a sense of rhythm and musicality – don’t forget that! Listen to some of the greats to get a sense of how to blend speed with melody and rhythm. John McLaughlin, Frank Zappa, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen are people you could listen to.

Now get shredding! Good luck!

Source : http://www.torrins.com/

History of the blues

2011-07-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

Blues is based on west African tonal scales, harmonies and rhythms, brought to America by slaves. After emancipation the former slaves and their descendants continued to improvise and build on the original style, carrying it to large urban centers of the north including New York, Chicago and Saint Louis where it continued to grow and change. Around the beginning of the 20th century, a trumpeter from Alabama named W.C. Handy, now known as the "Father of the Blues", was the first to gain public attention playing it.

Guitar blues style, often known as downhome blues, as played by Leadbelly, R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, remained true to its origin as the more orchestral urban varieties blended with jazz and R&B. Blues could be about anything: a woman, something they enjoy doing, or just, how they're feeling.

Many early guitarists such as T. Bone Walker and Robert Johnson rapidly gained popularity, and by 1920, blues became one of the most listened to musical genres. It lost audience to jazz and other styles in the 30's, returning to popular attention in the 50's and 60's with the creation of blues-rock. Blues-rock combined old blues solos with newer popular rock elements. Some early blues-rock guitarists were Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and many others

Licks - How to Use Them and Where to Get Them

2011-07-01T10:06:00.000-07:00

Blues guitar licks are the lifeblood of every guitar solo. So, in order to be able to stand up with the best of them and make some awesome sounds you're going to need to make a commitment to learning as many of them as you can. But how do you get the best out of them once you've learned them? It can be all to easy to just jam a few licks together and end up sounding like a disjointed mess. How do you put them all together to make a whole cohesive guitar solo? These following 3 tips will answer that question.

1. Try to learn a minimum of 4 or 5 new blues licks every week. They don't have to be particularly long, even short 4 note licks can produce some awesome sounds. By making the commitment to learn at least a few new phrases a week, you'll be making sure your playings is always fresh and varied.

2. Once you've mastered your licks, take some time out to practice them over a few different backing tracks.
Don't worry about making a solo just yet, all you're doing is getting used to how each lick sounds over a backing track. If you have time try repeating the same lick over and over for a few minutes, literally repeating it over the whole track if you can. That way you'll hear how each phrase sounds over the different chords in the track. Trust me on this, it works!

3. Lastly, work on putting the licks together. If you've spent enough time doing Tip 2, you'll find you'll have a much deeper 'feel' when it comes to the licks. You'll know where wear in the track to play each phrase and even which phrases will go well together.

If you follow this method, before you know it you'll notice your blues solos will flow in a much more soulful and musical way. Why not get started right now? visit the link below to download your free blues guitar starter pack including 30 killer licks, backing tracks and more!

http://bluesguitarmaster.com/

Riffs That Rock! Where to Get Them!

2011-07-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

Blues guitar riffs are a key ingredient in your guitar playing arsenal. Without a sizeable library of riffs, your skills are going to suffer and your solos aren't going to sound as good as they could do. Now, I'm going to show you where you can download some tabs for some awesome riffs but first, I'm going to give you some essential tips to make sure you get the best out of them.

1. Make sure you learn new blues guitar riffs each and every week. Nothing will stunt your growth as a blues guitarist more, than a lack of fresh material to work with.

2. It's essential to jam your new (and old) riffs over some high quality blues backing tracks. Take the time to really explore each riff over and over again. It's all about hearing how each phrase fits over each part of the track you're playing over. In a sense you're training your ears and your fingers to give you that unmistakeable blues 'feel.' I'm also going to show you where you can download some awesome backing tracks for free in just a little bit too, so be sure to read on.

3. Last on the list is to try blending the riffs together, again over a variety of backing tracks to help you create a smooth, cohesive solo. If you still find this step difficult, go back to the second step and spend some more time exploring each riff. It will pay off eventually.

Okay, so as promised I'm going to show you where you can download tab and audio examples for some killer blues guitar riffs. So make sure you go ahead and click the links below to download them now, plus get some awesome backing tracks and even some video lessons. Everything you need to get started today!

http://bluesguitarmaster.com/

The Best Ways to Learn Blues Guitar Quickly

2011-07-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

If you're entertaining the idea of learning blues guitar you must truly have a love for the blues and the history that comes with it. The blues has a rich history which actually originates back in the slavery days as shameful as that was, as a form of communication for the slaves to pass messages back and forth. It then grew through the ages to music of deep emotion expressed by the musician through a few basic core notes.

First, if you want to learn blues guitar fast, one thing you must learn is how to understand the chord-scale relationship in the blues.
This is extremely essential to be able to build on and become a confident player. Many people who try to learn blues guitar never get a good grasp on this very important skill.

Another key learning skill is to learn how to use and understand the blues and pentatonic guitar scales to bust out the best solos this side of the Mississippi. Would you like to play like that of Eric Clapton and BB King? It is possible if you take the time to master these steps.

One more thing that many guitar players miss and fret about is more of mastering a natural ability to improvise and still sound great. This is more or less something that has to be taught and then you kind of make it your own but once you get it your level of comfort and confidence will increase.

When playing the blues you need to know how to nail blues bends and use them, the ½ step, whole step and even the 1 ½ step bends need to be practiced on a daily basis to become proficient. Eric Clapton, one of the greatest guitar players ever has said that even he has to practice this very thing quite often to stay at the top of his game.

Last but not least to learn blues guitar is learning how to use hammer-ons and pull-offs quickly. Actually this is one of the things I like the most. It is a way cool feeling being able to do this right. If you key into these major points you'll not only find that you'll improve but you will improve quickly.

http://www.squidoo.com/Learn-bluesguitar

http://www.learntoplaybluesguitar.info/

Essential Lessons You MUST Know!

2011-07-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Learning how to play blues guitar is one of the most fulfilling things you can do with a guitar. With those skills, not only will you be able to play the blues, you'll be able to play in many other styles such as jazz, funk and rock. Pretty much every musical style on the planet has it's roots in blues music, so it makes sense to learn how to play it even if you're more of a rock or jazz player.

So, without further delay, let's get on with learning THE most important step in learning how to play blues guitar: The Blues Scale! This awesome sequence of notes is what makes the sound of the blues. What makes it even better is that it's actually really easy to play! To begin with, we'll learn how to play it in the key of A.

This means you'll be able to use it over any backing track written in that key (You can download some below, if you keep reading). The letters below show you which string to play and the numbers tell you which fret to put your fingers on. Make sure you play each note one at a time.

The Blues Scale in the Key of A
Low E: 5 & 8
- A: 5, 6 & 7
- D: 5 & 7
- G: 5, 7 & 8
- B: 5 & 8
- E: 5 & 8

Now that you know the pattern, the next step you should take is to learn some licks and phrases that use this scale shape. It's all well and good just walking up and down the blues scale, though that is the first step in learning the pattern, you won't make it sound like Clapton and BB King do without learning how to make it sound 'musical.' So your task is to learn as many blues licks as you can. Visit the links below where you can download tabs and audio examples of 30 blues licks.

http://bluesguitarmaster.com/

3 Tips to Supercharge Your Guitar Skills!

2011-06-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

Blues Guitar Improvisation is one of the most fulfilling skills you can learn. To an outsider though, it can look like some kind of mystical black art. How do the pros play those incredible solos straight off the top of their head, without even thinking about it? Well, thankfully it's a skill that anyone can learn, given the correct practice routine and a little guidance here and there. The following are 3 essential tips that will set you on the road to blues guitar mastery. Buckle up, here goes:

1. Learn to play the pentatonic and blues scales. There are 5 shapes for each scale and they will be the basis for what you play 80-90% of the time, maybe even 100% if you're like some players I know. These scales provide THE sound of blues guitar, so make sure you learn them.

2. Learn as many blues licks as you possibly can. These are the musical guitar phrases that make up each and every guitar solo. So, if you're going to study blues guitar improvisation, you're gonna need a lot of them!

3. Practice your scales and your licks over blues backing tracks. Download as many as you can and simply repeat every lick over the top. Mix in your scales, some of your own ideas, even play around with the licks you've learned and try to make them more of your own. Before too long you'll notice your own style of playing will start to shine through.

If you follow these basic tips, you absolutely cannot fail to improve your skills. This is the very method that every blues guitar player in the world follows. Eric Clapton learned every Freddie King lick he could, Hendrix borrowed from Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray studied everything Hendrix had to offer. It's all about learning the licks, putting your own spin on them and creating something new. To give you a head start, make sure you click the links below.

http://bluesguitarmaster.com/

Rhythm and Blues Music Primed the Pump For the Rockabilly Revolution

2011-06-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

When rockabilly hit the scene in the early to mid 1950s, it seemed fresh and new. And it was. But rockabilly didn't just spring up from nothing. If you've done any reading about the genre at all then you've heard that rockabilly is the result of melding country music (often called hillbilly music at the time) and blues music.

Certainly there's a lot of truth to that idea, but it really simplifies things far too much. Several forms of music evolved and met in the rockabilly confluence, not the least of these--though often not mentioned--was the rhythm and blues, or R&B music of the 1940s and early 1950s.
If the blues and country gave rockabilly a starting base, it was R&B in particular that infused the genre with "rock". R&B primed the rockabilly pump and really gave it its energy.

When people discuss the first rock and roll song, you invariably hear the names of white musicians as the guys who started it all. Bill Haley and His Comets and Elvis Presley, among others are often credited by various people with releasing the first rock and roll recordings. But if you start digging back into the R&B music of black musicians who preceded these acts--and if you're honest with yourself--you have to concede that these black artists were playing music that sounded an awful lot like rock and roll years before their white counterparts took up the style or Cleveland DJ Alan Freed started telling people he'd coined the new phrase "rock and roll" in 1952.

And rockabilly in particular owes a huge dept to this R&B music as well as Blues Bop music. These genres made heavy use of strong, simple snare drum patterns, string bass played in the slapping style that added to the rhythm section, and distinctive electric guitar playing and solo work. All of these things are hallmarks of authentic rockabilly music. In fact, many R&B songs are virtually indistinguishable style wise from much of the rockabilly that came after it.

So, why does history credit these white artists instead of the black R&B players with the invention of rock and roll? Simply and bluntly, racism probably accounts for this more than anything. What rockabilly and rock and roll did was simply to make this type of music accessible to white audiences that generally had little exposure to the music of black musicians. White-owned radio stations wouldn't play music by black artists (labeled "race music" at the time). So when Elvis broke through he represented the magical combination of a white artist who sounded like a black artist. In fact, in very early radio interviews with Elvis in Memphis, the DJ interviewers would ask questions like, "what high school did you attend?" The answer to that question would tip the audience off to the fact that this was a white boy and thus "safe" for the DJ to play and the people to listen to.

But be all that as it may, there's no denying the credit that blues, blues bop, and R&B--along with the black musicians who made that music--deserve for the development of rock and roll. Rockabilly did differ from this music in that it was often not quite as urban. The country influence gives rockabilly a different edge. Although many of the country-bred rockabilly cats grew up every bit as financially poor as their black brethren, at least they didn't have to live with the smothering moral poverty of racism that shaped black musicians. Those differences came out in the attitude of the music, not to mention different styles of guitar playing, singing, and so on. In the end though, if you love rockabilly, you'll probably also love the R&B music that primed the rockabilly pump!

http://rockabillyromp.info/

4 Ways To Practice Blues Guitar Effectively

2011-06-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

Practicing consistently and well is a much harder thing to do then it seems and there are many reasons why this is the case. Before I go on, I just want to say that bad practice habits affects even the most experienced blues players but it can be overcome with some help. Here are some of the issues that you may face when practicing and here are some usable solutions:

1) Problem: Getting stuck in a rut. This is a very common problem that affects nearly all guitarists at some point in time. You end up playing the same riff and lick over and over every time you play and you can't seem to move on to anything new.

Solution: I am a firm believer that you should aspire to play everything perfectly. But, if you are stuck on this one thing and you feel like practice is getting a little stale, you should really advance to something else that inspires you. It is so important to be inspired in your practice and you can always come back to something later when you are in the right mood. Jamming over to blues backing tracks will also help in your creativity and inspiration.

2) Problem: Progressing to new skills too rapidly. Also a very common problem, moving on too quickly will without doubt, eventually turn you into a "jack of all trades and a master of none".

Solution: This problem is the opposite of the last problem we looked at. You can now see that there is a balance between too much and not enough emphasis on perfecting a song. My suggestion is that you should master each thing before you go on to the next, but if you are finding a particular skill impossible to master and you are dying of boredom trying, maybe that skill is a little out of your reach. In this case, it is best to go back and learn something less difficult.

3) Problem: Becoming narrow minded in relation to the different areas of learning within musicianship. Some people get into the situation where they are practicing only one style and neglecting everything else.

Solution: Try splitting your playing into parts. For example, I might spend 5 minutes practicing new blues scales or chords, 10 minutes working on writing new music for myself and maybe 15 minutes learning a new song or part of a song. This way, your practice never gets boring and you can achieve a lot more.

4) Problem: Playing things too fast when learning them. This can cause you to become disillusioned with your playing when you are trying to learn a new song.

Solution: A fairly obvious solution here - Slow down. Most blues guitarists, including myself try playing a song or new skill at a slow speed before trying it at a fast pace.

Practicing properly and regularly is the best way to become good at anything including playing the guitar. This requires discipline; not only discipline to practice regularly, but also discipline to stay focused and on track when you are practicing. A great way to keep the passion in practicing is to jam to professional blues backing tracks. There are great compilations of jam tracks from companies such as 50Blues. If you stay disciplined with your playing you will develop into an excellent player.

http://www.50blues.com/

Playing Blues Guitar on an Epiphone Les Paul

2011-06-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

If you are a blues electric guitarist, or even if you are just learning to play the blues on an electric guitar, you will want to make sure that you have a guitar that suits the style.

Step forward, the Epiphone Les Paul Standard. This guitar is a blues guitarist's dream.
OK, so it's not a $2,500 Gibson, but it's not far off. And at only a fraction of the price it offers great playability, superb tone, and it looks just fantastic!

One of the things that you always want to make sure of when playing electric blues guitar is that you can produce a good amount of sustain. Typically, guitars at the cheaper end of the scale do not sustain anywhere near as well as their more expensive counterparts. But hit a note on this baby, add a bit of string vibrato and it will go on and on and on, making you feel like Carlos Santana!

This is down in large part to the solid mahogany body, the maple top and the quality of the pickups, which are nearly as good as those on the Gibson equivalent.

Make no mistake, the Epiphone Les Paul is a quality guitar, well built and made to last.
It is interesting that some well-known and respected guitarists play and endorse Epiphones, even though they could have their pick of other makes (guitarists like Noel Gallagher, Ace Frehley and Nancy Wilson to name just a few).

When I get rich, I'll buy a Gibson. In the meantime, an Epiphone Les Paul Standard will do just fine, thank you!

http://hubpages.com/hub/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard

Blues Music - American Granddaddy of Music Styles

2011-06-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

What does American music sound like? You know what the music of Germany, Spain, Ireland, Japan, and many of the other countries of the world sounds like. Each country with it's own distinctive culture has an identifiable musical sound that comes from that culture. But what about the United States?

America was settled by people mainly from Europe.
The early music of America was basically European music. There was quite a variety of musical forms to be heard and some people might say that is still true in America today. But, there are common elements in today's music that did not exist in the early settler's music.

It was the influence of the African slaves that brought changes to American musical forms. African culture was suppressed through slavery. Their religion, language, and general overall culture was taken away from them. But, since the African culture was one of oral traditions it was impossible to eliminate their entire cultural way of life. Many aspects of their musical heritage were retained.

Before the days of radio, movies, or TV, folks had to entertain themselves. Dances and music in general were the main focus of entertainment in the early settler's lives. Slaves were quick to learn that by becoming musicians themselves, they could somewhat improve their lives because good musicians were valued in those early days. They learned European music and musical instruments of the time. But, to this European music they brought the influence of their own musical culture as well.

There were aspects of the African musical background that were quite different from the Europeans. It would take a book to fully explain those difference, but they can be simplified into two different aspects. One has to do with a more complex rhythm pattern and the other has to do with the variations in notes of the Western musical scale that the Africans added to the music. They brought these variations to both their playing of instruments and their singing. And, in the end white folks grew to like it.

While these influences can be heard in early American music at the beginning of the 19th century especially in church music, it did not develop into a different musical form until after the Civil War. With freedom the African Americans were able to travel and experience a mixture of musical know-how from other white and black musicians. Slowly a new musical style was born. It was called the blues.

There is a lot of misinformation and confusion about how and when the blues began. Even Blues scholars do not agree. But, basically the music of the 19th century, which was mostly played by African Americans on the banjo which was an adaptation of an African instrument, changed at the end of that century when cheap guitars became available. The importance of the guitar was that unlike the banjo it could sustain notes. The blues player's goal was to have his instrument mimic the human voice. The guitar, through bending strings and sliding between the notes, could be made to sound like there vocal techniques where notes were sung between the standard Western music notation. This is what the blues was all about.

There is a very important term that must be understood. It is called the "Folk Process" by music historians. It means simply that music changes. Either one musician or a group will, because their own abilities or creativity, change and interpret songs their own way. That is why there were different musical sounds developed in different parts of the country. Different folks will just play and sing a song if different ways. That is where styles come from. The singing and guitar playing styles popularized by the blues musicians were adapted to other music. This "Folk Process" is how blues singing and guitar methods became part of the American musical culture.

If you pay attention to modern music you will see that these guitar techniques and vocal phrasings are used is most styles of American music. That can be explained by the fact that most American music of the 20th century evolved from black blues and is mostly just a case of white boys playing the blues. That statement really bugs some folks, but the fact is that no mater what style of music you can name, country, jazz, pop, bluegrass, rock, or whatever, those musical elements that were introduced by slaves and refined by blues players are present. It is what gives the various styles of American music a similar coherent feel. It is all different but somehow the same. It is all rooted in the blues, the granddaddy of American music.

http://www.cafepress.com/cidgraphics

Reflecting the Atrocities

2011-06-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

Blues music has its inclination to African-American community of the USA. It is a kind of vocal or instrumental music which is generally based on blues notes. The concept aroused from the spirituality, chants, work songs and ballads. The African influence is greatly felled in the notes and call-and-response patterns of music and lyrics. The American and Western music is more inclined to this music genre. It became the foundation stone for the different music forms namely jazz, rhythm and blues, heavy metal, bluegrass and hip-hop.

The blues mainly reflect the mood of the singer i.e. depression, down hearted feeling or sadness. The Blues word was used for the first time in George Colman's farce's 'Blue Devils'. It was in the 1912 that Hart Wand's 'Dallas Blues' came and it was the first Blues Music to describe the depressing mood. There is common distinctiveness in the music genre. Showing the individual peculiar habits, the music elements were earlier call-and-response shouts. They were just individual's performance with no harmony or formal music structure. These pre-blues were simply a solo song with emotional touch. They were often heard in shouts and hollers.

The present day music form has harmonic base and call-and-response format of African and European communities which gave new structure to the Blues. The voice and guitar were incorporated in the songs. The elements reflected the songs of Africa. The most common instruments, Diddley bow and Banjo were used in the early music. The Diddley bow belonged to South America whereas the Banjo was mostly used in Africa to increase the instrumental vocabulary.

With each passing days it adopted Ethiopian airs, Negro spirituality and minstrel shows together with instruments and rhythmic supplements. The blues are rewarded for preserving the melodic patterns of African music. The songs from this genre have distinct musical structure. The songs recorded by Lead Belly's and Henry Thomas reflected twelve- and sixteen-bar structure with tonic, sub-dominant and dominant chords. The modern form has 12-bar structure with influence of sheet music.

The lyrics of the blues were based on repetition. Each line was repeated four times. Currently, the lines are repeated once with a standard single line conclusion. They are sung in the form of rhythmic talk than a melody. The Blues music has given great artists like Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker and Bessie Smith. The credit can be given to the hollers and calls without which this genre would not have evolved. It is based on the changing lives of the post slavery era of African-Americans. The music is quite popular amongst blacks and generally reflects on the atrocities faced by the community.

More popularly considered as secular songs, the Blues lyrics highlighted singer's inner shelf. Thus it was not an innovative approach but simply a presentation of oneself. It describes the condition of African Americans communities. It has descriptions related to slaves' freedom, Booker T. Washington's teachings, and the famous Horatio Alger model, who once said that man is the creator of his/her destiny. Lawrence Levine stresses on the fact that national ideologies affect the individual's behaviour and the blues music reflect this relationship. Blacks were badly treated during the slavery era and were socially and economically exploited. The secular songs reflect this psychological oppression.

The music was earlier treated as folk blues and was sung during leisurely periods. These songs were mostly sung in shows and carnivals. Due to close contact with country singers, the blacks learned to sing professional Blues which are often called classic blues. In the 20th century, African Americans migrated and played the songs in Texas, Chicago, Louisiana, New York, Arkansas and Detroit. Later the classic blues singers introduced this genre to clubs, vaudeville halls, and theaters with the help of New Orleans and Fast Western musicians. It was in 1895 when George W. Johnson recorded the first blues song called "Laughing Song". The genre gained popularity in 1920 with Mamie Smith's evergreen songs namely "Crazy Blues" and "It's Right Here for You". Online music shop have varied array of latest blues music for the fans.

http://www.xpert4u.co.uk/music/music-category.asp?category=blues
http://www.xpert4u.co.uk/music/
http://www.xpert4u.co.uk/

The Development of Blues Music

2011-06-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Jazz, rock music and country and western are just some of the styles that owe a lot of their progression from the original blues. The contribution of Blues music to the development of many other genres of music is very significant. Blues was originally grown out of the hardships endured by many generations of African Americans, and first arose from the rural Mississippi region, around about the time of the dawn of the 20th century. The style developed from work shouts (known as arhoolies), and became the vocal narrative style that we associate with blues music today.

Industry was progressing, and by the 1920's Blues music was also developing - affecting the everyday lives of people involved. There was by this time a very particular style, based around a three-line stanza. The stanza contained just one line of verse, repeated, and then finished with a final line of rhyming verse.

The style also included a repeating blues chord progression, which was the basis of the harmony. The usual rule of thumb was a 12-bar pattern utilizing the 3 major chords of a scale. The text was set to a 12-bar chorus, and typically was between four and eight stanzas in length.

In typical cases, the melody is formed by flattened third, fifth and seventh notes of the major scale. The outcome is the 'bent' notes that lend Blues music that distinctive sound - the bittersweet emotional impact that lacks in other genres. For the majority of blues music the focus is on the vocals - contradicting the fact that performers will often improvise instrumental solos over the Blues chord progressions.

Country Blues

Many itinerant musicians (the majority of which were men), travelled from one community to the next, singing songs that focused on love, freedom, sex and the general sorrows of life. Often referred to as 'Delta Blues' (in tribute to the Mississippi Delta were they first originated), country blues arose from the Southern rural experience, particularly influenced by the impact of emancipation.

Classic Blues

African Americans began to migrate, mainly looking for work. Areas such as Memphis and New Orleans began to become more populated, and these people brought their own brand of music with them. As they settled in these areas, it led to Blues music becoming much more urban-orientated. The music evolved as their way of life evolved. Male or female vocalists began to appear more regularly, and there was now the addition of a single piano.

The audience also grew, and Blues became more mainstream. Throughout the country as a whole, Blues music could now be heard in dancehalls and barrooms. The music industry as a whole started to take note, and more and more compositions and marketing arrangements emerged, as people began to take notice. The popularity of this kind of music grew exponentially. What would become known as Classic Blues became so popular that many songs were released with the word 'blues' in the title to capitalize on this, even though they bared little or no relation to the style of music.

Electric Blues

Its center, previously clustered around Memphis and New Orleans, began to migrate, and soon cities such as Chicago became the central point of much of the music. The appetite for the style of music known as the Blues was quite voracious.

The end of the Second World War brought a new revival into the genre, and artists began to develop the music, primarily through adding a bit of extra emphasis on the bass drums and cranking up the guitar sounds. Artists like Elvis and Bill Haley began to incorporate the Blues methods into their own unique brand of rock n roll. By the 1950's this style was no longer centered around the African American community, and was universally practiced across all races.

The influence that Blues music has had on the music industry as a whole is undisputed, and yet Blues music is still evolving, still developing, and still evoking the stirrings of the soul to anyone who cares to listen! The incorporation of the Blues style into different genres still exists today, and Blues music in its own right continues to go from strength to strength - many top selling artists maintain the original styles.

http://www.learnguitar-user-reviews.com/

Cool Blues Guitar Licks to Turn You Into a Master Guitarist!

2011-06-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

Guitarists all over the world are looking to learn more and more cool blues guitar licks. If you walk into any guitar store, you usually find a couple of guys in the corner trading licks and swapping ideas. We all know that the key to really mastering blues guitar is to learn more and more licks and using them in our solos. Now, in just a bit I'm gonna tell you where you can lay your hands on a goldmine of awesome blues licks, but before I do, I want to give you some essential tips to get you learning faster and playing better solos than ever before.

1. Learn a couple of new licks every time you practice. This will help keep your playing fresh, stop you falling into the same old patterns over and over and help you improve your skills in the long term.

2. Make sure you practice each lick over some backing tracks. Keep repeating each phrase for a few minutes each. Not only will this help you remember everything it'll help you really get a feel for every lick you play, which will help you when you get to step 3.

3. Now, work on fusing the licks together into longer phrases or even a complete solo. By following step 2 you should notice that your feel for each phrase is a lot smoother and you'll be able put licks together in a much more musical way.

This is exactly how the professionals do it! If it's good enough for BB King, Eric and SRV it's good enough for us. So, what are you waiting for? Why don't you get started right now?

http://bluesguitarmaster.com/

Blues Guitar Scales - What You Need to Know

2011-06-06T17:48:00.000-07:00

If you're here looking to learn about pentatonic and/or blues guitar scales, you're in the right place. In this article I'm going to give you all 5 shapes that you need to play killer solos with your blues guitar scales and also, point you in the direction of some cool freebie downloads that will make your guitar playing life 100 times easier. There are some essential nuggets of information in here that you need to know, so do make sure you read the whole article, I wouldn't want you to miss out and end up wasting your practice time.

There is a problem you need to be aware of when it comes to studying blues guitar scales online. You can find information on pretty much anything with a google search but, how do you piece it all together? What should you work on first and how should you work on them? Well, stick with me and I'm gonna fill you in on exactly what you need to know.

The first step on the ladder when learning blues guitar scales is to learn the 5 pentatonic scale patterns. If you came here looking to learn the blues scale, please don't worry, with a tiny (and I mean tiny) change, you can convert the pentatonic scale into the full blown blues scale with minimal effort. For the sake of keeping things simple to start with,
we're going to cover the scale shapes in the key of Aminor. Again, once you're proficient in playing any given guitar scale in one key, it's actually pretty simple to switch it up into any of the twelve keys. So, if you want to master your blues guitar scales here is the first shape you're going to need to begin with, starting at the 5th fret on the low E string...

Blues Guitar Scales Step 1 - The Pentatonic Scale in Am

Pattern One - E: Five & Eight - A: Five & Seven - D: Five & Seven - G: Five & Seven - B: Five & Eight - E: Five & Eight

Now, you don't have to cram these into your brain right now. In a moment, I'm going to show you where you can download some pentatonic scale charts, that you can download and print out. They also shows you how to convert any of the pentatonic scales into any of the blues guitar scales, so be sure to read on.

Blues Guitar Scales - Pentatonic Tabs

So, now you can see all 5 pentatonic scale patterns. What's the next step on your journey to master the blues guitar scales? You must practice them until you can walk up and down each pattern without having to think about it. Now I know that might seem like a tall order but trust me, repetition is the key here. Take one pattern at a time and test yourself. Remember, in a bit, I'll be giving you access to a free PDF chart which you can print out and use on your music stand. So make sure you use that, it'll make your life so much easier.

Blues Guitar Scales Step 2 - Super Fast Practice!

Here's a short practice drill that will have you running up and down the neck in super quick time.

1.Practice walking up and down pattern one 5 times in a row, without stopping. It's essential to use the practice sheet to help you avoid any mistakes.
2.Turn the sheet over and try to repeat the pattern another 5 times from memory. Chances are, you'll make the odd mistake at first but don't be discouraged. Simply repeat this process until you can play the shape flawlessly.
3.Repeat the above process for each of the 5 pentatonic scale patterns.

Trust me, if you use that practice drill, combined with the pentatonic scale 'cheat sheet' I'm about to give you, you'll have these blues guitar scales memorised and perfected in no time at all.

Blues Guitar Scales Step 3 - The Next Step!

Now, what most people don't tell you is, these five pentatonic patterns can form the foundation of every blues guitar solo you ever play. You don't just have to stick with the sound they create, by adding a couple of notes to each pattern, you can in effect create pretty much any of the popular blues guitar scales used in blues and rock. It's so much easier to learn these five pentatonic shapes, then add a note or two to access other sounds than it is to learn 100 different shapes. That's how important this lesson is!

Blues Guitar Scales Step 4 - The Tools You Need!

Finally, I want to point you in the direction of some tools that will really help you progress nice and quickly. I've put together two freebies that will help you get to grips with your pentatonic and blues guitar scales in super quick time.

First is a tuition video that will teach you how to double the effectiveness of the scale and create some awesome sounds with it. In my career as a guitar teacher, 90% of my students hadn't come across this method before. It's something you can use instantly with zero effort. Players like Keith Richards, BB King and Eric Clapton love this method.

Also, I've put together a pentatonic and blues guitar scales 'cheat sheet' for you, which you can download and print out. It teaches you all 5 patterns of the pentatonic and shows you how you can convert it into the blues scale with next to no effort. I'm all about giving away these cool little instant tips, that can help push your playing forwards without having to grind away with hours and hours of practice.

Blues of the Mississippi Delta

2011-06-06T17:46:00.001-07:00

Beginning blues guitar artists are advised to follow a specific style or artist to make the learning process a lot easier. This will also enable one to define their own music and have something to base their explorations on.
Where is the Mississippi Delta?

The Mississippi Delta is the name given to a distinctive northwest section of the state, which divides the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers. This name is actually a misnomer since this area is an alluvial plain that resulted from various floods that hit the area for the past several decades, and even centuries.
The region is flat and has one of the most fertile lands there is in the world. It contains several counties including the following: Humphreys, Panola, Washington, Bolivar, Sharkey, Yazoo, Sunflower, Warren, to name a few.

The primary produce for the region is cotton and several plantation owners have established their property in the area in the hopes of generating cash through this crop. Due to poverty, many were forced to work under harsh conditions in order to survive tough economic situations.

Mississippi Delta Blues Style

Aside from its rich history and geographic location, the Mississippi Delta is also highly associated with the original roots of blues music. In fact, it has been dubbed as the Delta Blues wherein it is considered as the most influential style there is for the genre. Aside from blues music, several other music genres have been known to originate from this area including jazz and rock & roll.

The music that was produced from this area were inspired by the labor struggles and hardship faced by those who lived here.

Tradition

A general recommendation by music experts for those who wanted to learn how to play the blues guitar or create their own blues song would be to learn the style of the Mississippi Delta. This particular music tradition has been handed down from one generation to another. Over the years, new artists added new touch into the style and created their own lyrics, allowing the genre to grow and develop. The guitar and harmonica were two of the most popular instruments used by musicians during the earlier period of the Blues music, starting from 1910 until the 1950s.

The highly rhythmic structure of the Mississippi Delta blues music is its most distinctive musical characteristic. In some cases, the rhythms are complimented by the use of strong vocals. However, it is part of the music style's trademark to keep the lyrics simple and often highly personal.

Artists Known for Using Mississippi Delta Blues Style

Once you have chosen to use the Mississippi Delta blues style to learn the genre, make sure to listen to some of the artists known to have adapted this musical style. These artists include the following:

- Charley Patton - Known as the first Delta Blues star and has traveled the region enough to create music that would speak about the it's rife and struggles.

- Willie Brown, Skip James, Tommy McClennan, and Tommy Johnson - All of these artists were deemed as the most influential for the Delta Blues style.

- John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, & Howlin' Wolf - These are now huge blues stars in Detroit and Chicago but all started by producing Delta Blues music.

http://thebeginningbluesguitar.com/

Blues Music Scales

2011-06-05T00:19:00.001-07:00

The sound of someone playing blues on guitar includes a very distinct sound. From Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughan the sound they might make is usually referred to as smoky because of its alluring power.

To experience the blues you will find a number of tricks to understand from blues guitar scales, blues chords and blues licks. Anyone can study the guitar, some want to be a killer guitar player others just want to become able to take part in the guitar for the hobby.

Most people are confused about where to start learning to play the blues on guitar. Extra cash or time on the system that does not teach those valuable blues guitar scales is really a waste.

A lot of music sheets or types of teaching will overwhelm a lot of individuals due to information overload. The brain simply doesn't work this way.

It just appears like a page of confusion. Blues scale for guitar doesn't have to look this way. Asking questions in the music store can be type of embarrassing. Some can be extremely helpful but others either don't know and can't be bothered to help you when confronted with questions about what are the best blues guitar lessons.

People want answers once they enter the store, not more confusion. What most people find is that they are either met with indignation or are bombarded with numerous options they simply don't know how to start. Walking out of a store feeling even more confused and downhearted isn't how anyone wants to feel.

Learning step-by-step may be the easiest and it is really fast to turn every beginner into a blues guitarist. Within days they will have the technique and the skills to be able to make some hot sounds.

The easiest, simplest way to begin with is definitely the best way to begin with. Learning everything through your guitar chops, riffs, licks and scales will have people jamming within days. By showing a system that's broken down in steps that is east to understand and much easier to retain.

5 simple what to remember when learning to play blues guitar scales are:

• Choose a course that teaches you patterns and techniques the simplest way so it can be followed

• Learn all about the chords and scales the blues greats play – by learning the names and sounds after which the way to put it in to practice it may then be applied

• As a blues fan means learning how to play every variation and complex sounds, so choose wisely

• Intermediate and experienced guitar players will discover the detail by detail system will open a number of doors which will really mean they can finally quit your day job!

• Learning blues scales combinations with a number of additional chords skills turns an ok guitarist right into a star There isn't any point throwing out money on guitar lessons that are not effective. Hearing someone play the blues takes people on a journey they never wish to end. Playing the blues yourself means you'll end up being on a trip of a lifetime that doesn't have to stop.

Blues Acoustic Guitar

2011-06-05T00:18:00.000-07:00

History Of Blues Acoustic Guitar

Blues is one of the numerous folk styles included in the different musical genres all over the world. It was developed in the 19th century by African-American artists and its evolution also went into the early 20th century. The music developed from strong vocal music sung by impoverished African- Americans without the use of instruments all over the southern states in America.
The lyrics would include those involved in spiritual trances, work songs, ballads narrating the life experiences of the Scots-Irish and the field hollers. Thus, blues originated as a genre through the life experiences of a group of people and was soon accompanied by musical instruments to further add emphasis to the songs through the use of the blues acoustic guitar.

Legacy of Blues Acoustic Guitar

The blues began in the 1890s and developed through the early 1900s. The musicians adopted several different versions as the music evolved and took different styles. The blues acoustic guitar is very intricately connected to the increase of blues music for over more than a century. The first definite forms of blue music appeared with the use of the blues acoustic guitar and as the genre developed, so did the music attached to it. The musicians began to use other instruments to accompany the songs including pianos and harmonicas, but the blues acoustic guitar remained as an integral part of the genre.

Features of Blues Acoustic Guitar

While blues is divided into many kinds of music, there are basic properties which come with all kinds of blues music. Amongst the first is the 12-bar blues progression which is frequent in almost all music played by the blues acoustic guitar. The guitar also assists in bending certain notes and playing the kind of music that reflects the sadness displayed by this genre. The blues acoustic guitar is essential to this form of music as it enhances and strengthens the music. Also, it is easiest to finger pick and slide guitar, an important form of blues, which can only be done by the blues acoustic guitar.

Techniques for Blues Acoustic Guitar

The blues grew and changed as did the blues acoustic guitar when the evolution of this genre of music began. World War II brought with it several changes and amongst these was the style of blues music which altered with the different types of guitars. Blues as especially affected by the creation of the electric guitars which changed the kind of music created in this genre. However, the slide guitar and finger picking styles won over guitarists using the blues acoustic guitar all over the world

Blues Guitar Solo

2011-06-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

It is essential for musicians to be able to play music without the support of a band and this is also an essential element in a blues guitar solo where the guitarist must play notes which sound correct. This is because when the guitarist plays a solo, the blues sound all depends on the notes he plays. The set of notes is known as the scale. The scale is set to suit the songs and chords strummed by the blues guitar solo. There are several different music books that speak of the numerous scales, chords and melodies that are attached to create the perfect blues guitar solo.

Pentatonic Scale in Blues Guitar Solo

One of the scales used in blues guitar solo is the pentatonic scale. This is named because of the scale's use of the only five (penta) different notes. It starts with the minor pentatonic scale on the chord E. The key of E is used in the beginning because of its ability to open all the guitars strings to a certain scale. This kind of minor scale is perfect for the deep sound produced in most blues, However, there is also a major pentatonic scale which is not very common in the blues guitar solo. Simple blues guitar solos can be played with open strings using the E minor scale.
The Blues Scale in Blues Guitar Solo

The blue notes are widely argued because of the different formats in which they exist. The most common blues scale played for the blues guitar solo is the diminished third and seventh. These notes have a lowered pitch compared to those played on a major scale. This pitch is to create the feeling in a blues song. This kind of scale uses a mixture of African and European music styles to create a perfected blues guitar solo.
Criticism of Blues Guitar Solo

There is one theory that does not support the blues guitar solo. This is known as the classical music theory which does not taken into consideration the music produced by the blues. According to this theory, the blues itself is a confused and incorrect format of music, making the blues guitar solo an eccentric and wrong form of music. This includes the chord progressions which gives the music played by the artists a bluesy form. The reason behind this format of blues guitar solo music is because of African-Americans attempt to play their local music on western instruments while singing their folk songs, which eventually led to the blues

Blues Guitar Blueprint Review

2011-06-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in learning to play the blues but haven't got around to learning exactly how and why the blues is what it is, you may want to consider looking into this course. It is taught by a guy named Nate Savage, who has more than 16 years of experience playing the guitar, and it is produced by Rail Road Media Inc.

(They are a fairly well known musical instruction publisher for titles such as Drumming System, Drummer Store, and Beginner Guitar System)

The course is geared for the beginner to intermediate player who may be feeling they are stuck in a bit of a rut, but need a new way of learning things apart from memorizing the same boring pentatonic scales shapes. Being able to create your own licks as well as being able to confidently navigate your way around the neck are two very important aspects that Blues Guitar Blueprint will help you achieve.

As mentioned in my review of Beginner Guitar System after you purchase the course you can get access to the private forum, but it is honestly still a work in progress as it is rather small, at least at the time of this writing, though it will most likely improve over time.

The Blues Guitar Blueprint course comes with a detailed workbook, 2 Lesson DVDs, and 4 Jam Along CDs.
The driving force behind the course are the Lesson DVDs and the Jam Along Tracks. By nature, blues music is based on feel nearly as much as technique it seems, so maintaining a practice routine is something that will need to be committed to early on.

The 2 Lesson DVDs delve into the realm of blues licks. Here you will learn 41 special blues licks. The cool part about it though, is that the licks are designed to help you understand exactly how blues licks are made, and teach you how to come up with your own blues licks on the spot.

After you have that down solidly, you can put your new found skills to the test by playing along with the four blues play along tracks that come with the Blues Guitar Blueprint. These play along tracks are in my opinion one of the best parts of the package. The four tracks include Minor Blues, Chicago Blues, 6/8 Quick Change Blues, and Jazzy Blues, all of which are great as you develop your own unique style.

The 4 CDs each contain one of the play along tracks. Each play along song has 3 versions, a complete band version, another version without the guitars, and finally the last version which is similar to the second but features an added metronome for extra guidance.

Another feature that is included are the loop tracks for each song in 7 different keys. It is a pretty cool feature that helps enable you to play in more than just a few keys.

The Blues Guitar Blueprint Book contains in-depth explanations of all the examples found throughout the whole course. Each of the licks and scales come fully notated.

A couple reasons to really like this course are that Nate doesn't just throw a ton of chords and scales your way and then tell you to "play like a blues guitarist", like some other courses have a bad habit of doing.
He shows you scales, but keeps it simple by only using 2 positions, then proceeds to break everything apart and totally dissects it all so you can truly understand what the blues is really all about.

Basically you will learn how blues scales really work, and you will learn about each and every note in the scales, and why some notes sound good and why others don't. These lessons are important in becoming a guitarist that actually knows what they are doing, as opposed to someone that may only be able to replicate but not originate. By the end of the course you should be well on your way to creating intelligent licks on the spot, and actually improvising on your instrument.

Another bonus is that you will learn a bit of music theory as well. An example would be how scales and chords are built, 4 popular blues progressions, as well as some other scales that can be used when playing the blues.

I highly recommend the Blues Guitar Blueprint, especially if you have learned a few scales and are frustrated or tired with sounding like you are only playing "scales" and not real blues. To truly play the blues, you have to understand how the blues work, and this course teaches you just that.