How to Play the Blues: A Beginner’s Guide to Learnin’ the

How to Play the Blues: A Beginner’s Guide to Learnin’ the

Are you interested in learning how to play the blues? If so, this beginner’s guide is for you! In it, we will cover the basics of what you need to get started, including some tips and tricks to help you along the way.

What is the blues?

The blues is a style of music that originated in African American communities in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term “blues” refers to both the music and the emotions that are conveyed in the songs. The blues often uses sad, emotional lyrics to tell stories of hard times and heartbreak. The music is also known for its influential guitar style, which uses bending, vibrato, and other techniques to create a unique sound.

Despite its name, the blues can be both sad and happy. The genre has produced some of the most popular and influential musicians in history, including B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon. If you’re interested in learning how to play the blues, there are a few things you should know.

Where did the blues come from?

The blues is a genre of music that originated in the American South in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term “blues” refers to the feeling of sadness or depression, and the genre is characterized by lyrics that deal with personal hardship. The earliest blues music was created by African Americans who were living in poverty and facing discrimination. Over time, the blues spread to other parts of the United States and became one of the most popular genres of music in America.

The 12-bar blues

The 12-bar blues is the most popular form of the blues. It’s a simple chord progression that is used in thousands of songs. In this lesson, we’ll take a look at the basic structure of the 12-bar blues and how it can be used to create your own blues songs.

The 12-bar blues consists of three 4-bar phrases. Each phrase begins on the first beat of a bar and ends on the fourth beat of the bar. The first phrase is typically made up of chords I, IV, and V. The second phrase usually consists of chords VI, II, and V. The third phrase often uses chords III, VII, and VI.

Here’s an example of a 12-bar blues in the key of C:

I IV I I
IV IV I I
V V I I
I IV IV I
II V IV I
III VII III I
VI II V VI

The blues scale

The blues scale is a six-note scale that is commonly used in blues and rock music. The scale is made up of the notes: C, D, Eb, E, G, and Ab. The blue note, or the flattened third note of the scale (Eb), gives the blues its characteristic sound. To play the blues scale on the piano, simply start on the C note and play all six notes in order until you reach the C note an octave higher.

The Blues scale is a very versatile scale and can be used in many different styles of music. It can be used for slow, soulful songs or for fast-paced rock tunes. If you are just starting out learning to play the blues, it is a good idea to start with a slow song and then work your way up to faster tempo tunes. There are many great names in blues music who can serve as inspiration, including B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Howlin’ Wolf.

Basic blues chords

The three chords you’ll encounter most often in a blues progression are the I, the IV, and the V. In a 12-bar blues progression, these chords would be played in the following order: I, I, I, I, IV, IV, I, I, V, IV, I . You can think of this progression as simply counting up to four chord changes per measure.

The most commonly used key for playing the blues is E major. In this key, the I chord is E major7 (E7), the IV chord is A major7 (A7), and the V chord is B7. Other keys that are commonly used for playing the blues are A major and G major.

If you’re just starting out learning how to play the blues on guitar, it’s important to practice these basic chords and get them down before moving on to more advanced concepts.

How to put it all together

Now that we’ve reviewed some of the basic elements of playing the blues, let’s put it all together. In this section, we’ll give you a few tips on how to get started playing the blues.

First, find a comfortable place to sit or stand. You’ll want to be able to reach your instrument easily and have a good view of your music if you’re using sheet music or tablature. If you’re playing acoustic guitar, you may want to invest in a foot stool so you can keep your back straight and reduce strain on your arms and shoulders.

Next, take a deep breath and relax. The blues should be fun, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The goal is just to get started and see where the music takes you.

If you’re using sheet music, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the melody and chord progression before you start playing. Listen to a recording of the song if you can find one, or hum the melody to yourself a few times so you have it in your head before you start playing.

Once you’re ready, begin by striking the first chord in the progression (most likely a I7 chord). strum slowly at first, using downstrokes only. As you get comfortable with the chord changes, you can start picking individual notes or adding in upstrokes. Experiment with different rhythms and strumming patterns until you find something that sounds good to you.

If you’re playing lead guitar, start by listening to the recording of the song or humming the melody in your head before you start playing. Once you have the melody in your head, begin by playing small phrases consisting of 2-4 notes at first. As you get comfortable with the melody, start stringing together longer phrases. Remember to breathe and take breaks when needed – lead guitar can be taxing on your hands and fingers!

Finally, don’t forget about dynamics – make sure to vary your volume and play around with different shades of sound within each phrase. As they say, it’s not just about what notes you play – it’s also about how you play them!