How to Play the Blues

How to Play the Blues: A Beginner’s Guide covers the basic concepts and skills you need to start playing the blues. You’ll learn about the blues scale, chords, progressions, and more.

What is the blues?

The blues is a type of music that originated in the United States in the early 1900s. It was originally performed by African American musicians who used the blues to express their feelings about the hard life they were living. The blues quickly became popular, and by the 1920s, it was being performed by white musicians as well.

The blues is typically played on a 12-bar chord progression, which means that the song repeats itself every 12 bars. The chords usually used in a 12-bar blues progression are the I, IV, and V chords (the first, fourth, and fifth chords in a major scale). For example, in the key of C, the I chord is C, the IV chord is F, and the V chord is G. A typical 12-bar blues progression would therefore be C-C-C-F-F-C-G-G-C-F-G-C.

If you’re new to playing the blues, a good place to start is with a simple 12-bar blues in the key of C. This will give you a chance to get used to playing the basic chords and progressions before moving on to more complicated keys and progressions.

Where did the blues come from?

The blues is a genre of music that originated in the Mississippi Delta in the late 1800s. It is a mix of African and European musical traditions. The blues has been a major influence on other genres of music, such as jazz and rock ‘n’ roll.

The first blues recordings were made in the 1920s. The most famous blues singer was B.B. King, who recorded over 50 albums and toured extensively until his death in 2015. Other well-known blues musicians include Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and John Lee Hooker.

The blues today

The blues is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of the southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It developed from roots in African musical traditions, African-American work songs, spirituals, and the folk music of white Americans of European heritage.

Electric blues

The electric blues is a type of blues music that uses electric guitars, bass guitars, and drums. It is generally played at a faster tempo than other types of blues music, and it often has a more ” rocking ” feel to it. Electric blues often uses elements from other genres of music, such as rock or jazz.

Contemporary blues

Contemporary blues is a genre of modern popular music which derives its inspiration and musical form from the earlier styles of blues and jazz. It is also sometimes referred to as urban blues or electric blues. Although contemporary blues often invokes the pure sound and feel of earlier styles, it may also incorporate elements of rock, R&B and pop music.

The term “contemporary blues” is used to describe both traditional-sounding “blues-based” music as well as more modern, pop-oriented styles. For instance, a artist like Stevie Ray Vaughan would be considered a contemporary blues artist because his sound was based on the traditional style of electric Chicago blues, but he also incorporated elements of rock & roll and Texas swing into his music. On the other hand, an artist like Eric Clapton would be considered a contemporary blues artist because his sound was based on the traditional style of electric Chicago blues, but he also incorporated elements of British rock & roll into his music.

Interestingly, there has been a recent trend in contemporary blues which has seen artists beginning to experiment with combining traditional acoustic Delta/Mississippi Blues with modern electric Chicago Blues. This hybrid style is sometimes referred to as “rootsy electric” or “acoustic electric” Blues. Artists who have been experimenting with this new sound include Keb’ Mo’, T-Model Ford, Corey Harris and Guy Davis.

How to play the blues

The blues is a style of music that originated in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is characterized by a slow tempo, blue notes, and a 12-bar chord progression. The blues has been a major influence on the development of other genres of music, such as jazz, rock, and country. If you’re interested in learning how to play the blues, there are a few things you should know.

The 12-bar blues

The 12-bar blues is a musical form that is common in blues and rock music. It is usually played with three chords, which are played in a specific order. The 12-bar blues is one of the most common chord progressions in music.

The 12-bar blues can be played in any key, but it is most often played in the key of E. To play the 12-bar blues in the key of E, you would use the chords E, A, and B. These chords are also known as the 1, 4, and 5 chords.

The 12-bar blues is usually played with a shuffle rhythm. This means that the notes are not even, but they are played with a swing feel. The first two beats of each bar are usually accented.

To play a 12-bar blues, you can use any combination of notes from the E minor pentatonic scale. This scale contains the notes E, G, A, Bb, and D.

The blues scale

The blues scale is a major pentatonic scale with one added note, the ♭5, or blue note. The notes of the blues scale are: root (1), ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, ♭7. In A, the blues scale would be: A, C, D, E♭, E, G, A.

When improvising with the blues scale, you can treat the ♭5 as an extension of the 4th note in the scale (or as a “passing tone” between the 4th and 5th notes). For example: in A, you could play A-C-D-E♭-E-G-A or A-C-D-E♭-E♭-E-G-A.

Improvising

One of the key aspects to playing the blues is improvisation. This means making up your own melodies and solos on the spot, in the moment. It can be daunting at first, but with a little practice, you’ll be jamming out like a pro in no time.

There are a few things to keep in mind when improvising:

-The 12-bar blues progression is your foundation. This progressions provides the framework for your improvisation, so it’s important to know it well.
-Listen to the other musicians you’re playing with and let their playing inspire your own.
-Start slow and gradually build up speed as you get more comfortable.
-Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. The best way to get better at improvising is to practice, so get out there and start jamming!