Beginner blues 'lesson'

8) :note2:
it's true, blues notes without context are just notes. nice post!
I will be laying tracks later today. I have some blue notes to put down. I will try post some.

Nice job, Arjen. Always nice to watch someone who knows what they're doing!

:D :D :D

Vic

Here Here....good job Arjen. :)

I think you have a future as an online instructor...(lots of potential there) :)

I saw that the other day. It was very nice. Good contribution. 8)

Oh, and BTW. Solder Of Fortune is going on my motorcycle MP3 player when I get to ride again. (That's rare and hard to acheive status in my world)

Not trying to offend at all, but-

Im a beginner, Im interested in the blues . . . and I have no idea what the lesson was. :(

Did I miss something? Maybe Im too much of a beginner?

Thanks everyone. :D

TheRedd: what do you already know? Are you familiar with the pentatonic scale? If you are just starting out with blues lead playing, check this article I wrote a little while ago: https://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/blues-solo-improvisation/

Make sure you know that first patern well and then re-try this video. Remember the video are just a random selection of pointers, it's pretty useless if you don't already have the basics covered.

Not trying to offend at all, but-

Im a beginner, Im interested in the blues . . . and I have no idea what the lesson was. :(

Did I miss something? Maybe Im too much of a beginner?

No you didn't miss anything.
Well, yes, we both missed the boat . . . but I was going to post a similar message.
Let me put it this way,
as a beginner, I need to be told what finger to place on what string at what fret and when all fingers have been placed in their assigned places what string or strings to pick or strum.
Anything more than that and you might as well be speaking Swahili.
Such is the state of ignorance I'm at.
Such is the sad state of any beginner.
We are a pathetic lot and deserve the scorn and derision of the Masters.
But we are humble . . . and rightfully so . . .for we have nothing to be proud of.

But neat video, Arjen. No black nails?

Thanks everyone. :D

TheRedd: what do you already know? Are you familiar with the pentatonic scale? If you are just starting out with blues lead playing, check this article I wrote a little while ago: https://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/blues-solo-improvisation/

Make sure you know that first patern well and then re-try this video. Remember the video are just a random selection of pointers, it's pretty useless if you don't already have the basics covered.

I guess there are beginners ; and then there are beginners . . .

I can see now why the video made little or no sense to me, anyways. I can play the major scale and (on a good day) the blues minor scale. I can play the others, including the pentatonic, only if Im looking at the tab and go VERY slowly. And I havent even begun to match frets with notes. In other words, this was way beyond my abilities so of course it made no sense :oops:

Btw- I did enjoy listening to your playing, so it wasnt a total loss :)

THAT WAS REALLY AWESOME!!!

Hey Ignar - i missed this reply in my origional thread - i need to figure out how to get that email thing were i can be informed if somebody sends me a reply.
anyway, that was great and thanks so much for taking the time to do it - it is very much appreciated.
Al :D

:note2: ...and don't forget the Jack Daniels... :note2:
Certainly a prerequisite for the blues... 8) (but only if you're old enough)
No other way to get that nice raspy voice. :D

Thanks everyone. :D

TheRedd: what do you already know? Are you familiar with the pentatonic scale? If you are just starting out with blues lead playing, check this article I wrote a little while ago: https://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/blues-solo-improvisation/

Make sure you know that first patern well and then re-try this video. Remember the video are just a random selection of pointers, it's pretty useless if you don't already have the basics covered.
The article is great, Arjen.
I've already started working on it. Luckily, I had started practicing the minor pentatonic fingering so I was able to go to the second step where you skip over some strings on the way up the scale and then back down. I had no idea why I was practicing the scale but now maybe I'll be able to find out its usefulness.
Thanks.
KR2

As a beginning guitarist with not quite 2 months under my belt, I just spent the last hour learning the minor pentatonic and minor blues pentatonic scale in the key of A like the lesson described. I then fired up the the midi backtracks and actually played along with backtracking for the very first time. I just randomly picked notes from the blues scale, trying to "improvise".

I now realize why I want to play guitar in the first place. It's such a great feeling making your own riffs, and not just learning others music. Thanks so much for this lesson! With the backtracking, I actually felt I was "making" music for the first time since I picked up the guitar :) I wished I recorded it, so I can look back in 6 months to (hopefully) see how far I've come.

I can see why that video would be confusing to someone who is unfamiliar with the Minor Pentatonic scale.

But for someone who has been practicing the Minor Pentatonic and basically understands it, but doesn't really know how to solo or improvise with it, it is very good. He shows the famous "question-answer" which I learned as "call-response". This is thinking of your solo like a conversation which he showed. This is a fantastic technique, especially for Blues players. BB King said in an interview that his solo guitar playing is really just a conversation, or to think of two people talking to each other. One asks a question, the second person responds or answers. And that is what Arjen showed, very good.

Then he showed how to add variety to your solo by varying speed. Maybe start out playing slow, then throw in sudden bursts of speed which add intensity and interest to the solo. Very good.

At the last he showed how to add notes outside the strict A Minor Pentatonic scale. This is another technique to add individual style and color to a solo.

So, the video was good, but it is best for someone with a basic understanding of the Minor Pentatonic and Blues scale.

I like it Arjen. :D