blues

Well, I'm pretty new at it and 50's right around the corner for me, too, so I know what you mean. Wish I'd started at 13. As for the blues scale, just mess around with it. Don't play it straight, play rhythms with the notes and jump around between them. You'll start finding patterns that sound cool!

Bry

That was not a long post. Never be afraid to ask a question. Everyone is here to help.

I am going to show you some classic bends. Bends are the foundation of the Blues.
Everybody plays these bends I am going to show you. But everyone puts there own
feel into it. So once you learn them, express yourself!

I am going to show you the A Minor Pentatonic scale 1st position at the 5th fret.
But you can transpose everything I show you here. If you wanted to play in D,
just move everything up to the 10th fret. For E, move to the 12th fret. Easy.

First, the scale.

e------------------------------------------------------------------------5-------8---
b----------------------------------------------------------5------8------------------
g---------------------------------------------5-----7--------------------------------
d--------------------------------5-----7---------------------------------------------
a-------------------5-----7----------------------------------------------------------
e------5-----8-----------------------------------------------------------------------

OK, you probably already know this “box”. Notice your index finger never
has to move from the 5th fret.

Bend # 1

e----------------------------------------------------------------------
b---------------5---------------5--------------5----------------------
g-----7^(9)-----------7^(9)--------7^(9)----------7^(9)-----------
d----------------------------------------------------------------------
a----------------------------------------------------------------------
e----------------------------------------------------------------------

Using your ring finger with middle finger assisting, bend (push the string upward) the note at the
7th fret of the G string, raising the pitch until it sounds like the 9th fret (one whole note higher).
This will take a little strength at first. While holding thisnote and sustaining, hit the note at the
5th fret of the B string. Fret this note with your index finger. You should now hear both notes at once.
If you are bending the note on the G string properly, it will match the note on the B string.
It will have a nice hollow singing sound. On the last note, after bending, give the note some
shake or vibrato. This takes lots of practice but sounds great. Vibrato is very important in Blues.

This is the most used bend in Rock and Blues, so learn it well. Play this bend in all different ways.

Bend #2

This is a very slight variation of Bend #1

e------------------5---------------------5---------------------5--------5----------------
b------------5---------------------5---------------------5--------------5---------------
g----7^(9)---------------7^(9)---------------7^(9)-------------------7^(9)-----------
d------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
e------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perform this bend as before using your ring finger with middle finger assisting. However, use your
index finger to barre both the B and high E strings.

You will recognize this bend as soon as you hear it. It was made especially famous by Chuck Berry.

Bend # 3

This is a Country sounding Bend. Eric Clapton loves to use it. Jimmy Page too!

e------------------------------------------------------------------
b-------------8---------------8---------------8--------8-----------
g—7^(9)----------7^(9)----------7^(9)--------------7^(9)-------
d-------------------------------------------------------------------
a-------------------------------------------------------------------
e-------------------------------------------------------------------

This bend is difficult at first. Use the ring finger with middle finger assisting to bend the note on the G string.
Fret the note on the B string with your pinky.

Bend #4

This is REALLY Country. You will recognize it. It is a slight variation of Bend # 3.

e-----8---------------------8---------------------8-------
b----------8---------------------8----------------8-------
g----------------7^(9)---------------7^(9)------7^(9)--
d-----------------------------------------------------------
a-----------------------------------------------------------
e-----------------------------------------------------------

Use the ring and middle fingers for the bend. Use your pinky to barre the notes on the B and high E string.

This bend will sound like a steel guitar. But Hendrix used it often!

Bend # 5

This is a classic Chuck Berry, Rolling Stones bend. You will bend two strings at once this time.

.........b..r......~~.......b..r......~~........b..r.......~~.....b ~~~~~

e------------------------------------------------------------------
b----7^(9)-----5-----7^(9)----5------7^(9)------5----7^(9)--
g----7^(9)-----5-----7^(9)----5------7^(9)------5----7^(9)--
d-------------------------------------------------------------------
a-------------------------------------------------------------------
e-------------------------------------------------------------------

OK, with this bend use your ring finger in a little barre to bend both the G and B strings upward.
The middle finger may assist. The little “b” means bend, the little “r” means release.
Release means to let the sound of the strings coming back down sound. You also play a little
mini-barre over the B and G strings at the 5th fret with your index. Give these notes a little
wiggle or vibrato. Sounds great!

There are other bends, but these will get you started. Practice them until they sound good to your ear.
They will become very easy in a short while.

Blues players ofter start a solo with a long slow bend with vibrato. But they can be played super fast too.
Experiment constantly. You can pick the strings on at a time or hit them all at once.

You will start to recognize these bends in solos you listen to. Try and imitate your favorties.

Throw bends in whenever the feeling strikes your fancy!

Wes

^ Now that was a long post! :wink:

Really useful though, it helped me get some riffs.... Usually I just learn blues riffs by ear... Thanks Wes! :)

Bry

I hope you can read the lesson I wrote up on bends. When I tried to post it the spacing was all messed up (and might still be on your computer). But I hope you can read it. Perhaps you can print it out. But these bends will give you a real good idea of what Blues players are doing.

Wes

Bry,

To get a little more advanced, take a 12-bar blues:

I | IV | I | I |
IV | IV | I | |
V | I | VI | V |

And play that over and over -- in A, you'd be playing somethign like:

A | D7 | A | A |
D7 | D7 | A | A |
E7 | A | D7 | E7 |

(the 7 chords just give it a little more tension, you can do it with all kinds of different variations, the important thing is the I IV V progression)

Now, you have that rythm going in the background, just strum it 4 bars to the measure.

Now find a lick. But here's the trick, try to have the like start on the 5th of the chords you're playing.

So for the measures with A, start with something on E.
For the measures with D7, start with something on A.
For the measuers with E7, start with something on B.

For those chords that are 7 chords, toss that note into the licks as well.

You'll notice that you can make stuff sound pretty cool this way, but it'll be a little sterile, you're not introducing any tension since everything is just based off of 5ths. So add a bit of tension, toss in some passing notes not in teh box scale as you move from note to note. If you're lick is E-D-D-D-E-G try playing E-Eb-D-D-Eb-E-G instead.

Hope this gives you a few ideas to play with.

Geez, Wes, the guy says he's pushing 50 and you give him small print to read. You're an evil evil man; consider yourself slapped.

A :-)

Thanks for the post Wes 8)

Alan,

Dang it be kind :P

I just turned 54 and I can handle it :!: Just clean off the bifocals and
Nooooooo problem (squint) :lol:

To make it a little easer to read I copied the info pasted in Microsoft Word, selected the entire text and changed the font from 5.5 pt to 10.
Then saved it under my "Blues" info folder on the computer. Handy for future reference.

BS :)

BS

There's no need to be like that! :lol: :lol:

You might want to check out Blues Solo Improvisation and the Guitarnoise List of Blues Lessons.

That is simply great Wes.Why don't you post it as a GN lesson 8)

And all those who are getting mad by the size of Wes's font.Here is a good thing to do -

Copy the text and paste it in wordpad.And then you will post thanks again here :wink:

Greybeard wrote:
Bob Squires wrote:
BS
There's no need to be like that!

Greybeard,

I meant nothing of the BS other than that those are my initials :oops: .

Bob Squires (BS) :D

Yeah, I know. 8) 8)

I used to have a boss who's initals were "BF"

Greybeard,

I was sure you knew - just making sure everyone else knew.

BS