I'm interested in learning to play blues tunes and I'd like to know which songs are some of the most cliche. I've written lyrics for the blues tune we've all heard a million times but my fingers can't find it on the fretboard.
I'm hoping some tab will help me put it all together.
Here's some help for the song bits that are floating around in my head.
1. That chromatic up or down shift that happens right before the singer sings.
2. The ending like Machio used at the beginning of Crossroads.
3. 3 note chromatic run used in a shuffle. Like A5 A5 A6 A6 A5 A5 da de dum
My lyrics run along the lines of "I got the blues. I got the ___________ blues". Like a slow blues jam.
Thanks.
Might as well be the first to answer this one
a "standard" blues tune - is what is referred to as a 12-bar blues.
To make it simple
4 bars of the first chord of the scale
2 bars of the fourth chord of the scale
2 bars of the first chord again
1 bar of the fifth chord
1 bar of the fourth chord
1 bar of the first chord
1 bar of the fifth chord
That means - in E (E F# G# A B C# D# E):
|E | E | E | E(7)| A | A| E | E | B | A | E | B7|
(or C F G in C, A D E in A etc.)
To get the blues feel try something like
| E E6 E7 E6 | x3
E7
| A A6 A7 A6| x2
|E E6 E7 E6| x2
B7
A7
E E6 E7 E6
E A7 B7
With easy chord shapes like e.g:
E 0220xx
E6 0420
E7 0520
A x022
A6 x042
A7 x052 / xx2223
B7 xx4445
For strumming try to divide each stroke in three and play the first and the third beat - not able to explain it better I'm afraid...
Hope I understood your request correctly and that this makes some sense to you. On the other hand, if it doesn't make sense you will get the blues...
And - welcome to GN!
Lars
...only thing I know how to do is to keep on keepin' on...
LARS kolberg http://www.facebook.com/sangerersomfolk
Thanks. I understand the blues shuffle but I'm looking for additional cliche riffs/licks like I described.
I like this one:
---5---4---3---2-----------
---------------------------
--5-5-4-4-3-3-2-2-1--------
---------------------------
--------------------1-2-3--
---------------------------
aha - looking for turnarounds
blues +guitar +turnaround in google should give some ideas - sorry for under estimating you then :oops:
Lars
...only thing I know how to do is to keep on keepin' on...
LARS kolberg http://www.facebook.com/sangerersomfolk
Check out Littlebrothers free lessons, complete with videos. It is sticky'd at the top of the "outa-site" lesson links. They helped be a lot with blues turna arounds.
I like this one:
---5---4---3---2-----------
---------------------------
--5-5-4-4-3-3-2-2-1--------
---------------------------
--------------------1-2-3--
---------------------------
Is the last 3 notes on the A string not 0-1-2, rather than 1-2-3 ?
A bit pedantic for only my 2nd post !
I like this one:
---5---4---3---2-----------
---------------------------
--5-5-4-4-3-3-2-2-1--------
---------------------------
--------------------1-2-3--
---------------------------
Is the last 3 notes on the A string not 0-1-2, rather than 1-2-3 ?
A bit pedantic for only my 2nd post !
I think you're right, 0-1-2 on the A string sounds better. Good catch! :wink: 8)
"The only way I know that guarantees no mistakes is not to play and that's simply not an option". David Hodge
Yup, definitly 0 1 2.
For some great blues licks, check out Clapton's Crossroads, look at his solos, there's a lot of stuff there.
I wouldn't use the word "cliché," but there are a few basic tunes (aside from the general twelve-bar pattern) used over and over in blues. Lessee, for starters there's the "Walking Blues" tune as recorded by Robert Johnson (not the first recording of Walking Blues or the first use of that tune, which he probably got from Son House's "My Black Mama.") There's the tune first used for "Sitting On Top Of The World" that's also used as Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen," Mississippi Fred McDowell's "You've Got To Move," Tampa Red's "It Hurts Me, Too," and many others. "Rolling and Tumbling" is another basic one, much used. As for Robert Johnson, he used the same ones over repeatedly, like "Terraplane Blues," "Stones In My Passway," and "Milkcow's Calf Blues" all use the same tune. "Dust My Broom" is a basic one, best exemplified by Elmore James' version in Open D or E. It's been used for lots of songs. I'll probably think of a few more...
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
