best things to learn for newcommers to blues

[Stbok]

what are the best things to learn for newcommers to blues?

[Aim]

blues scale??? how to achieve the proper tone???? how to control your emotions???

[jonjonbolt80]

I, IV, V. learn about turnarounds.

[pardo]

Just buy some old blues albums and start noodlin around. Some slower blues would be best I'd say cause its gives you more time to think.

I'd recommend these:

Clarence Gatemouth Brown
John Lee Hooker
Albert King
BB King

Definately learnin the blues scale and fundamental chords would be a step in the right direction too...

[bLuZ_RoCkz]

i agree....listen to the older guys for the fundamentals and just have fun with it. but also learn the form and turnarounds.

[stratocaster83]

I really found myself playing the blues when I learned how to jump from the minor penta to the major penta. you know, all those major thirds, micro bends from the minor third...

[Matt]

Well, you're definitely gonna wanna learn the blues scale, and yeah, listen to those old guys. Ummm, just experiment around with the pentatonic scale until you find something that sounds cool. You also need to make sure you are playing in time because when I started I didn't and that lead to problems down the road. Oh yeah, you don't have to feel bad to play the blues... but it helps.

[Matt]

The best tip of all: Quit messin' around on the computer and practice!!!

[guitargeek 456]

If you can get a friend to play twelve bar blues and noodle around with relevant peentatonics on top that'll help.

[stratocaster83]

Originally posted by guitargeek 456
If you can get a friend to play twelve bar blues and noodle around with relevant peentatonics on top that'll help.

nice advice! I think it's one of the best. when I was 10 my teacher used to make play in that sitation, but I was ****ing shy and couldn't play that good. so I recorded myself on tape and away I went. now with cubase and a pod or similar this could be a lot funnier than what I used to do!!!

[Billius]

Have a mastery of seventh chords and try to voice them differently. Also learn other chord type (9's,13's etc). Of course these are bold words coming from me because I am too lazy to learn them, oh well :)

Also, improvise with the blues scale all around the neck. A lot of guys end up playing in one octave all the time and it gets boring.
That's what I've learned, although I'm not that experianced in blues...

[Billius]

Oh, and work on vibrato, tremolo, and bends.

[stratocaster83]

Originally posted by Billius
Also, improvise with the blues scale all around the neck. A lot of guys end up playing in one octave all the time and it gets boring.

"boxes" are very usefulm though only 3 of them are common... the other are just "expanced" version of the same old scales.
man, the blues is probably the most difficult thing to learn, who gives a **** about the fat swede or those italians satriani/vai/petrucci mafia guys!!!

[cin]

I find the blues is the easiest thing to digest mentally. It seems to come so naturally and fluidly, it's a lot like talking. Just string a few words together to say what you mean.

[fullcity]

Important things to learn for blues playing...

Restraint. Tension and Resolution. Space. Many rock players come at the blues from the same "here's how fast I can play" mentality that they use in rock playing. Some jazzers are guilty of this too. Not that the hybrid styles are bad, but blues only sounds authentic (to me) when it is sparse, less virtuosic and more subtle, and with great attention paid to tone and pick attack.

But I should reiterate:
Restraint. Tension and Resolution. Space.

[jonjonbolt80]

i don't know how meny times i say this but get a looper like the akai headrush or a line6 dl-4 and loop an easy chord progression and solo to your hearts desire