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Why is the blues so hard for me to play?

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Don't forget to swing the beat. Time is everything. You cannot be a good blues player if'n you can't swing/shuffle/and playin' deep in the pocket. Just ride that flat tire. IT IS ALL ABOUT FEEL!!!:hank:hank:hank
 

pyeman

New member
Joined
Jun 4, 2015
Messages
10
I started playing guitar pretty late- I think I was 13-14 something. All my heroes played melodic hard rock- Thin Lizzy, Van Halen, Deep Purple, Whitesnake and so on. After a while I started to listen to really fast guitarplayers, like Helloween, Yngwie Malmsteen. But now that I'm old, I mostly listen to blues and I would like to play the blues. But it's like my fingers want to run away and still play fast, fast. :dang
I play the blues pretty good these days since i lost my job for the second time in 6 years!
 

ppgf

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 11, 2014
Messages
688
blues is a states of mind, not a musical style.
forget about all of the technical advice offered here and just dig deep.
blues doesn't have to fit into any preconceived templates like pentatonic
scales, etc.
just tell the truth and you'll be fine.
 

GySgtFTL

New member
Joined
Jul 2, 2015
Messages
11
Have you been to Rosedale or possibly Clarksdale? I've heard that helps.
 

TT100

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Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
4,724
Play honest. The Blues is truth. Ditch the pick as Banker says and dial down the distortion. Sing the phrase you wish to play, think vocally. The complexity is found in the note, not in how many. Attack, sustain, bent, release and vibroto can all occur within a note. The better you can become fluid and natural with the guitar the better, and when it's called for you can certainly rip it up fast and with intent.


This ^.

Breath it. My favorite players phrase as is they were blowing sax or trumpet. Organic. Give the music room to breath between statements.

TT
 

tdarian

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 25, 2008
Messages
3,575
Tommy Harkenrider was able to help me steer out of a bluesrock rut and into the old time stuff that really fused jazz and swing. It has really helped....my "go to" noodles are now Jazz chords and fills. I would suggest contacting Tommy, he's got Skype students all over the planet, great guy who loves to teach.

http://tommyharkenriderguitar.com/lessons/

Here's Tommy with Nico Duportal

Don't be shy!
 

Steve62

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2015
Messages
48
The only way really is to immerse yourself in the music. Listen to the greats of blues guitar over and over, try to pick up their licks and their phrasing, listen to when they rest (as important as playing). As an exercise try restricting the number of notes you fret, say 3 or 4. and trying to put as much expression into those (bends, pull offs, hammer ons , slides etc incorporated). A great player is someone who knows when 5 notes will say more than 15, it can be very tricky, I wouldn't say I've mastered it myself lol.
My recommended listening would be Peter Green (Hard Road and early Fleetwood Mac), Ronnie Earl (practically anything he's done, he's a master of good taste and restraint), Jimmie Vaughn (solo and early Fabulous Thunderbirds), Eric Clapton (Bluesbreakers Beano album), BB King (50's 60's recordings especially Live at the Regal), Freddy King, Albert King, Albert Collins, Magic Sam, T Bone Walker, Johnny Winter, Roy Buchanan, the list goes on.
Perhaps zone in on a couple of favourites and study their approach and their influences.
Ronnie Earl did have an instructional video out with Hotlicks, Blues with soul ? that is a great help with phrasing and minimisation. No idea if it is still available.
Also for a 30min master class in blues check out Roy Buchanan Live in Austin on YouTube. He does it all, fast, slow, 100 notes or 1 note, no gimmicks, just guitar and amp.
Practice with a looper (good for your timing and rhythm playing, not all blues is strictly I IV V) or backing tracks. Record yourself and listen back and pick out what worked and what didn't.
No instant recipe, just listen, watch, and practice
Steve
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
I find the quick, snaky noodles stuff to be rather easy, when I need to bust out of a rut I simplify. Take it back down low where it ought to be. Live in the pocket, get deep oin that pocket so that your whole being is responding to the beat. Then tell your story with short stabs with sustained notes. Make 'em cry and whine, milk the tone from their bones.:teeth
 

Mars Hall

Active member
Joined
Nov 26, 2008
Messages
1,829
From your avatar, if that's you, you are playing a Les Paul, so you have that covered. What kind of rig are you playing through? For me, my rig has to be speaking to me in the sense that it inspires my playing. Perhaps your tone is saying "shred" versus "cry"...
 

Elmore

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 10, 2003
Messages
1,853
It is a matter of inspiration. What helped me is learning licks form the CD white boy blues by Eric Clapton. It is very early Clapton. That is the blues guitar that inspires me.
 

Kris Ford

New member
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
4,003
It is a matter of inspiration. What helped me is learning licks form the CD white boy blues by Eric Clapton. It is very early Clapton. That is the blues guitar that inspires me.

I had a cassette of that in the early 90's...wasn't Beck and Page on it as well?
 

GeraintGuitar

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
115
This post just reminds me of the time i heard zakk wylde apparently "playing the blues"
It was the worst thing id ever heard in my life , pure torture !!!
Same thing with Slash


love both players though , just not playing the blues...

I try not to play to much blues these days cos it hurts like fuck and its hard for me to come back from that state of mind once ive gone there.

peace man
 

kevmoe

New member
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
236
Send me all your money,Let me kick in your stahl ..If that dont give you Blues..Nothing will..
 
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