Resource(s) for learning blues?

I come back to this thread after three pages and I find I disagree to some extent. The beginner needs to learn the music and the riffs first of all, and approach the mythology later. I'm not saying that the mythology doesn't matter, but understanding the mythology won't get a beginner playing. I've offered a good resource early on in the thread. If a beginner mastered the material, he or she would be a good way towards playing blues. The playing may be a bit mechanistic, but at least they'd have the basics down and then would only need to loosen up a bit and embrace some mojo, or attitude, or whatever it is. It really isn't magic, or anything unique. Rock and roll has an attitude, island vamps have a vibe. No matter what you play, you need to play the music and then invest it with the nuance that gives it a swing and a feel and an emotion that exists between the notes. It is just a standard methodology that all us beginners need to negotiate regardless of the genre.


Oh, and to add to the good resource I mentioned earlier, another good resource I used was 101 Ukulele Licks by Lil Rev. It has some good blues riffs that serve as excellent building blocks. They are all tied to a certain key. Being who I am, I turned them all into formulae which would work in any key. But even barring that, the book gives a few licks for every key.

Now what I did as a beginner was take a rudimentary knowledge of blues scales and those Lil Rev licks, and then I found a backing track and just tried to contribute to it. At first I only focused on a single note. It may sound lame but just trying to fit an appropriate note to a blues progression is hard. Once you can do that, you can try two notes, and then even a lick.

So that's how I started. nowadays I usually just improvise my own stuff by using the five pentatonic shapes, Lil Rev, or as Bill1 said, listen to blues and copy what you hear or make some deviation thereof.
 
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I come back to this thread after three pages and I find I disagree to some extent. The beginner needs to learn the music and the riffs first of all, and approach the mythology later. I'm not saying that the mythology doesn't matter, but understanding the mythology won't get a beginner playing.

nowadays I usually just improvise my own stuff by using the five pentatonic shapes, Lil Rev, or as Bill1 said, listen to blues and copy what you hear or make some deviation thereof.

From the perspective of a complete beginner, I can say that this hits the nail squarely on the head. First comes the interest, next comes some exposure by learning some of the basic mechanics, and then depending on level of interest and commitment one may choose to try to enhance by developing "the spirit." I started this thread in an attempt to find out some good options for learning some basic mechanics, as well as to try to find out more about a couple of specific options that I had heard of.

Telling a beginner who wants to experiment with a genre that they first have to have some type of special spiritual experience and that they also have to study and thoroughly comprehend the development of said genre is IMO way off base, if said in a context other than an attempt at humor.

If playing ukulele had the prerequisite of learning all about the development of the instrument coupled with the acquisition of some secret Hawaiian mojo before attempting a note there IMO would be very few ukulele players.

ripock, thank you for all of the information and for the recommendation of resources!
 
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OP Tm3 and Riprock,
Lovely discussion. There is much humor and opinion and resources on this thread. This thread put itself back on the track. I love it when beginner threads work and OP gets what they need to go out and play the blues. Sweet!
 
Blues progressions are not hard. The twelve bar blues progression in the key of C is four bars of C, two bars of F7, two bars of C, a bar of G7, a bar of F7, and then two bars of C to end it out. It is a very common progression that you find in lots of music. It is basically I, IV, V, except you do the IV and the V with a seventh. You can transpose it to any key. Key of G is a G, a C7, a D7. Key of A it is an A, a D7, and an E7. That's a twelve bar blues progression. Once your are playing the chord you just start lifting fingers and putting them back down to see how they sound. After a while you get a sound you like. Example, with the key of C, I like to bounce back and forth between the C7 and a C. Just play with the chords and find something that sounds good to you. You will feel it if it is good.

Eight bar blues. Stagerlee is probably the most played eight bar blues song. Easy to practice along with if you want to practice that way. Again, it is just a progression. Key of C, two bars of C7, two bars of F7,one bar of C7, one bar of G7, two bars of C7. Eight bar blues is in sevenths. Play it an in any key, it is just three chords, a I7, IV7, V7. Like everyone says, blues has a feel to it. No one can teach you the feel, but those are the two most used progressions. If you can play them, you can play with most anyone.

If you are so inclined, there is the blues scale. In the key of C, starting on your third string up (C) C, D#, second string (E): F, F#, G, first string (A) Bb and C. You can go up and down inside and out. You can take one note and just play it, whatever grabs you, whatever feels good. Transpose it to any key you want. You can combine the scales with the chords when you get the urge.

When you look at it from a music theory standpoint there is nothing complicated in the blues. It is pretty much three chords. There are a few variations, but those progressions will get you through most blues. To get the feel for it is a task. If you find yourself sad, that is a good time to practice. Pour your heart and soul into it. Get someone you really care about really mad at you, then go out and practice playing the blues. Feeling sorry for yourself is a good thing when it comes to Blues. Blues is more about the presentation than anything. You gotta make them feel your pain. You can't just mechanically play the blues. That's my advise.
 
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Just check yellow pages or local sites by google. We can see many classical guitar, acoustic guitar or even jazz guitar schools (teachers). But there are very few blues guitar schools (teachers). I am very curious this fact. I think blues is very basic music.

See the contents of Blues Guitar For Dummies below. There is nothing we expected inside.

 
Hi, tm3! These tutorials might help you.

Sweet Home ChicagoSong by Song 21 song in 6 daysManitoba Hal BrolundAndy Guitar
KeyCCCE
type of playstrummingstrumming + solostrumming + turnaround(power chord) riff
appendixKey of C is easy to play blues on ukulelethis solo works in other blues key of Cthis turnaround works other blues key of CHe takes key of E, because open 6th (E) and 5th (A) help a lot
 
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Nice collection, yahalele! Thank you for taking the time to put that together and for adding the notes!
 
LOL.....awesome the wife and I got some laughs outta this post...thanks (she got a purty face but missing some teeth....) LOL JK....
 
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