How to Play the Blues on the Guitar

Learn the basic blues rhythm. Get to know the blues pattern. Practice the basic strumming. Get a feel for the blues!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Guitar Amplifiers
• Guitar Cables
• Guitar Straps
• Acoustic Guitars
• Guitar Cases
• Sheet Music For Guitar
• Electric Guitars
• Electronic Tuner For Guitars
• Guitar Strings
• Blues: Eric Clapton CD
• Blues On The Bayou: B. B. King CD
• King Of The Blues Guitar: Albert King CD
• Capo
• Guitar Stands

Strumming the Blues

1. Practice the upstroke and downstroke in the blues shuffle rhythm on the E chord, where | = down, ^ = up: | ^ | ^ | ^ | ^ , beginning with "1and" on the downstroke and "the" on the upstroke: 1and the 2and the 3and the 4and the.

2. Play four bars of this on the E-major chord, followed by two bars on A major, one bar on the B7 chord, one bar on A major, and back to E. It looks like this (where / = bar symbol): (E)|^|^|^|^/|^|^|^|^/|^|^|^|^/|^|^|^|^ (A)|^|^|^|^/|^|^|^|^/ (E)|^|^|^|^/|^|^|^|^/ (B7)|^|^|^|^/ (A)|^|^|^|^/ (E)|^|^|^|^. This is the basic 12-bar blues pattern. Most blues songs are molded in this pattern.

3. Play this pattern over the following song: (E)Woke up this morning, got a hole in my shoes (E) (E); (A)Woke up this morning, got a hole in my shoes (E) (E); (B7)Plus my baby just left me, (A)it's the same old (E)blues.

4. Make up your own words if you can't feel it. Once you feel it, you may call yourself a blues player.

The Blues Rhythm

5. 

   Finger the E-major chord on your guitar.

6. 

   Strum your guitar using downstrokes, counting 1-2-3-4 slowly (4/4 rhythm, playing quarter notes).

7. Change your rhythm to: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 (playing eighth notes).

8. Change to counting: 1 andthe 2 andthe 3 andthe 4 (playing triplets). This creates the basic blues rhythm.

9. Count: (1 and) the (2 and) the (3 and) the (four and) the. Now you've got the blues shuffle rhythm.

10. 

    Practice this rhythmic pattern until you feel you've mastered it.

Tips & Warnings

• Listen to as many recordings of blues guitarists like B.B. King, Albert King, Eric Clapton and Jonny Lang as you can. Learn from the masters - it's the best way to become an accomplished blues guitar player.

[lizah09]

on 5/23/2009 You can download 5 Free full length blues backing tracks here --> http://offto.net/FreeBlues/

[watergoose]

on 7/4/2008 Well, there are hundreds of sites for helping learn the blues. It's not easy, but you've got to start somewhere. Try http://how-to-play-blues-guitar.com/ or something similar.

on 6/30/2006 Jam with other guitarists. Any riff I know that matters was shown to me by other people. Great memories and something new! They'll learn from you, too!

on 1/18/2006 The thing is to just go for it when improving. You can't be too worried about playing the right notes. Trust me, I've played quite a few clunkers while trying to get the groove right. For practice, if you don't have a buddy around, record a simple 12 bar blues (or just a riff, if you don't mind a little outside influence) in an easy key like A, and just play over that over, and over, and over again. You'll notice an increase in you playing, as long as you be adventurous, try a new lick, attempt a whammy dive, huge slide or bend, or whatever. Just enjoy, and don't get frustrated if it doesn't come out right the first or second time.

on 11/22/2005 Music theory is important. Whats more important, at least as far as the blues goes, is to feel the notes. Learn the Pentatonic scale and go from there. Know the basic 12 bar blues pattern and a few variations of it but don't go theory crazy. Half of the great blues guitarists didn't know a thing about theory and some did. My point is to only learn as much thoury as you think you need, if you need more learn more