Little Known Ways To Playing The Blues

Looking to learn to play the best licks on guitar? Well, there’s nothing better than the blues. First of all, why play blues guitar when I can play jazz? B.B. King himself said that all of them back then, the blues musicians, they were all in high school –and when a fellow starts playing jazz, then he’s in college. He said jazz was the big brother of blues. While it may be true that jazz is arguably a higher form of music than blues, it’s a historical fact that all the musical genres of the 20th century worth giving a damn about: rock, R&B, hip hop, soul, funk, metal, and yes even jazz have deep roots in the blues. The blues gave birth to all that great music, and jazz is a credit to the greatness of old blues licks and kicks.

All the great blues singers and guitarists, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Janis Joplin, everyone, put their heart into their music. That’s how they played. They did it as more emotional than technical act by letting the blues slip out and speak for it. Every performance they gave was frighteningly sincere and honest. But before all that, you’ll need to get down to the basics. If you graduate from the basics then maybe you can start playing real blues. Needless to say, if you’re not already a pro (and even if you are), getting professional help will go far in learning to play the best sound that can come out of a guitar -the classic blues.

Blues has been around since the turn of the 20th century. It’s the accidental great granddaddy to a myriad of the greatest genres: rock & roll, soul, funk, tidbits of folk, even hip hop, and yes, jazz. And like jazz it is unique. It’s a sound absolutely slave to emotion -celebrating pure emotive depression.

Blues is today considered the music of intellectuals. Unknown to most, blues takes roots in recounting worker’s tales. It’s a perpetually raised fist against slavery. An echo of protest in another lost era of the last century. It is almost too awesome. The aspiring blues poet !Blues guitar licks are not easily mastered. All the greats: Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Richie Havens, not one of them perfected the blues overnight. Ask any professional and they all say the same thing. To give justice to playing the blues you need to keep in mind 3 things:

Here are some great ways you can start that long lone journey to the blues: Get a guitar. The blues can be played on both acoustic and electric. Some blues styles sound better on the former, some the latter. A great consideration here is your budget. But don’t be afraid to splurge either. A good guitar is an investment, and can even be an heirloom if treated properly. Go online for a blues guitar lesson. The internet’s a cheap if not free way to get lessons and start on the road to shredding great licks.

They say to play the blues; you’ll just need 3 really important things besides a guitar: First, you got to have a bit of technique. Second, you need a lot of soul, soul, soul. Lastly, practice endless blues guitar licks to last you two lifetimes. It’s all about improvisation and confidence. Keep these simple steps in mind and you’ll be shredding with the best of them in no time.