willem wrote:
BigBear wrote:
Willem- From a guitar perspective the blues starts with the standard major scale and then adds a flatted 3rd (and also 5th and 7th) note which gives that very distinct, almost dissonant sound. The blues can be played in every key but C, G and E seem to be particularly popular probably because 7th chords (harmonic sevenths) are easier to play in these keys.
Another important thing to learn with the blues is the "walking bass" line. To me, this is almost as important as learning the blues scale because almost every blues songs uses a moving or walking bass line at some point. We call this the "Groove" and this adds immensely to the bluesy feel.
It is really important in any discussion of the Blues to mention that no musical form relies more heavily on "feel" than the blues. Many people can play the blues but not everyone "feels" the blues!! When you hear a really good blues player you may be impressed initially by his/her techniques but listen longer and you will hear "The Feel", or maybe not. This is an interesting point because the Blues had a major revolution in the UK in the 60's and 70's. But while many of the great UK players learned to play the Blues, by their own admissions they had a tough time getting "The Feel". Many came to this country to work with famous blues artists, many of them black, just to try to get the feel. Check out Eric Clapton and B.B. King for just one of many examples.
Willem, you asked a huge question and this is a very short, simplistic answer. Hopefully, some food for thought.
Heb een geweldige dag mijn vriend! :cheer:
Thank you Rick
Can we hear the feel by only playing a bleus scale over and over and maybe on diffrent places for example in C and is...C -Eb-F#-G-Bb- back on C again
Willem- the "feel" I mention comes from learning to
not play notes and chords but to just relax and play the song. Forget technique, timing, scales, all of it and just play the song with feel. Like it comes from your soul, inside of you. The music becomes part of you and your life experience.
Feel is not something you can write about and make others understand. It comes from having mastery over the song to the point where you don't even think about the music, just the feeling the song moves you toward.
I know this sounds like science fiction and I will be the first to admit that although I love belting out a 12 bar blues song I don't have the feel of the great blues players and I never will. But it's still fun to play, especially with others. The blues is meant to be shared and doesn't do as well solo, unless you are very, very good!
Cheers! :cheer:
Have fun with the Blues. Don't worry so much about technical issues and techniques. Mistakes are fine in the Blues and almost expected if you can believe that!