Not Sure If This The Right Thread...

[JasonBird]

but I thought I'd ask anyway.....I'm learning how to play guitar. I want to be a Blues player. So, I've been practicing ang playing Minor Penatonic scales for the last 5 months. Ok, got that down....quite fun actually after you get to learn them. Now, I'm working on some Major scales, but my attention is getting turned towards chords now. So, I figured that I would learn the three primary chords for each of the 12 keys. That's my question....is that too much overboard? Should I stick to just the major keys? and what would they be? A, C, D, G??? Any advice would be much appreciated. Not that I don't want to learn them all, but if if one or more is hardly ever used, then my time might be spent better on other aspects of playing....
thanks in advance, Jason

 

[Moonrider]

Jason, this is one of the best beginner resources on the net.

http://guitarnoise.com/

 

[BloodHound]

great site for blues basics:

http://www.12bar.de/

 

[grinder]

The more comfortable you are playing in all the keys, the more valuable you'll be as a guitar player.This is especially true if you jam with horn players.You don't want everyone in the band starring at you while you fumble though a lead or chord progression.

 

[onlyfingers]

I use E most of all, then A, and sometimes C.

 

[Lt. Bob]

It's definitely not over kill to learn all the keys. I would start off by concentrating on the most used ones just to lessen how much stuff you have to put into your brain at one time. E, A ,D and C would probably be good places to start and those sites others gave you'll be a big help too.
But once you're ready.....learn 'em all. There's nothing more embarrasing than to go play somewhere and they call a key you can't play in.

 

[Aaron Cheney]

Hey Jason,

IMO, the next thing you should tackle is the 7 chord. Once you get a handle on that, just playing major chords will sound so vanilla. For example, in the key of E, instead of playing E, A, and B, play E7, A7, and B7.

The thing that makes it sound so cool is that fact the the thirds are crossed. For example: if you play an E7 chord, it contains a major third, but the E Pentatonic Minor scale that goes over it contains a minor third. That's the sound that is the magic of the blues!

got mojo?
www.voodoovibe.com





p.s. Don't forget Pentatonic Major!

 

[foo]

Okay - blues 102

Dominant 9 chords.

Try this for a blues in G. Bass Player will be identifying the chord so you don't need to play any roots at all.

Bmin7b5 instead of the G. Gives you major third, fifth, ninth and dominant 7.

Emin7b5 instead of C - same relationships as above.

D9 for a D9.

Also try this in a slow blues in G.

Over the G play the third fret on the fourth (D) and second (B) strings and slide them up two frets and back down again in time.

You can do the same thing over the C and the D using the same fret raletionships compared to the Root.

Listen to lots of Robben Ford.

 

[JasonBird]

thanks to all for the replies. I just got back into the house long enough to get back on the BBS. I read over everybody's reply and check the sites!! Thanks a lot.
Jason

 

[Dani Pace]

I have to agree with Aaron and Foo, to suppliment those blusey sounds 7th and 9th chords are essential. Also, even though most blues players tend to favor playing in the keys of E and A it is good to be able to transpose whatever you do into any key particularly if you play with horn pleyers, lots of them use B flat. Another reason for playing in lots of keys is in blues it is not at all uncommon to have someone "sit in" with the regular band and they might not sing in one of the keys you are most used to playing in so being able to quickly transpose and adapt will greatly expand your ability to play with a greater variety of musicians and instruments.

 

[Light]

Learn everything, and if anyone every tells you that it is better to be ignorant, just remember that they are usually the ones who play the most basic things n the world.

I love to read articles by people who purport to be musicians saying things like, "I have really benefited from not understanding theory. I can play things you are not supposed to play." Invariably, they only play music which conforms, usually strictly, to the most basic concepts of harmony. They are idiots. The more you know, the more you will realize that there are no rules in music, only understanding. Understanding is a good thing.

I would suggest you go and take lessons or a class on music theory. It will be better for your understanding of music than anything else you can do.

Learn everything. And if you want the best book ever written on learning to play guitar, get "The Advancing Guitarist," by Mick Goodrick. It will turn you head inside out, and that is a good thing.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Echoes]

Amen to the above. You could also try purchasing a slide (if you don't already have one) for some very authentic blues sounds. It's good that you have practiced minor pentatonic scales a lot because they are the basis for (most) blues solos. The only other thing I would recommend that hasn't already been noted is that there is a great deal to be said for listening to music of a style that you are interested in playing, since you will absorb many of the aspects, conciously or not, of that type of music. I know, that kind of seems like a no-brainer, but some people don't think about it. Try and find some good B.B. King stuff Good Luck!

 

[Light]

And start transcribing solos. I do NOT mean learning someone else’s transcriptions, but figuring them out with your own ear. Nothing will improve your ability to actually express yourself musically than learning to play what you hear.

The other thing to do is to start singing the lines you want to play. Then learn to play what you sing. Your voice is the most natural instrument you have, and it is the easiest to learn to improvise on expressively. If you can learn to play what you sing, you are more than half way to being a good improviser. Most of the best improvisers I have ever met sing while they play. Not only does it help you to play expressively, it forces you to stop playing when you have to breathe, which makes your playing sound much more natural.

You should also be playing with other players. Preferably guys (or girls) who are BETTER than you are. It forces you to learn.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Aaron Cheney]

...there are no rules in music, only understanding.

Brilliantly put.

I'm going to steal that.


got mojo?
www.voodoovibe.com

 

[Light]

Brilliantly put.

I'm going to steal that.


got mojo?
www.voodoovibe.com

Well, thanks. It has always just seemed obvious to me, ever since I started to learn anything about theory.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi