Blues is one of those styles that most guitarists love to play. There’s just something about the sound of those Pentatonic-based licks and riffs, and the immediately identifiable musical structures and rhythms that make it so satisfying.
As a player with relatively little experience you can soon learn to play some simple but authentic sounding blues because, at its essence, the style is mainly based around the Minor Pentatonic scale (R- b3-4-5-b7) with additional notes borrowed from the Major Pentatonic too (R-2-3-5-6) which can be used to construct some basic but authentic sounding licks.
However, it would be a glaring misconception to assume that because of this, it should be dismissed as an easy style to play, because it isn’t. As with any genre, there are harder things to play and easier things to play; things that need a high level of technical skill and musical ability, and others that are simpler. Listening to blues players like BB King, who characteristically played quite conservatively but highly emotively, and later players like Joe Bonamassa whose blistering blues-rock licks are jaw-dropping, will give you an idea of how varied blues can be, and how technically and musically demanding it can be, too.
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Guitar Techniques.
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Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Guitar Techniques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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THE MOODY BLUES
This month Stuart Ryan delves into the picking style of this British prog legend whose acoustic guitar has powered many a Moody Blues song.
WAYNE KRANTZ
This issue Nick Mellor provides an insight into this brilliant jazz stylist, focusing on his approach to improvising over static chords.
OPEN G TUNING
Open tunings are great fun and can help create exciting new ideas. Simon Barnard shows how to incorporate open G tuning into your playing.
RODRIGO GOUVEIA
Last month we featured Mateus Asato, and mentioned the importance of the neo-soul style in his playing. Here we turn to his fellow Brazilian, the master of neo-soul fusion.
MARK KNOPFLER
Our topic this month is a master craftsman as both guitar player and songwriter. His style is unique and his influence spreads far and wide.
U2
Martin Cooper checks out the chiming pedal delay tones of this stadium-filling band from Dublin, Ireland, and guitarist The Edge.
LUTHER ALLISON
It’s blues with a touch of soul this month, as David Gerrish explores the dynamic, expressive style of an often overlooked Chicago bluesman.
JOHANN KASPAR MERTZ Capriccio
This month Declan Zapala explores the music of Austria at the turn of the Romantic period with a fiery caprice to level up your fingers and unlock your inner virtuoso.
THE CROSSROADS Michael Landau
John Wheatcroft explores the playing of a session ace _ and blazing blues-rock maestro who graces the top-flight m band of singer-songwriting legend, James Taylor.
VIDEO MASTERCLASS Troy Redfern
This month GT welcomes this slide guitar virtuoso. If you've been wanting to take your slide playing to the next level then this is one's for you. With Jon Bishop.
