Tips for Beginning Blues Guitarists

The blues genre is the precursor to jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop, and many other styles. Those genres just increased the speed, added a strong backbeat, and simply gave it a new name. Like folk music, the blues are relatively easy to play if you know the basics of the genre. Here are some tips for beginner guitar players, and even more advanced players may find a little insight!

Blue Notes and Chromaticism

The main feature of the blues is its use of blue notes and chromaticism, you’ll need to have some guitar scales knowledge here. And a normal C major diatonic scale is C D E F G A B C. The most important scale degree in blues and rock is the flat seventh or the b7. Along with a backbeat or syncopated rhythm, the blue notes are the backbone of the blues. You can always use a scale finder to help with this.

So now the scale will be C D E F G A Bb C. Play an open C major and then place your pinky on the 3^rd fret of the G string and that will be the Bb note, making the chord a C7. Flattened 7^th chords are just about in every blues song. Just riff back and forth on the C and C7 and it sounds rather bluesy!

There is also a common use of the b3 which would make the scale C D Eb F G A Bb C. Play along with this scale and it even sounds more fitting for the genre! Another important scale degree is the 4^th and that is often in blues and rock-type chord progressions.

Besides using blue notes we also use a lot of chromatic runs when playing blues on the guitar. Chromatic notes do not belong in other scales, so it is a test to see which works and which doesn’t. But descending and ascending chromatic riffs will be seen in intros, turnarounds, and the endings of blues songs.

The I-IV-V Chord Progression

The I-IV-V is a staple progression of most popular music and blues helped start it all! In the key C that would be C-F-G. Most blues songs use variations like I-IV-I-IV-V7-I or I-IV7-V7 or even all dominant sevenths with I7-IV7-V7. The F major in the Key of C can be hard for beginners so try the I-IV-V7 in the Key of G if necessary, which is G-C-D7.

It can be played with open guitar chords and most blues is played in a 12-bar or measure form. You rock back and forth on the I and IV before hitting the tension on the V7 and resolving back at the I. Play around with these chords and where we use the 7ths, in some cases, you can switch back and forth. A great ending is to play G-G7-C-C7-D-D7-G. That riff can really wrap a blues song up.

One of the most common blues and guitar keys is E so you will have to eventually learn the I-IV-V7 or E-A-B7. Many guitar players have trouble with B7, but it is necessary to play in E. As you get better at strumming the chords start adding in more melody and bass runs. Remember to use chromaticism and play out of the scale at times, especially when moving from tension to resolution.

The I-IV-V7 and all its variations will be the most common progression you will use at all levels of playing. However there are more blues-type progressions, the I-IV-bVII has a rocking blues vibe and in the key of E is E-A-D. Perhaps this may be easier for those that struggle with the B7 chord.

Techniques

Of course, a blues song can be played with complicated licks, but in most cases, less is more. Watch how B.B. King plays his blues, it’s not fast or complicated, but each note is very expressive. When adding solos, runs, or riffs there is no worry about speed or new notes, leave that to punk and jazz. And of course B.B. isn’t the only blues King to copy! Freddie King and Albert King help make up the “three kings” of blues.

Hammer-ons, pull-offs, trills, vibrato, bends, and double stops are all essential techniques. The best way to learn them is to look up the tabs of the best blues songs you know and play along to the song. Here are some essential blues songs to look over and try out.

“Me and The Devil Blues” Robert Johnson

“I Put a Spell On You” Hawkins

“Born Under a Bad Sign” Albert King

“Sweet Little Angel” B.B. King

“Before You Accuse Me” Bo Diddley 

“Folsom Prison Blues” Johnny Cash

“House of the Rising Sun” Leadbelly

“Matchbox” Carl Perkins

“Red House” Jimi Hendrix

“Spoonful” Muddy Waters 

Another great way to practice different techniques is to play a blues scale like E G A Bb B D. Riff on this and other blues and minor scales and practice the above techniques while playing. A great mix of listening to popular blues tunes and creatively making your own licks will help you master the different techniques for playing blues on the guitar.

Gear and Tone

The original blues artists would turn their tube amps beyond their normal limit to overdrive them and make the sound grittier. Or in some cases, they would purposely damage their amps to get a fuzzy or distorted sound. However, they didn’t want too much distortion as the audience still needs to hear the expressive notes. Now we have pedals and effects units, so we no longer need to damage equipment.

Most modern amps will have the ability to put the guitar into a high gain stage that will allow for the slight blues distortion. If you are going for King-style blues the sound will be cleaner, but later funk and rock have more crunchy and even fuzzy sounds. Start from a clean signal and adjust distortion and gain until you have the blues grit. In some cases that is enough for the tone, but some pedals can also help.

The classic overdrive pedal is essential for a great blues sound, some are made with the blues in mind. And of course compressors and equalizers will help balance out your tone and clean up any unwanted frequencies. If you want a harder Hendrix blues style then a fuzz pedal is important. Delays and reverb pedals can be used, but mostly they distract from the raw, soulful, and wailing tone of the blues guitarist.

After a while playing the blues can get redundant, there are not many variations on this long-time chord progression and blue notes. You can try and stand out with effects pedals or more chords added to the progression, but the best way is to learn how to play your notes as expressively as possible. That will help you go from a beginner blues guitar player to someone that can wow an audience with a powerful but simple lick!

By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer