So you are thinking about picking up the guitar and you're looking for some music to get you moving. Let me suggest learning some blues songs. They are very simple and will definitely be great fundamental components for any music you make a decision to go into whether it's rock, country, funk, jazz or rhythm and blues.
Everyone knows what I am trying to say when I say "blues music" but the actuality is there are that many different sorts the phrase can actually mean different things to different folks.
- There's Delta Blues, the style that someone like Robert Johnson plays.
- There's Chicago Blues like Muddy Waters plays.
- There's Texas Blues like Stevie Ray Vaughan plays.
- There's Uptown Jazzy Blues, the style that B.B. King plays.
And basically there are lots of other modifications as well. And the professional blues musician might play a combination of any of the above styles. It all depends on what they like and what they may be good at.
Blues Has Something For Everybody
The good news here is that there is possibly a style that you will find that you will like and will sound good to you. If you find music that you like it's much easier to learn the song on guitar.
The 12-Bar Structure
The one thing that pretty much all blues has in common is the anatomy of the tunes. Generally blues songs are made up of 12 "bars" that move between only three chords. These chords are generally called the one, four, and 5 chords due to the role they play inside the scale of the key.
With a standard scale being made of 8 notes, the one (or I chord), is the root or tonic chord made of the 1st note of the scale. In the key of An it would be the A chord. The four (or IV chord) is the forth note in the scale and the 5 (V chord) is the fifth note in the scale.
Appears difficult but it really isn't. These are the fundamentals of learning about music and almost anybody can pick up the theorem in a little while. If you have heard any popular song likely it's made of these 3 chords and perhaps others.
The Best Keys For Guitar
So getting going on guitar will be a case of learning these three chords in a selected key. For guitar, the best keys are E, A, C, and D.
Why? Because they're the simplest to "finger" on the guitar. Additionally , as you improve, you'll be able to move "up the neck" and these keys again are easiest to play and understand as your fretboard skills improve.
Also , many of the popular blues songs are based totally on these keys. So when it comes time to learn "Sweet Home Chicago" or "I'm A Man" you may already know the chords wanted to play these songs.
Blues Scales
The other thing that makes the blues "The Blues" is the scale's harmonic structure. That distinctive blues sound comes from playing certain notes in the scale differently than a standard major scale. These are commonly called "blue notes." The 3rd note and the 7th note in the scale are played "flat" or a little lower than sometimes played. Frequently on guitar, these notes are played by bending strings to move the note up to the desired "blue" note.
Ok, we are not trying hard to get too complicated on you here. But once you've done it a little you'll see it's truly quite easy. When you're ready to find out lots more about playing blues guitar you may visit my website and watch some free videos on the right way to do it.
Everyone knows what I am trying to say when I say "blues music" but the actuality is there are that many different sorts the phrase can actually mean different things to different folks.
- There's Delta Blues, the style that someone like Robert Johnson plays.
- There's Chicago Blues like Muddy Waters plays.
- There's Texas Blues like Stevie Ray Vaughan plays.
- There's Uptown Jazzy Blues, the style that B.B. King plays.
And basically there are lots of other modifications as well. And the professional blues musician might play a combination of any of the above styles. It all depends on what they like and what they may be good at.
Blues Has Something For Everybody
The good news here is that there is possibly a style that you will find that you will like and will sound good to you. If you find music that you like it's much easier to learn the song on guitar.
The 12-Bar Structure
The one thing that pretty much all blues has in common is the anatomy of the tunes. Generally blues songs are made up of 12 "bars" that move between only three chords. These chords are generally called the one, four, and 5 chords due to the role they play inside the scale of the key.
With a standard scale being made of 8 notes, the one (or I chord), is the root or tonic chord made of the 1st note of the scale. In the key of An it would be the A chord. The four (or IV chord) is the forth note in the scale and the 5 (V chord) is the fifth note in the scale.
Appears difficult but it really isn't. These are the fundamentals of learning about music and almost anybody can pick up the theorem in a little while. If you have heard any popular song likely it's made of these 3 chords and perhaps others.
The Best Keys For Guitar
So getting going on guitar will be a case of learning these three chords in a selected key. For guitar, the best keys are E, A, C, and D.
Why? Because they're the simplest to "finger" on the guitar. Additionally , as you improve, you'll be able to move "up the neck" and these keys again are easiest to play and understand as your fretboard skills improve.
Also , many of the popular blues songs are based totally on these keys. So when it comes time to learn "Sweet Home Chicago" or "I'm A Man" you may already know the chords wanted to play these songs.
Blues Scales
The other thing that makes the blues "The Blues" is the scale's harmonic structure. That distinctive blues sound comes from playing certain notes in the scale differently than a standard major scale. These are commonly called "blue notes." The 3rd note and the 7th note in the scale are played "flat" or a little lower than sometimes played. Frequently on guitar, these notes are played by bending strings to move the note up to the desired "blue" note.
Ok, we are not trying hard to get too complicated on you here. But once you've done it a little you'll see it's truly quite easy. When you're ready to find out lots more about playing blues guitar you may visit my website and watch some free videos on the right way to do it.
About the Author:
Rick Honeyboy Hart is a long time blues musician. He's played in numerous bands over time and now helps others learn to play the blues on his website www.BluesGuitarInsider.com