Looking to take your guitar playing to the next level?Are you down and want to use your guitar to let the world know what you're feeling?Want to make your guitar wail? You need to learn the BLUES.
BB King, Eric Clapton and Jonny Lang were three of the best guitarists ever, and they were blues specialists.
The blues isn't just a music genre or a series of chords on a guitar.
It is a state of mind that you need to fully embraced before you can even think about playing it.
The mechanics of playing the blues is actually very easy.
The basic rhythm is just 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4.
This is also known as "playing triplets".
If you can play with that rhythm, step 1 of playing the blues can be ticked off.
Step 2, however, is the hardest to master - you actually need to feel the music and let the music come from your soul.
The guitar is simply the conduit of your feelings.
You will want to play simply with your guitar, an amp and your cable.
Anything else will simply get in your way.
Leave the effects in your computer - they are wasted on blues.
Finally, step 3 - listen to the masters and try to emulate their style.
They aren't masters for nothing.
It isn't copying - it's learning.
Get some CDs, download some MP3s and just chill out.
Pick up your instrument and just play along.
That's all for now.
The next article will have some more technical stuff to help in your blues playing.