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Can someone suggest some easy blues songs for a beginner?


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Posted

If you know the 12-bar form, you can probably play along to 90% of blues songs. A couple you might try are:

 

Mannish Boy (it's high repetitive, but could be fun)

Boom Boom (it's a must know riff for any blues player)

Smokestack Lightning (another pretty easy riff)

 

For a little bit harder song, you might try Ramblin' on My Mind (the Clapton version off the Beano album). The solo is should be within your reach, with some work of course.

 

Another thing that might add more fun to your practice is to just put on an album and play rhythm along with the songs. Then, when you feel ready, start playing some lead lines. These can be done over the verse or over the song's solo. You can use it as a backing track and don't necessarily have to play the same thing as is on the record. Then, when you're ready to move forward again, start grabbing some riffs off the record. Doesn't have to be the full solos. You can do this with hundreds of records -- but two I like to use are the Beano Album (actual title is John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton) and The Allman Brothers at Fillmore East.

 

Good luck. And keep working with your books too.

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Posted

Red House by Hendrix.

 

You get to learn a killer intro, anything in the Bb Blues scale sounds great, you get playing Bb (that in itself will be good for you...don't tune down!).

 

Plus it's a favorite, and easy to sing...so youll can play it for people and work on your singing too :)

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Posted

In what parallel dimension is Hendrix's "Red House" an easy blues song for a beginner? Perhaps if you played the bass part on your guitar... but you'd have to be a total prodigy to play pretty much anything beyond the intro after only 7 months!

 

Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," while not a pure blues song in the traditional sense, is nevertheless very bluesy and has some fantastic blues guitar during the instrumental first parts of the song. The guitar playing is pretty slow and deliberate, and overall not out of reach of a beginner, although it will still probably take considerable practice. The hardest part is going to be the plethora of bends... bends of nearly every type imaginable, from 1/4 step bends to two-step bends, multiple bends, unison bends... but if you're gonna play blues, bending is something you'll have to master! Try learning this song, perhaps after bgator's suggestions. :thu:

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Posted

 

In what parallel dimension is Hendrix's "Red House" an
easy
blues song for a
beginner
? Perhaps if you played the bass part on your guitar... but you'd have to be a total prodigy to play pretty much anything beyond the intro after only 7 months!


 

 

It's got a great intro, a great body, and a great ending. It's ALL blues. It's a great tune to get a FEEL for Blues, no one has to play Jimi's lines to do it justice...

 

It's a Blues Vehicle Extreme.

 

So, much that in the 80's they released an album named Red House: Variations On A Theme. It was like a two album set of live and studio renditions of Jimi playing Red House through the years. It's AMAZING how he played that completely different so many nights.

 

I complete stand by Red House being an easy Blues song for learning Blues. Not necessarily playing Jimi's stuff but just playing the Blues yourself.

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Posted

 

So, much that in the 80's they released an album named Red House: Variations On A Theme. It was like a two album set of live and studio renditions of Jimi playing Red House through the years. It's AMAZING how he played that completely different so many nights.

 

 

I've never heard of that CD, although I'm sure it would be quite an interesting listen. This makes me think of Jimi Hendrix Blues, which has a version of Red House. I bought this a couple months ago, and it's absolutely fantastic. I'd highly recommend it if you're thinking about adding another Hendrix CD to your collection -- or even if you're not.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Jimi-Hendrix/dp/B000002OSK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-6634847-8620469?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1181877274&sr=8-1

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Posted

justinguitar.com has some great stuff, i look there a lot and i've been playing roughly the same time as you. not sure how much blues stuff there is on there though. i did go to my library and get an old blues guitar book which is cool. you should go check out the library.

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Posted

 

Buy "Blues You Can Use" book and CD

 

 

+1

 

I've only been playing a lil over a year, and have been working on this book for about 2 months. But its great fun, the book is step by step and layed out well, with a CD of all the peices in the book. (you can also use the examples as backing tracks for improv). def worth the $15-20ish.

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Posted

Find two versions of a blues song and then decide which bits your prsonall taste tell you to steal. Make a third version of your thefts. Record it, come back to it in three weeks and listen, If you can make that sound better in one hour of your own original play then you've got something.

 

Anyway - try early Free tracks - lovely use of the fretboard and never too fast. Their version of the Hunter (Booker T etc.) will give you a smiling workout.

 

Regards

 

P

Posted

Some of the tunes I use with my students to get them started soloing are:

 

Crosscut Saw - Albert King

 

Sweet Little Angel - B.B. King

 

 

The Thrill is Gone - B.B. King

 

Simple, easy to apply ideas, not too many notes...these songs give the student a good example of call and response type phrasing....I save the notier things like Red House for when the student can play a little more....even "Hideaway" or "The Stumble" by Freddy King are good pieces to learn that are complete blues instrumentals......

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Posted

How about just guitarers?

Buddy Guy

BB King

The Boogie man - his name escapes me right now..

 

Fancier Guys,

Robben Ford

Larry Carlton

Gary Moore

Duane Allman - Stormy Monday is a pretty basic blues BTW

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Posted

And you're looking to blues for excitement?!


After 2 songs, its alright, but more than that you'll want to kill yourself .

 

i guess it's different horses for different courses ... of opinions are like body parts - everyone's got them and most don't smell too bad ...

 

i understand your opinion and accept it. i would play 12 bar blues for hours everyday given the choice - it is what i like a lot. and some of the lyrics it home .. " i haven't seen my baby, in 99 and 1/2 days" .. "wait a minute somthing's wrong here, the key won't unlock the door" ... holy crap = if that ain't happened to you and doesn't tug DEEP inside = i don't think you have many life experiences. that's the blues - life. :wave:

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