Blues Guitar Playing Is more Feeling Than Musical Knowledge

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By: Mike Hammil

It has often been said that blues guitar playing should be left up to the experts, but not all of them were born with a guitar in their hands. The blues style of music has been around for popular for about 100 years and some of the earliest blues music was performed either without the accompaniment of instruments or with a guitar and possibly a bass guitar. With some knowledge of some basic guitar chords and understanding the feeling needed for blues guitar playing, even a beginner can play along with previously recorded blues music. Initially, it is better if a person learns to play the guitar, knowing where the notes are and how to form chords on their six strings, before attempting to move into the blues genre of music. But the one factor needed for blues guitar playing that cannot be taught in any books or by any accomplished instructor is the feel for the music. Many blues musicians cannot define the term blues music, but nearly every one of them claim it is the ability to project a person's mood into their blues guitar playing. Many learn to play by listening to accomplished guitarists and playing what they hear or by reproducing certain songs with the use of tablature. For many, blues guitar playing comes as a means of expressing their inner emotions and while their music crosses over several different genres. Learning The Rhythm Of Blues Guitar The majority of blues music is written in a 12 bar progression repeated throughout the number. There will also be a turnaround point at which the 12th bar in the progression takes the listener, and player, back to the first bar in the progression. With blues guitar playing, the turnaround will usually have blues guitar licks identifying the transition from one stanza to the next. When keeping the rhythm in blues guitar playing it is also often noted that there is no defined method of helping to keep up with the beat and speed of the song. Transitioning from one chord to the next if often accompanies by picking one or more of the strings while continuing to strum the remainder to the beat of the music being played. These transitions are possibly the most difficult to master in blues guitar playing, and learning the strum the rhythm and then playing the licks can help a player learn the best method of blues guitar playing that works for them.