# Blues blues



## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Have a guy I grew up with find me on Facebook and we are going to jam, he only plays the blues.

I don't really listen to it other than SRV and whatever is on the stereo.

Need say 3 songs I can learn so we can play, what do you suggest?
I will not be playing any lead solo stuff.

Thanks


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

Are you singing the songs you bring? Lots of blues is simple 3 chord stuff - it's the register the vox is in that helps me decide if it's a song I'll do.

3 Easy/fun tunes:

Born Under a Bad Sign

Dust My Broom (if you play slide)

any ZZtop


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## Samsquantch (Mar 5, 2009)

Start off learning how to play the basic 12 bar blues rhythm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuUl-vaIO08

You can play rhythm for the blues without really having to learn any specific songs per se.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Samsquantch said:


> Start off learning how to play the basic 12 bar blues rhythm.
> 
> 
> You can play rhythm for the blues without really having to learn any specific songs per se.


And you can do so many variations of that, that you could keep on going and going and going.
Play in different keys, tempos, and with different turn arounds, etc.


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Thanks guys

I have spent some time with the 12 bar but that lesson opened it up and its pretty easy to use all over the neck.
This should give us lots to play with.

Those songs look good...any more?

My main problem I think is I don't have the feel for the music, still just playing notes. Always wanted to play but never gave it a good chance, hope this time it sticks..


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

a couple more examples....off the top of my head........

Clapton (or 1000 other people) "Before you Accuse Me"

Strange Brew - Cream 

for the most part - Zepp's the Lemon song

Cream - Crossroads

Zepp - Traveling riverside blues 

Zepp - Bring it on home

SRV - Pride and Joy

Doors, or Healy - roadhouse blues

done by everyone from Petty to Hendrix to Rolling Stones - Little Red Rooster

Tracy Chapman - Gimme one reason

Buddy Guy - Damn Right I got the blues

Also done by a few artists - Further on up the road

a really fun one - Hoochie Coochie man - muddy waters originally I think

buddy guy's version of mustang sally

if ya wanna rock out - mississippi Queen

SRV - you better leave my little girl alone


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Cool, that is a great list..Think I will get them onto my Ipod and start rotating them, this will make it easier to play and get the feel.

So, at a blues jam is it different than a rock jam?
At our jams we have a set list and off we go, if anyone wants to start playing a song we just let them and follow if we can.

With blues I guess you can just go under with the 12 bars and try to make it fit....Anything else I should know?


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

Well, I am by no means an acomplished guitarist, but I jam with a few guys that are MUCH better than I ever hope to be. IT is almost exclusively 12 bar renditions, with some 8 and 16 thrown in to keep it interesting.

Since I play side, it suits me well 

Little Red Rooster (G)
Dust My Broom (Get Hound Dog Taylor's version or Elmore James') (D/E)
Death Letter (G)
Rollin and Tumblin(G)
Walkin Blues(G)
Boogie Chillen(A)
It Hurts me too (D/E)
Sky Is Crying (D/E)

HAve fun! The blues is very fun in that as long as you know the form, you can play along.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

not all blues songs follow the 12 bar format....some 8 bar - some 16 bar - and everything in between....and of course - there's a while litany of blues songs that don't follow the 12 bar format at all.....or do follow the 12 bar format but not the I IV V chord progression

but with 12 bar - you could start out on a shuffle rhythm in the key of choice - and just improv for hours...throw in lyrics to popular blues songs if ya want - or don't bother.....

or - do the whole set list thing


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

lbrown1 said:


> not all blues songs follow the 12 bar format...


John Lee Hooker immediately sprung to mind--he often doesn't have any format--but it sounds great.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

zontar said:


> John Lee Hooker immediately sprung to mind--he often doesn't have any format--but it sounds great.


ya - a few other songs come to mind that I would categorize spot on in the blues genre

"Bell bottom blues" - cool song that flips from Am key to Amaj key between verse and chorus..I am convinced the idea for this song was stolen from this song.....

While my Guitar Gently weeps (among other things Clapton purloined from Harrison)

Still got the blues - Gary Moore

Little Wing

Hold On I'm Comin (the earliest version I've heard is from Eric Burden)

Zep - Since I've been loving you (and just about the entire zepp catalogue)

all very much blues songs - but not 12 bar format 

some that are close but not quite......

Mary had a little lamb - starts out in 12 bar (at least the Buddy guy version does) - then wammo - down to 8 bar although it does follow the I IV V progression


OH - another cool 12 bar song that does follow the format and the progression - the Hip New Orleans is sinking

Cold Shot - not yer standard 12 bar - but also follows the I IV V chord progression


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