Blues Sclaes and Progressions

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gitbox89
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 2:26 am

Blues Sclaes and Progressions

Post by gitbox89 »

Hey everybody. I've had a guitar for a while, a long time actually. But I never really played it, ya know? Just recently I've started to become sort of a junkie and now I feel like it's getting rather stale. I'm not bored of it, I'm just sort of stuck as of where to go. I've got down all the positions for the blues minor scale in all the keys, but I don't really understand how to put it together: I can play it up and down the fret board, but I don't know where the "boxes" are like I, II, III, IV and V. Or something like that, I guess. I was wondering if somebody could point me in the right direction. I've got bends down and all that, I know I need to slow my playing some and work on vibrato a lot, but not knowing where to "go" is getting to be sorta annoying.

Thanks.
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weelie
Posts: 228
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:23 am

Re: Blues Sclaes and Progressions

Post by weelie »

Your question isn't quite clear to me. Like you say you know the scales in all keys, but then you seem to say you don't...

I think it's most useful to relate to chords. So focus on knowing how to play the blues progression in chords first, anywhere on the neck, using the open E7 shape, C7 or B7 shape and G7 shape. The E shape is the minor pentatonic box 1. (you could also think that the C7 (or B7) shape is the box 3, and G7 shape box 5). Pick that box (or some other and focus on just that, then add the notes from the next box (mainly on top two strings, as solos are usually played up high)

Besides boxes, I suggest just playing on one string. Play over an E blues backing track using just the open E string. open, third, fifth, seventh, 10th and 12th fret. This is way more intuitive way of playing, and makes you understand what notes go into the scale etc.

Also, to play a solo, you could just stick to a simpler box, here in the key of A (it's the 2nd box pattern):
E:-8-10-
B:-8-10-
play over a blues in A just with those 4 notes, bend as you wish to add other notes. It's quite easy to sound bluesy with this limited box, I feel.

On bends, one could be sarcastic and say which scale notes do you bend and up to what note. Because I think knowing the bends, one would know the main bends used in blues. But I assume you don't know those, so keep on working on the bends. I certainly should as I am often sound flat even though I do know the basic theory. :D
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12bar
Site Admin
Posts: 3273
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:05 pm

Re: Blues Sclaes and Progressions

Post by 12bar »

:welcome: first!

We had this topic several times, I suggest to use the search function or browse through the topics. It's always something like "I know the scales, can bend, but I'm stuck with it, no progress". There are some good solutions to this mentioned from the forum members.
Some links:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=309
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=46
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=99
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=215
:dance:
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weelie
Posts: 228
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 10:23 am

Re: Blues Sclaes and Progressions

Post by weelie »

Oh, yeah, :welcome: aboard!
gitbox89
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2011 2:26 am

Re: Blues Sclaes and Progressions

Post by gitbox89 »

Thanks. I found I need to focus on less notes instead of noodling all over the place, and I also noticed I was memorizing scale patterns opposed to the notes in the scales. Knowing the notes is what helps a ton.

Thanks, keep jamming guys. :music1: :bb:
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