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Starting my Journey

Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 5:14 pm
by DeepDrummer
Hi. Today I had an hour or two to get into it, so I put on the latest backing track and let the computer play the notation back while I tried to noodle around using mostly the A Pentatonic as suggested adding at times the flatted 5th (and some way wrong notes ..oops). I think I even slipped a B in there a couple times as suggested. Anyway I thought I'd share just to give a point of reference. I gain a little each day I play generally and as you can see I have a long road ahead. In reality you folks are helping getting me there. I tried switching Pentatonics from Chord to chord at times which seems like that has potential. Lots of work required to actually get it to sound like the blues but, I am pleased with the results so far. That was in 2 takes (forgot to hit the record button the first time LOL. Not a thousand takes though so be kind, I know it's aweful. That whole process is what I call fun. Since it was really just practice, I left the click on which is why this is more of a practice track. Ok. Gonna play with it a few more times then I have to go. Even wannabe Blues guitarists like me need to eat and that takes groceries. Don't you just hate interruptions to your flow? I found all the B's F's and flatted fifths now I have to work on all that. This is starting to be fun. Thanks guys for all you're doing for me here. It is hard to tear myself away from all the info here and the great tracks you folks post. Gotta go. Have a great one. Watch your ears (I can see you cringing already LOL)....Later
download/file.php?id=1517

Re: Starting my Journey

Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 8:14 pm
by VikingBlues
DeepDrummer wrote:while I tried to noodle around using mostly the A Pentatonic as suggested adding at times the flatted 5th (and some way wrong notes ..oops). I think I even slipped a B in there a couple times as suggested. Anyway I thought I'd share just to give a point of reference.
A nice trick to develop if a wrong note slips in is to quickly play it again as a lead-in note to a 'correct' one - sometimes ends up sounding as if the wrong note was meant. But wrong notes aside - you're certainly playing in a way that links into the rhythm and suggested mood of the BT. And as for ....
DeepDrummer wrote: Lots of work required to actually get it to sound like the blues
Not sure there's an end to that road .... but it's a hell of a lot of fun travelling on it. You've certainly plenty of recordings here to check out to give ideas on what sounds bluesy. Every time I start to thing I'm getting the hang of blues Blindboy posts up a recording of his Trainwreck Blues Band and I scurry back to the drawing board! :eye_rub:

Looking forward to seeeing / hearing about your progress. :thumbsup:

Re: Starting my Journey

Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2011 9:22 pm
by HalfBlindLefty
That's a real nice one.
You yourself and VB covered most of what I could add. :)
The main thing I would say is to start playing less notes. The staccato notes would fit better if you leave one out and accent another.
MY way of playing the blues is : Notes not played count to. The public will think they hear it :)

Re: Starting my Journey

Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 2:29 am
by Blindboy
HalfBlindLefty wrote:MY way of playing the blues is : Notes not played count to. The public will think they hear it :)
Wise words! :thumbsup:
VikingBlues wrote:A nice trick to develop if a wrong note slips in is to quickly play it again as a lead-in note to a 'correct' one - sometimes ends up sounding as if the wrong note was meant.
More good advice... I've been doing that for years... "hit a wrong note, play it again and call it jazz." :big_smile:
VikingBlues wrote:Every time I start to thing I'm getting the hang of blues Blindboy posts up a recording of his Trainwreck Blues Band and I scurry back to the drawing board!
Aw, Foo! You've posted some serious blues before. (But thanks anyway :shy: )

Re: Starting my Journey

Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2011 5:23 am
by DeepDrummer
You guys are great. Making me laugh on such a dreary day is always good. Yep I actually downloaded the first backing track from here. Great stuff. Nice move on the wrong note thing. Not a bad plan. heh heh. I played along without the track right after and did a lot better but no doubt there was no real structure to it. I agree with the less is more theory and accenting and stuff for sure. Keeping that in mind now though (ok so I copy and paste alot of good advice from in here and keep a file on it). I had lots of blank space in the session I did right after but I didn't record it. I slammed together a fretboard diagram of all the Pentatonics in A and the lowered fifth and the B and the F and there were times it took me two bars to figure out where to go next but it did sound quite nice. You can't believe how much you've added to my skills in just the past few days since I registered here. Yeah, empty space works well in all music for sure. Just keep all that good advice coming, I am listening. Loved the Jazz comment heh heh. So true. I don't mind a bit of smooth jazz if I want to take a nap. I find it kind of non intrusive and soothing. Blues makes me perk up and take notice. It has always been my favourite ever since black and white television when my father used to yell from the living room "Tommy, get in here quick B.B. King is on." I still have a sweatshirt he gave me from a B B King concert. We had a Blues Band living in our basement for a while back in '67 or so and the drummer would sit me straddling the arm of a couch with a pair of sticks teaching me the basics. It took me 2 years to get a snare and then a small kit for $50 which I only had for a month or two till mom said they had to go. I strung some elastics across a ruler and across a shoe box with a hole in it and played with that for a few days. After that I got some bare plywood guitar, then sis got an ovation and gave me a nice Framus acoustic that travelled around in the cubby hole of my vw beetle. I knew like 3 chords G, C, D but I could get everyone singing at parties using the 12 bar blues pattern. I gave up all instruments from about 1973 until I found myself alone in 2004 so I got back into it on drums and a cheap acoustic periodically. I still only knew a G,C,D and I noodled around not knowing what I was doing but it was pretty steady drums for about 5 years. Then one day I went to a music store in the nearest city and I asked the owner what the cheapest electric guitar he had was. He sold me a nice well used Vantage strat style. It was so caked in grime your fingers stuck to it but those 3 single coils looked like gold to me that day and my amp was my computer till I blew the speakers out of it. Cleaned it up and I still have it and rotate through it but it may get a new home this Christmas for her grandkids. As far as lead went all I used to do was start on the G spot on the E string and then up a full tone and work my way across the fretboard Jumping up one on the G string and then back down on the B and E. I Just based it on how I tuned the guitar. In reality it looks exactly like a section out of the A Pentatonic except I guess I was slamming in a C# instead of the proper D. But considering I didn't know a thing, I though it was pretty cool when it worked out that I was almost actually playing something right. Anyway, we're starting all over at this point and enjoying the ride and the great company in here. The learning curve is helped a lot by you folks. Oh, you may find me a bit long winded. I can type almost as fast as Eric Clapton can do that double sort of pull off on two adjacent strings. I've loved that mans playing since Derek and the Dominos. Then I find out lately that Robert Johnson Lives on in Mr. Claptons work big time. I never knew that before. Must have read it in here and of course Back when I liked things a bit louder I was into Hendrix, Procol Harum, Robin Trower Not even realizing it was bluesish. I used to call it funky blues. I only recently got a copy of Clapton unplugged. Nice stuff. Very true to the originals eh. oops. I better move on or I'll have callouses on the finger tips of my other hand too. Thanks again guys. Always very appreciated.

Tom