Blues Guitar Frequently Asked Questions

This article is for beginning guitarists who want to be introduced to the beautiful and soulful world of blues guitar. Guitar is one of the best instruments to play the blues on. It can be a very expressive lead instrument or it can provide a solid background for a singer or another instrumentalist. Here are some common blues guitar questions that many beginners may have. I hope that these questions help, but remember, nothing can substitute for a good teaching tool. See my bio. section for one that I recommend. What chords are important? • Standard e-form and a-form barre cords are perfect for playing the blues. • The form for 12 bar blues is I-I-I-I, IV-IV-I-I, V-VI-I-I. Basically, those roman numerals represent chords within a certain key. For example, in the key of G it would be G-G-G-G, C-C-G-G, D-C-G-G. What scales are important? • Pentatonics are king of the blues. There are tons of places on the internet to learn pentatonic scales so just do a google search. Take the time to learn all the positions so you can play all over the neck. • Minor pentatonic is the best and most "bluesy" sounding scale to use. • Major pentatonic allows you to switch up your sound to a lighter happier feel mid-solo. It is easy to switch between the two! You just slide the pattern that you are using towards the headstock four frets and you will go from minor to major, or slide it towards the body of the guitar 4 frets to go from major to minor. Is acoustic guitar or electric better? • Either one is fine for the blues. They both have advantages and disadvantages. • Electric guitar gives you some cool advantages like string bending and distortion. Plus, you can get some radical effects. • Acoustic is great for smaller venues and for playing rhythm guitar. It will give you a more organic and old-school sound. How do I sound like my favorite pro? • Different pros have different sounds, so you need to decide which one you want to sound like. • If it is your goal to sound like Stevie Ray Vaughn, you better work on your technique. • If it is your goal to sound like BB King, you better just practice singing along with your instrument and making your playing very melodic. • If it is your goal to play like Robert Johnson, get an acoustic guitar and start learning to play the blues chords. What is the secret to being an incredible blues guitarist? • This one is simple... practice, practice, practice!!! • Divide your practice time up between different skill sets so you are not focusing too much on one area. This way, you can become a well-rounded musician. This will allow you to play with other musicians more. I hope that I was able to answer some of your blues guitar questions. I also hope that this helps get you on your way to becoming an incredible blues guitarist. Remember to check out the links in my bio section for some great tools. Ryan Gloman has a passion for guitar and a passion for sharing information. He hopes that this article helps you on your way to becoming a great guitarist. Learning guitar can be a daunting task. Luckily, you can find tons of helpful info on the net. Check out this site for some great tools.