Looking to learn to play the best licks on guitar? Well, there's nothing better than the blues. First of all, why play blues guitar when I can play jazz? B.B. King himself said that all of them back then, the blues musicians, they were all in high school --and when a fellow starts playing jazz, then he's in college. He said jazz was the big brother of blues. While it may be true that jazz is arguably a higher form of music than blues, it's a historical fact that all the musical genres of the 20th century worth giving a damn about: rock, R&B, hip hop, soul, funk, metal, and yes even jazz have deep roots in the blues. The blues gave birth to all that great music, and jazz is a credit to the greatness of old blues licks and kicks.
All the great blues singers and guitarists, Ida Cox, KoKo Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Little Walter,Katie Webster, everyone, put their heart into their music. That's how they played. They did it as more emotional than technical act by letting the blues slip out and speak for it. Every performance they gave was frighteningly sincere and honest. But before all that, you'll need to get down to the basics. If you graduate from the basics then maybe you can start playing real blues. Needless to say, if you're not already a pro (and even if you are), getting professional help will go far in learning to play the best sound that can come out of a guitar -the classic blues.
Sure it would be real awesome if you could just teach yourself how to play. But not everyone's cut out for that. Even the best professionals in the business are not all self-taught.
If you're having a tough time following the pros, you can go online and download instructional blues backing tracks you can follow step by step. What's great about these tracks is you can pick the tempo of your downloads, thereby pacing yourself for what you're ready to play. Play every chance you get. When you have nothing to do, pick up the guitar and play. When you're taking a break from work, practice. Constantly playing the guitar will get you better in no time.
Here are some great ways you can start that long lone journey to the blues: Get a guitar. The blues can be played on both acoustic and electric. Some blues styles sound better on the former, some the latter. A great consideration here is your budget. But don't be afraid to splurge either. A good guitar is an investment, and can even be an heirloom if treated properly. Go online for a blues guitar lesson. The Internet is a cheap if not free way to get lessons and start on the road to shredding great licks.
Soul. Perhaps the most important part of the process. It's the reason the blues exist, heck, it's why music exists. You need soul to bring out some soul in your playing. But don't force this -it should come out naturally. Obviously, any aspiring musician needs a guitar. Acoustic will do, and so will electric -as long as you can play the blues, so can both guitar types. Listening to good blues music and trying to imitate good licks will help. But if it's too difficult to follow the greats, blues backing tracks can be downloaded online and are great instructional tools, useful to both amateurs and pros. Finally, like any other skill, practice makes perfect. Dexterous fingers don't happen overnight. Play until you're tired of playing, and then to relax, play some more -that's the blues guitar, you either love it or leave it.
