Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In with Google

Become a Subscriber!

Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!

Read more...

Improving Blues Lead Guitar

What's Hot
Hi all - looking for ideas on how to improve my blues lead guitar playing?
I would say that after 40 years of playing i've just managed to exceed "average" !
Anyone got a better idea than just going on Youtube and creating a playlist of various blues styles in various keys and then just "jamming" over them ?
Thanks in advance
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«1

Comments

  • soma1975soma1975 Frets: 6626
    Record yourself and listen back. I had no idea how bad my timing was.
    My Trade Feedback Thread is here

    Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • Listen to BB King. 

    Phrasing and feel is just unreal.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • jpfampsjpfamps Frets: 2723

    What sort of stuff are you listening too?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • bbill335bbill335 Frets: 1368
    edited October 2019
    weird, un-bluesey music that's still pentatonic focused. like weirdo prog psych jams



    edit: i’d written “listen to”, but it got lost somewhere!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    You could look at a True Fire or Artist Works. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • PhilW1PhilW1 Frets: 941
    bbill335 said:
    weird, un-bluesey music that's still pentatonic focused. like weirdo prog psych jams

    Loved that! got me through my tea break quite nicely-
    Thanks for that.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I'm a big fan of Griff Hamlin and his Blues guitar unleashed website. I've been learning for nearly 5 years, and it's the best site I've found for blues music.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • HAL9000HAL9000 Frets: 9550
    Phrasing is everything when it comes to blues. I don’t know what standard you are at so apologies if this is teaching you how to suck eggs, but this YouTube vid shows how just a few notes played well can sound pretty good...

    https://youtu.be/zSTAvmXG5m8

    Also, pretty much any BB King or Peter Green...

    https://youtu.be/2ieI49hlOUw

    https://youtu.be/RtmW2ek7WkQ
    I play guitar because I enjoy it rather than because I’m any good at it
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • @HAL9000 thanks - that was a good one and the jam tracks should be useful
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • nickpnickp Frets: 182
    what do you need to improve - and in what order of priority - song vocabulary and comping?  ability to move around the neck (ie soloing in any position)?  note choice to reflect underlying chord changes?  soloing vocabulary (as in licks etc) ?

    doing all at once is going to be a bit much - best focus on maybe two so say song/comping vocab plus knowing the blues scale in all 5 positions throughly?  for instance
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Probably 3 issues:-
    A. I tend to always start a solo on the Root note ie E for blues in E 
    B. Bends don't come naturally
    C. Play too many notes when i need to play less (and make them count more)
     
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • HAL9000HAL9000 Frets: 9550
    edited October 2019
    A. Using the major pentatonic, a pull-off (Ooo-er missus) from the C# to the B (so that you hit the B on the 'one' of the first bar) is quite a nice way to start a solo in E. Similarly a bend from the F# to G#. 

    B. Try using the 4th position minor pentatonic (you'll often find Clapton using it). IMHO  it probably lends itself to bends more readily than the other positions.

    C. Don't be afraid to leave space between licks or even between individual notes.  It's very easy to feel you have to be filling every available space but you really don't need to. See the examples in my previous post and embrace the space.
    I play guitar because I enjoy it rather than because I’m any good at it
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • StavrosStavros Frets: 328
    I love my brick
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14321
    Probably 3 issues:-
    A. I tend to always start a solo on the Root note ie E for blues in E 
    B. Bends don't come naturally
    C. Play too many notes when i need to play less (and make them count more)

    A - Start on other degrees of the scale. (i.e. Modes.) This is pretty common in horn-led Jazz and Blues.

    B - So, work at it. :)

    String bends need to ascend to (or descend from) a discernible pitch. From any given fret position, fret the note two semitones higher. Memorise that pitch. Then, from the initial given fret position, bend until you reach the target pitch. Once there, apply some finger vibrato. This will sustain the note and mask any pitch inaccuracy.

    Once you have the hang of that, try downward release bends. Pre-bend to a raised pitch. Gradually release to the fretted note.

    Some B. B. King licks involve fractional bends. Very slight sharpening at the beginning of a note to provide emphasis - not unlike singing. (Which brings me to ...)

    C - Have something to say. Some famous Blues guitarists have likened guitar phrasing to speech. 
    Be seeing you.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • jpfampsjpfamps Frets: 2723
    Probably 3 issues:-
    A. I tend to always start a solo on the Root note ie E for blues in E 
    B. Bends don't come naturally
    C. Play too many notes when i need to play less (and make them count more)
     

    A) Try starting /targetting chord tones other than the root note. The 3rd (G# of an E chord) is a good option. Even better try playing the b3 (G) leading to the thirds at the start of a phrase.

    B) Early blues players, eg T-Bone Walker don't use a lot of string bending (probably because they were using fairly heavy flatwound strings), so don't worry about this now. The early players used 1/4 tone bends and slides.

    C) Listening to great players helps.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • LewyLewy Frets: 4124
    I think the single biggest thing a person can do to improve their blues lead playing is to practice hearing a phrase in their head and then playing it on the instrument. All the great blues guys knew exactly how what they were about to play was going to sound before they played it. That’s why their phrasing was so good...because it came from beyond the muscle memory and familiar shapes.  None of this feeling their way around and letting their fingers lead the way. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    Have a search for Chuck D'Aloia's Blues with Brains course - its excellent. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Play the changes!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • vizviz Frets: 10643
    Check out Jazz Blues as your next thing
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • the issue I have is with my picking hand. I can play blues rhythms well, I understand blues chords, theory and scales. when I actually try to play notes from the blues scale, it doesn't sound bluesy. the active melody lesson, like all lessons, focus on notes, scales, but what should we be doing with the picking hand? are guitarist thinking polyrhythms? shuffle? it be great to get some info on how players apply lead blues with the picking hand 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.