In today’s video we’re going to talk about how to play the blues with more feeling…
Now, obviously, I can’t make you feel more or less – that’s not really what we’re talking about.
Nor am I going to tell you to ride more freight trains and have more pain and sorrow in your life – again, no one can teach you that.
But even if you had 50 years or more of experience to draw from, that wouldn’t help you get it out through your guitar any better. You have to have both. And I think most of you watching this video have plenty that you want to say, and just need some help making it sing. So that’s where we’re heading.
Now, there are 3 things that will GREATLY impact the feel of what you play – and not a one of these things will require you to learn anything new (like a new chord or a new scale.)
I’m assuming that you can already play a minor pentatonic or blues scale, and in fact, I’m not even going to talk about using sounds outside of that scale. Sure, playing the major blues sound or a mode will change the feel… but in my experience, those things don’t have nearly the impact that these 3 things will
And those 3 things are:
1. Timing – how your notes fall in the groove
2. Attack – how you strike each note
3. Phrasing – how long or short your phrases are, and how you space them apart.
And in case you don’t want to write down all of the ways you can attack a note:
1. Palm Muting
2. Sliding Into a note
3. bending into a note
4. sliding down to a note
5. Pre-bend and release to a note
6. raking down
7. raking up
8. slurs (hammer ons and pull offs)
9. Tremolo Picking – not necessarily super fast, as fast as makes sense
10. Picked vs. Finger Snap
11. Artificial Harmonics – topic for another video but certainly another option
There’s a lot of good stuff to play with here… so get on it!
Download this video HERE
43 replies to "How To Play Blues With More Feeling"
LOVE THIS LESSON…..I play by ear mostly…still learning that counting thing but I get lost in the groove of the ZONE…..LOVE to get into it….
“The Phrasing Is Gone”… isn’t that an old BB King song?
Phrasing is still my biggest challenge… getting it right so it emotes “feeling.” Listening to the great players, they are all about phrasing… timing and attack seem to fall into place for me when my phrasing emotes feelings. To the listener that doesn’t know what blues is all about i.e they say “i don’t know much about blues but I know what I like” and what gets them to “like” what they hear is a catchy phrasing.. what just sounds right… emoting feeling. I would like to see lesson(s) concentrated on phrasing as a ‘stand alone” issue. Phrasing makes or breaks it. A good example to demonstrate what I am babbling about is compare a BB King example like Thrill is Gone… with a Stevie Ray Vaughan rendition of Crossfire… King is all about “phrasing” to get you into his camp. Stevie Ray is all about showmanship.. with his mastery of fret board gymnastics playing a lot of notes. Both are talents I’d like to own… phrasing for King is center stage, phrasing for Vaughan is secondary to his skilled plsying But what do I know, I am still a wanna bee blues player with feeling… LOL.
Think of a phrase, a short statement maybe. Daft as it sounds I came across one recently which was.
I like Pizza.
How many ways can you say..I like Pizza?
Play it in how ever many ways you can say it.
Then the response.
I like pizza too
How many ways can you say i like Pizza too?
And play it?
Use your bends, hammer ons, vibratos etc..just don’t over do it too much.
Sometimes humming it helps, or sing it.
Or think of another phrase, almost anything will do. I like roses, do you? Then the response do you like roses or not? Keep them short and simple to start with.
Phrasing is just the same as speech.. you’re just using an instrument instead, unless you’re a singer. In which case your voice is your instrument.
Griff, now I’m all about a nice slow cooked brisket, but I’m guessing your vegetarian followers are a bit queasy after 25 minutes of a smoke house image infiltrating their focus on your lesson.
Thanks for the lesson. Food for thought.
I think that this is really important because it helped me understand what makes up blues more than anything else I’ve come across.
Thank you for laying your magic on me, once again, Griff.
Excellent lessons, it does give me “food for thought “. I use to think you have to fill every measure with notes…., that was my tendency but after listening to this it clears up some things for me in so far as soloing goes. Thanks Griff, this lesson really helps.
Alexander
Excellent lessons, it does give me “food for thought “. I use to think you have to fill every measure with a notes…., that was my tendency but after listening to this it clears up some things for me in so far as soloing goes. Thanks Griff, this lesson really helps.
Alexander
You put across a lot of great ways to change stuff up. Lots of great ideas . Some I already use in my playing. The guitar is a very wonderful instrument. Every now and then I discover something that sounds great. Adding to what I know is priceless . I can say that most jams I have in my home something new happens that i have never known before. That`s what I love about guitar Thanks for the lesson Griffin. Hope You had a good 48th B day .
I really enjoy all your emails its how i start my day. I feel like any guitar player who is missing out is really missing a lot. Happy birthday and thank you i did take avantage of the discount. I have been using your lessons for 9 years now im getting there haha take care hope you read this. bstrings62@gmail
Details. The flavor and personal communication is in the details. Excellent collection of techniques.
Griff this lesson was SO helpful! Great ideas and I finally understand what is meant by a prenote bend! 🙂
Thank for all you do my friend!
Great lesson Griff! It’s just where I’m at with my playing trying to add sugar and spice! Great advice to slow down and not try and cover every single bar which is what I am guilty of at the moment.
Easy to follow and great knowledge – Thanks once again
Hi Griff, I LOVE the groove in that first 26 seconds when you are soloing. Is there a Jam Track of that backing? Even just that one chorus, and we students could loop it and play away!
Cheers from Australia, ChrisG.
superb lesson on the real tactics of guitar articulation of how and why
One thing I learned from this video is that you do not have to be fast to play well. I was always intimidated when Griff plays, thinking I should be as fast. Thanks for bringing that up.
Thanks Griff….glad you addressed the ‘breathing’ aspect…working on that now…adding this to my (ever growing) list. John.
Thanks alot Griff , that was an awesome video and very helpful . It is just what the Dr. ordered and what I really want to improve on getting more soulful. I have ordered some of your instructional videos and have learned alot from them . You are great player, thanks for what you do man .
Wow, as everyone above has stated, this was a big help. I knew most of the things you talked about, but really didn’t have a good name for them. It inspired more ways to practice and also made me realize where I needed to work harder.
It’s a lot of fun to learn with you Griff!
Thanks
Intrepid Traveler
Great teaching style, it really helps. Thanks Griff!
Great video! thanks
Hi, great lesson! I’ve been wondering about those tricks that BB and other blues players use to get that sound…Now I see its usually 3 or 4 tricks in the attack used to get it. This video is an excellent reference point! You explain it and I get to see it in SLOW MO:)
Timing,attack,phrasing.Put your self on this three things and you got your self a blues player.I think this lesson is the soul of blues.Thank you for share this with us.(forgive my english)
Good stuff. Thanks!
Fabulous video!
I read somewhere that the bars hold the tiger, the space between the bars hold the music.great video Griff, I won’t forget it. Thanks B-)
Great lesson, I will refer to this one often.
Thank you Griff
Griffin, excellent lesson!
Great vidio Griff couldn’t wait to have a go Thanks
This lesson is very important for students and often overlooked by instuctors. Great clip as usual!
Currently, I’m working thorough the 4 Note Solo course. It has helped me do something I couldn’t do – play a short solo that makes sense. And this video is great reinforcement.
Thanks.
Mystery solved. “Playing something fast has a tendency to homogenize the timing, attack, and phrasing.” You’ve just explained why so many rock/metal guitarists I’ve watched never seem to breathe any emotion into their playing. Fast, yes; real emotion, no. Speed by itself is very one-dimensional.
Excellent reminder of all the arrows available in a blues guitar player’s musical quiver. This video should be required viewing for anyone who wants to attempt to play the blues. Before bar cords, licks, etc we newbs need to understand what makes the blues music we enjoy listening to “bluesy,” and this video does just that.(Maybe it can go in BGU 3!)
Thanks Griff!
Hi Griff, great point, we get so caught up with learning everything else and forget about the emotions. It makes me recall from classical guitar comparing Julian Bream with Christopher Parkening. Julian’s playing was full of emotion while Christopher, more technically correct, lacked the feeling. Thanks for the reminder.
See comment below …
Hey Griff, Great stuff, I need to save this and watch often.
Thanks
Nice lesson Griff, been an acoustic player for thirty years , get up my first jam the drummers yells I’m taking up to much space.
Now a year on electric , and some great comping , little chords ,( I’m to scared to go on the E and A strings ) lessons from you I’m getting his drift.
Dave, yes! Oddly, even their names; ‘Christopher Parkening sounds staunch and ordered, disciplined, while the sound,.. ‘Julian Bream flows, wanders, and explores.
Gaz …, do you know Ed Gazabat ?
Cheers Griff
For the tips 😎🎶
Great lesson Griff! It’s just where I’m at with my playing trying to add sugar and spice! Great advice to slow down and not try and cover every single bar which is what I am guilty of at the moment.
Easy to follow and great knowledge – Thanks once again.
Great advice Griff
Got alot out of this lesson
great video…shows what makes the real difference(s)…and creating your own “style”…thanks…later.
cowboy