Eight Bar Blues and the Turnaround
The simple form of music called the Blues has blossomed over the decades into a staple for nearly anyone who listens to music. It is a difficult task to find someone who actually will not listen to the Blues these days, especially when times are tough. The good news is that listening to the blues can be only part of what you do with your spare time; you can start blues guitar lessons.
Getting into a good blues guitar lesson program is the simplest road to learning to play as the greats did and do, and learning how to create your own blues numbers for your edification and others' entertainment. Part of this instruction will be to learn the many styles of blues. Twelve bar blues is the most popular, having roots from the very beginning of this wonderful music style.
An eight bar blues lesson should come with the entire instruction, and learning about the blues turnaround is essential for understanding the dynamics of playing blues guitar. This form of playing the blues is not as used today, but should be noted that one of the most popular blues singles to come out on print was "Worried Life Blues", by Major "Big Maceo" Merriweather in the 1940's. This hit has repeatedly been the inspiration for many eight bar blues styles that have come since.
We must look at "Heartbreak Hotel", as performed by Elvis Presley. That song is an eight bar blues setup, and was outrageously popular. It follows that this style of blues is important to learn, so your blues guitar instruction should have this in the format. It is much simpler than twelve bar blues in that the repeating chords can be mixed and matched to suit what you are trying to play.
But do not stop there...as long as you follow the eight bar rules of play you can use any chords that sound good to you, and can be versatile as much as your creativity inspires. You blues lessons course should include tablature to follow the standard mode of play and the standard chords in this method to make learning easier. Your blues guitar instructor should be well versed and experienced in finger-style and strumming methods, as they are used throughout the blues experience.
The turnaround is one of the most used tools in blues guitar. A turnaround is the piece of played music that sets up, or introduces the next bit of music. For example, in twelve bar blues played in a minor pentatonic scale, after the lyrics are sung for the first stanza, there will be a bridge of minor chords turned into major chords. This sets up tension for the introduction of the next stanza of lyrics, and puts a twist in the music for the listener to appreciate.
A written example of this would be: E7---E7---E7---E7
A7---A7---B7---A7
The Turnaround-> E7---A7---B7---E7
...And then onto the rest of the song. This is an oversimplified example, but as you see the chord changes, you can see how the turnaround can lead into the next stanza of a blues number.
Blues guitar instruction from a teacher who has the experience to help you develop these skills will be worth the price to pay, especially when he or she can teach every method and nuance involved in blues guitar playing. Just think, a great blues guitar lesson just may be your giant leap in to a world of music that moves you, and where you in turn can move your listeners.
The simple form of music called the Blues has blossomed over the decades into a staple for nearly anyone who listens to music. It is a difficult task to find someone who actually will not listen to the Blues these days, especially when times are tough. The good news is that listening to the blues can be only part of what you do with your spare time; you can start blues guitar lessons.
Getting into a good blues guitar lesson program is the simplest road to learning to play as the greats did and do, and learning how to create your own blues numbers for your edification and others' entertainment. Part of this instruction will be to learn the many styles of blues. Twelve bar blues is the most popular, having roots from the very beginning of this wonderful music style.
An eight bar blues lesson should come with the entire instruction, and learning about the blues turnaround is essential for understanding the dynamics of playing blues guitar. This form of playing the blues is not as used today, but should be noted that one of the most popular blues singles to come out on print was "Worried Life Blues", by Major "Big Maceo" Merriweather in the 1940's. This hit has repeatedly been the inspiration for many eight bar blues styles that have come since.
We must look at "Heartbreak Hotel", as performed by Elvis Presley. That song is an eight bar blues setup, and was outrageously popular. It follows that this style of blues is important to learn, so your blues guitar instruction should have this in the format. It is much simpler than twelve bar blues in that the repeating chords can be mixed and matched to suit what you are trying to play.
But do not stop there...as long as you follow the eight bar rules of play you can use any chords that sound good to you, and can be versatile as much as your creativity inspires. You blues lessons course should include tablature to follow the standard mode of play and the standard chords in this method to make learning easier. Your blues guitar instructor should be well versed and experienced in finger-style and strumming methods, as they are used throughout the blues experience.
The turnaround is one of the most used tools in blues guitar. A turnaround is the piece of played music that sets up, or introduces the next bit of music. For example, in twelve bar blues played in a minor pentatonic scale, after the lyrics are sung for the first stanza, there will be a bridge of minor chords turned into major chords. This sets up tension for the introduction of the next stanza of lyrics, and puts a twist in the music for the listener to appreciate.
A written example of this would be: E7---E7---E7---E7
A7---A7---B7---A7
The Turnaround-> E7---A7---B7---E7
...And then onto the rest of the song. This is an oversimplified example, but as you see the chord changes, you can see how the turnaround can lead into the next stanza of a blues number.
Blues guitar instruction from a teacher who has the experience to help you develop these skills will be worth the price to pay, especially when he or she can teach every method and nuance involved in blues guitar playing. Just think, a great blues guitar lesson just may be your giant leap in to a world of music that moves you, and where you in turn can move your listeners.
Keep On Jammin',
Blues Guitar Lesson
© Copyright 2009 - The Blues Guitarist.com
These Blues Guitar Lesson Courses will let you
Play Like the Legends
B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn!!
Play Like the Legends
B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn!!
Jammin' with the Sitting Easy Blues
Can you Play a Kick Ass Blues Solo Using Only 4 Notes?!?
Discover how to solo effortlessly in any key anywhere on the guitar fretboard.
Know when and how to play the major versus the minor blues sound.
Know what scales to use, in what key, and when, without any unnecessary theory.
... and more!
Know when and how to play the major versus the minor blues sound.
Know what scales to use, in what key, and when, without any unnecessary theory.
... and more!
Griff Hamlin has authored two awesome courses here . He recently gave me a chance to get a preview of his new programs, and I have to admit they are of top quality..
As a guitar player myself, I have been getting gold nuggets out of just one of his bonus blues guitar lessons! Check out the video above, he plays an awesome solo using only four notes!
As a guitar player myself, I have been getting gold nuggets out of just one of his bonus blues guitar lessons! Check out the video above, he plays an awesome solo using only four notes!
Here are some other things that Griff will teach you:
