Much of rock and jazz guitar grew out of the blues, and it is one of the most rewarding places to start: a 12-bar shuffle is playable within weeks, and getting a single bent note to sound like the record can take years.
The 12-bar form
Most blues follows the 12-bar form: twelve bars built on the I, IV and V chords of the key, usually all played as dominant sevenths. In A, a common version runs A7 for four bars, D7 for two, A7 for two, then E7, D7, A7 and E7.
The last two bars hold the turnaround, a short figure that leads back to the top of the form. A quick change moves to the IV chord in bar two and back, which is common in slower blues.
Rhythm: the shuffle
The shuffle plays eighth notes long-short, based on a triplet, rather than evenly. On guitar the classic shuffle pattern alternates the fifth and sixth of each chord over the root on the low strings, the figure behind countless blues and early rock songs. Playing it steadily for twelve bars, and then for a whole song, is the first skill of blues rhythm guitar.
Scales and phrasing
- Minor pentatonic: five notes (1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7), the main source of blues melody, played in five shapes up the neck.
- Blues scale: the minor pentatonic plus the ♭5, often called the blue note.
- Major pentatonic and mixing the two: the brighter, country-tinged side of the blues sound.
- Bends: pushing a string sideways to raise its pitch, a half or whole step, and landing on the target pitch, not near it.
- Vibrato: a small, steady pitch variation on a held note; the player's signature as much as any lick.
- Call and response: one phrase answered by another, and leaving space between them.
Slide and acoustic blues
Slide is played with a glass or metal tube on a finger, gliding along the strings instead of pressing them down, often in open G or open D tuning. It is the sound of the resonator guitar, an acoustic with a metal cone in its body (see acoustic guitar types).
Acoustic blues fingerpicking keeps a steady alternating bass with the thumb while the fingers play the melody, so one guitar sounds like a small band. It connects directly to fingerstyle guitar.
Electric tone
Many classic electric blues sounds come from a guitar turned up into an amp just starting to break up, with the guitar's volume knob controlling how clean or gritty it gets. The amps guide explains why tube amps are prized for that.
Questions
Is blues good for beginners?
Yes. The 12-bar form uses three chords, and the minor pentatonic is the first scale most guitarists learn. It is easy to start and takes a long time to play really well.
Do I need an electric guitar for blues?
No. Acoustic blues, fingerpicked or played with a slide, is its own tradition. Bends are easier on an electric, with its lighter strings.
