Basic F blues improv

[DawgBone]

+1
BB King-perfect sense of the blues!

He was just trying to copy his hero T-Bone. Gotta say he did a pretty good job regardless of whether he sounds like T-Bone or not!

[Peter C]

How one plays a line can be more important than the notes in it,

That's right on the money, absolutely sine qua non; then you can start adding the other stuff. See Robben Ford.

[Peter C]

Assuming you're a pretty good blues-blues player (usually a safe assumption),

That's quite an assumption John.

[John A.]

He was just trying to copy his hero T-Bone. Gotta say he did a pretty good job regardless of whether he sounds like T-Bone or not!

On his early records, yes. But his style evolved into something distinctly different. 1963 BB is very different from 1953 BB.

That's quite an assumption John.

Consistent with my experience, though obviously with exceptions. Starting with blues and evolving toward jazz is a very common path for guitarists.

[Peter C]

Consistent with my experience, though obviously with exceptions. Starting with blues and evolving toward jazz is a very common path for guitarists.

Yeah, so the fact that one dabbled in it at the beginning then decided that it was too musically limiting (understandable), doesn't mean one attained any particular level; you're still going to sound like someone aimlessly noodling those 5 notes. In fact, it's a real challenge to squeeze something listenable and dynamically engaging out of them. I don't play that stuff much any more, unless asked, but sometimes, those that knock it actually can't do it convincingly. Maybe someone should start a "post your blues chops" challenge thread

[kris]

Good idea - playing straight blues in a bluesy way - not jazz.
I played a few jam sessions with blues musicians not too long ago...good fun.

[John A.]

Yeah, so the fact that one dabbled in it at the beginning then decided that it was too musically limiting (understandable), doesn't mean one attained any particular level; you're still going to sound like someone aimlessly noodling those 5 notes. In fact, it's a real challenge to squeeze something listenable and dynamically engaging out of them. I don't play that stuff much any more, unless asked, but sometimes, those that knock it actually can't do it convincingly. Maybe someone should start a "post your blues chops" challenge thread

Ok let me put it another way: most of the jazz guitarists I know got started with blues or bluesy rock, and were pretty good at it. A lot of what makes one pretty good at it (especially phrasing and articulations) are transferable to jazz blues playing. OP said he actually didn’t start that way, so I said (in the context of OP trying to use the simplicity of blues note-choices as a jumping-off point for jazz blues playing), BB is a good starting point for that.

[kris]

Ok let me put it another way: most of the jazz guitarists I know got started with blues or bluesy rock, and were pretty good at it. A lot of what makes one pretty good at it (especially phrasing and articulations) are transferable to jazz blues playing. OP said he actually didn’t start that way, so I said (in the context of OP trying to use the simplicity of blues note-choices as a jumping-off point for jazz blues playing), BB is a good starting point for that.

+1
This is how I started my adventure with the guitar... with simple blues.

[DawgBone]

+1
This is how I started my adventure with the guitar... with simple blues.

That's how I started my adventure and that's how I'm ending it. It's simple to get started but even a lifetime doesn't equal mastery. The mechanics of the playing can be very difficult plus between passing tones, chord tones, extensions, major and minor pentas and other possible scale choices combined with non standard chorus lengths etc there is several hundred years of new ideas and music to be offered. It's a language unto itself that unfortunately has been watered and dumbed down by clueless consumers and entry level guitar hero types.

[John A.]

That's how I started my adventure and that's how I'm ending it. It's simple to get started but even a lifetime doesn't equal mastery. The mechanics of the playing can be very difficult plus between passing tones, chord tones, extensions, major and minor pentas and other possible scale choices combined with non standard chorus lengths etc there is several hundred years of new ideas and music to be offered. It's a language unto itself that unfortunately has been watered and dumbed down by clueless consumers and entry level guitar hero types.

I play (and sing) blues (blended with bits and bobs of other things) and I play jazz. To me they’re complementary, not competing, and I wouldn’t be happy sticking to just one. I agree that many people mistake the surface simplicity of blues for it being easy and shallow, but there are worse things. At least they’re playing.