Zadozica
24 posts
Mar 10, 2011
11:25 AM
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So I have gotten to the point where I can somewhat improvise a rhythm in 2nd postion and move off that for some variation. As I play, I wonder if what I am playing is a blues tune or not and that got me thinking "how does one know"?
How does one know you are playing a blues or something else or just nonsense?
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bluemoose
484 posts
Mar 10, 2011
12:13 PM
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You'll know it's blues if your back ain't got no bone.
(Or possibly if it follows any of the many blues chord progressions...and your dog won't look at you.)
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7LimitJI
414 posts
Mar 10, 2011
1:25 PM
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If you enjoy it,then its not nonsense.
The majority of blues songs follow the blues progression or a variation of it.
If you don't know what that is, Google it.
There's lots and lots of info regarding it on the net.
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pistolero
94 posts
Mar 10, 2011
1:30 PM
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It's like porn, it's hard to actually define, but you know it when you see (hear) it.
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It's MUSIC, not just complicated noise.
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nacoran
3878 posts
Mar 10, 2011
2:02 PM
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Blues will tend to have a flatted 3rd and often be 12 bar.
Here is another, little bit longer explanation:
JT30.com
Look up blues scale and 12 bar. :) If you can play the blues scale in 2nd position and count 12 bar that's basic blues.
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AirMojo
123 posts
Mar 10, 2011
2:39 PM
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Awhile ago, I was listening to "The Mills Brothers" recording of "Yellow Bird" (ever been to Bermuda ? Very popular song and there are big yellow birds that look like the common Blue Jay "way up in bananna tree")...
Anyway, I started playing it (Key of E, A harp in 2nd position)... is it blues ? Not really, its "calypso" or "Jamaican" or whatever...
Playing a diatonic harp, you need to find the missing notes (the bent notes), and that makes it sound "bluesy", and its such a cool song... doesn't matter what you call it, as long as you like to play it...
You should see the look on my wife's face when I belt out "YELLOW BIRD... UP HIGH IN BANANNA TREE !!!". She smiles... we had our honeymoon in Bermuda... look forward to going back someday...
Last Edited by on Mar 10, 2011 2:41 PM
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eharp
1182 posts
Mar 10, 2011
3:46 PM
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it's blues if you call it blues.
"that was pretty good. what do you call that?"
"noodling in Bb........blues."
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Kyzer Sosa
956 posts
Mar 10, 2011
9:11 PM
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im not sure i really understand the question. how do you know youre playing the blues? (scratches head) nope, still confused. elaborate.
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LittleJoeSamson
508 posts
Mar 10, 2011
9:38 PM
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Flatted 5's and 7's. I know one player that played with a half-step flat harp for everything and sounded great.
He never told me ( not on the little blue marble anymore ), but think he used flat key harps, and sharpened the 1, 2, 4, 6 draws . Like Blind Owl did.
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colman
35 posts
Mar 12, 2011
12:35 PM
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field hollers started it,singing chants,african modal
tones.then it mixed with some european harmony.then you got chords for folk songs etc.,mostly major chords and singing a blues scale over that.than it branched out into,street blues, jazz and gospel still with that vocal tone.so look what we got now...have fun...
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Stevelegh
85 posts
Mar 12, 2011
1:08 PM
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Repeating the first line of the verse......
With expression.
Heheh..
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jawbone
423 posts
Mar 12, 2011
2:44 PM
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You also need a woman that makes a good man go bad - I find that helps.
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If it ain't got harp - it ain't really blues!!!!
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