Recently jammed with a guy, said he wanted me to play some blues (especially delta) with him. He played all sorts of stuff with irregular chord structures and unusual (to me) timings. Every thing from Led Zep ('So fine')to Donovan ('Try and catch the wind') to Bob Dylan. Not one shuffle, triplet or standard twelve bar amongst them. I couldn't play with it.
Byron Bay just wrapped up its annual Blues festival. The headliner was John Fogerty, The lineup included Donovan, Ska band the Specials, Earth Wind and Fire, Crosby Stills and Nash, Angelique Kudjo, Cold Chisel, and another Ska band just to name a few. The only Band that I would recognise as a Blues Band was the Backsliders.
None of these artists really strike me as blues oriented. I am just pedantic, with a limited concept of what is Blues, or is the term used very very loosely these days?
No you're not being pedantic at all. This problem with "blues" festivals has been going on for years. Generally speaking the organisers don't have the faintest idea of what "blues" is. They are simply money orientated promoters who will book any band that an agency tells them is good and that comes at the right price. Agencies will often promote a band as any style of music simply to get the booking. That means that they get their booking fee then.
I have often encountered the "will you play on this bluesy number with me" mentality at jam sessions. Many players often seem to think that any song that has a seventh chord in it or is slow and moody is a "blues" song or is "bluesy". Of course the reality is so much farther from the truth.
If you are playing Delta style blues, a lot of it is one or two chords and it does not have a 12 bar structure. Also, it is much more likely to use a minor pentatonic scale than a blues scale. AND you've got to be able hit and control the 3 hole half step and 2 hole whole step second position bends since those tend to be important melody notes, but you can slur into them.
Standard blues licks don't necessarily work. The trick is to work off a minor pentatonic scale and nail the 2 and 3 hole bends. Delta blues IS blues, but it does have irregular chord structures and unusual timing AND you have to create that groove--unlike Chicago blues, there's no propulsive groove that will carry you along.
Last Edited by on Apr 09, 2012 4:39 AM
@hvyi yes I know what you mean, but this guy wasn't playing one or two chords, it was more like four or five, and I suspect he was using some pretty fancy jazz scales. It sounded brilliant, but wasn't delta by any definition except that it had unusual timing and was played on a vintage dobro with an amazing tone. ---------- Lucky Lester
Last Edited by on Apr 09, 2012 4:59 AM
@didjcripey: Try running a minor pentatonic scale from the top down repeatedly along with the tune and in time until you find the groove then, space it out a little once you acquire the feel. You may be surprised what you can do with material like this if you approach it that way. But you CAN"T play standard blues licks.
Minor pentatonic scale, second position from the top down: 6B 7D 4D 4B 3D* 3B/2D. You can throw in 2D** at the bottom every now and then for variety. But be sure to hit 3D* and 2D** ON PITCH.
EDIT: Your post re: 4-5 chord changes wasn't visible when i posted this.
Last Edited by on Apr 09, 2012 5:38 AM
No, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Catch the Wind and most Dylan songs aren't blues, but they're all simple enough harmonically that it shouldn't be too hard to find something to play.
I don't think there's anything wrong asking the guy for ideas of what to play either.
I'm with you guys on blues festivals hiring bands that are not blues. The organizers don't know and some bands think if they play Roadhouse or a couple of slow, sad songs that is blues and they promote it as such.
Some use the word blues because it goes well with brews and/or BBQ. Sometimes the music, whether blues or not, plays 3rd fiddle to the other two.
"I don't think there's anything wrong asking the guy for ideas of what to play either.'
I agree! There's all kinds of stuff that got called during one jam or another that I thought I couldn't play until I asked or was given a suggestion about how to go about it.
