I find I've been spoiled in my last band by being surrounded by quality musicians. I have recently moved to a new area and trying to hook up with some decent musos, and I tell you what, they are hard to come by. Some tell me they have been playing blues for decades, but from my perspective they haven't learned the basics yet, like the feel of a particular number, and how to pull back when necessary, how to give the song character and some light and shade. Geez, I'm feeling pretty frustrated at the moment.
I know your pain. It seems to me that so many 'musicians' seem to think that playing blues, simply means playing 7th chords and noodling endlessly on a pentatonic scale. Whilst filling every corner of every moment of every bar with noise. Phrasing, playing in the groove, playing with feeling, knowing when to laying out, all seem to completely elude many of the 'blues' players I know.
When you question them about who they listen to and learn from. It usually transpires that they've listened to a bit of Clapton, SRV and Gallagher once upon a time. They have little knowledge of chord inversions and even less of rhythm playing. If you mention 9th's, 6th's and 13th's to them. They usually look at you like you're from Mars and glaze over.
What's even worse is that more often than not harmonica players are even worse in their knowledge of blues music and how to play music as part of the band.
Last Edited by Kingley on Dec 30, 2015 11:58 AM
Kingley says it all in a nutshell but I should add that many times you see too many musicians concentrating far too much on soloing and not enough on getting down the groove and feel right, which tends to be FAR more difficult thing to learn than the soloing part. To me, that concern only about soloing is basically nothing but jam hack mentality and I've got no patience for musicians like that at all. In open jams, unfortunately, that's what you tend to find there. Some areas are gonna be tougher than others to find the right musicians and that's a fact of life. You may have to do a bit of scouting for yourself. From a bandleader's standpoint, one has to be paying attention to every minute detail of what's happening 24/7/365 and be fully aware of what you want out of each and every musician and what ever the instrument they play does and never put up with jam hack crap ever. Lots of musicians, just like people applying for a job, can talk a blue streak saying they're on top of everything, but too often when it comes to proof in the pudding, it's an entirely different story and when I audition any musician regardless of what the instrument may be that I'm auditioning, I have them play at least 20 different basic blues grooves and listen VERY intently at EVERY little thing they do and NOT just the solos (jam hacks ONLY pay attention to solos) and see if what they're doing fits with what you're looking for and if they don't fit, out they go and don't waste a single minute on them and too often if you hear them say they can learn anything real quick and however you want it to be, 9 times out of 10, that ain't gonna be happening anytime soon. ---------- Sincerely, Barbeque Bob Maglinte Boston, MA http://www.barbequebob.com CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
On the flip side you have some fresh green tomatoes that you can help to ripen into something interesting. Let's face it, 95% of the blues sound these days is just generic overworked academic cliches at best. Use their naïveté to blossom something new. ----------
Agree, agree. A good blues musicians knows how play simple parts that work within the groove. Too many people mess it up by noodling around or playing too busy. It is a jam mentality, to be sure.
And Kingley is 100% right that harmonica players are often the worst. I think this is because it is extremely difficult to hit bad notes on the harmonica (especially in 2nd position). Guitar players, bass players, keyboard players, they all have to learn basic music theory. Harmonica has a pretty low entry point and many people don't educate themselves beyond that.
Sorry to hear it, Leatherlips. You can educate those guys. Or maybe look around for jazz musicians? They're less likely to be theory-averse. ---------- Marc Graci YouTube Channel
yup, everytime I read or think or sentiments like this, I tell my bandmates how happy that we are playing together. I can't add much more than has been said.
I was doing pretty well some 14 years ago and decided to move closer to the delta, from Texas to Arkansas. Little did I know how much smaller the scene was here and the prevailing attitudes were so very different. I have found some great musicians here but for the most part, in a year and change, I will not much regret moving on. In the intervening years I did a few different projects and finally decided to stick with my wife as partner and do the duo thing primarily. And I am one lucky SOB, that she has dedicated herself to being such a great guitarist, singer, and co-writer.
She has just a bit of desire to do some solo stuff at some point, mostly she is doing rhythm and lets me shine. In 10 or so years she has become the best partner I ever had in 40 odd years of playing. 20 of that with various bands and duos both here and back in Texas.
She knew a few chords when we began and she has learned so much. She's much more a musician than I am I think.
I learned early on too, long before I moved here, if you get the chance to lead a band, you had better be a good leader and a good diplomat, and also you may have to find middle ground or make hard decisions about who you work with. I gave up the volume war some years ago and sold off my big amp. My stage will have reasonable volume or changes will be made. We occasionally bring in a drummer or percussion guy, and a bassist. We pick guys who go with the flow we set. Our last cd was a pleasure to record with a couple of pros. They matched volume with us and not the other way around.
If you are a front guy, YOU set the volume and tone and tempo. You may get to teach if you are with willing mates. I have pointed out many times how the guys like Muddy, Cotton, Walters, Jimmy Reed, all kept the volume reasonable and the drummers seldom had giant kits and nobody had 100 watt amps. The guys who pick up on that and adopt the philosophy of low volume, great tone, great chops are the winners.
Good on you SuperBee. I shot most of this video over a year ago with my old band The Moonshine Run. Loved working with them, but life moves on and so did my address. I'm not the leader in the electric band I have just joined by the way, but I do feel I have some influence, so when the time is right, I will try and make changes without appearing arrogant.
Similar experience for me, in a new area. There are decent players but blues players have been non-existent. My only available response has been a major shift in playing a whole lot of other things. I've always had a knack for different genres and the challenge has been a great jump start for my skill set. Tom Petty harp parts are a great reminder of what's important, Billie Jean, as it turns out, is a seriously cool romp, Al Green will test the limits of limited and really studying Keith Richards guitar parts is an adventure in notes placed in just the right places. The lead in Sympathy for the Devil, in 3rd, is all there and serious fun...
That said, last night, blues happened. The one open mic that exists here was rambling through good-quirky-what the hell- (I sat in on one song, JJ Cale Magnolia, familiar, acoustic, pretty). Later a guy I didn't recognize asks me to sit in on some blues. This venue's rules are 3 songs only, it's a great rule. He said Otis Rush. I said, ok. It was correct, all the dynamics, subtleties, character and pure passion that is blues. After it was over, and this is the actual point of my post, lots of people who had heard me play many times were emphatic about it being the best they had ever heard me play. I smile and say thank you. Meanwhile, I'm reminded of how much I miss it, the fact is that bonifide blues is the exception. I sure wish I had it more often.
Last Edited by Littoral on Dec 31, 2015 6:15 AM
Littoral, I was forced to play many styles with The Moonshine Run including country, rock, reggae and punk which certainly stretched my playing capacity. Yes, it's a good thing to step outside your comfort zone from time to time and expand yourself.
