my blues lead playing doesn't sounds bluesy

finest1

hi all,

i got a bit of a sticking point.  i'm learning the blues. when it comes to the lead playing, its just not sounding "right".

i'll give u a quick background of my playing. i learnt and play hard rock and metal. so my rythm hand is usedl to playing 8th notes, and riffing etc.

so in learning the blues this is what i;ve learnt and comfortable playing:

rythym shuffle
the concept of chord progressions and the different variations
blues scales, pentatonic scales, BB king box shape

so i would say learning blues rythm came easy and i've got it.

now, when i play leads, i know all the blues scales, but the lead playing doesn't exacty sound 8th notes, nor does it sound blues shuffle or swing.

what should i be thinking to get it sound "right"

thanks

sweepy

Slow down and practice string bends, double stops and vibrato, the concept of "space" is very different in blues compared to rock imho

pintspiller

Yes. Don't play fast unless you think you Gary Moore.

Loads of minor thirds and blue notes

close2u

http://www.justinguitar.com/en/BL-000-Blues.php

ToneControl

play along to some blues singers' vocal lines

bluechargeboy

ToneControl said:

play along to some blues singers' vocal lines

Agreed, or sing/whistle some lines and play them as you do so.

I read that when Gary Moore was morphing into a bluesman he tried to completely stop using his little finger so he didn't get carried away!

sev112

Don't use a plectrum / pick for a while when practising. - that completely changes how you approach your instrumentals 

mgaw

ToneControl said:

play along to some blues singers' vocal lines

.....that will do it

tone1

Try tuning to E flat..it just sounds more chilled for blues.
For inspiration I'll listen to some Blues..I love Clapton's 'From the Cradle' or some old rare Hendrix tunes 

axisus

Has your woman not done you bad n' all?

Barney

Try using just 2 strings at a time and work on phrasing timing and short ideas....do it with B&E strings G&B ect ...and do it through all the pentatonic shapes ...then work on to 3 strings at a time ...ect ...also try 2 strings but with a gap ...like G&E strings for example... also listen to a lot of blues....

EricTheWeary

Depends a bit on what you mean by blues. However, the basis of blues is call and response. If you are listening to BB King you want to listen to the interplay of vocal and guitar more than the solos. The phrases in blues solos are typically shorter than in jazz or rock solos, often using space. Again, it's building that conversation.
Rock and pop players want to resolve everything whereas part of what we hear in blues is the tension created by the soloist being at odds with the harmony of the peice. Of course if you over do this then it sounds awful but bending between notes ( invariably between the minor and major thirds but almost anywhere) and playing 'wrong' notes ( playing a minor third or a flattened fifth over a major chord for example) and not (always) resolving it to the 'correct' note is part of that bluesy sound.
And just listen to loads of blues. I'd always recommend as much Freddie King as possible, he's probably the biggest influence on electric blues from the mid sixties onwards inasmuch as Clapton took about 90% of his style from him. I'd also say T Bone Walker, even though it doesn't sound that much like modern blues he was a huge influence on electric blues guitarists like Freddie, BB and Albert King and, therefore, indirectly on Clapton, Green, SRV, JoBo,etc,etc. A good dose of Chicago blues of course - Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Magic Sam, Otis Rush. Loads more...

ElectroDan

There's lots of good advice above.
Work on small phrases, get some swing into them and focus on making them sound great. All the best blues players had great Vibrato it's worth listening objectively to your own and improving it if it's not singing.
Following the chord changes over a twelve bar can make you sound a little more seasoned. there is a great exercise on JustinGuitar called the Arpeggiator to help you get started with that.
Another thing which someone mentioned earlier, is learning where/when to morph between the Maj and Min Pentatonics.
Throw in some quarter tone bends, a couple of cliches and a shot of Whisky. Instant Blues Superstar.

finest1

thanks for all your responses.

to add some more information. i was never a real blues player, ie, i never heard the blues and said i wanna play that. i grew up in the 80's so i was more rock based. as i've matured as a guitarist i wanted to start widening my ears and sound, and over the last few years have grown an appreciation for the blues. although very hard, it took me years to narrow a list of players that really excite me:

jimi hendrix (red house)
gary moore
SRV
billy gibbons

BB King obviously, but there's no way i'll reach that kind of level !!

basically anyone that can sound good on blues guitar! Eric Clapton never really captivated me, although i appreciate what he brought to the genre, it just isn't exciting enough as listening to BB King. but i don't really want this to be a post of who is better.

is there anything rythmically i need to be doing with my picking hand and thinking about in my mind's timing?

Barney

I think the picking hand is as important as the frettng hand ...probably in all music cos thats where all the dynamics and light and shade come from...theres a dfference between 2 or 3 notes just being played and 2 or 3 with expression ..a lot of that is from the right hand ...and to me thats for all music...also you can get great sounds from the thumb an fingers..

robinbowes

finest1 said:

jimi hendrix (red house)
gary moore
SRV
billy gibbons

Ok, here's your problem. You're listening to rock guitarists who were influenced by the blues. Do some research and find out who influenced those players then go and listen to them.

R.

RocknRollDave

Great post from @EricTheWeary ....I shall definitely be doing some homework based on those suggestions

ElectroDan

I grew up with 80's rock too. The rhythm tends to be more precise timing wise and less triplet like than some Blues stuff.
Listen to SRV's 'Pride and Joy' for instance. On paper that riff is straight forward enough. but when you get into the subtleties of how you hang out the upstrokes and how quickly you cut them off... The dynamic difference you can get into the various parts.
It's flirting around with the time rather than slavishly sticking to it that the greats seem to do effortlessly. Knowing instinctively when to rush or hang out a phrase... and of course the huge lingering bends with wailing Vibrato...
Most Blues Guys I like use double stops a lot too.

Plectrum

The best blues is rooted in the acoustic tradition. That includes a lot of the licks and phrases that Hendrix played. I suggest you spend time listening to as much old delta blues as you can find.

bluechargeboy

finest1 said:

BB King obviously, but there's no way i'll reach that kind of level !!

Bullshit! You'll never reach that kind of level ***if you've already decided that***.......!

Danny1969

I probably will never reach that weight