Playing and Improvising Acoustic Blues - Doug …

1 Playing and Improvising Acoustic BluesDoug YoungAcoustic Blues Workshop Notesq= 96 Our goal is to be able to play a simple, but effective solo Blues guitar piece, hopefully with some improvisation. I'm assuming a little bit of basic knowledge and ability on the guitar. You are hopefully comfortable with basic chords. Some experience with fingerpicking isalso helpful, but it this is new to you, a simple Blues is a good place to start. Take your time,step through the examples, and have Started The first and most important element of Playing a good solo Blues piece is to be able to create a solid bass line. The bass line will provide a basic harmonic structure for the Blues ,but, more importantly, also provides the rhythm. Practice the first example on the next pageuntil you can feel a solid groove.

2 It helps to partially damp the strings with the heel of yourhand to get a more percussive sound. You can damp a little or a lot. Some Blues playersdampen the strings so much that you can't really hear the notes! In this case, the bass line isjust acting as a drum, and it doesn't even matter what notes you play. This can be useful if youare Playing something where it's hard to reach the right bass notes. But usually, a middle ground where you can hear the tonality but with a nice percussive thump to each note is thebest are many good keys for Playing Blues on the guitar. For now, we're going to stick to thekey of A, mostly because the 3 bass notes you need, A, D, and E are all on open strings, which is convenient. But as we go along, feel free to experiment with similar ideas in other keysOnce you can play the bass line, go on to the second example, adding chords on the first beatof each measure.

3 You can play the chords anywhere you like. Start with the suggested positionsand then try other chord voicings you may know. The important thing is to keep that bass linegoing at all times!The third example shows one alternate set of chords you can use. As you can see, you don't have to play full chords. This example plays just 2 notes out of each of the chords. Play withsliding into the chords, adding to vibrato, etc. These things are easier to do with simple2 note chords like fourth example introduces some rhythm in the chords. Again, this is an initial startingpoint. Try your own rhythms. The point is to be able to play a "rhythm guitar" part againstthe bass line, keeping them both going string and tight. If you're new to fingerpicking, this stepmay take a while.

4 Take you time before moving in A - First Steps Bass line for basic 12 bar Blues . Play with bass notes damped with heel of 0000000000000005 D00000000A000000009 E0000D0000A0000E00001 Adding harmony: play 1st position chords on the first beat of each D702120000212000A702223000022230009 E022100000D70212000A702223000E022100000 Doug Young, 2002 - GAC Bonus Night21 More Harmony Adding harmony: 2 note chords6frA70230000230000230000230005 5frD70120000120006frA70230000230009 7frE70340005frD70120006frA70230007frE703 40001 Adding a simple 02223 22230 022230 02223 22230 022230 02223 22230 022230 02223 22230 5 7frD707780 0778 7780 07780 0778 7780 A7022230 02223 22230 022230 02223 22230 9 9frE7099100 09910 99100 7frD707780 0778 7780 6frA76frA76frA7022230 02223 22230 3frE704340 0434 4340 Doug Young, 2002 - GAC Bonus Night3 TurnaroundsBy this point, you should be Playing a pretty solid rhythm and bass Blues .

5 You could use this to accompany yourself singing, or another player who is soloing. But things may be sounding a bitbland and not terribly interesting. So we're going to start adding a few little things to spice itup a important element of Blues is the turnaround. You can use turnarounds in many places, as intros,endings, even between chord changes. But the most common place is the last two bars of each turnaround is just an interesting lick that feels like it leads back to the beginning. If you were singinga Blues , you would probably sing four lines over the verse, but not sing over the turnaround (tho anythingis possible). The turnaround is where the accompanyment gets to play something a little the example turnaround on the next page, and then try to work them into the last 2 bars of your example shows one way, but you can play any of the turnarounds, along with whatever variations youhave come up with for the main section.

6 We'll look at more turnarounds later. For now, focus on being able to play a chorus, end with one of thesesimple turnarounds, and go right back into a new verse. Once you can do that, you should start reallysounding like your Playing a Blues !Doug Young, 2002 - GAC Bonus Night4 Turnarounds Simple descending chord turnaround008frA70989077807675frA06557fr F74236frE7 213 Alternate descending chord turnaround08frA70530320315frA0207frF7423 6frE7 213 Another descending chord turnaround05frA020054043A022F233E 2211 Blues with Turnarounds 6frA76frA70230 023 230 0230 023 230 0230 023 230 0230 023 230 5 5frD70120 012 120 0120 012 120 6frA70230 023 230 0230 023 230 9 7frE70340 034 340 5frD70120 012 120 008frA70989077807675frA06557frF74236frE7 213 Doug Young, 2002 - GAC Bonus Night5 Variations and Finger IndependenceNow would be a good point to work on adding more variations to the rhythm patterns of yourchord changes.

7 To do this, you need to be able to play with the right thumb and the fingersof your right hand working as independently as possible. Always keep that bass line thumpingaway, as you try to play other rhythms with your fingers. The examples on the next page areintended to help you play on different beats as well as suggest a few more possible rhythms to Young, 2002 - GAC Bonus Night61 Finger Independence2 A7052230 0 0 A7052230 02230 34 A705223022302230223 A705 02230 022356 A70022322302232230223223 A70223223 0223 0223 0223 223 78 A703022322322330223223223302232232233 A722322322322330002233000223300022330009 10 6frA72330005233000233000236frA73 00003023232330121212302323233121212 Doug Young, 2002 - GAC Bonus Night7 Bass Runs and FillsSomething that can add a lot of interest to your Blues Playing is a few well placed bass runs.

8 You can breakup the monotony of the straight bass line by adding little fills between almost any chord change. Addingbass runs requires a bit of concentration and focus. The important thing is to end on time and at the rigghtnote, so that is sounds like your line is taking you to the next chord change. The following page has examples of runs that move from A to D, D ot A, A, to E, and so on. Try this, and figure out some moreof your own. The example Blues shows how these can be worked these with some nice turnarounds at the end, and you should be sounding like a complete band!You're only missing a melody, which is what we will explore Young, 2002 - GAC Bonus Night8 Bass Line Runs Bass Run in A000034240000 Transition from D to AD00003A4240000 Bass Run in D000034240000 Transition from A to D A00003D4240000 From E to DE0 0003D4240 000 From A to EA0 0003E4240 0001 Blues with Bass Runs 0 36frA74240 023 23000 023 230034240 023 23000 023 230034245 5frD70 012 12000 012 120036frA74240 023 23000 023 230034249 7frE70 034 340034240 5frD7012 120034240 5frA70200540973A022F233E0221 Doug Young, 2002 - GAC Bonus Night9 Adding MelodyBy now, you've got a good solid Blues accompaniment happening.

9 Your rhythm's solid,you're Playing flashing sounding turnarounds, and throwing in bass runs wherever you that's missing from a complete Blues solo is a melody. Whether you want to play a complete stand-alone Acoustic guitar instrumental, or just throw in an instrumental break between sung verses, you need to be able to play the bass, rhythm, and a melody. Fortunately,you're already most of the way following examples show how to introduce a melody by simple adjustments to the chord shapes you been Playing . Blues melodies don't need to be complicated. It's oftenmore effective to play a simple line with conviction. Repetition is also good. The following examples use one idea, with with two parts, a"call and response", where you play a line and then echo it with a similar line that soundslike an "answer".

10 The same line is then transposed to the other keys. So you basicallyhave a melody that is just one simple lick, but moved around the can use this idea to keep some cohesiveness to your solo. Play a lick, and think of that as your main "statement". Now play a different lick. Now restate the original lick,over the IV chord instead of the I. Returning to the I chord, restate the lick again, or play a new one if you prefer. Now you're to the V chord, and the turn around. You're done! Awhole verse of the Blues as standalone there, it's a matter of how much you want to work into the solo. Learn severaldifferent licks that can work over all chords, add bass runs, use different turnarounds, and you canplay different variations endlessly. Experiment with the examples that followand see what you can Young, 2002 - GAC Bonus Night10 Adding Melody A lickA10A0225 223A700A0225A70223 000D lickD1 07frD07710 7787frD7007frD0771007frD7778 500 E lickE10E70300103 00 E204frE70434004344324321 Blues Instrumental #1 0 A0A7225 2230A lick0 A0225A70223 000 0 A0A7225 2230A lick0 A0225A70223 000 5 D lick0 7frD07710 7787frD70D lick0 7frD0771007frD7778 500 0 A0A7225 2230A lick7frAb7/A0 A0225A70223 000 9 E70 E lick0300103 00 0 1/2 D lick7frD07frD77710 77800 0 8frA709890878turnaround07676frG7/A5frA06 559frF77frE705 224 13 Doug Young.