Your ultimate blues workout
Inthisspecialfeature, JohnWheatcroft getsyourbluesmojoworking withnomentionofadealdownatthecrossroads.Here’severything youneedtoprepareforthatbigbluesgig,jamorrecordingsession.
John Wheatcroft’s guide will prepare you for any upcoming blues gig, recording date or jam. No deal with the devil required…
Guy,we’vehadnumerousgenerationsof bluesmenandwomencarryingthetorch.
Totakeabriefsnapshot,considerthe effectofthe60sBritishbluesboom,ascene thatgavebirthtoEricClapton,JeffBeck, JimmyPageandeven‘HonoraryBrit’Jimi Hendrix,andhowtheselinksinthechainof traditionhaveledus(viaSRV,GaryMoore, BonnieRaitt,RobertCrayetal)tocurrent artistssuchasSusanTedeschi,GaryClarkJr, TheBlackKeys,JackWhite,MattSchofield, JoanneShawTaylorandloadsmorebesides.
Ifyoudon’tknowthe bluesthere’snopointin pickinguptheguitarand playinganyotherformof popularmusic.
strongcoreofimprovisationatitsheart.So treattheseexamples,exercisesandshort piecesasthebeginningofa‘new’musical journeythatstartshere,aimingtointernalise anyspecificapproach,conceptorphraseso thatintimeyouwillbeabletoaccessthese ideasatwill,asandwhenit’sappropriateto doso.Furthertoallthepracticeyouneedto doonyourinstrument,it’svitaltoaugment thiswithlistening,inordertoimmerse yourselfintothegenre.
It’sunavoidablenottobeinfluencedby yoursurroundings.Weallmustknow someonewhoseaccenthaschangedafter movingtoanewcityorcountry.Wepickup thenuancesofaregionaldialectwithlittle consciousintervention–unlessdeliberately assimilatingtheseinfluencesforaspecific reason,asanactormightwhenresearchinga role.Thisisverysimilartofindingourfooting withanewmusicalstyle.Andwhilewecanget close,theseoftentinyinflectionsareallbut impossibletodefinitivelyindicateonawritten score–they’dbepracticallyunreadableeven ifitwerepossible.Sothere’snosubstitutefor gettingyourheadphonesonandlisteningto thebluesgreats–oldandnew–or,better still,gettingyourcoatonandgettingdownto thelocalbluesjamtojoininthefun.