Any good blues books out there?

[paddok]

I've kinda lost interest in metal, but have gained a heavey interest in blues / blues rock.

Can someone point me towards a good blues theory book?

Also, if the notion of a blues theory book sounds stupid, well then, I'm an idiot.

[jgcable]

I've kinda lost interest in metal, but have gained a heavey interest in blues / blues rock.

Can someone point me towards a good blues theory book?

Also, if the notion of a blues theory book sounds stupid, well then, I'm an idiot.

Forget blues theory. Get some instructional DVD's. The Stevie Ray Vaughan instructional DVD's by Hal Leonard are excellent. Arlen Roths Master of the Telecaster is another EXCELLENT one for learning blues riffs.

[jeff300]

Blues You Can Use - By John Ganapes
Everything Rock and Blues Guitar Book - By Marc Schonbrun
How to Play Blues Guitar: The Basics and Beyond - By Richard Johnston

I like the first one best.

[jwoods986]

+1 to both responses

I've been on a SRV/blues kick recently so I went to GC a couple weeks ago and picked up one of the Hal leonard SRV DVDs (there are two done by Greg Koch with different songs) and the Blues You Can Use book. Both have been a big help.

[jwoods986]

+1 to both responses

I've been on a SRV/blues kick recently so I went to GC a couple weeks ago and picked up one of the Hal leonard SRV DVDs (there are two done by Greg Koch with different songs) and the Blues You Can Use book. Both have been a big help.

[shredmonster]

Dude there is just so much free info on the net that if you dig I don't think you need to spend any money on a book or anything else.

The things than theory (which you can get off the net) is learning tricks, how to vibrato properly, how to create tone with your fingers etc... For that I would recommend getting a mentor of some sort - an experienced player who you get together with once in a while and jam who can show you the stuff that you can't learn from a book. Believe me there is tons of stuff that you simply cannot learn from a book. Videos are good but there is nothing like a really good experienced player to show you how to do things.

[shredmonster]

Dude there is just so much free info on the net that if you dig I don't think you need to spend any money on a book or anything else.

The things than theory (which you can get off the net) is learning tricks, how to vibrato properly, how to create tone with your fingers etc... For that I would recommend getting a mentor of some sort - an experienced player who you get together with once in a while and jam who can show you the stuff that you can't learn from a book. Believe me there is tons of stuff that you simply cannot learn from a book. Videos are good but there is nothing like a really good experienced player to show you how to do things.

[MichaelLitvak]

learn some blues scales, learn how to use them and join them.. and then you can play w/e comes 2 mind

[Soap]

I don't know if its already been mentioned, I'm sorry, I'm being lazy, I just didn't feel like reading the previous posts.

The pentatonic...blues soloing
If you do or don't already know all the pentatonic positions, if will prove instrumental to you as a player to do so. Its old shool, but its the learning ground of the basic bulding blocks which you build on as a player.
You just can't put the buggy in front of the horse and expect to advance and mature properly. At some point, one will have to learn the value of the pentatonic.

Listen to SRV's "the house is a rocking" for an up tempo perky rock blues tune. Then listen to his Tin pan alley LIVE version btw, for a slower blues feel tune. Pay attention to how he approaches both with the use of the pentatonic. SRV had a strong conviction for his music and it showed in his tunes and playing.

Blues like all of types of music imo opinion, once one reaches a moderate skill level of playing, more of a confident player, it then is about "FEEL".
Got to connect with the song and feel every note that comes from you. Its what seperates ones playing from the many clones out there. Either way your playing defines you, good or bad, clone or not, it tells who you are.

Conclusion...learning blues solo.
Learn to phrase well with all the pentatonic positions.

[sonicsamurai]

i found Musicians institute's 'Texas Blues guitar' book by robert calva really good for teaching you some basic styles and the essential chords for blues....I have also used the book 'More blues you can use' by john Ganapes for more advanced stuff... you can get both books from hal leonard


also if you want to get some songs by ur favourite blues artists ur best bet is a book...there's very little blues stuff on the net save BB king and Clapton...but neither of them are my fave blues players...although there's quite a lot for SRV who i like...so i've spent most of the time working through the songs i like very slowly by ear..which sucks...i need tab!!!