How To Develop Your Own Blues Guitar Style
Posted By seovine on June 6, 2011
Millions of people love the soulful notes of Blues guitar. Listening to this kind of music can inspire deep feelings and create a wonderful atmosphere which is different to almost any other style of music. Learning to play Blues guitar and create your own music can be a fantastic experience as well as a great form of expression.
The truly great Blues guitarists became as memorable as they are/were because they put in the time and energy to master the techniques so that they could truly let their emotions show through in their playing. The guitar itself is a unique instrument that just by picking it up you feel a sense of excitement, potential, and means of expression, and in order to become a great Blues guitarist yourself, you must give in to the experience and be open to putting your feelings into music.
One of the best ways to begin your Blues instruction is by listening to a wide variety of the music itself, that way you will be exposed to the unique styles and techniques that each artist has to offer. One of the best things about the Blues is that there are no set rules; there are tons of different styles, and rhythms. This should make it quite easy to find at least one form with which you can really identify.
Then to get started you should pick out some basic riffs and start to learn them. Take the time to learn them off by heart so you could play them even with your eyes closed, once you have done that you will have a great foundation to work off as you develop your own style. That is how all the great Blues stars begin, by learning some licks and riffs that help to stir the soul, then building on them and adapting them into their own style.
Once you have those riffs learnt then start to experiment with patterns. Do not be afraid to experiment as much as you want, it does not matter if the sounds you create are horrible to start with; that is how you will learn. The key is to devote as much time as you can to the process and keep at it, remember, the best Blues guitarists were not born that way, they too had to practice and experiment until they honed their skills. Once you are confident with your abilities then try playing along with someone else, or play along to your favorite tracks, that will help you to gain a better understanding of other styles and increase your skills.
To start your Blues Guitar journey then you can check out the best Blues Guitar instruction books at BluesGuitarBooks.org.