New Lesson On The 12 Bar Blues For Blues Guitarists

/Home/Playing the Blues Lessons

New Lesson On The 12 Bar Blues For Blues Guitarists
April 22, 2011
Webwire

Griff Hamlin of Blues Guitar Unleashed has posted a new feature on the 12 bar blues chord progression and how it can be used. The full story is at http://bluesguitarunleashed.com/im-tore-down-and-down-and-down-and-down/.

In it, Hamlin takes 5 different versions of the blues classic, ‘I’m Tore Down’ as done by 5 different artists. The similarities and the differences are remarkable. From Freddie King’s smooth-as-silk execution to John Mayer’s SRV inspired style to the straight ahead blues/rock sound of Rory Gallagher, listening to each artists take on the classic tune is a real lesson in what can be done with a single blues song.

According to Hamlin: “The traditional 12 bar blues, while it seems like it might be stifling given the fact that the chords progression never changes, is actually what gives us such a huge amount of freedom in this music. In fact, it’s that freedom that really drew me to blues music in the first place 25ish years ago.”

“The other big thing I want to point out here is that, had all of these artists simply learned the tune from whomever they heard it, and not also studied the blues in general… the big picture, they would never have been able to come up with these great new versions of that song,“ stated Hamlin.

To sign up for the free Blues Guitar Unleashed newsletter, visit http://bluesguitarunleashed.com or join them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/bluesguitarunleashed.