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Blues Fundamentals

Blues Fundamentals

After finding an online video teaching the two-fret (whole tone) string bend as a fundamental blues lick, there has been a certain degree of disagreement around the office as to whether this simple bend can constitute an blues fundamental.

How can something as simple as this elicit so much passionate debate?
Well, it`s all about emotion, passion and technique.

For me the ultimate blues lick would probably have to consist of only one note and some might say that maybe no-one has played it yet. I disagree:

On Freddie King’s “Pack It Up”, and “Shake Your Booty Baby” King takes this simple single bend technique and pushes it to its emotional maximum.

If you wanna hear simple blues playing that just really really cooks like a blister burning on the surface of the sun this album is the real deal. If you play the guitar and you`d like to develop the kind of passion and string control that will take you somewhere then this is one of the top ten albums in your list:

Michael Jacksons Guitarists

Michael Jackson`s legacy has left and interesting aftertaste for the guitar afficionado.

Jackson`s first album began with the luminescent touch of Larry Carlton and Beat It from Thriller features both Eddie Van Halen and Steve Lukather as well as Jeff Porcaro and, as usual, Quincy Jones` inimitable production. The following album, Bad, featured Billy Idol`s guitarist Steve Stevens and on tour the fiery Jennifer Batten (later to work with Jeff Beck).

Tuning guitar II – Guitar Intonation – updated

INTONATION:

Okay so here`s the deal regarding intonation. Intonation problems are created when the length of the guitar string is not precisely matched to the length of your guitar. Why does this matter? Well, when you play a guitar you are dividing the string into different lengths in the process of fretting notes, this causes the strings frequency to increase or decrease in an inverse relationship with the strings length.

Tuning guitar – buying guitar

One thing you need to learn is to tune your guitar. Years of using electronic tuners with lights live on stage means I’ve lost a bit of the natural ear skill – ’cause years ago we used to just get on with it and tune up. Anyway, if you’re a beginner use your ears , not the lights, it’ll do you good. Alcohol tends to impair your judgement as well if you’re a novice too.

Money and Cigarettes II – the Blues Brothers got Soul

Cropper must be the second most influential guitarist of all time and his recording legacy with the Stax label just goes to show that successful, inspiring guitar playing doesn`t necessarily have to centre around aural histrionics, sonic pyrotechnics, prowess, or high octane, nitrous fuelled fingerboard bombastics! No siree… As a Stax records house guitarist, he played on hundreds of records, from “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay”, cowritten with Otis Redding, to Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man”. Besides his influential work with Booker T and the MGs, Cropper co-wrote “Knock On Wood” with Eddie Floyd, and “In the Midnight Hour” with Wilson Pickett.