Blues Rhythm

This is a lesson on blues rhythm playing.

The most important rule when playing blues, both for rhythm and lead, says: "Don't play too much!"

Keep everything simple. Stick to the basic groove and pay attention to dynamics! Notice that some parts I played are barely heardable. Those parts don't fall on a beat and I play them a bit quieter. But all the other parts which fall on a beat, especially the 1st beat, are played a bit louder. That's something that makes it sound more alive!

If you don't want it to sound dull, play around with some slide, hammer on and pull off ideas. Those details will make it sound much more interesting! Also don't be afraid to use some chords other than just simple majors and minors. There's a lot of cool lessons on this topic (blues chords) here on GMC, so check them out as well!

And make sure your sound isn't too dirty, because it doesn't really suit this kind of music.