12 String Electric Guitars
Beginning Blues For Electric Guitar
Many guitarists aspire to play the blues. Even if it’s not your main style, you’ll still find a lot of enjoyment in a good 12-bar jam. The blues is a very deceptive style. It’s very simple to grasp the basics (which we’ll do here) but it can take a lifetime to really master the style and create your own voice within it. Let’s start down the road then…
Your two basic elements of the blues are the 12-bar progression and the minor pentatonic scale.
A blues songs works different than pop music format. Whereas in a pop or rock song you’d have verses, choruses, and bridges, the blues format only has choruses. The same 12 bars are repeated as many times as needed for the arrangement. This makes them great for jamming because there’s not a lot of transitions to work out with the other players.
A standard 12 bar blues looks like this:
| I | I | I | I |
| IV | IV | I | I |
| V | V | I | I |
Or written another way:
4 bars of the I chord
2 bars of the IV chord
2 bars of the I chord
2 bars of the V chord
2 bars of the I chord
So, in they key of E, that would be E for the I chord, A for the IV chord, and B for the V chord. And since it’s the blues, it’s common to make all of them 7th chords.
There are a few common variations you’ll see. First, in the 10th bar where we normally have a V chord, that will often go to the IV chord instead. You’d have one bar of the V and one bar of the IV.
Another variation, called a turnaround happens in bar 12. You would go the V chord instead of just hanging on the I. This sets up a tension that makes a nice transition back to the top of the form for another chorus.
One other variation happens in the 2nd measure and is called a “quick change”. It’s normally used with very slow tempo songs. Instead of hanging on the I chord for four bars, you change to the IV chord in the 2nd measure. Then back to the I chord for the next two measures.
With a slow tempo, four bars of one chord can be tedious, so changing to the IV gives a little harmonic variation to keep things interesting. It can be used in up tempo tunes as well.
Now let’s move the minor pentatonic scale. A PENTAtonic scale has just 5 notes in it, as opposed to a regular 7 note western scale. It’s origins are Asian and African. But put it in the hands of an old blues cat from Louisiana and it takes on a totally different character.
The notes are 1 b3 4 5 b7
In the key of C minor that would be: C Eb F G Bb
It doesn’t seem like a lot of notes, but you can get tons of action with them. The most common way to play them on the guitar is a “box pattern” rooted from the 6th string like this:
A minor Pentatonic
———————————————————-*5—–8——–
———————————————–5—-8——————-
———————————–5—-7—(8)—————————-
————————5—-*7——————————————
————5—-7—————————————————–
–*5—8—————————————————————-
Now, that’s a moveable pattern. So think less about the fret numbers and more about the finger pattern. Then it’s easy to move it to any key. If you need the key of C, start at the 8th fret. Key of G? Start at the 3rd fret.
The starred (*) notes are the roots of the key. In the tab case above, those are all A’s.
You’ll also notice the (8) on the 3rd string. This is an optional note we call “The Blue Note”. In technical terms, it’s a b5. But it’s a very powerful note to use once in awhile to really put an emotive twist on your melody. Don’t over use though or it loses it’s effectiveness.
Start learning that scale in different keys and playing your 12 bar progressions and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a blues hound.
Lastly, listen to as many blues artists as you can stand. Always a good thing to do when learning a new style. The basics here are easy. To really sound good, there’s lots of little details to pick up. Listen to BB King, Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Johnson, and Buddy Guy for a good blues guitar primer.
About the Author
Get your free Get Hot On Electric Guitar report for the best guitar practice techniques to make you the hottest six string slinger in town! http://www.GetHotOnElectricGuitar.com.
Electric Guitar Review Vox Mark XII 12 string tear drop
|
|
Blues $13.98 After the disorganized and often unlistenable Alan Douglas-produced reissues in the ’70s and ’80s, MCA has been releasing the vast Hendrix archives in an intelligent and methodical manner. Blues is a perfect example, making the case that–on top of everything else–Jimi Hendrix was one fine blues guitarist. Combining the fluid lines of B.B. King with the spikiness of Hubert Sumlin and the crying t… |
|
|
6 & 12 String Guitar $9.38 For decades, Leo Kottke would inspire generations of fingerpicking acoustic guitarists (and help pave the way for New Age and contemporary instrumental music), but this 1969 album is the one that started it all. Kottke’s brilliant debut was released, fittingly, on John Fahey’s Takoma label. Showing the influence of Fahey himself (and Takoma labelmate Robbie Basho), Kottke performs impossibly diffi… |
|
|
Reich: Different Trains, Electric Counterpoint / Kronos Quartet, Pat Metheny $11.49 Different Trains (1988) will probably go down in history as Reich’s masterpiece. And deservedly so. Reich’s phase-shifting minimalism is made dazzlingly entertaining in Different Trains, which is scored for string quartet and digitally sampled voices that repeat bits of speech concerning trains and Reich’s experience with them growing up. The sinister part here is than some trains carried Jews… |
|
|
Electric Guitar and Amp, #2 – 18H x 12W – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $30.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
|
|
APX700II-12 Thinline 12-String Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar Black – Yamaha -APX700II-12 BL $549.99 DESCRIPTIONS: The APX series has always placed emphasis on playability, stylish thin body profile and cutting edge electronics. The Yamaha APX700II-12 Thinline 12-String Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar (12-string model) offers upgraded cosmetics, solid Sitka spruce top, revamped A.R.T. preamp and the same exceptional playability. This APX shines on stage. With its ultra-comfortable thin-line body and slim, fast neck the transition from electric guitar could not be easier. All-new color variations and updated inlays make sure APX looks as good as it sounds. APX Soundhole: Oval The instantly recognizable APX soundhole thickens lower-mid response and gives a more strident, open low end. APX Body Depth: 80-90mm (3 1/8 – 3 9/16 ) APX s thin-line body combines incredible comfort, easy top-fret access and a sound perfectly suited to on-stage use with bright, clear mids, balanced highs and controlled lows. Specially designed non-scalloped X-type bracing allows the guitar s top to sing and maximizes the resonance of the unique body shape for a full, natural tone. With dynamics, sensitivity and clarity built into the design from day one, APX is a guitar not to be underestimated. A.R.T. (Acoustic Resonance Transducer) technology Yamaha electric acoustic guitars have consistently used piezo pickups to reproduce the pure sounds of the acoustic guitar. But piezo pickups tended to overreact to changes in attack, which in turn caused distortion. To achieve ideal playability, we had to improve the way that these dynamics were controlled. To provide a solution to this issue, the new pickup was designed with a multilayer structure consisting of six layers of different materials. This dampens excessive vibration from the soundboard while picking up small resonances to achieve ideal sensitivity and outstanding dynamic balance.Features: Spruce Top Nato (Eastern Mahogany) Neck, Back & Sides Rosewood Fingerboard & Bridge Die-Cast Chrome Tuner |
|
|
Adamas Melissa Etheridge 12-String Acoustic Electric Guitar $2149.99 The Adamas Melissa Etheridge Signature Models were developed in step with the features and specifications of the guitars Melissa plays and tours with. Features the new OP-PRO Preamp, designed in collaboration with Al DiMeola and Melissa Etheridge, combines state-of-the-art audio quality with guitarist-friendly features for a preamp that should please even the most discriminating player. |
|
|
B.C. Rich Trace Warbeast T Electric Guitar Onyx $349 The B.C. Rich Trace Warbeast T is an electric guitar with a tremolo that has way more going for it than a cool name and awesome gothic looks. The Warbeast T includes an ebony fretboard and black chrome hardware. A through-the-body string design adds extra sustain. The Warbeast guitar’s controls include a master volume, master tone, and 3-way toggle pickup selector switch. Like the trail of tracer bullets in the night, the trail of silver on the fretboard and body bevels of the Warbeast create a stunning show when you are on the stage. The Floyd Rose-licensed tremolo lets you pierce the clouds and plumb the depths.Bolt-on ConstructionA number of B.C. Rich guitars use a classic bolt-on construction. On these instruments a neck (typically maple) is bolted to the body with 4 screws. This construction offers some added flexibility in the guitar’s adjustment and provides the option to change the neck in the future. B.C. Rich BDSM PickupsB.C. Rich designed their BDSM humbucking pickups to provide a solid sound and to be durable while delivering high output. BDSM stands for Broad Dynamic Sonically Matched, which simply means that the pickup is designed to reproduce a wide range of frequencies accurately (broad dynamic). Then they are tested and matched in pairs (neck and bridge) by their inherent individual and signature tonal and output characteristics to give a solidly balanced tone (sonically matched).Beveled TopMost of B.C. Rich guitar body styles employ a beveled edge. In many ways bevels on a guitar’s top are similar to facets on a cut stone. They catch the light and reflect at different angles giving the guitar more of a 3-dimensional look. On the Trace Warbeast the guitar’s shape is accented by the silver painted bevels highlighting the unique body shape with a contrasting color.Style: Double-cutaway Warbeastwith beveled edgesConstruction: Bolt-on neckBody wood: Basswood Tuners: B.C. Rich die-cast Fretboard: EbonyFretboard radius: 12 Frets: 24 jumboScale length: 25- |
|
|
Breedlove Passport PLUS C250/SB 12-string Acoustic-Electric Guitar Natural $679 The Breedlove Passport PLUS C250/SB 12-string acoustic-electric guitar is inspired by the Breedlove Custom Shop C25 shape and voice. The C25 shape is highly versatile, comfortable, and efficient Breedlove’s top-selling shape for over 20 years. The PLUS C250/SB guitar features the amazing tone of the bridge truss bracing system for sustain and complexity in each note. A solid Sitka spruce top and exotic bubinga back and sides generate a warm tone with good projection and make this Breedlove acoustic-electric guitar an excellent value. The Breedlove Passport PLUS C250/SB guitar has both advanced electronics and lighter weight bracing in the top and back for increased resonance. The Passport Active VTC pickup lets you be heard in any venue and a built-in chromatic tuner with backlit screen makes it easy to stay in tune. A 9-volt battery is easily accessed near the endpin area. Includes gig bag.Breedlove Passport guitars are designed for ultimate portability without tonal sacrifice. These comfortable, easy to play acoustic guitars are the perfect choice for the musician on the move. |
January 13, 2011 7:05 pm 
Subscribe