When you are playing your guitar, the technique by which you strum the strings or pick your guitar strings without using a pick is called a fingerstyle. Blues Fingerstyle has been in use for quite a long time in jazz, blues, rock and is even used for improvisation over blues backing tracks. There are some greats of the world of blues music like Mark Knoprfler, Jeff Beck and Chat Atkins who do it very well. Some of the blues guitar players who do the fingerstyle better than anyone else include John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Otis Rush and Albert King among others. Learning the fingerstyle method of blues playing will definitely make things easier for you especially when you are jamming and playing over blues guitar backing tracks.
In a nutshell, this technique is all about how well you are able to use your bare fingers. You can use blues fingerstyle on both the acoustic blues and electric blues but they should have nylon or steel strings. Using the fingerstyle gives blues players a definite edge. Most of the blues guitarists of the Delta style used extensive blues backing tracks reinforced by fingerstyles.
You may have heard the word fingerpicking more than finger style and mind you - both the words sound similar but mean different. Fingerpicking in blues is more centered on particular picking patterns that have been inferred from certain chords and are always played in a style quite similar to arpeggio. For illustration: The song Layla by Eric Clapton is fingerstyle but the song Never goin back again by Fleetwood Mac is fingerpicking.
Types of Blues Fingerstyles
There are different types of blues fingerstyle techniques that you can learn as you progress up the ladder and of course if you want to play blues backing tracks. The most common way to use fingerstyle in blues backing tracks is by using the classical guitar style. In the classical guitar style, you have to use your thumb for playing the 3 bass strings, and use the index, and middle finger for playing the melody strings.
There are 3 distinctive style of blues fingerstyle guitar and each have a different effect in blues backing tracks. They are:
1.Using the thumb: The thumb fingerstyle mostly calls for down-strokes. It will provide you with a hard expressive style, hard sound, and a great tone but you will not be able to play fast. This is considered a beginners style and will provide you with a feeling of the guitar and the strings and create the base for blues backing tracks.
2.Index finger and thumb: In this technique you need to simulate playing with a pick except you will be using your fingers instead of the pick. The thumb will help in down-strokes while the index finger will be used for up-strokes.
The thumb, index and middle finger: In this method you will have a clear advantage over the other two techniques and can play great blues guitar with ease and speed. The middle finger and the index finger will be used for alternate picking.
Blues music was derived from the African-American communities in the U.S. out of job songs, spiritual songs, field hollers, chants, shouts and elementary ballads that rhymed. A lot of facets of the blues comes from African culture
The call-and-response aspect of the music came straight from African origins and there were a lot of licks that would get duplicated thrice or more. This later developed into a line repeating twice and then on the third time around there would be an 'answer line'. You will be able to still discover these characteristics of early blues in modern day music, especially hip-hop.
The term 'The Blues' refers to the 'blue devils' which signifies down spirits or sorrow.
The blues guitar brings a heavy role in blues music as well as popular music. It has shaped Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Bluegrass and even heavy rock genres The original blues of the early 1900's, otherwise known as "poor man's blues" was commonly connected with hard times, oppressiveness from white folk, harshness of the police, gambling, economic depression, floods, magic, farming and dry periods. This music was fueled by a lot of brokenheartedness and anger. Typically a lost loved one or an general harsh surrounding inspired the lyrics and the tone of the blues guitar.
After the world war, you began to see blues songs that were about human relationships and sexuality. Also, wit was widened to the mix. Here is a funny example:
"That must be your woman, cause mine don't look like that... I said That must be your woman, cause mine don't look like that... Have you seen my baby? She's so big and fat..."
The blues guitar style came forth from the American South's instruments of the time which were the banjo and the Diddley Bow. This was a home-made one stringed instrument that was popular in the early 20th century. Figures such as Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Son House and Blind Willie McTell were a part of the delta blues style which used a lot of finger picking styles and slide guitar innovations.
Eventually, after WWII 'electric blues' became increasingly popular where the blues guitar was played on electric guitars as were the bass guitars. This was most prevalent in the Chicago area.
The history of blues guitar and poor man's blues is rich with culture and stories of good times and bad. I could go on for days about the history of the blues guitar but let's make this part 1 so you don't fall asleep on me!
Both Zack R. & Zack Roberts are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Zack R. has sinced written about articles on various topics from . Zack R is the founder of 50 Blues. Do you want ? Visit 50 Blues website and learn blues guitar with videos, articles and repor. Zack R.'s top article . to your Favourites.
Zack Roberts has sinced written about articles on various topics from Guide Guitar, Keyboard Synthesizer and Guide Guitar. Do you want to improve your ? Visit 50 Blues to jam with a full professional band with blues guitar backing tracks. Find out what are the top 100 greatest. Zack Roberts's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.