Blues Blues Blues, I played blues all weekend!!!!!!!!
Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2013 3:22 am
HOORAY! NOW wasn't that fun creating something redeming for a change? Put yourself in the context of a real band, like mine. You've got a very experienced singer (me), bass player (me), drummer, sax, maybe another guitarist. Then you do what Muddy Waters said "If you got something, save it." In other words, let the set build slowly. Don't shoot your wad in the first handful of songs. Save your blistering solos for maybe the first song and the last few songs. I liked the way you hung on that first note, but changed it slightly. Get the most out of every note, like Albert King.
I always knew you could do something like this, all the parts were there. It's just how to organize the parts. How to build up to a climax. "If you got something, save it." Muddy Waters made a fortune in the blues because he knew exactly when to "shoot his wad." And always play to the lyrics. If the lyrics are angry, play angry. If the lyrics are sad, play sad. It's context. You can't play redeeming music in a vacuum. There's human emotion involved. And just because you may be technically the most gifed person in a band doesn't mean you're the most powerful. It's the emotion you convey on an audience. You can smoke Willie Nelson's ass on guitar but he's got infinitely more power than you because the audience is in the palm of his hand....