writing a blues tune

**ira** · Apr-20-2004, 3:41pm

those of you out there who are writers of music/songs. what key(s) doyou use when creating a blues tune?

**duuuude** · Apr-20-2004, 4:38pm

I'm no writer but have found alot of blues in A and E just due to the fact that they were probably written for guitar originally. D, C and Bb also seem to work well for the upbeat jump blues, with yer Am & Dm for the moody-type stuff. But then, I'm relying only on those tunes I've seen music for and I'm surely no expert.

Have a book called the Essential Blues, or something like that, and it has original scores in just about every key.

Maybe just find yerself a progression that evokes the feeling yer after for the tune, then build from there.

**Pete Martin** · Apr-21-2004, 1:38pm

Any key where it seems to work best.

**ira** · Apr-21-2004, 3:35pm

sounds good to me, as i only have a limited number of keys in which i can play close to decently(a,am,c,d,dm, e,g) and fewer in which i can attempt to sing for that little area i call my range.

**GaryM** · Apr-21-2004, 4:55pm

I only play one blues tune on mando..I think it's called Tennessee Blues...It's in A. Hmmmm...now that I think of it...It might be Bluegrass.

Might give you some inspiration if you can find it. I learned some of the Ricky Skaggs version..My friend says it's a Bill Monroe tune. Good luck ira..

**rzpooch** · Apr-22-2004, 9:46am

Howdy, I've been lurking here for a long time. My suggestion would be to write the tune in a key you can sing in. It's alot easier to learn to play in a different key than try to stretch your vocals. (-:

**Marc** · Apr-23-2004, 2:07pm

I like G for slower blues so that I can get some ringing open strings, and A works well for driving rhythms. 'Key to the Highway' kind of has to be in A, whilst 'Trouble in Mind' which has a similar progression but slower, works in G (lookout, plug coming...'Trouble in Mind' is on my cd 'Bluemando' and also on the second Comando cd if any of you have heard it. Theres a G major blues/slide soundclip on the Belmando website - 'Shuntin' yard blues').

Gm and Dm nice for the slow minor blues.

Just my thoughts fwiw
Marc Woodward
www.belmando.com

**mandroid** · Apr-25-2004, 2:54am

Guitar friendly EM or if I pick: GM
St james infirmry in Dm

All else fails; modulate.

**ira** · Apr-25-2004, 8:59am

went for 'a' on one tune and wrote the other tune using a g7-c7 -d7 progression.

**jmcgann** · Apr-26-2004, 1:39pm

all of them

It's a bitch in certain keys, but when you make friends with them (just by hanging out with them) there aren't so bad after all.

**smilnJackB** · May-30-2004, 8:17pm

I do a half a dozen blues songs in G and have written one a 12 bar song I like in G. I also do a couple in E, but as far as playing, playing D capoed 2 frets to E suits me better. Jack

**ira** · May-31-2004, 7:35pm

looks like we got another mandobluesmaniac, keep chimin smilinjack. thanks for theinfo.:blues:

**Peter Hackman** · Jun-01-2004, 1:10pm

Originally Posted by (ira @ April 20 2004, 16:41)

those of you out there who are writers of music/songs. what key(s) doyou use when creating a blues tune?

A or D will bring out the basic, gutsy, stuff.
For swing-type blues, try F or B flat. For bluegrass,
B natural. However, the only blues that I ever
wrote out in detail, for the mandolin, was in G.