Trying to Improvise on the blues

[Wupeide]

Hi all - just thought I would share a video or two of me trying to learn how to improvise on the blues... I obviously need a lot of practice. (I'm playing a Jon Mann 4-string here)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5YtzsFK1u4

Any thoughts on how to approach this?

I managed to get the instrument to play almost perfectly in tune and since then I am falling in love with it more every day

However, my string bending technique isn't very good... and when I play a lot of heavy vibrato or bend the strings, they tend to go out of tune pretty quickly and need to be re-tuned (just got some "Big bends nut sauce" I'm excited about trying that this week to see if it helps)

Cheers everyone!

-Peter

[Wupeide]

This should be easier.



Anybody on here like to play this kind of music? Do you have any techniques for approaching improvisation? What do you practice? How do you come up with new riffs?

[Wupeide]

Accidental duplicate post

[Mandobart]

...How do you come up with new riffs?

As a blues player and fan myself, if anyone can answer this question please get the word out to every blues guitarist out there. They've been searching for this a long time

[Alex Orr]

Pentatonics. That's all you need

Seriously though, it sounds alright. The tone on that thing is pretty damn sweet. Makes me think twice about selling my Rono, which admittedly has a warmer jazzier, and less bluesy rock sound to it.

[MikeEdgerton]

There are new blues riffs? My favorite blues method is to take Monroe licks and slow them down.

[Chinn]

Peter, thats what I do every time I play (improvise blues). I grew up loving and playing the blues on harmonica and guitar.

A few things I've learned....

- Jam tracks for harmonica are aimed at the key of G, which corresponds to the first open blues chord on the mandolin too.
- Bending near the nut is much much harder than up the neck (significantly more difference than on a guitar).
- Bending on the mandolin takes less movement and therefore a more subtle touch.
- Start playing along with some of your favorite blues songs and learn their riffs. When you figure them out on the mandolin, they will naturally have a little different sound because of the tuning structure of the mandolin vs the guitar.
- I play a lot of SRV stuff. SRV tuned down half a step, so that is what I'm doing right now as well. Emando's don't have much of a problem with that.
- Don't focus only on single note melodical stuff. Sounds one dimensional. Figure out more minor chorded accents to add dimensions to your playing.

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it!


BTW, nice playing!

[Ray Neuman]

Love your sound and what you are doing!

I am of little help though, as I am a blues player, I am one of the "odd ducks" that see/hear colors and chase them. So I dont do anything with scales or such, I just play. What sounds right is right. Chase the notes and pour on the soul!

Good job!

[Wupeide]

With this Mann mandolin and the few effects pedals I have, it's possible to produce a great variety of tones. Here is a cleaner tone made using a Boss compressor sustainer and both pickups.