Are you a musician and have that urge to tap into the Blues?  This challenging and deep-hearted genre can be really fulfilling.  Here are some tips to get you started.

Listen to some of the “greats”. These include Robert Johnson, Albert King, Willie Dixon, John Ledbetter, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, Otis Rush, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Junior Wells, Howlin’ Wolf, Jimmy Reed, Lonnie Johnson and many more. Look for the “Best Of” compilations at your music store or online!

Learn the basic “twelve bar blues” chord progression. In degrees of scale, the first four bars stick to the first degree. The next two bars are the fourth degree, and then two bars of the first degree. The last four bars are the fifth degree, fourth degree, first degree, and fifth degree, respectively, and then the progression repeats. Blues can be played in any key but the most common keys are A, E, D, C, and G.

Learn to play a few different songs that use the 12 bar blues progression. Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” is a blues in Bflat, Tracy Chapman’s “Gimme One Reason” is a blues in C, and Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Pride and Joy” is a blues in Eflat. These songs all song unique because of their tempo, but are based on the same chord progression. Playing a variety of blues will help you understand what they have in common and how they differ, which will in turn help you build a solid foundation in blues while still encouraging your own creativity.

Learn the “Blues Scale”. This scale is based on the minor pentatonic and consists of 1,2,flat3,4,flat5,5,flat7,octave. Most blues solos fall within this scale. Improvisation is a very important part of the blues and nearly every song will devote at least one pass through the twelve bar progression to an instrumental solo. Many blues players alternate between the minor pentatonic and the major scale, incorporating major and minor thirds into their solos.

Jam the blues with other musicians and experiment with the style.

Chicago has become famous over the years for many different things.  Chicago hot dogs, the electrifying Chicago Bears, the incredible post season debacle of the Cubs, and who can look past the outstanding museums that call Chicago home.

Aside from all these iconic pillars Chicago has to offer, there is one staple that has become as equally impressive in the Windy City, and that is the style of Blues Music that has birthed from such a magnificent city. Under this vibrant cities spot light, many artists have come and gone, always leaving their remarkable impression on the cities nightlife.

Artist such as the “Queen of Blues” – Koko Taylor who belted out such hits as Wang Dang Doodle, Piece of Man or Hard Pill To Swallow.

Then you have Otis rush who so electrified the stage with his unique sound. Sharing his amazing talent in hits like “I Can’t Quit You Baby, Love That Women and Keep On Lovin’ Me Baby,

And of course there was Buddy Guy who always brought a uncanny flavor of life to the stage working his magic with hits like First Time I Met The Blues, Best Damn Fool and Every Time I Sing The Blues.

Just like Chicago to hold near and dear some of it’s greatest traditions, the blues will always find that there is no sweeter place to call home… “Sweet Home Chicago”.

If you come to find your way to Chicago, you simply must take in the Chicago Blues Festival that usually takes place at some point in June down at Grant Park.

This Festival as it’s called is more like a three day party featuring some of the greatest blues music ever to be produced as well as some new fresh flavorful talent surrounded by the love of the city, it’s food and the amazing Chicago skyline. Just make sure that you plan to sweat, eat and have a good old time.