Welcome to the home of the NCFBS Beginner’s Blues Circle

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NCFBS Beginner’s Blues Circle – On Hiatus

The NCFBS Beginner’s Blues Circle is currently on hiatus due to lack of interest. If you’ve got a desire to learn how to play the blues, please be in touch with Dr Jules. and we’ll be happy to continue with the Beginner’s Circle. Also note that the Beginner’s Circle is a good way to prepare for attending our Acoustic Blues Open Mic nights.

If you have any questions please direct them to Dr Jules. If you’ve got any tunes you’d like to learn, please do the same. Also, remember that practice makes perfect …. or at least less imperfect …. 😜

New Material For May

VideoKeyChord & Lyric Sheet
Original Version of Got You On My Mind by Big Joe TurnerBbChords & Lyrics
Cover of Got You On My Mind by Eric ClaptonEChords & Lyrics
B.B. King version of Ask Me No QuestionsAChords & Lyrics

Past Material from February & March

Here are a couple of classic old tunes that focus on what we talked about in November, namely — The Groove. It’s called a lot of things (syncopation, swing, etc.) but it’s at the heart of the blues. And these are two tunes with plenty of it. Note how Terry & McGhee – using only a harp and a guitar – manage to really provide a sense of The Groove that the audience picks up on. I also included the original version of Drinkin’ Wine just to demonstrate how each performer has their own Groove.

VideoKeyChord & Lyrics Sheet
The Original Recording of "Drinkin' Wine"FChords & Lyrics
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee "Drinkin' Wine"F#Chords & Lyrics
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee "Walk On"F#
Chords & Lyrics

Older Material

After a bit of reflection, we decided to pick two more classic blues tunes that are perfect for jams: The Elmore James classic It Hurts Me Too, and Kansas City, a song recorded by many people and a staple of Albert King’s live show. Below are links to the instructional videos we’ve made. Also please note that they are posted on the new NCFBS YouTube Channel, so feel free to subscribe. Also, if you aren’t already a member of the North Central Florida Blues Society, we’d love to have you join!

LinkCommentary
It Hurts Me Too CoverThis is an annotated video of the song, with a new bass player!
Kansas City CoverAnother annotated video of the song.
Sweet Home Chicago - Robert JohnsonNote that the original lyrics do NOT match most of the modern versions. Most of the cultural references in his original versions are lost to most modern listeners.
Sweet Home Chicago - CoverLothar & I made this video for y'all to play along to, with notations about the key, chord changes, & turnaround.
It Hurts Me Too - Elmore JamesThis tune was originally by Tampa Red, but James was one of the first pioneers of electric slide (along with Muddy Waters). Many people have covered this song, including Eric Clapton on his From The Cradle album.
Baby What You Want Me Do - Jimmy ReedThis tune is cool, not just because it's a the embodiment of a classic blues shuffle, but also because you can hear Jimmy's wife singing in the background to help him remember the words. Jimmy was famous for his consumption of adult beverages.
Baby What You Want Me To Do - CoverLothar & I made this video for y'all to play along to, with notations about the key, chord changes, & turnaround. You can also observe Lothar's soloing strategy from two angles.
6 Basic Blues Bass PatternsHere's a video laying out 6 basic blues lines for Bass. On-screen tab included!
Blues Bass Turnarounds and WalkupsHere's an additional bass video about how to put the pieces together in a more interesting manner.
If you’re looking for scales and patterns to use in blues solos, just Google pentatonic scale or blues scale. You’ll also find many YouTube videos devoted to this theme.