Welcome to the home of the NCFBS Beginner’s Blues Circle
Starting in April: NCFBS Beginner’s Blues Circle, Level 2!
The new, improved Level 2 version of the NCFBS Beginner’s Blues Circle will take place on 5 April. The good folks at B-Side Vintage (601 S Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601) will again be providing a meeting place for us. The Circle runs from 6:30 – 8:00 pm, and will take a new form. We’re moving on to doing a lot more playing and a lot less discussing. Bring an instrument and a song or two, and we’ll sit around in a circle and do some pickin’ and grinnin’.
If you have any questions please direct them to drjules@ncfblues.org. 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 …. 😜
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.
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!
| Link | Commentary |
|---|---|
| It Hurts Me Too Cover | This is an annotated video of the song, with a new bass player! |
| Kansas City Cover | Another annotated video of the song. |
| Sweet Home Chicago - Robert Johnson | Note 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 - Cover | Lothar & I made this video for y'all to play along to, with notations about the key, chord changes, & turnaround. |
| It Hurts Me Too - Elmore James | This 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 Reed | This 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 - Cover | Lothar & 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 Patterns | Here's a video laying out 6 basic blues lines for Bass. On-screen tab included! |
| Blues Bass Turnarounds and Walkups | Here's an additional bass video about how to put the pieces together in a more interesting manner. |