[LooPbacK]

A guy came at my place yesterday and blew me away playing a blues tune...i want to learn too... what songs do you suggest???

[Will_Wood]

Wow. Well, I'd normally wait for Dadfad to answer, but I felt chipper.

Every blues song can be made as simple or as complicated as you like. That's the beauty of it. You can take any blues song, and make it your own. Go buy yourself some Robert Johnson.

[annoying_2001]

i'm gonna wait for dadfad to take this one.....

[dadfad]

Wow.  Well, I'd normally wait for Dadfad to answer, but I felt chipper. 

Every blues song can be made as simple or as complicated as you like.  That's the beauty of it.  You can take any blues song, and make it your own.  Go buy yourself some Robert Johnson.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No need to wait for me. You said it perfectly yourself. As simple or as complicated as you like. And that is the beauty of it. If you can play three good chords (or even not-so-good!) you can start playing blues, and after you become a fingerstyle-wizard you can still play the same tune, with a little more complexity. If you feel like it.

The tune Rock Me Baby (written by Willie Dixon and done by Muddy Waters) (and many others) is always a good one to start with. As a simple straight 12-bar, or with a reversed I-IV 12 (like Muddy) or whatever. In any key. I think A works best for beginners because you can play all three chords "open."


Rock me, Baby.
Rock me all night long.
Rock me, Baby.
Rock me all night long.
I want you to rock me like my back ain't got no bone.

Roll me, Baby.
Like you'd roll a wagon wheel.
Roll me, Baby.
Like you'd roll a wagon wheel.
Let me show you, Baby, just how good a man can make you feel.

Wrap your legs around me
Like a circle 'round the sun.
Wrap your legs around me
Like a circle 'round the sun.
Call me your daddy, let me be the only one.


Simple A D and E chords will do it. Play them as a shuffle if you can. Add a few minor-pent notes here and there, and you're on your way.

[deamhain]

I might get this wrong but I think the link below will take you to somewhere you can download a MP3 of Rock me Baby to play along to and also to learn some finger picking once you get more into it.
Rock Me Baby

[halfmoonbay]

I'd recommend hunting out a 'Best of...' Muddy Waters album, there's a few floating about. He's a pretty accessable player (both in terms of listening to and playing). Many of the songs he performed are classics/standards that have been done by many other players as well, so if you get a few of those down (' Baby Please Don't Go,' 'Hoochie Coochie Man,' 'Rock Me,' ' Got My Mojo Working' etc) you've got off to a good start.

[Gfly]

Muddy Waters is definitely an awesome place to start at. I've got myself a Best of Muddy Waters album, and when I started getting into playing the blues, I started out by working with the songs on there.

And like others have said, you can take each song and make it your own, as simple or as complex as you like. Recently I've been taking old time blues slide tunes, and making my own variation of them. Naturally, my versions always end up simpler but its great practice and fulfilling as well.

Good luck