Timing is Everything! At least, that's how the saying goes... Here are some tracks to help you with your timing.
Playing with a metronome is highly recommended - sometimes it's easy to get lost when playing to a backing track or just practicing without a beat. Experts agree that metronome practice is important to help internalize the rhythm of the music and help you play notes at the right time.
Note: Want a faster or slower speed? Click on the "View in Youtube" link. Youtube lets you speed up or slow down the video - just click on the gear box on the video and set the speed!
Suggestions for use -
Try playing your chords in time with the metronome. First, get the feel of the 4/4 rhythm and try to play your chord on the first beat of every measure. Switch from draw to blow chords whenever you feel like it.
Change your chugging (chord) pattern. Instead of just blowing or drawing try breaking up the breath with your own pattern. Try 'tuck ah" on the draw and " duck ah" on the blow. You can make this pattern more complex with phrases like "tuh duh kah" on both blow and draw. Remember, your not shouting, your whispering both in and out. Make up your own patterns and see how they sound!
Watch and play along with the 12 bar blues video - see if you can play along using the rhythms you were playing with when playing with the metronome.
Try playing the 12 bar blues progression with the metronome instead of the backing track. Internalizing that pattern takes practice over a period of time.
If you can play single notes the metronome is perfect for practicing scales and licks. Start at the standard speed, then if you want you can change the speed with the Youtube settings to go faster or slower. Learning scales and licks is the foundation for soloing and improvisation.
By the way, free metronome apps are available for your phone - these can be really great practice aids!
The 4/4 time signature. The top 4 means 4 beats per measure. The bottom 4 means each beat is a quarter note. Dont worry too much about the bottom 4 !
So , this rhythm has 4 beats per measure - think 1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4 . This is the most common rhythm
This slow blues is in 4/4 time . Try counting along with beats in the measure, nod your head or walk in place to get the beats.
Note the main drum beat here is on the 2 beat. Try playing with the 1 beat , the one and the 3 and then try the other parts like just the 2 beat or the 2 and 4. Note how your emphasis on certain beats changes how the music sounds.
3/4 time signature - Here we have 3 beats per measure - think 1,2,3 - 1,2,3 . This the second most common rhythm. Try counting and nodding.
Shuffles are very common in blues and they are most often (always?) in 3/4 time. Do your beat counting with the backing track then try playing on the different beats as you did in the 4/4 examples. Note how the music makes you feel as you do these different rhythms and emphasize different beats.