PREMIERCLINIC
BLUES
Larry Carlton’s 335Blues
Accompanying the Blues
This lesson explores playing a slow blues rhythm with a “Stormy
Monday” feel. The overall focus will be on varying the part
slightly from chorus to chorus to keep things interesting. For
the first chorus, we will be playing the backbeats. The second
time around we will add in some single note phrases to spice
things up a bit, and for the third chorus we will play with suspended chords to open up the harmony a little bit before easing back into more traditional sounding chords.
Use upstrokes to help with the feel while trying to lock the timing to the high hat and the snare. Listen intently to the drummer to
build a solid foundation for the soloist.
The second chorus builds on the idea of open chordal accompaniment, but adds a little more information for both the soloist
and the listener. Look for the walkups to the I, II minor, and III
minor, but we’re not doing anything fancy to the chords right
now- just creating more groove for the soloist.
Let’s begin with the first chorus and decide where we can most
effectively place the backbeats. We have two choices: the two
or the four – as in one, two, three, four. Since our role here is
as an accompanist, we want to outline the song’s structure and
give it movement without getting in the soloist’s way, making
the placement of the backbeat on four more effective. This way
the soloist is able to take their time with note placement and
phrasing at the beginning of each measure without worrying
about the rhythm part interfering.
On the third chorus we are really going to expand the harmony
to give the soloist more things to think about. For instance, the
first chord on the downbeat is normally an A7 – instead, we
will play a suspended chord, resolving to the IV. This will nudge
the soloist out of their comfort zone, encouraging them to play
something they may not have otherwise. Watch for the half-steps as we approach the IV chord and the chord substitutions
on the way back around.
12/8 feel
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Stormy Blues, Key of A: Rhythm
Stormy Blues, Key of A: Rhythm
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86 PREMIER GUITAR JANUARY 2008
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