How Blues Guitar Changed My Life

There are several stereotypical images that might come into your mind when you think of the word "Blues". Some people may see the ever-faithful african american picking slow, soulful notes on an old, beat up, pawn shop guitar. That image has changed over the years and once the Blues music sat into me it made me develop my own version of that moment in time. The moment in time where we all feel like nothing will get better, the bills will never be paid off, and the boss will never treat you like a person. This is just one account (which is my own) of how blues guitar just seemed to make things right again.

I grew up in Morrow, Ga in some of the most run-down neighborhoods in merto Atlanta. I was a normal boy really. I had normal interests, average grades, maybe one or two girlfriends during the high school years. My childhood consisted of me and my mom. My parents split when I was 3 (I have never seen them in the same room till' this day) so I was raised by my mom and grandparents. besides being piss-poor, me and my mom were lonely. We would stay at home and watch T.V., or play in the yard, but for the most part, we had to entertain each other. She worked up at the old FDIC building and she barely made enough to sustain us. One day I was flipping through the radio (only means of music I had) at around the age of 10 and an old Blind Boy Fuller song came on the radio. Even though I didn't realize it then, I knew I would be a famous blues guitarist one day. Things changed, people died, and a certain deposit insurance corporation laid my mom off. I went to live with my dad at around the age of 12. My dad was an old school rock musician. I remember in the beginning I always would watch him play old Bob Seger and Skynard. Well, as you would all suspect, I learned to play guitar over the next few years. I started out with the typical Nirvana and Sublime stuff. Typical for a 12 year old. But then...it all changed when my dad took me to see B.B. King. Overnight, my whole musical relationship with the guitar changed. Well more years passed (not easy to master blues) and I got better and better. It seems like all the pain I endured as a child wanted to fuel my blues power even more. To this day it seems like my guitar playing just pours out of the guitar without stopping. To me, it seems that my blues are like a river and my guitar is the waterfall. I am a lonely person on a shabby boat on that river, going it alone. Without the blues, I just wouldn't the person I am now. I have never felt a relationship so strongly with something as I have the Blues. No love, lust, or longing can describe it. When I am away from my equipment I am thinking about what I will play when I get back to it. In a way it is a curse passed down through the generations. Whatever the case may be, I feel it is my duty to carry on the mantle and light the fire for the next who wish to carry it on. If the Blues die, out roots and heritage will die with them. Had I not discovered the healing power of the Blues, I would be a very hateful and ugly person. It saved my life. Thanks for reading.

Questions/Concerns: email Eric K. B. at [e-mail].

Comments

[HallucinoGenic]

good story

[DParis]

that sucks. why would you post this? no one cares

[alienfingersCR]

the fact of the matter is that blues guitar is the key to make ur own guitar licks and the ONLY way to become a "pro" in lead/rhytm guitar.

[SRVGuitarFreak]

The story seems to be a little bit to dramatic and self-pityish for me, but blues is awesome and I love it cause of all the improvisation, you can just play what you feel at the moment, some people say "oh blues is't hard so blues guitarists sucks" well I have news maybe the technical aspect isn't greatly difficult but you can't find more passion or self expression anywhere.

[bleach1988]

finally a column about the blues, i have been waiting for one for so long...

[RossDev]

''the fact of the matter is that blues guitar is the key to make ur own guitar licks and the ONLY way to become a "pro" in lead/rhytm guitar''
Not always true although mostly...i mean i no u might not think he's gr8 or w/e, but The Edge is really not blues influenced at all... i can't think of any others, but not all riffs/licks have to be blues orientated, although mostly they are

[Zerostarr]

Blues guitar is very hard to master I agree, good story too, I'm still mastering blues, alright at it, but not great, I'm still trying to master some advanced blues stuff, but I definatly agree, blues makes you a guitarist, not bar chords and being able to play other bands stuff, its good for the theory too

[Mack56]

I'm a new aspiring blues player myself. Great story, sounds like the makings of a blues legend.

[Blackbullet]

okay the article blows, sorry dude but it just does. I appreciate blues as well and i have been influenced quite a bit which can be seen in my own playing so im with you on that, i wouldnt say knowing the blues is THE ONLY WAY to become a pro lead/rythm player though, its just another string to the bow.

[Laser]

Nice story, actually, and some do care. Because certain other people can definately relate.

[shoot_me_again]

A pretty well written story, a bit too self pityful. But I do agree that blues is amazing, especially from 'The Allman Brothers Band', and the great 'ZZ Top'. Billy Gibbons is the man, he even knows how to bring humour into blues music, listen to the song 'Blue Jean Blues' its awesome.

[msierragtz]

I think it's great that you share your story . Blues is great even if i am not american and i don't have "the roots" i can feel the moment in time when i play it

[sithian476]

Nice story... maybe I should start with more blues material. From what I'm reading, it greatly helps you as a guitarist.

[Ddevil]

blues is the roots of most great guitarists. i myself would love to learn blues but have never gotten around to it. good article.

[LastRockShow]

this article is a bit deep and seems like your trying a bit too hard to sound poetic about it. i don't really like blues music, but i learn it to become better.

[GlitteryGold]

WHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
YYYYYYYYYYYYYYY????

[nunley]

you can learn blues without sounding like b.b. king.
every ramones/misfits song was just blues scales with distortion. its a great learnig tool, not only a genre.

[alaskanbassist]

This is not really a guitar article. This is more of your life story or autobiography.
I love playing blues guitar and my life is not changed at all.

[reed]

This was sort of silly. But whatever. I've seen worse...

[Towllie]

tight story, i like hearing stuff like that
and for all you who rip on this proly dont understand
cuz all u can do is power chords...
5 stars

[stiff-upper-lip]

o...k.... nice story, but you could of put a bit of excitment in it, jus sounds lik a love story!!!

[ad_lib_oz]

Right, do you want an award?

Interesting, kinda, but pointless? YES!

[Bluesbreaker7]

Great article, man

[Sean Mertiens]

i mean i love blues, but don't you think this is really a bit too autobiographic?

[driftinguitar]

poo poo ka ka on all of you flamers. ha! flamers... why would you flame if you KNOW someones gonna call you a flamer... what's someone who flames a flamer, a f*ckin Smother f*cker.
*** ya
I liked the story, nice and short. It sounds like you've got a great thing going on with your guitar.

Rock on broskie.

[irish lamma]

good story, if it's true then let the blues be with you forever

[AcoustiGreg]

i liked it, even though i don't like blues

[ledfilly]

good

[TimmyPagePatric]

Thats touchin'... let people know that blues is sometimes the only way of an endless spiral down...
sorry bout the dramatics, but all i no is, to be a real blues musician, you'd a had to have a haaarrd life... Blues Rule!!!

[TimmyPagePatric]

sorry, the only way ***out***
(blushing)

[blistabass]

one question. what pain is this guy talking about????????????????????
anyone know. Ill just email him.

[lohnlennon]

ok i guess

[grn2004]

tight story, i like hearing stuff like that
and for all you who rip on this proly dont understand
cuz all u can do is power chords...
5 stars

Wow, ok? Just because we don't like blues doesn't mean we can only play power chords. There are different ways to improvise besides blues. And, I mean, we all go through hard times... if you really want to express "suffering," wouldn't you think writing morose and morbid music would be more fitting than some washed up, shitty sounding blues song? Even though morose and morbid music is kind of gay? Stop with the self-pity bullshit like, "OH, MY LIFE IS SO HARD!!!111.." and grow up, write positive music, and lift yourself out of your little self-induced slump. Blues sucks, death metal rules. IN FLAMES, OPETH, AND CHILDREN OF BODOM. Now, THERE'S good music.

[Ze_Gibson]

...blues saved your life...

dude, you need help

[bluesrockgod_22]

grn2004:
Wow, ok? Just because we don't like blues doesn't mean we can only play power chords. There are different ways to improvise besides blues. And, I mean, we all go through hard times... if you really want to express "suffering," wouldn't you think writing morose and morbid music would be more fitting than some washed up, shitty sounding blues song? Even though morose and morbid music is kind of gay? Stop with the self-pity bullshit like, "OH, MY LIFE IS SO HARD!!!111.." and grow up, write positive music, and lift yourself out of your little self-induced slump. Blues sucks, death metal rules. IN FLAMES, OPETH, AND CHILDREN OF BODOM. Now, THERE'S good music.

What?

[Jearl]

grn2004, how can you possibly compare blues to death metal? blues requires talent..metal requires powerchords and too much distortion

[Max_Backman]

Good shit

[matt mcallister]

there are some nice ethics taught by the blues which we can all learn, nice article accompanied with a gentle and touching anicdote, if not somewhat desperate....nice work....also it sounds as though you made up the anicdote.

[#1Angusfan]

just so u know, there would be no rock without blues; chuck berry practically invented rock n roll, and his music was blues without the swing. pretty much all of AC/DC's earlier stuff was blues influenced, sometimes heavier than others. listen to gone shootin if u need an example

[GnRrelease_it]

good article
quite the story there dude; i respect anyone who has a reverence for the blues.

btw, you don't have to have a tragic story to liscence you to play the blues

[jeremy_chan101]

very touching story...
i'm a death metalhead myself i love the blues. realli i do.

[rzz]

I like metal, but death metal = cookie monster metal. Opeth and In Flames are gay

[G-Sage]

blues the main pioneer for all electric based music, robert johnson was the greatest bluesman of all time and then muddy waters started doin some amazing shit with the blues scene using the elctrics, which then birthed clapton, where jimi hendrix and page, even tony iommi got their influence from, we all know rock got to where it is through hendrix, page among some others, and iommi was the lead for black sabbath who essentially paved the road for heavy metal artists. so blues' rythms and leads can all be set to match nearly all playing methods, and are involved to some extend in about 98% of songs. if you feel that blues is unimportant to learning improvising and original riff construction, you are a ****ing retard

[G-Sage]

in an earlier argument between some people in this discussion, they were talkin that blues takes talent and metal requires power chords... you who said that definitally should be shot in the face, playing good metal; original metal, takes a lot of practice and talent. i started playing guitar learning rock/blues and now im hooked on metal. i havent abandoned my blues heritage, quite the opposite really. i have successfully integrated blues into heavy metal, death metal, and metal ballods. im saying that you are both idiots for trying to discredit one another's musical genre

[bored789]

green day

[King Kusa]

blues music is great. and "apparantly" most modern day music comes from it which i can believe it sounds viable. i think blues is great i love just pissin about with the scales and makin licks. nice article!!

[trog]

DParis wrote:

that sucks. why would you post this? no one cares

i care

[trog]

trog wrote:

DParis wrote:

that sucks. why would you post this? no one cares
i care

actually i think this column is gay

[guitardude2012]

if you guys think this column is so gay y don't you write ur own and we'll all judge it!!