Jim's Circle of Blues - #2 - Blues in B flat

Jim · #1 July 16th, 2006

Here's the second installement in my "Circle of Blues" -- #2 - Blues in Bb. See my post for #1 in A for a full explanation of what I'm doing here...

I posted two takes below, because although I think my playing is a little better in the first one, for some reason that I don't understand, even though the level in Audacity showed the lead track I was recording was well below any clipping, some distortion in the guitar tone snuck in anyway... So I did it again with the volume WAY down on my guitar, and the tone cleaned up - but I wasn't able to capture the groove I felt in was in on the first one. So, they're both leads against the same Backing track - you can decide which one sounds better to you (hopefully at least one will sound OK to you...)

Enjoy!
Jim

allthumbs · #2 July 16th, 2006

I was thinking Jim, if your going to follow the circle of 5ths, why not post your jams in that order. A,E,B, etc. A good way to lock in the order of the 5ths. Just a thought. Your getting there with your note selection BTW. Work on adding more vibrato in your playing for added interest.
I would like to hear you play the blues with a fatter tone. The tone you have working, seems to me, to be more of a clean jazz-blues tone. Could be just my personal taste though. It is a hard balancing act between clean and distortion.

Jim · #3 July 16th, 2006

Hey Marty!

My first thought was to follow the Circle of 5th order, but I thought about what backing material I have of good quality right now, and decided to start with A first, because I've got decent tracks in it, and it's such a common key (along with E) for people to do Blues in, and then go as good backing becomes available. I could have done E next, but I felt like doing one of the "darker" keys (to me) like Bb, for contrast.

My main goal is just to do Blues leads in all 12 keys -- and when I'm done I'll probably post a summary with links to the 12 leads in 12 keys - and have those in Circle of Fifth order... I think if right now I had 12 good backings in all 12 keys I would have done as you suggest. Have any BTs in more unusual keys you want to offer for this project?

Thanks for your comments! I am working on my vibrato every day, and you'll hear more and more of it as I get better at it. I've also been searching for great tone for a long time, and I'm happy to have found the ones I have so far (because they are clean, but not tinny) - yet I am still trying to find a way to get a fatter tone like you mention - I'd like very much to be able to do that. I'm working on those things Marty!

Jim

allthumbs · #4 July 16th, 2006

Let me know what keys you can't find and I will see what I can do.

joe_strummer · #5 July 16th, 2006

Excellent playing Jim, well done keep up the great work

CanuckTodd · #6 July 16th, 2006

Great groove Jim! Made for fine listening! I just got back from a softball game and we lost so I was feeling bluesy already. I got the slo-pitch blues.. oh yeah...

Jim · #7 July 16th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by allthumbs

Let me know what keys you can't find and I will see what I can do.

Thanks Marty!

Well, I have Ab, A, Bb, C, D, E, G, and I think B (which is one of the unusual ones-and I haven't double-checked the key) but I don't think I have anything decent in C#/Db, D#/Eb, F, or F#/Gb, and possibly B. It is possible with Audacity, I think, to change the pitch without changing the tempo (although I haven't tried it) so if necessary, I can reuse some of the ones I have and change them to another key. Kinda boring, but it will get the job done.

If you have any good ones in those keys I'm missing - let me know!

Jim

Jim · #8 July 16th, 2006

Thanks so much Joe and Todd!

Hey Todd - that sounds like a potential song to me...lots of people have them sports blues!

Jim

Jim · #9 July 17th, 2006

As promised in my other thread for the key of A, here is the backing track in B flat I used for this one.

Jim

tomg123 · #10 July 18th, 2006

Hey jim, I downloaded both at first listen the A shuffle seemed to fast for me but I played a to it a bit and maybe I can give it shot, the B seems fine. Too late for the neighbors tonite so barring nothing taking my time tue I'll give it a go with my acoustic

Jim · #11 July 18th, 2006

Great Tom!

As I said, just do them if you want to -- the A shuffle is kind of fast and the Bb blues (this one) slower and easier to solo against.

I know all about neighbors... I live in a condo and have them under and on both sides of me. Plus my wife can't stand loud music (loud to her is moderate to me

) so I also have to plan my playing accordingly and make a lot of use of headphones...

Jim

tomg123 · #12 July 18th, 2006

Oh well, this sounds a little bland with a few bad notes. Iv'e done better but this is the best i could do with this

allthumbs · #13 July 18th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomg123

Oh well, this sounds a little bland with a few bad notes. Iv'e done better but this is the best i could do with this

Good for you taking a shot at it. I would like to hear you tone down the brightness of your guitar and add a taste of over drive or distortion to fatten up your tone.
In a minimalist lead like yours, you need to make those notes sing so think about adding more vibratos and bends to your playing. Cool. You just need to flesh it out a bit and find a bluesier tone.

Jim · #14 July 18th, 2006

Cool Tom! I think you did really good.

You did a good job of following the chord changes and that really make a positive difference!

Allthumbs suggestions are good (and very similar to the ones she gave me.

) - and I know how hard it is to find that tone that you like and that sounds really blusey. I still haven't found one I'm totally happy with, so we're both on that same quest. But you are using an acoustic guitar, right? Is is one that has built in pickups or do you use a mic for recording it? If if you have to mic it, it may be harder for you to get a blusey tone out of it (although I could be wrong since I am no expert on acoustics) -- but if you use a recording program like Audacity, there are post-effects that can be applied that maybe can give a fatter tone. It's something I have to try too!

But - good playing and I'm really happy you took a turn at this! And I really hope you had fun with it...cause that's the point!

Jim

tomg123 · #15 July 18th, 2006

Thanks jim and AT. It is an acoustic, some backtracks I do better with then others. I do know how to use audacity effects to give a more electric sound and take the brightness out but for some reason the effects weren't working right this time, I was getting a noise from it. If you check out the A minor one I used some effects in that (thats in this thread). I saved one I did in C, I did one in G which is probably the best one I did. I'll post them when the time comes and try others here if they come out OK