How To Improvise Blues: Beginner Lesson 1
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- Опубліковано 26 лют 2021
- Blues improvisation Lesson 1: Play in time & in tune - Just Getting Started
1st lesson in a series studying Blues Improvisation.
Lesson covers:
- Playing in time
- Focusing on root notes
- Listening and reacting to backing track.
Lesson includes a backing track of a static A minor groove.
Lesson 2: • How To Improvise Blues...
Have these lessons been helpful?
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The important links:
Marc Guitar’s Facebook page:
/ marcellisonguitarist
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/ marcguitar
Patreon supporters get access to additional lessons, as well as mp3 backing tracks and all the tabs.
Marc’s band - Northbound:
Website: www.northbound.org.uk
Facebook: / northboundblues
Spotify: "Northbound Acoustic Blues Band"
Album available as mail order CDs from northbound.org.uk and downloads from all the usual download stores (iTunes, Google Play, CD Baby etc)
Google Play: bit.ly/2FGM5tx
Please remember to subscribe, LIKE the video and feel free to share it!
![Master the BLUES SCALE [With One Simple Shape]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pxG2JKoAuhs/mqdefault.jpg)
MARC makes it doable... more direct to the point than other "teachers" on UA-cam. Lesson 1 is a good example of how to play... he gives more of a "professional" sound for us "wanna bees."
Thank you!
Finally it looks like a great lesson on UA-cam where you actually can play and feel you are starting to learn blues, I know its hard to pitch what's easy for some and hard for others but I can tell this lesson and others to come will really suit many beginners. Many thanks 😊
Thank you! Yes, originally this was just supposed to be one lesson, but so difficult to know what level to pitch it at, so I thought I'd make it a series and start right from the beginning. Many thanks for your kind comment
@@MarcGuitarVideos I'll be right there learning thankyou 🙏
I like the video series idea. Blues is one of the most complex and intuitive styles of music there is. Jazz is the most, by far. But the blues sound is very specific, and can tend to give many of people some trouble when trying to nail that sound down. (Pay attention to your thirds, people)
Thanks Brendon!
Great player and teacher! Thanks Marc
Thanks, that's very kind
im a beginner and I cannot under estimate how much blues improv helps with timing.
Cheers!
100% blues helps me not to give up:)
@@romaaario94 same here!
These a VERY well planned lessons and very informative. One of the best on youtube for sure. Lots of details and tips. and great backing tracks
Marc, your lessons continue to amaze me. How rare to see a logical and sequential follow of information on UA-cam. You're the greatest!
Wow thank you so much. That really means a lot!
This is wonderful, Marc. I'm excited about the journey. Will master every lesson. Your stuff is so good.
Thanks Rick - that's a great comment
Just came across your channel Marc and I’ve watched loads of other blues for beginners and yours is the most intuitive by far, you have simplified the art of playing the blues. All I want to do at my stage is to jam over a backing track and after finding your channel I feel that is very achievable, thank you Marc 👏👏👏👍
Excellent! Losing yourself while jamming over a backing track is some of the most fun you can have! Thank you for such a kind comment.
I can't wait to go through this with you. Your series of easy solos based on each of the Am boxes was great!
Thanks Roger, that's very kind.
This is why i love you’re lessons we’re actually going somewhere with it!!👍🏻
Thank you Mark! That's very kind
Oh wow Marc, I've watched L1 and L2 and this series is going to be responsible for a whole pile of people being thrilled with what they are able to do after following your easy-going and thorough instructions. Here's hoping that you carry on with this excellent series. If you carry on at this pace you're going to make a lot of people happy. Go Marc go!
Wow! Thank you that's such a kind comment. Yes, there are a lot more lessons coming in this series. Thank you, that comment makes me very happy
You are a very good teacher Marc! Thanks for helping us be better players! Looking forward to the upcoming videos!
Cheers Rusty! Much appreciated
Hey Marc I hope you're doing well. Thanks so much for taking your time and effort to bring these lessons to us. I've been gone for a bit, but now I'm back and as always your lessons are awesome as Mike T. said your a very easy going teacher and can't wait to dive in more with this series and all your others. Thanks so very much.
Thanks William, that's very kind. I really appreciate tha. Thank you very much
I’m now up to lesson 4 in this series and loving it. Chunking it down like this really helps and I can fee real progress in my playing. Thanks Marc.
That's fantastic to hear. Thanks for the great feedback
Can't wait for the next lessons, it's looking to be a great course! Thank you, Marc, you are doing something amazing here!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that
Hey Marc, I’m on this 🎸 this is what Saturday’s were made for 👍🏻🇬🇧🎸
Thanks Dave
Excellent, just what I have been looking for,can’t wait to get into this. Many many thanks
Glad it was helpful!
271 / 5000
Hello Marc. I am Brazilian, 42 years old and I am in my 4th month of guitar learning. The trick of focusing on the root notes is something that no teacher had ever shown me, and it's really awesome. I really liked the video, congratulations on the work! Won another subscriber!
Fantastic! Very pleased you liked the video. Thanks for the great comment
Best blues lessons I've ever seen on UA-cam! Thanks a lot!
Wow, thanks! That's very kind
Brilliant idea Marc can't wait
Cheers! Next one will be quite soon
As a fellow beginner from downunder,I suggest that you download a metronome whenever you are practising, it seems to fall together more easily as you practice it becomes automatic
I totally agree. Alternatively, a drum machine program or any kind of rhythm track will help. I prefer a drum beat because it helps me find my musical groove, but a metronome is also good. The most important thing is to feel that beat, that pulse as we play
now that is a great instructional video. The beauty is in its simplicity, Great sound and beat in just one position thank you marc man
You're very welcome!
Brilliant lesson. Already itching for the next video. Thanks
You won't have long to wait! These lessons are going to be a lot more frequent than my usual ones
This is absolutely the perfect blues lesson for me. Thank you!
Fantastic! Thank you
Valeu o melhor professor de Blues
This is amazing, thank you
Thank you Marc.
Welcome!
Excellent video by Marc as usual.
Many thanks!
Superb lessons Marc, looking forward to working my way through this course.
Cheers!
Great stuff. Really looking forward to the next one.
Cheers Dave! It won't be a long wait
Tapping the foot, vibrato, listen to the backing track. Marc, you're my hero. I'm a newbie but I love the blues and the Am pentatonic scale position is comfortable for me.
Excellent! I really hope this is helpful to you
Fantastic
Thank you!
Count me in Marc. Good , clear lesson.
Excellent!
Looking forward to this
Thanks Mark!
Looks like a great starting point...and so straight forward....thanks!
Cheers!
Great video Marc! I've already learned few playing over just one chord. Good practice exercise
Excellent! Thanks
Cheers Marc.
Thanks Arthur!
Thank you Marc!
Welcome!
Gracias Mark. Very good and usefull to improve
Glad it was helpful!
Very good first episode of this new serie!
Thanks Christophe! Much appreciated
Marc, Success and Salute for you, thanks
Thank you!
Excellent lesson / gained another subscriber here in Brazil
Awesome, thank you!
Thanks from Belgium!
Welcome!
Thanks Marc Colin 👍
Cheers Colin
Great lesson Marc, looking forward to the next one, and the next one, oh, and the next one. Cheers
Thanks Graeme! Yes, there's a lot of ground to cover in this series so it will be short frequent lessons where each lesson builds on the last one.
Great lesson. Very helpful!!
Glad you think so! Thanks Dean
You videos are awesome buddy, please keep them coming ❤️
I love jammin like this!!!
I do it for hours, it like therapy for me!! Haha 😄
Thanks Brian! I really appreciate that!
great lesson mate.. cheers
Thanks, much appreciated!
This is a fantastic idea!! I think I'm more of an intermediate player at least, but I'm looking forward to the upcoming lessons. Thank you!!
Excellent! I hope you like the rest in the series
Fantastic, thanks
Glad you liked it!
Awesomeness
Cheers
As usual great lesson - probably a bit basic for my current level of playing but still really enjoyed jamming with backing track - can't wait till the next installment
Thanks Steve. It does get more challenging, but we are building slowly because different people are starting from different levels. You shouldn't have to wait long though as these lessons are going to come out far more frequently than my usual lessons.
Thanks!
You're welcome!
Gracias Marc
De nada!
Wonderful tutorial 👏👏
Thanks that’s very kind
Well done, I will definitely stick around for the next sessions 👍😀
Thanks Morgan!
Nice lesson Marc!
Thanks! 😃
🤘🎸💯...good teachin' right there...Thank you.
My pleasure!
love that guitar's color 😻
Me too. I don't normally like green as most of my guitars are blue, but this Les Paul just looks great with the green and cream look
i started loving green because of green les pauls, they are so beautiful!
I like your style of comunication oř explaining 👍 definatelly very usefull to be ale to play live in front of Crowd
Thanks! 😃 I really appreciate that
The blues lesson brought me here, the liver bird on your amp kept me here ♥️ YNWA my friend 🫡
Fantastic! Yes I'm a lifelong Red. YNWA
@@MarcGuitarVideos My daughter works for LFC….
Same here!! Saw that after a couple of minutes and had a huge smile on my face. And the lesson is just as good.
@@MarcGuitarVideos Me too. Reds fan since I was a kid in the 70s! YNWA
Really good lesson Marc, more than happy to be a new subscriber . Going to watch part 2 now. 😀✊
Looking forward to more of these lessons. Seems so basic, but I’ve played with people that don’t seem to realize that they aren’t playing in time.
Hi Keith - Yes I completely agree. This series starts with the basics and builds from there, playing in time and in tune is basic but we need it on order to build everything else on
Sounds fantastic Marc, more like rock than the blues but i really like it, thanks.
Yes, lesson 1 is a straight 4/4 over one chord so was always going lean more rock than blues. Subsequent lessons add a shuffle and 12 bar and so get a lot more bluesy
A great start Marc, I'm looking forward to getting into this right from the start. Sadly I gave my index finger on my fretting hand a decent gash with a knife while cutting broccoli from the garden , so no playing for me for a little while. But I'm so keen to get started!! Thanks for this series Marc...it's going to be so helpful to me :)
Sorry to hear about your accident! Sounds painful
Been looking forward to this Marc and I liked the backing track. Was able to string a few licks together and resolve (like you said) to the root note. Also slipped in a double stop at the 5th fret on the B and E with a little vibrato.
Excellent!!! That's great!
I have your exact same guitar , les Paul epiphone in translucent Green! So that's a good start already . 😀
Fantastic!
And again a GREAT lesson! Thanx and: THUMBS UP! (German fan from Isenbüttel)
Awesome, thank you!
"Don't tap your foot and play random notes". Best advice this year. 😃 . 😆 🤣 😂.
Gonna try it with a couple of A minor blues jamalong tracks.
Once again, thanks Marc.
Yeh, that is such fun. Just stick to one position and see how many different combinations you can do. I also wandered into position 2 and 4 quite easily, surprised myself!! Got in a few nice slides as well as a few bends. Luvin it.
Thanks Arthur! You comment about tapping foot really made me laugh. Yes, sounds pretty obvious doesn't it?! If you already know other box positions, then yes, definitely work them in! Thanks for the really great comment
Excellent. I have always wanted to be able to play some soulful blues and this first lesson has put me on the right path. You licks are easy to copy. Do you have a video on how to develop a decent vibrato (or shake as you call it)?
Hi, jumping in a bit late... This was a good start. Nice with the backing track, thanks.
Thanks!
I made a ton of mistakes (hitting the wrong strings) but after four play throughs it almost sounded “not too terribly bad”. Thanks so much for giving back to the beginning guitar player, Marc. Cheers from 🇨🇦
Thanks Matthew. Stick with it and you'll keep progressing. Thanks for the great comment
Just wait til you start finger picking
@@bureaucratbayonet haha
Nice. Makes me feel like I got a personal lesson.
Excellent! That's what I was aiming for
even though i am a begginner this is sooo fuuun
Excellent that’s great. I’m really pleased
I enjoyed that. Just about the right level for me. I tend to over do it and end up playing notes at too many frets with no thought or timing.
Fantastic! Thanks for the comment
Marc, Could you please list the blues series starting from how to improvise blues #1 thru the end of your series ?
I noticed that after #8 they are not numbered in order , I don't want to get confused which one is next after I complete
each one. Thanks JP
Hi Marc great lesson series idea. I was wondering if you have ever thought of a group page so people could share their progress etc like posting vids of how they use these lessons to improvise. Just an idea. Cheers
Hi Nathan - that is a fantastic idea. I have asked previously if people will share their results with me, and for Patreon supporters, I make the offer that if they want to share results with me, I'll give them personalised feedback. Unfortunately, it's pretty rare that anyone does that. So, I would love it, but I'm not sure if anyone would contribute. Though I would love it if we could. I don't have a website or anything, and have stopped doing Facebook, so not sure what the right forum would be. If you have some ideas, I'd love to hear them
Hi Marc long time no see As you know i like more the Acustic but this here is looks like a great thing Regards from Brazil Michael
Hi Michael - nice to hear from you. All the ideas/techniques work equally well on acoustic even though I'm using all electric
good my idol
Thanks for the very kind comment
Love your lessons I've learned more from you than anybody else I like how you break it down look for lick and show the tabs I am also learning
How to move the pentatonic scales up and down the neck learn where pentatonic scale position each position and where to use them on the neck thank you so much
Thanks for the great comment Greg. I really appreciate it. I'm really pleased my lessons are helping.
Just stumbles across your series, great stuff - Subscribed :) Is that a 90s Epi Les Paul? I have a black one with a Gibson truss rod cover.
Yes it is! It was a limited edition. I've swapped the pickups and nut, but it's a great guitar. Looks, sounds and plays fantastic!
@@MarcGuitarVideos What pickups and nut did you got for? Just getting back into playing electric guitar, contemplating upgrading mine.
@@JMTBFLOW Seymour Duncan: Alnico II Pro in the bridge and a '59 in the neck
Mark, I'm really struggling with improvisation and this popped up in my UA-cam feed so I'm really interested in having a crack at this. Could you let me know what settings you had on the Blackstar amp when you ran the lesson? I'd like to aim for the tone that you have. Many thanks.
Hi Andy. The Blackstar is a great amp. It's got quite a lot of gain on tap. I have it set on the edge of break up so that when I hit the strings hard, it really sounds dirty, but when I ease off, it cleans up a bit. Tone controls are set pretty close to half way, maybe tweaked a little, but not very much. The amp has an ISF control which basically sweeps the voicing from a fender-y tone through to a marshall-y sound. I have it set almost all the way over to the Marshall tone. I hope that helps
waiting for the next lesson ...
You won't have to wait very long.....
Thanks useful video 😊
You stay only in one pentatonic shape!!
Is there a cable to connect the tablet with the amp?
Backing track begins at 9:31
Hi Dimitris - Yes, this lesson only used box position 1. Later lessons expand to use other shapes. I do use a lead to connect may laptop into my amp
I think my next guitar is going to be flame top forest green with cream pickguard and pickups covers...
Ha ha! Yes, it does look great. Mostly I like blues guitars, but this one looks fantastic
thx marc will donate hope to contact u if my idea is picked up love series
Thanks Randy, glad you liked this series
Hey Marc. Love your lessons. This one is intriguing. But I have to tell you I don't have any instinct for crafting riffs. Wish I did. But if I tried to play along with the backing track it wouldn't sound anything like yours. Tabs would help
I'm not planning on doing tabs. I have plenty of other lessons with tabs and licks. I'd suggest trying to jam over the backing track and see how you get on. Even if it doesn't sound great the first time, it'll get better the more you try. I'd encourage you to stick with this series, as future topics are going to build on this and at least one lesson will include learning some licks to throw into an improvisation, and yes, that lesson will include tabs
I know what you mean about creating riffs, so I'm using several of Marcs, but as he says this is about learning to improvise, so I need to be having a go. What really comes home to me is the importance of phrasing, which Marc does brilliantly and I now realise I need to start doing in order to try and make my riffs sound more interesting. It's like me playing a B B King 3 note riff as just 3 notes - it sounds nothing. But when he does it, it's just something else. Well, I'm never going to be a great blues player, but Marcs teaching method is the best I've come across and I finally feel as though I'm starting to progress!☺
I took the 2 e strings off and the d. Tuned the a to d the g to a and the b to d. Marked off the notes with gaffa tape on the fret board. Can't hit a wrong note. Scouse power.
What?!?! I think my head is spinning just trying to imagine that!
I'm trying to learn blues improvising.
I have zero information about improvising , if improvising using A minor blues scale, must the Backing Track be in A minor too? Or is it fine to improvise using any scale on any Backing Track?
General rule, is that we improvise in the key of the backing track, so if the backing track is in the key of Am we should improvise using the scale of Am. If the backing track is G major, then use G major scale
when i play with A major & minor mix, IV (D) root is not in the major scale. Then what note should i play in D chord with A major scale? , Thanks !
Hi! Over the D chord (IV chord) avoid using the A MAJOR pentatonic scale. Just use A MINOR pentatonic instead. The A Major include the note C# but not the notes C or D. The chord of D7 includes both a C and a D, but not a C#, therefore the C# in A major pentatonic will clash. Therefore, over the D chord, only play A minor pentatonic scale. I hope that helps.
@@MarcGuitarVideos perfect answer for me. thanks
@@ryan7280 Happy to help!
how di i aet my amp please to get that sound
If I remember correctly, it's just the guitar (Epiphone Les Paul) into the dirty channel of the amp (Blackstar HT5R). The amp is set almost fully over to the Marshall sound on its ISF control. The EQ is set fairly even, nothing special or extreme going on with it.
😊👍👍👍
Thanks!
Hi Marc, how many bpms is the backing track, as I would like to play it against my metronome? Thanks
Hi - it's 120 bpm
Thanks Marc☺
Hi Marc, Great lesson. Timing has always been my problem, i can play along but with timing that,s another story 🙄 ! I know it,s not the way to count but in my mind or ears i get like,,,,,, 1 and 2 3 4 / 5 6 7 then i get 1 2 3 4 /and 5 6 7 . Hope you get whats in my head 1and234,567 then 1234,and567... Yes Embarrassing but i have to ask, what are you actually counting ?
Hi Kenny! That's an excellent point. I'll put a video up on Patreon to address this. Good question
@@MarcGuitarVideos Hi Marc, Thanks so much for your reply, i,ll be checking that out its gonna be a nice wee course, Cheers Marc
@@kennypriest7434 Thanks Kenny
any chance you'll break down those licks?
Unfortunately not. I'm not planning on doing tabs. I have plenty of other lessons with tabs and licks. The fun is in just playing your own thing anyway.
Bookmark: jam starts about 6:10
What effects pedal are you using to get that gritty sound?
I can't remember exactly as I filmed it about 3 years ago, but I think the drive is just coming from the amp. It doesn't sound like I'm using any pedals in this video at all. The amp is the Blackstar HT5 and it sounds like I have this on the drive channel with the gain really dialled back. The ISF control (which changes the voicing between Fender and Marshall) is set almost all the way over to the Marshall sound.
On most of my videos, the drive is coming from the amp. On a lot of videos I'll use a Boss Blues Driver pedal with the amp on the clean channel instead. Occasionally I'll use something else like my Thorpy Dane, but usually it's either the amp or the Blues Driver. On most videos when playing over the backing track, I'll also use a delay pedal set very mild as it helps the guitar sit in with the track, but I didn't do that on this video.
@@MarcGuitarVideos Thankyou.
@@Neil-qf6df You're welcome
I see you've got my bird there.
ha ha ha! Excellent!
@@MarcGuitarVideos I don't mind sharing her. I share her with quite a few people actually lol. Thanks for the lesson btw. I should have mentioned that first!
@@Planktilious1 That bird is good to share around!
catch your breath
Hey Marc, I think the backing track is too fast.
you can slow it down
Yes, as Anthony states, the controls in UA-cam allow you to slow it down. Also, the principles I'm teaching here can be applied to any backing track. You can find something slower on YouTune, Spotify or something and make sure you keep time and dance around the root notes
@@MarcGuitarVideos yes I'm aware that I can alter the speed, I really don't think it's a particularly good backing track to use and I do heed your instruction and apply that to other backing tracks, just pointing this out.