Modal thinking in Blues

Subject: Modal thinking in Blues
From: Harris
Date: 15 Oct 98 - 04:07 AM

Sometimes I'm sure that all Blues song are the same, but I'm wrong. They had microtones, but I don't know anything about the subject. I looking for infos about these microtonal intervals.

Subject: RE: Modal thinking in Blues
From: Frank in the swamps
Date: 15 Oct 98 - 06:27 AM

Interesting question, I'd never given it much thought myself. To the best of my knowledge, there is no "codification" of the microtonal intervals. After the human voice, one of the most popular (if not THE most popular) blues instruments is the guitar. Guitarists will "bend" the strings by pushing or pulling them across the length of the frets to increase tension, raising the pitch. How far they go is a matter of individual taste, some love to raise notes over the next half step, others just nudge it a little. Pushing & pulling along the string length also allows increasing/decreasing tension so notes can be altered. Of course, blues was probably the origin of slide guitar. Just thinking about it, I think sliding the fourth to the fifth is common, and bending the third is common. I'll have to play around on my guitar some, and see which notes I like to bend most frequently.

Frank i.t.s.

Subject: RE: Modal thinking in Blues
From: Jon W.
Date: 15 Oct 98 - 10:07 AM

Most of what I've read on the subject talks about the "blue" notes being somewhere between a minor and a major third and also one between a minor and a major seventh. I've been listening to the blues so long it all sounds normal to me, though.

Subject: RE: Modal thinking in Blues
From: Dave T
Date: 15 Oct 98 - 11:15 PM

All those combinations mentioned are common. Many blues tunes are written in a minor key. The minor pentatonic scale is widely used for improvising in blues. T-Bone Walker made it famous. A common technique is to bend the fourth a half tone. For example in an A minor the following notes would work: A B C D D# where the D# is played by bending the D up a half tone. I'm not sure about microtones though. I guess that vibrato (by rapidly bending and relaxing the string) uses microtones, but they're not held for any duration except in slide playing as far as I know. Like many others, I tend to play what sounds right to my ear, but I'm intrerested in what others have to say.

Dave T

Subject: RE: Modal thinking in Blues
From: Gene E
Date: 15 Oct 98 - 11:31 PM

Howdy,

One of my favorite topics!! I find that I bend some, slide some sharp and flat some depending on the tune. I agree with all of you that blues guitar is characterized by half tones and expressive slide notes.

As for how these things come to be in blues I really believe that in the hands of some one really into the blues, the guitar will tell you what to play. It'll tell you what to say. Don't believe it? Pick up a guitar you like to play, go in a quiet room and just tune it. While you're tuning up a part of a song will come to you, maybe just a couple of licks. Play it! Develop it, expand on it and experiment with it. That's where the blues comes from.

Don't worry about whether it's modal, tonal, 3ds 4ths 5ths 6ths or half tones or what ever. The blues is from the heart not the head.

Still payin' dues Gene