Demonstration, 6 min 2 sec, 35.6 MB Flash Video
smaller screen version available on You Tube
This is one of a series of fourteen electric hammered dulcimer demonstration videos, described in detail in
"Instrumental Demonstrations: Sounds and Rhythm Styles".
I made this video because the Blues has a lott of different beats and styles, and if I’d included all this in the video on syncopated styles, it would have been too long. As it is, there is a bit of overlap, but I focused this video entirely on beats and styles I use playing the Blues. From straight up 12 bar to fast double-time syncopation, or G Blues in Piedmont and Delta styles. These would equate guitar Blues as both finger-style blues rhythms like Mississippi John Hurt and Robert Johnson, and standard alternating bass line strum of basic 12 bar.
Blues does build on basic standard building blocks on which are built endless variations, so this is both a good representation of the basics, and just a beginning as far as representing the possibilities in playing the Blues. I am focused on demonstrating the rhythms I play as a singer, not leads, which are often part of the blues, which is typically a solid foundation with endless variation and improvisation in words and leads. This what I play when I sing, and then use to support the lead player.. on guitar, horn, harmonica, or anything, during the breaks. This represents the foundations, Blues Rhythms.