Blues Guitar's Influence On Popular Music

There's a line from an old blues song that says, "the blues had a baby...and they called it rock n' roll."

Let me tell you, there is so much truth to that line! You can listen to all the first rock n' roll songs and hear the blues guitar riffs, chord progressions and scales being played, just in a less bluesy

kinda way.

"Johnny B. Good" is a great example of a blues guitar progression being played with a rock drum beat and a vocal melody that is different from how a blues vocal melody would sound. It doesn't end there though. The influence on modern music is still very prevalent. We hear it in hip-hop, rock, emo, indie, reggae, r & b, funk, etc.

The ever so popular 1 - 4 - 5 chord progression (3 chords) that is used in blues is also used in practically EVERY type of music that exists. Even Mozart uses this chord progression as well as many others from the classical period. Not only do blues guitar riffs and chord progressions get used in modern music, but most guitar solos also have blues overtones in rock music as well as the other styles that I mentioned. It has been a KEY factor in forming the shape sound of modern music no matter how you look at it.

Learning how to play blues guitar should be a top priority on any guitar players 'to-do' list. Once you learn the ins and outs of this style, you can manipulate it to create your own modern songs, riffs and/or solos. Many guitar players that I know improvise on the blues scale to create their main riffs and super impressive leads as well as use the chord progressions to write new, more modern music.

Don't let anybody tell you that the blues is dead!