9 Blues guitarists who define the Genre
Find Online Courses in Guitar
Jazz guitar, fingerstyle guitar and guitar music theory as well as more.
Softly written lyrics, sultry shifts and twists, as well as an incredibly expressive guitar sound are only a few of the characteristics that define blues, a genre of music derived from music created by enslaved Africans and Black Americans that has influenced rock, soul, as well as jazz throughout the last century. Even though its mainstream appeal has had its changes and fluctuations, blues music has remained as a source of profound technical and stylistic inspiration to musicians ever since its genesis. In all contemporary Western music genres that are popular There are signs of the language of blues. This lexicon was created by a team of incredible blues guitarists.
Quick Links
- Muddy Waters
- Robert Johnson
- Bonnie Raitt
- Gary Clark Jr.
- Buddy Guy
- T-Bone Walker
- Albert Collins
- Memphis Minnie
- Deborah Coleman
The most famous Blues Guitarists
There are several fundamental principles that are integral to the blues style. A majority of blues songs use the 12-bar form, which is derived from a diatonic scale with added "blues notes" which include sharp 11th, sharp 9th, and the flat 7th scale degree.
In general, you can find blues from the country, the Mississippi Delta style that favors fingerpicking and acoustic guitars as well as urban blues born from Chicago and featuring electronic guitars and more powerful music. But what truly unifies every subgenre is the the blues' iconic instrument: the guitar.
We'll take a look some of the most famous blues guitarists to date, each of whom has honed their individual taste and style.
1. Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield, professionally known as Muddy Waters and often called Muddy Waters, often referred to as the "father of contemporary Chicago blues," was a critical musician in the canon of blues guitarists. Waters was born in Mississippi in 1913 and brought up by his mother, Della Grant, who named him "Muddy" due to his childhood enjoyment of playing in the muddy waters that flowed from Deer Creek near Stovall Plantation in the area where he was raised.
When he was 17 years old, Waters began playing guitar and harmonica, in the manner of blues icons from the local scene Son House and Robert Johnson. In 1941, Waters was recording at the state of Mississippi by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress then shortly afterward relocated to Chicago, where he began his career as a professional musician.
In Chicago, he bought his first electric guitar. He began developing his unique enhanced blues sound. He was in 1958 when Waters performed in England, exposing audiences to slide guitar. This was distinct departure from acoustic folk blues styles. The tour had a profound influence on many musicians, including those from the Rolling Stones, Cream, and early Fleetwood Mac.
A pioneer in electric blues, and a major figure in the British blues revival that took place in the 1960s. He was also one of the greatest guitarists of the past, Waters died in 1983.
2. Robert Johnson
While a figure that is elusive who's historical records are erratic, Robert Johnson was undoubtedly one of the most influential and enduring talent in the history of the blues guitar. The most significant collection of recordings--a stunning demonstration of the guitar's prowess, vocal skills, and songwriting talent--occurred in the span of one year from 1936 until 1937. This short period of time is a source of inspiration to musicians of all genres.
The grandfather of the Delta blues genre, Johnson was born in Mississippi in the year 1911. He died there only 27 years later. In his time, Johnson remained relatively unknown outside of his own Mississippi Delta musical circuit, not being recorded until one time as well as performing at streets, juke joints and street corners.
The way he uses the guitar to create an explosive bass beat has been described as revolutionary. The technique is known as"boogie bass," or "boogie bass pattern" considered an important melody in many blues songs.
While details about his life and death are buried in obscurity and are often disputable due to the absence of documentation, Johnson's influence is enduring across all categories, and has been considered a major influence for musicians like Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, and Robert Plant.
3. Bonnie Raitt
Beloved by musicians and listeners alike, Bonnie Raitt is considered one of the greatest slide guitar players of all time. As an accompaniment to her powerful voice and guitar playing skills, her slide guitar talents infuse her flavor of blues rock with a intensity that's not often seen by other. As Robert Johnson is known as the founder of Mississippi Delta and Muddy Waters who was the founder is the name of Chicago's electric blues scene, the talent of Raitt with the slide guitar has been recognized as one of the greatest blues performers.
Raitt was raised in a family of performers, her father was a tour Broadway actor and her mother was a vocalist and pianist. The path she took to become a musician started in the world of folk that was thriving in Los Angeles and Cambridge, performing with blues musicians such as Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. While it took until 1989 for her to achieve commercial success after the release of her 10th album, Nick Of Time Her steady popularity and talent as a performer has stood up on their own.
Are you Ready to Begin Playing Guitar?
Learn Guitar: The Complete Beginners Guide
4. Gary Clark Jr.
The city of his birth is Austin, Texas, a city that's borne many greats from the blues tradition. Gary Clark Jr. is an influential figure in the current generation of. And while Clark Jr.'s ability as a musician has placed him among the ranks of legendary blues guitar players, his ability as a musician spans many genres, from rock to soul to hip hop.
When he was just twelve at the time, Clark Jr. began taking guitar lessons, and played a few concerts in Austin through his teens. His popularity was recognized, and by the age 17 years old, the Mayor of Austin dubbed May 3 the 3rd of May, 2001 as Gary Clark Jr. Day.
Since his youth, Clark Jr. has established himself as a frequent live performer, acted in several films, and was nominated to win six Grammy Awards. The guitar playing skills of Clark Jr. has been likened to that the guitar playing of Jimi Hendrix. Clark Jr. famously plays an Epiphone Casino guitar and is well-known for his frequent use of fuzz pedals to achieve some of his signature sound effects.
5. Buddy Guy
Many consider Buddy Guy to be the key link between blues and rock, Buddy Guy is an icon of the Chicago blues style, serving as a significant influence to the modern-day legends of Eric Clapton to John Mayer. Born in Louisiana with sharecropper parents, Guy started playing guitar as a child and was taught on his own bow with two strips that was that was cited as the first source of inspiration for the blues sound.
Guy's guitar playing is marked by his novel versatility, dancing easily between blues-inspired rhythms of the traditional and newer riffs that are more unpredictable as well as avant-rock and free jazz. Guy began his career as a musician , playing with groups from Baton Rouge, until he made the move to Chicago and fell under the influence of Muddy Waters. In the end, Guy was signed by Chess Records, who mostly used his talent as a session guitarist because his style was not yet able to be a perfect fit for any box.
The blues revival that took place in the 1990s, the recognition of Guy's individual talent saw a resurgence, and he received widespread recognition for the album Damn Right I've got the Blues.
6. T-Bone Walker
Absolutely, Aaron Thibeaux Walker, also known as T-Bone Walker was the greatest blues guitar players of the past. Born in Texas to musically inclined parents, Walker became known as a chief pioneer in the electric blues and jump blues. blues as one of the very first electric guitarists to solo.
In his teens, Walker performed in the Dallas blues scene. He later settled in California which is where he began playing his first instrument of choice: an electric guitar. In the 1940s and 50s, Walker recorded extensively, creating timeless blues standards.
Part of Walker's unique contribution for blues guitarist was his one-note lines and his broad rhythms. The thrones of famous musicians admit to get inspiration from Walker's music. Chuck Berry cites Walker as his primary inspiration, B.B. King attributes him as his reason for getting an electric guitar, and notably, Jimi Hendrix's famed teeth and behind-the-back-styles of playing were imitations of Walker himself. Walker died in California in 1975.
7. Albert Collins
An electric blues guitarist with a distinctive, original style, Albert Collins was known for his inventive use of tunes and capo positioning. He was also popularly known by the title "The Master of the Telecaster" for his connection to his Fender Telecaster guitar.
Collins was born in Texas in 1932. He was a child who took piano lessons. However, when he reached the age of aged 18 and was able to appreciate the music of T-Bone and Lightnin' Hopkins--who coincidentally was his cousin -- he changed to the guitar.
Collins started playing in clubs throughout Houston and honing his unique technique, which featured the use of a capo and minor tunings as well as an acoustic ringing style. In the 60s, 70s, and '80s, Collins played live as well as recorded often. In 1993, he passed away from cancer. But his influence as a spirited, innovative guitar player lives on in the current blues artists.
8. Memphis Minnie
ugTppNogLhdxfBMagrrrrP Source: wikimedia
Memphis Minnie posing for a photograph in 1930.
Of course, she is often referred to as one of the most popular blues artists of all time the stage name Memphis Minnie she chose to use--was a guitarist force. Born Lizzie Douglas in Mississippi in 1897, Minnie first learned to play the banjo around the age of 10, then switched to guitar. In the age of thirteen, she fled from her home in Memphis, Tennessee, and began playing on the edges of Beale Street, the site of a lively blues music scene.
Minnie's prolific career took her all over the country across the country, between New York to Chicago, and between multiple labels. It is noteworthy that Minnie was among the few female blues singers who composed her own tunes. In the span of thirty years, Minnie recorded multiple hits which are now classic blues classics, such as "Bumble Bee" and "Nothing But Rambling."
Polished and intrepid in her performance and personality, she died in 1973. Minnie's body of work of a genre heavily which is heavily dominated by men, can be seen as a key source of inspiration for blues musicians who succeed her.
9. Deborah Coleman
The true blues guitar virtuoso Deborah Coleman's career as a musician was brief however, she was not forgotten when she passed away in the year 2018 at the age of 61. She was born in Virginia to a military family who loved music, Coleman moved around a lot. To keep up with her father who played the piano, brother who were guitarists, as well as her sisters who played guitar as well as keyboards, Coleman picked up the guitar and bass around the age of eight. By age 15 she was performing professionally as a bassist in band but switched to the guitar following her first encounter with Jimi Hendrix.
After playing in a range of bands and trios, Coleman found her big break in 1993 after she was awarded first prize at the Charleston Blues Festival National Talent Search soon after signing to New Moon Records. Her 2001 album, Livin' On Love, solidified her spot as a top-tier blues guitarist. Her music had an distinct edge, infusing her love for rock and roll with her blues-inspired intuition.
Unending Inspiration
If you're looking to improve your musician skills or are beginning to get started by reminiscing about those who led the way could be an inspiration source on your path.
It's difficult to imagine the evolution of the electric guitar with out Muddy Waters, or even T-Bone Walker. Or slide guitars with out Bonnie Raitt, or any original blues classics without Robert Johnson and Memphis Minnie. Understanding the methods of the masters can help you tap into new realms of your personal skill set that you may never have imagined possible.
Discover how to play electric Guitar
Beginner Electric Guitar Masterclass