Questions about openings
In a lot of your study song (and in other places) you talk about how to play a song with a band. Often you'll say, from the V, or all in on the I. I've come to understand that this refers to the cord section of the 12 bar blues (or really whatever progression the song is in).
What I'm curious about is how to bring in a band if you want everyone to come in on say the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th beat of a measure. This is something I haven't seen so much in the blues studies I've looked over (mostly on this site in the begining area), but I see it in a lot of songs. I this something that is not commonly done in blues progressions or have I just not studied enough to have seen it yet?
I found an example of what I was referring to. Accompianment study 3, Blues Creepin' Over Me begins by playing on the & of 3. As I understand from your response above, this is refered to as a pickup and makes this song a poor choice for a jam session. That correct?
That said, this song sounds really cool and as I'm starting to practice it I'm having a lot of fun.
Hello Joey. You're correct, it is a pickup.
In this case, "Blues Creepin' Over Me" uses a very typical lick (that's why I chose to teach it to you, it's so common that I want you to know it) and it's safe to play at a jam. Play the lick for the band and they'll know what you're looking for.
Keep in mind that in songs with that lick it's common to double the first four bars of the form, so that the one chord is 8 bars instead of 4 bars, so expect to answer this for them. In the case of our song, it is standard, the first line is not doubled.
Hello jkendall. I have not seen this in the blues, except in the form of a pickup or a specific lick that the band all plays as the opening of the song. These would not be jam safe, but would need to be rehearsed ahead of time.