Which popular BLUES standards to play live?

Michael Murray · Post by **Michael Murray** » 16 Nov 2013 3:30 pm

I'm a newer player. Enjoy playing at open mics where we play mostly country-folk-rock.

A lot of locals really like the blues, but not so much country.

For you experienced players, which 5-10 BLUES songs should I know...........based on being commonly requested and played live? I figure this is a good start to prepare me.

Thanks, michael

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 16 Nov 2013 3:51 pm

There are a lot of Blues standards. Just go to Youtube or Google and do a search of Top Blues Songs or Best Blues Songs...

Russ Wever · Post by **Russ Wever** » 16 Nov 2013 9:28 pm

Don't fergit the
"Hwy 40 Blues".
(I know!)
8>\

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 16 Nov 2013 11:09 pm

Good Lord, there are thousands. Here are a bunch by well-known players that I might expect to be called out on a blues gig, mainly electric blues. This is without getting into any remotely esoteric performers or titles; this is a small subset of what most blues players would call 'standards'.

Killing Floor
Built for Comfort
300 Pounds of Joy
How Many More Years
Baby Scratch My Back
Big Boss Man
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Bright Lights Big City
Ain't That Lovin' You Baby
Ain't Nobody's Business
Born Under A Bad Sign
Blues At Sunrise
Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong
Let's Have a Natural Ball
Caldonia
Crosscut Saw
As The Years Go Passing By
I'll Play The Blues For You
Cadillac Assembly Line
Long Distance Call
You Upset Me Baby
It's My Own Fault
The Thrill Is Gone
Worried Life Blues
Everyday I Have the Blues
Blues After Hours
Good Mornin' Little Schoolgirl
I'm Ready
Got My Mojo Workin'
Rollin' and Tumblin'
Baby Please Don't Go
Hoochie Coochie Man
I Just Wanna Make Love To You
Mannish Boy
Messin' With The Kid
Louisiana Blues
Sweet Little Angel
Two Bugs and a Roach
Further On Up The Road
Confessin' The Blues
Key to the Highway
Wang Dang Doodle
Back Door Man
Who's Been Talkin'
Spoonful
I Can't Quit You Baby
All Your Love
Double Trouble
Checkin' Up On My Baby
Hard Luck Blues
Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O
Mama Talk To Your Daughter
Easy Baby
It Hurts Me Too
I'm a King Bee
Rainin' In My Heart
Boogie Chillen
Crawlin' Kingsnake
Serve You Right To Suffer
Boom Boom
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
She Winked Her Eye
Mean Old World
T-Bone Shuffle
West Side Baby
I'm In An Awful Mood
Blues in D Natural
The Things That I Used To Do
Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
Good Rockin' Tonight
Willie and the Hand Jive
Chicago Bound
Sloppy Drunk
Ludella
Walking By Myself
Let The Good Times Roll
Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
Saturday Night Fish Fry
Blue Light Boogie
Shake Rattle and Roll
I Ain't Drunk (I'm Just Drinkin')
Reconsider Baby
Catfish Blues
Texas Flood
Shake Your Moneymaker
Blues With a Feeling
Mellow Down Easy
The Sky Is Crying
My Babe
Look On Yonder Wall
One Way Out
Evil (is going on)
Help Me
You Better Watch Yourself
Bring It On Home
Stormy Monday Blues
Hellhound On My Trail
Come On In My Kitchen
Traveling Riverside Blues
Cross Road Blues
Terraplane Blues
Sweet Home Chicago
Chicago Bound
Smokestack Lightning
Canned Heat Blues (Tommy Johnson)
Dust My Broom
Walking Blues
Gangster of Love
Those Lonely Lonely Nights
Don't Touch Me
Ball and Chain (I'm thinking Big Mama, not Janis)
Hound Dog (again, Big Mama, not Elvis)
Statesboro Blues
Tore Down
Pride and Joy
Cold Shot

Some cool instrumentals
Two Bones and a Pick
Hideaway
The Hucklebuck
San-Ho-Zay
Sen-Sa-Shun
The Stumble
Okie Dokie Stomp
Frosty

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 16 Nov 2013 11:45 pm

I think the best way to prepare would be to play along with some 12-bar blues/rock practice tracks. There are hundreds of them on Youtube, all keys, various tempos.

Douglas Schuch · Post by **Douglas Schuch** » 17 Nov 2013 3:14 am

Milk Cow Blues is a goody that goes way back in country music - Bob Wills played it. George Straight has a more recent version. Many variations on the lyrics, all that would have been considered a bit bawdy in their day, but seem rather humorously tame in this age of Miley Cyrus and in your face RAP.

Herb Steiner has versions tabbed out for both E9 and C6.

Doug

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 17 Nov 2013 3:25 am

Top 4 or 5?
Stormy Monday (if you play it in a minor key, it's also The Thrill Is Gone, and it's nearly #5 as well))
Crossroads. That probably belongs at #1. Learn the harmony part for the signature riff.
Got My Mojo Workin (If you spent much time with NRPS, this is a good place to get your Boss Tone Cage on: uptempo country licks sound badass with fuzz on)
Hoochie Coochie Man/Texas Flood: because it has 30 other names once it gets different lyrics.
Sweet Home Chicago. There's scores of blues shuffles just like this one. The only difference is the lyrics.

If you're gonna do some minor blues and you drop your B, here's some ideas, especially for the iv: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn1IY1E-uKU

A few simple bluesy licks on E9 from 1:05 to about 1:30:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tivsay3qohQ

Blues is more about feel than licks: standard country licks work for blues if you play 'em behind the beat. You got the blues so bad you can't face the next beat til you gotta.
FWIW, I find that my own style finds the E9th neck a better voice for most blues, except the swingy shuffles like Sweet Home Chicago

And, because he's smart like that, Doug Beaumier has a real good idea.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 17 Nov 2013 8:56 am

My opinion: if the locals actually really like blues, as opposed to blues-pop-rock, I would avoid hammering away at the 'top 5-10' all the time and take some time to listen to a range of tunes like the ones I suggested above (or there are plenty of other lists online - lots of these tunes and more are prominently featured on 'blues song' lists I've seen) and pick out a varied subset that you all like and can play well, and rotate them in your repertoire. Blues, old rock and roll, and country go real well together, but it can be a real drag hammering out the same 5 blues/rock tunes every night.

I also suggest that instead of gravitating to all blues/rock versions, go listen to some of the originals - most if not all of these are up on youtube, you can just type the title in and voila. Rock versions are nice too, but a serious blues audience will appreciate some authenticity also. Especially - go listen to the original T-Bone version of Stormy Monday Blues. Go listen to a few Jimmy Reed and Slim Harpo shuffles like Big Boss Man and Baby Scratch My Back, and for a ballad in the blues style which fits in real well with country and rock is Slim's Rainin' In My Heart. My favorite minor blues is As The Years Go Passing By by Albert King, always nice to have a slow minor blues for a belly-rubber, if your audience is inclined that way. The blues instrumentals are fun - Freddie King was truly the king of those IMO - Hide Away, The Stumble, San-Ho-Zay, and so on. A blues audience will know you're serious if you learn to play some of this kind of stuff correctly. If you pick well, they'll naturally segue into a setlist with country and rock and roll.

Of course, if your audience just wants to hear the same 5 overdone blues/rock tunes every single time you play, nevermind.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 17 Nov 2013 9:41 am

While Dave is mostly spot on (although T-Bone wrote "They Call it Stormy Monday. Stormy Monday Blues is different song), I think you can hang back, listen, and get a feel and jump right in. The more you learn about the roots, the better, of course.
Look how often B.B. King just lets a single note wail: Lucille can't even DREAM of our sustain.
Cliff's notes version: Dave's right. But you can learn a LOT from just jumping in.
PS: Dave, I find it fun to play Al Green's horn parts.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 17 Nov 2013 10:38 am

I'm aware of the Fatha Hines tune, but most people contract 'Call It Stormy Monday But Tuesday Is Just As Bad' (which is the actual title and was done strictly to separate it at the time) to just Stormy Monday or Stormy Monday Blues. If you just say that, almost anybody will know what you're talking about.

I agree that one can just listen and jump in. But I guess my point is that, IMO, one should listen to a bunch of these great old blues songs by the masters who made them great, get a feel for them, and then jump in. Again IMO - if you just do a modern blues-rock take on the heavily done blues tunes, they tend to all sound the same, which is why a lot of people make complaints like, "Yeah, all that blues sounds the same - BORING." Someone taking the same approach to country music tends to engender the same reaction in listeners, IMO, I hear it all the time - "Yeah, another damned cryin' in my beer country song - BORING." It's easy for a style to become a parody of itself, but the real deal is always way more interesting.

My opinions, of course.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 17 Nov 2013 11:02 am

Yes. But even Harry Fox has gotten the two confused.
I totally agree with learning more: extensive study of Muddy Waters and just about every King except Don (B.B., Albert, Freddy and more) will ABSOLUTELY be worthwhile.
But just like PLAYING country with bands taught me more about playing country than I ever learned in the basement, the same works for blues.
But if the band doesn't go beyond SRV and Skynyrd, you'd get more mileage from a Freddy or Albert box set. Not that there's a damn thing wrong with SRV, but that's like sticking to George Strait if you're playing country.
BTW, I don't aim to dominate discussion, I just love the steel and the topics, and I'm trapped in a semi hundreds of miles from my axe.

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 17 Nov 2013 11:10 am

"You Win Again" is a good one.

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 17 Nov 2013 11:56 am

Screaming Jay Hawkins has some nifty blues but may not be standards pending cumulative opinions...

mike nolan · Post by **mike nolan** » 17 Nov 2013 12:15 pm

Get a copy of Albert King's album, "Born Under a Bad Sign". Learn every lick.... it is the encyclopedia of blues guitar. If you develop the feel for this material, then you can play with nearly any blues standard.... whether you know it or not.
I played blues gigs with G.E. Smith for several years. There were no rehearsals, and there was never a set list.... and G.E. is really fond of the most obscure things he can find. The stuff that I learned from listening to Albert King always served me in times of need.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 17 Nov 2013 12:26 pm

I Put A Thththpell On You is either a classic or standard. Possibly more former than Latter. I think I've only seen it done three times.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 17 Nov 2013 1:07 pm

Gary, I totally agree about Screamin' Jay. My list was already getting long and I was trying to stick to 'blues standards' that I either play or see blues bands routinely play. Although he's mostly known for stuff like I Put A Spell On You, Frenzy, and the ever-popular Constipation Blues, Jay is beyond categorization to me. Beyond his old rock-and-roll schtick and blues, he was also a totally 'legit' singer, I have an album of him singing nothing but jazz standards, and I do mean sing.

There are tons and tons of cool authentic blues, I said and meant literally thousands, that give tons of variations on the theme. If I had to name a reasonably representative list of mainstream and (mostly) relatively 'modern' blues artists that one just needs to listen to, they'd be (in no particular order)

Robert Johnson
T-Bone Walker
Muddy Waters
The 3 Kings (Albert, BB, Freddie)
Magic Sam
Howlin Wolf
Bobby Blue Bland
Sonny Boy II (Rice Miller)
Jimmy Reed
Slim Harpo
John Lee Hooker
Jimmy Rogers
Little Walter
Gatemouth Brown
Buddy Guy & Junior Wells
Otis Rush
Albert Collins
Lowell Fulson
Fred McDowell
Guitar Slim
Johnny Guitar Watson
Elmore James
Earl Hooker
Bessie Smith
Koko Taylor
Big Mama Thornton
Etta James
Hound Dog Taylor
Lightnin Hopkins
Louis Jordan
Roy Brown
Pee Wee Crayton
James Cotton
Willie Dixon
Paul Butterfield Blues Band w/Bloomfield and Bishop
Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan
Robert Cray
Canned Heat in its various incarnations
Junior Watson
Roomful of Blues, Duke Robillard, & Ronnie Earl
Anson Funderburgh and Sam Myers
Johnny Winter
Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers
Charlie Musselwhite

This list covers a lot of blues styles, but of course there are tons more. But if you start with these, they will branch you out to many more. I probably agree with Mike - Albert King will hold you in good stead if you start there, and I think his style translates to steel well - lots of long, bent-note figures that fit a lot of places in blues.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 17 Nov 2013 1:13 pm

BTW - with youtube being what it is, it doesn't take very long to listen to a pile of these blues songs and performers. I'll bet that one could get through a substantial number of these artists and/or tunes in an afternoon or evening mostly just clicking links with the occasional search.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 17 Nov 2013 2:36 pm

Dave is spot on with his list of blues artists.

Among them is the great Fred McDowell. Every artist on Dave's list is worth checking out, but IMHO, McDowell is in a class by himself. I think he was the greatest of all of the Mississippi Bottleneck guitarists.

There are quite a few You Tube videos of him. I suggest you watch them.

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 17 Nov 2013 3:54 pm

Clarence Gatemouth Brown too ...

admin · Post by **b0b** » 17 Nov 2013 5:05 pm

It's best to do the ones that Eric Clapton or The Rolling Stones covered. They are the blues tunes that people recognize the most.

We're opening for Charlie Musslewhite next Friday.

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 18 Nov 2013 5:35 am

Michael, I'm thinking of making a video or few later today just improvising along some blues tracks (I have an album of Blues/Swing tracks I bought from Jeffran back when they sold vinyl). It'll be simple E9th stuff (I'll deliberately keep it simple, since you say you're newer, and I'll try to get a camera angle that shows all the changes), and while NOT a substitute for Dave's and Mike's suggestion of digging into the blues, might serve as a Blues Steel for Dummies/Cliff's Notes.
BE WARNED, because I like the improvisation, I'm thinking of taping the first time I hear these tracks.
If you drop 6 a whole tone, there's a heck of a lot you can do just with fairly simple E9th setup.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 18 Nov 2013 10:23 am

Honestly I don't think the E9th tuning don't fit into Blues. It's to high pitched. The back neck is much better, but the right licks are harder to find.
Most all of the time with an open miks nite I was in, it was endless noodling from all involved.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 18 Nov 2013 10:31 am

Joachim Kettner wrote:Honestly I don't think the E9th tuning don't fit into Blues.

With all due respect, I beg to differ. The E9 neck is perfect for playing blues. Especially in the keys of E and A.

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 18 Nov 2013 10:53 am

Also respectfuly Mike: If I play in the key of E, I could go to the third fret raise the E's and rock on pedal A, To the seventh holding A and B down and slide in some licks. But it sounds like a fake. Remembering the 8th string open on the steel is the same pitch as the 4th string, second fret on standard guitar.

admin · Post by **b0b** » 18 Nov 2013 11:15 am

I largely ignore the first 3 strings when playing blues on E9th. The only real problem with E9th is the lack of low notes.

If you play A+B pedal country licks, it won't sound like blues. If you pump your volume pedal, it won't sound like blues. Take your right foot off the volume pedal.

For starters, limit yourself to the A pedal, or to the E lever and B pedal. Concentrate on picking and bar movement. Make a mental rule not to use A and B together in blues. (It can be done, but not until you really understand the blues positions. And you really don't need to use A+B in blues at all.)