P is for… Pentatonic

We’re talking scales here. The minor pentatonic is a five-note scale. The blues scale is almost the same beastie save the addition of an extra note, or flat 5th. This is the scale that brings the blues to life… or rather, the player does by bending strings and sustaining notes with judicious use of vibrato.

There’s a cool blues scale primer on this very website. Remember: the blues scale is a useful path to follow but don’t be afraid to step outside of it every now and again and throw in some strange notes.

P is also for… Parchman Farm

Parchman Farm (or the Mississippi State Penitentiary as it’s officially known) is a maximum security prison in the state of Mississippi. Bluesmen like Bukka White, who wrote Parchman Farm Blues, and Son House spent some time incarcerated there. Naughty boys...