Slow 12/8 Minor Blues #4by Minor Blues Lessons

This is the 4th lesson in our 12/8 minor blues series. Make sure to check out the previous 3 lessons for important background material. In this lesson we’re going to explore how to break free from the standard rhythmic blues feel by looking at 3 different stop-time grooves. Stop-time is when the band takes a break from the normal time feel and plays a series of rhythmic hits together—often one rhythmic idea repeated over the changes. A stop-time groove can last the entire form or just part of the form; we’re going to look at 3 grooves that last for 4 bars, 8 bars and 12 bars (or a whole chorus) respectively.