Why your blues solos sound mechanical (like reading, not singing)

Reader,

I recently worked with a student who was frustrated with their blues soloing. They felt everything sounded plain and vanilla.

When I heard them play, they were actually making good note and rhythm choices. The fundamentals were solid. But they weren't playing with any meaning. It was like reading lines from a book in a monotone voice.

We worked on their articulation and embellishments. The same fundamental lines suddenly sounded super hip. Nothing about the melody changed, but everything about the delivery did.

Blues embellishments are like the inflection in your voice when you speak.

Last week, you built your foundation with chord tones and the blues scale. This week, we're adding the personality. Think of it this way: the house is your foundation, but the paint colors, artwork, and rugs give it feel.

This Friday, we'll practice these embellishments together over a 12-bar blues. You'll get hands-on practice and direct feedback on your articulation.

You are already on the list.

See you Friday, X:XX, at 1:00 Eastern.

Here are the three essential embellishments:

1. Slides/Bends - Grace note slides into target notes. You can play them quick or milk them for emphasis. They’re especially effective on blue notes (b3→3, b5→5, b7→7).
2. Crushed Notes - Hit two notes a half step apart simultaneously, then release one while holding the other. Creates that characteristic “squeezed” blues sound.
3. Tremolos - Rapid alternation between notes. Adds intensity and momentum.

Listen to Ray Charles' Hard Times to hear all three embellishments in action. Notice how these small touches transform his playing from technically correct to emotionally compelling.

​

Before Friday, try this:

1. Look at each embellishment in isolation and play it to get the feeling in your hand. These can be quite unnatural, especially for classical players.
2. Notice that some embellishments rely on the physical shape of the keyboard. Sliding from black to white can be done with the same finger, but white to black can't.
3. Invent simple phrases, play them without embellishment first, then experiment with adding these techniques.

You'll be amazed how these small touches transform your playing. The same notes, but with meaning and intention.

Happy practicing!

Josh