Singing the Blues - it's all in the lyics - wrong! Singing the Blues - it's all about the arrangement - wrong! Singing the Blues - it's all ahhh.. what the hell is it all about?
It's all about the FEELING!
The master blues singer is, was and always will be B.B. KIng... listen to the album "Live at the Regal", the B.B. King's blues guitar solo throws you off balance, gets you leaning one way and then POW!!! Right in the gut man..
OK, so where does the PAUSE come in? Take a guess... Right at the start of most blues vocal phrases... instead of a playing a a note on the beat.. you leave a rest - an eigth note or sixteenth note rest depending on the tempo.. and POW!!! You're blues vocals are going to get noticed!!
It may not seem like such a big deal, but "the pause" separates the men from the boys. It may take you a long time to figure this out.. but once you do, you're on your way.. Once again... the trick is to catch the listener's ear with a quick vocal prhase that's more like a "pick up" than an eighth note.. or to start your blues vocal phrases with a rest instead of a note.. Just listen to all the lgends like BB. King, SRV, Albert Collins, my main man and Eric Clapton, Robert Cray and find your own blues vocal voice! Good luck and funky blues.. Johnny Mayer.