# Blues instrumental **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 10, 2008, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421 "2008-06-10T06:17:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/1 "2008-06-10T06:17:14Z")
Looking for a classic blues instrumental song. I’m using it for a (private) parody (no copywrite issues). Anyone? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![WoodenTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/2 "2008-06-10T06:38:00Z")
I can’t really imagine an entirely instrumental classic blues song. The blues is about the story told, its about the voice. But for the purposes of your parody, a brief lesson in [12-bar blues](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-bar_blues) should do the trick. It’s immediately recognizable and really, really easy. “[Malted Milk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TGTXMqUrD0),” originally by Robert Johnson and later covered by nearly everyone, is an excellent example. The chord progression is: E7 - A7 - E7 - E7 A7 - A7 - E7 - E7 B7 - A7 - E7 - B7 Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/3 "2008-06-10T06:50:17Z")
What do you mean by classic? And are you looking for slow and heartbreaking, or more upbeat? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/4 "2008-06-11T07:51:57Z")
[QUOTE=Euthanasiast] What do you mean by classic? And are you looking for slow and heartbreaking, or more upbeat? [/QUOTE] More slow-ish to medium. What I was hoping for was some named selections (song title and artist). Thanks ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/5 "2008-06-11T10:38:09Z")
“Juke” by blues harp virtuoso Little Walter is certainly a classic. Not public domain though. Elmore James had a jump-style instrumental called “Up Jumped Elmore”, also still copyrighted. Country blues guitar great Blind Blake recorded some solo instrumentals (sort of – he sometimes talked briefly over them). ‘West Coast Blues’ is one. These might be public domain. Copyright may not be an issue: if you’re going to record a parody of the song, you may be able to change it so that its source isn’t really identifiable: blues can be pretty generic. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/6 "2008-06-11T11:55:01Z")
John Lee Hooker had a lot of instrumental blues songs. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Don\_t\_fight\_the\_hypothetical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_fight_the_hypothetical)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/7 "2008-06-11T13:16:03Z")
My OP was not clear apparently. The song does not need to be royalty free. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks for the replies so far. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/8 "2008-06-11T14:54:51Z")
My husband just recorded and instrumental blues album, and one of the tracks is on his MySpace page for 99 cents. Look for “Cocktail King” in the Snocap store section. > **[Randy Casey | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos,...](https://myspace.com/randycaseyrocks)** > > Randy Casey's profile including the latest music, albums, songs, music videos and more updates. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/9 "2008-06-11T20:42:07Z")
Alexis Boogie by BB King Brothers by the Vaughan Brothers Silverline by M. Ward might also work for you. ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/10 "2008-06-11T22:11:41Z")
Don’t know if this qualifies as blues, but the one that popped to mind was “Little Wing” … Stevie Ray Vaughan’s version. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/11 "2008-06-12T01:41:08Z")
Nearly anything by the Allman Brothers qualifies, they sing some but it’s lots of slow jams. Blues to the max. I recommend something like “It’s Not My Cross To Bear.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/12 "2008-06-12T01:48:59Z")
[QUOTE=F. U. Shakespeare] “Juke” by blues harp virtuoso Little Walter is certainly a classic. [/QUOTE] That’s what I popped in to say. If you don’t appreciate “Juke”, you’ve got no soul. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/13 "2008-06-12T02:33:35Z")
Roy Buchanan did a lot of Blues Instrumental guitar work. Also 2nd Stevie Ray Vaughn “Little Wing” ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/14 "2008-06-14T02:00:13Z")
I’ll throw in Howling Wolf’s version of Willie Dixon’s [“Spoonful”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TwEYuues6Y&feature=related) (youtube link) , for larger than life “Evil” blues. There are other Wolf viddies there, especially “How Many More Years”… derailed me here waiting for \*\*@#^!! dialup time, worth the wait though. What exactly are you trying for with the parody? Some explaination would help me help ya. Am glad to try to. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2008, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blues-instrumental/452421/15 "2008-06-14T06:24:25Z")
When we’re done with this, can you tell me the Center of the Universe?