improv doesn't sound right

I'm a beginner!
I taped a 12 bar blues progression to jam along to. When I jam, it seems it's in the wrong key or something.
when the progression is in A, do I jam with a blues box on the 5th fret? And in D on the 10th? and 12th for E? Or what's up? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Originally posted by winterhawk1969
I'm a beginner!
I taped a 12 bar blues progression to jam along to. When I jam, it seems it's in the wrong key or something.
when the progression is in A, do I jam with a blues box on the 5th fret? And in D on the 10th? and 12th for E? Or what's up? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

For a beginner i would recomend useing A7 D7 E7 for the
basic blues prgression for the key of (A)
Also i would reccemend useing 3 notes out of the fifth fret (A) chord position to play along with the progression.
Try these notes.
Left hand fingering below:
Use your third finger on the D string 7th fret for the root note of the key of A .
For the second note use your Index finger on the G string
at the fifth fret .
For your third note use your third finger on the G string
at the 7th fret then repeat these notes.
Now the fun part experiment useing Whole step and half step bends on the G string at the 7th fret while your
listening to your recording or progression you made.
Also you can try bending the G string at the the fifth fret.Now you can also add a forth note D string Fifth fret.
These bends can keep you from running all over the neck
like going down to the 10th fret for D or 12th fret for
E .The main thing is experiment.
I'm sure others can add other ways to help you in your quest for jamming the blues over your progression.
Mark

I'd suggest you make sure you've tuned to concert pitch (A = 440hz). Use a keyboard or an electronic tuner...I'm not certain if this is actually the problem or anything, but even so, it's a good stardard practise to get into, there's nothing worse then recording the best rhythm track in ages only to come back a week later and find out you weren't quite in concert pitch - trust me!!!
As far as soloing goes...try and target (end on) the root notes to start with, (A over the A, D over the D, etc.) Once you've got this under your belt, you can become a little more adventurious...
See if learning a few licks helps your situation - there's plenty here and guitartricks.com (heheh - salesman extrodanaire!)...Remember above all else - keep practising...it can take time, but one day you'll wake up and not understand what was so difficult about it!
Hope some of that was useful, have fun and just keep at it!

Sorry about not catching you saying you taped it !
Did you use a tape recorder ect?
If so your going to find most tape recorders you use will
not be in tune with you even if you are tuned to a standard tuning on your guitar.
If you used a tape recorder its going to tape you flat or
sharp 9 out of 10 times.
If this is what happened your going to have to tune your guitar to the recording you made.
Other wise your recording is going to sound like its in another key!

Mark

[Edited by skee1 on 04-29-2002 at 02:00 PM]