How do you explore a new area of music?

[Asa Samuel]

I want to expand my knowlege of music, mainly into blues, but i've never listened to blues that much before so how do i start to explore all the different artists?

Any help is much appreciated.

Bass Junkie.

[fenderhutz]

Until I decide what I like. LimeWire

Then once I sift through the garbage and find something I like. I buy it.

[JimK]

When I first showed an interest in Jazz, my uncle gave me his copy of Mark Gridley's Jazz Styles...the book had a flow chart/tree w/branches & its chapters were divided in periods/genres/sub-genres, etc.
For me, that worked...it aided me in becoming familiar with the innovators of each period & how each decade influenced the following decade, etc.
There's bound to be a Blues source(s) similar to Jazz Styles.

Does www.allmusic.com have something like this?

[jady]

Hire a band of sherpas and push on to the summit..........

[*smb]

Use a tasteful and knowledgeable friend to guide you - someone who knows your likes and dislikes can find the best starting place for you.

[kesslari]

Use a tasteful and knowledgeable friend to guide you

+1

If you don't have one of those, find a local radio station that has a blues program, call in, and offer to buy the DJ lunch for a blues tutorial.

And then listen, extensively.
Try to really listen, instead of hearing what you "think" you hear.

I've wound up exploring (and playing) a lot of musics from around the world - Reggae, African, Arab, Turkish, Greek, Persian, Celtic, and of course Blues, R&B, and Rock.

Getting it right often takes immersing yourself in it for a while, and sometimes takes some real learning (sometimes not - Blues is a shorter reach from Rock than, say, Turkish Sanat music would be).

Get someone to point the way, and introduce you to some things you like.
Then listen to a whole lot of it.

My.02

[funkalicious101]

Wikipedia + Youtube

[jenderfazz]

Visit Last.fm to find recommendations and similar artists to those you like. I'd start by listening to some of the big names/bands of the genre, and deciding which bands you like best. Once you've got an idea of what you like, branch off into similar and more obscure bands and subgenres. As your web gets bigger, you'll eventually encompass some of the genres you weren't crazy about at first.

[Jezz8me]

get the for dummie book on any genre you are intrested in

[nad]

Find a well-respected "classic" of the genre you are interested in. Buy it. Listen to it many times, not just once or twice. Try to understand it. Enjoy, or not. Proceed accordingly.

I've been using that method for many years, works pretty good. Buying something instead of just downloading it makes you more serious about it, sort of like placing a bet on a football game.