Complete Blues Guitar

Develop skills in blues guitar playing, music reading, and songwriting.

Tunes guitars using electronic tuners, suitable for novice players without guidance.

Acoustic Guitars Covers nylon-stringed and steel-stringed guitars, their features, and typical playing styles.

Electric guitars cover solid body and hollow body types, applied in diverse musical genres.

Configurations of combo and stack amplifiers and their effects on electric guitar tone.

Tone shaping techniques and control configurations for creating unique sound profiles.

Gauge, tension, and type of guitar strings affect playability and tone, making proper fitting and maintenance essential for beginners.

Chord diagrams and left-hand fingering techniques covered, including dot placement, string damping, and barring.

Rhythm notation is used to indicate strumming patterns for reading and playing guitar chords.

This content covers strategies for improving fingerings and patterns on the fretboard by mastering scale diagrams.

Introduces the basics of reading guitar tablature, a notation system that uses lines and numbers to represent notes on the fretboard.

Covers tablature symbols for advanced techniques: hammer-on, pull-off, slide, bend, release bend, slight bend, vibrato, muting, trill, and tremolo.

Properly holding the guitar, including seated and standing positions, as well as using a pick effectively.

Proper guitar playing techniques cover picking grip, hand positions, and finger placement.

Traditional and tablature notations are introduced for reading guitar music, simplifying note recognition on the fretboard.

Music notation basics cover the staff, treble clef, musical alphabet, quarter notes, and rests.

Tuning techniques covered: standard, drop D, open D and more, with tips for quick and accurate setup.

The G major chord is introduced as a fundamental guitar concept, covering its construction and application in music.

Strumming techniques, chord theory, and rhythm applications are covered.

Dominant seventh chords are explored, including their construction, function, and use in harmonic progressions.

Introduces the slide finger technique for achieving smooth chord transitions in guitar playing.

Covers techniques for creating and applying chord progressions to a variety of musical pieces.

Introduces the basics of playing a fundamental chord, including finger placement and strumming techniques.

Introduces advanced finger techniques for smooth chord transitions and applies them to a 12-bar blues progression using C, G, and D7 chords.

Notation for guitar combines traditional music and tablature with chord strumming techniques.

Dominant seventh chords, quarter rests, half notes, and half rests are applied to the distinctive rhythmic patterns of Blues music.

Whole notes, half rests, and dotted half notes are introduced in the context of a 12 Bar Blues progression.

Triads, major chords, chord formulas, and inversions are covered.

The 12-bar blues pattern is a foundational harmonic structure used in Blues, Rock, and Jazz music.

Introduces fundamental chord progressions using I, IV, and V chords in all 12 major and minor keys.

Dominant 7th chords I, IV, and V are applied in a 12-bar blues progression.

Eighth note rhythms are covered, along with techniques for accurate notation.

Alternate strumming is introduced through mastering down and up strokes to play eighth notes, improving speed and accuracy.

Syncopation techniques involve displacing accents away from traditional beats, while also practicing eighth rests on the beat.

Eighth note rhythms are identified through counting notes off-beat and analyzing bar positions.

Tied notes and syncopation are introduced, focusing on reading and playing complex rhythmic patterns.

Precise wrist movement for playing single notes on one string.

Introduces fundamental ukulele techniques for playing notes G and A on the 3rd string, emphasizing proper finger placement and quarter-note timing.

Notes B, C, and D are introduced on the 2nd guitar string, focusing on finger placement and stem directions.

Note and rest values are examined in terms of duration and rhythmic significance.

Alternate picking techniques are introduced to improve speed and accuracy in playing.

Introduces playing notes E, F, and G on the first string, with a focus on finger placement rules for fretted notes.

Size and style variations in guitar tablature examined, emphasizing effective reading techniques.

Introduces basic finger placement for playing D, E, and F notes on the 4th guitar string.

Minor keys and minor chords used to create blues music.

Notes on the 5th string, including A, B, and C, are covered, along with chord and rhythm playing exercises.

Introduces techniques for playing notes on the 6th string, including E, F, and G, through exercises in 12 Bar Blues and staccato playing.

Covers techniques for playing chords with staccato attack, enhancing rhythmic and melodic interest in chord progressions.

Identifies and explains the use of lead-in notes in music, a technique for adding variety and interest.

Recognizes and plays common musical patterns, or riffs, found in Blues music.

Introduces the concept of notes on the fretboard, covering sharps and flats for musicians.

Sharp notes and their application on the fretboard are examined.

Covers the chromatic scale and natural signs, introducing semitones, keynotes, and tonics in Western music.

Flats reduce note pitch by one semitone, relating to sharps and enharmonic equivalents.

Eighth note triplets are introduced, covering recognition and application of this essential musical rhythm.

Triplets strumming techniques covered: all downstrokes, alternate strumming, and emphasized middle beats.

Ties and quarter note substitutions are used to create swinging rhythms in music.

The shuffle rhythm is introduced, a fundamental groove used in Blues and associated genres.

Introduces blues rhythms played on two strings using fifth chords (A5, D5, E5) as I, IV, and V in the key of A.

Tightens and thicken's blues rhythms through right-hand damping techniques.

The minor pentatonic scale is covered, including single-note riff creation techniques for Blues rhythm guitar.

The A minor pentatonic scale is covered in various fretboard positions, with a focus on its applications and memory aids.

Improvisational techniques for blues musical phrases are explored, including memorization strategies.

The E minor pentatonic scale is introduced, with applications in blues music and techniques for creating original licks.

The blues scale is covered, a minor pentatonic extension with a distinctive tone.

The A Blues scale is covered in open position, with an emphasis on creating original licks from derived ideas.

The E Blues scale is introduced, with techniques for creating original licks based on its melodic motifs.

The Mixolydian mode is introduced as a fundamental concept in crafting blues-inspired guitar riffs.

Introduces techniques for playing Mixolydian scale-based riffs using open strings in the keys of E and A, featuring practical exercises and scores.

Combines different scales to create pleasing sounds, emphasizing feeling over theoretical constraints.

The Boogie rhythm is a shuffle style characterized by rests and percussive strumming, made famous by John Lee Hooker and ZZ Top.

Introduces fundamental techniques for playing bar chords, including left-hand mechanics and root-6 major shape applications.

Covers techniques for playing accurate bar chords by mastering the notes on the sixth string.

Percussive strumming techniques for bar chords are introduced, including rhythmic patterns and textural variations.

Root 5 bar chords are taught, offering a versatile shape for use in various positions.

Frets and finger positions for five-string root chords are covered.

Changes between root 6 and root 5 bar chords for playing 12-bar blues in any key.

Bar chords are mastered, with focus on 7th chords crucial in Blues music, and techniques applied to move them up the neck.

Minor 7th bar chords and their application in a 12-bar A minor blues progression are covered.

The half-bar technique helps you master a versatile A7 chord shape suitable for multiple guitar playing styles.

Memorizing note names on the fretboard for efficient movable chord shapes and versatile playing.

Covers guitar fretboard layout and note naming techniques, including understanding octave relationships and using dots for memorization.

Finds and plays notes across the fretboard to improvise and read music effectively.

Fretboard organization involves positioning notes based on first finger placement.

Unison notes on the guitar are played by leveraging the instrument's tuning and fretboard layout.

Covers the fundamentals of note placement across the fretboard, including upper and lower octave positions.

Covers movable shuffle patterns in the context of the 12 Bar Blues progression, including variations applicable across different keys.

Turnarounds, a fundamental element in Blues music, are covered.

Dominant 9th chords are introduced as a means to add depth and complexity to blues music.

Rocking between E and A chord shapes develops shuffle variations.

Robert Junior Lockwood's influence on blues guitar playing is explored through the development of shuffle rhythms on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th strings.

Movable chord shapes in five forms are introduced, allowing for versatile guitar playing.

Introduces techniques for creating movable 7th chord forms from basic shapes and transforming them across different keys.

Introduces movable 7th chord shapes and voicings for C7, A7, G7, E7, and D7.

Covers chord forms and patterns for I, IV, and V chords in any key.

Develops musical skills through recording and solo improvisation exercises.

Techniques from recordings of legendary blues guitarists like BB King and Buddy Guy are absorbed and applied to playing.

Develops alternate picking and builds robust right-hand skills for confident lead guitar playing.

The techniques include mastering slurs, hammer-ons, and pull-offs for expressive and smooth guitar playing.

Techniques for slide guitar include ascending and descending slides, with a focus on Blues playing.

Blues music fundamentals are introduced through techniques on note bending, drawing inspiration from legendary guitarists.

Introduces the release bend, a reverse technique that begins with a bent note and resolves to its natural pitch.

Vibrato techniques for adding emotional depth and sustaining notes are covered.

Introduces the trail off technique, a subtle slide used in guitar playing to add emotional depth.

Introduces the concept of playing the whip, a rapid ascending technique that terminates on a specific note.

The minor pentatonic scale is applied across all keys to create versatile playing opportunities.

Covers analyzing scales, identifying scale degrees by ear, and transposing to different keys.

Introduces the minor pentatonic scale with five forms covering the entire fretboard and explaining corresponding chord shapes.

Introduces techniques for transitioning between guitar forms, connecting scales through slides, and crafting blues solos.

Introduces the Blues scale in C, exploring its various forms and licks.

Subdivision techniques for 12/8 time rhythms and counting are covered.

Open string sounds and harmony notes are used to create Blues licks, drawing from Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Lightnin' Hopkins.

Arpeggios, a cornerstone of lead guitar, are introduced as a means of harmonically expanding chord progressions.

Blues scales and dominant seventh arpeggios are combined to create distinctive-sounding licks.

Covers essential 16th note rhythms, including blues scales and arpeggios, for advanced guitar techniques.

Introduces 16th note rhythms for solo playing and explains music notation symbols 8va and loco.

Introduces advanced techniques for adding expression and authenticity to playing, featuring the trill.

The rake technique is introduced for Blues playing, focusing on subtle string muting and expressive sound creation.

Peter Green-inspired slow Blues soloing techniques emphasizing dynamics and tone are covered.

Identifies and applies blues scales in E, D, C, A, and G forms for enhanced improvisational capabilities.

Dominant 7th chord structures and applications are introduced.

Swinging sixteenth notes introduces rhythmic interest and character to one's playing.

The Seven Sharp Nine Chord is applied in Rhythm and Blues and Funk music as a versatile harmonic structure.

Blues rhythms are rooted in the styles of Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Staccato chords on the backbeat are used in R&B music to create a tight band sound.

Ninth and thirteenth chords for Blues music are covered, along with techniques for expanding guitar skills.

Introduces minor key sounds, covering minor seventh and minor ninth chords, with application in a 12-bar blues framework.

The slow blues rhythm is applied to 12-bar blues in G and D minor, covering minor key concepts.

Covers the New Orleans Rhumba's impact on Blues music, including its use by Professor Longhair and other artists.

Ninth chords are enhanced through slide techniques and chromatic runs applied to 12 Bar Blues progressions.

T-Bone Walker's Blues compositions employ augmented and diminished chords, illustrated with fingerings.

The 8-bar blues format is explored, incorporating variations and techniques that utilize dominant tonality, minor seventh, and diminished chords.

Hammer-on techniques are applied in Southern R+B styles using 7th chords.

Iconic Chicago Blues guitar sounds and techniques are introduced through analysis of tracks like Mannish Boy and Sweet Home Chicago.

One-chord grooves influenced by Delta Blues legends like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, also explored in Jimi Hendrix's music.

Introduces techniques for playing Charleston-style guitar rhythms using short punchy patterns and chord fragments.

Quarter note triplets and chord exercises are covered, focusing on technique development.

Guitarists learn to create jazz-style blues with horn-section-inspired riffs and chord progressions.

Introduces blues song beginnings, examining their structural components and how they transition to 12-bar progressions.

Blues endings and turnarounds are covered, highlighting common progression finishes on chord I.

Rhythm part combinations enable the creation of double guitar effects.

Creates melodic structures by combining single-note lines with harmonic progressions using sliding chords.

Techniques and considerations for right-hand fingerpicking are covered, including fingernail length and shaping.

Develops fundamental thumb-picking skills and applies them to various fingerpicking patterns.

Playing notes simultaneously with the thumb and fingers builds finger independence, essential for Blues fingerpicking.

Robert Johnson's influential blues bass style and techniques are covered.

Thumb technique and chord incorporation are covered in developing a shuffle bass rhythm.

Adds bass note enhancements to triplets, with application to 12-bar Blues songwriting.

Techniques for playing melodic phrases and harmonies over a steady rhythmic foundation are covered.

Tuning methods and techniques for guitars are covered, including self-tuning and cross-instrument synchronization.

Accidentals, chord progressions, dynamics, harmony, pitch, and rhythm are covered.