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Play Blues Guitar 7: Fingerstyle Approaches

Diversify your blues guitar chops with this Blues Learning Path core course.
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Overview

Welcome to Play Blues Guitar 7: Fingerstyle Approaches for intermediate to late intermediate students of blues guitar. This Blues Learning Path core course is presented by 5 top TrueFire educators: David Hamburger, Tim Sparks, David Blacker, Joe Dalton and Paul Rishell. The Fingerstyle Approaches curriculum is comprised of select blues guitar lessons from the educators' existing TrueFire course libraries.

One of the qualities that attracts all of us to the guitar is the virtually infinite range of styles and techniques that are possible on the instrument. Having a grasp on a wide variety of styles and techniques not only broadens your musicality, it opens the door to many more playing opportunities with other musicians. You'll gain more clarity on the instrument overall and expressing yourself on it will become a richer experience. The video guitar lessons in this core course will diversify your skill set and help take your playing to the next level.

Play Blues Guitar 7: Fingerstyle Approaches is organized into 2 sections. In the first section, you'll work on the basics of Fingerstyle Blues playing. In the second section you'll work through Performance Studies to get your chops down.

When you've completed the lessons here in Fingerstyle Approaches, you'll find lessons focused on slide techniques in Slide Approaches, also a Play Blues Guitar 7 core course.

The educators demonstrate all of the key examples over jam tracks (where and when applicable) to simulate a real-world application, in a musical context. Key examples are also tabbed and notated for your practice, reference and study purposes. Take as much time as you need to work through each video guitar lesson before moving on to the next lesson. If you want to dig deeper or wider into any of the topics covered in this core course, check out the rest of the courses in the Blues Learning Path where you'll find more examples, techniques and insight from top TrueFire educators. Grab your guitar and let's get started!

About

Learn how to play guitar with free online guitar lessons and interactive video guitar courses at TrueFire, the world's most comprehensive library of guitar video lessons.
Play Blues Guitar 7: Fingerstyle Approaches - Introduction

01: Play Blues Guitar 7: Fingerstyle Approaches - Introduction

Welcome to Play Blues Guitar 7: Fingerstyle Approaches for intermediate to late Intermediate students of blues guitar. This Blues Learning Path core course is presented by 5 top TrueFire educators: David Hamburger, Tim Sparks, David Blacker, Joe Dalton and Paul Rishell.

2 min
Fingerstyle Blues Essentials - SECTION 1: Overview

02: Fingerstyle Blues Essentials - SECTION 1: Overview

In this first section you'll learn some of the basic techniques of fingerstyle blues, and work on a variety of cool riffs and songs to build out your repertoire.

1 min
Lesson 1 - Pre-Lesson Wrap

03: Lesson 1 - Pre-Lesson Wrap

Lesson 1 - Pre-Lesson Wrap is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. The position of your right hand over the strings can make a big difference in the kind of strength and volume you're able to pick the strings with.

7 min
Lesson 1 - Performance

04: Lesson 1 - Performance

Lesson 1 - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. The position of your right hand over the strings can make a big difference in the kind of strength and volume you're able to pick the strings with.

7 min
Lesson 2 - Pre-Lesson Wrap

05: Lesson 2 - Pre-Lesson Wrap

Lesson 2 - Pre-Lesson Wrap is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. When you're picking three strings at a time with your fingers, check to make sure all three strings are ringing out at about the same volume.

6 min
Lesson 2 - Performance

06: Lesson 2 - Performance

Lesson 2 - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. When you're picking three strings at a time with your fingers, check to make sure all three strings are ringing out at about the same volume.

6 min
Lesson 2 - Lesson Overview

07: Lesson 2 - Lesson Overview

Lesson 2 - Lesson Overview is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. Like several other prewar bluesmen, Mississippi John Hurt made a handful of recordings in the late 1920s but didn't see widespread success as a professional musician until his "rediscovery" more than three decades later.

4 min
Lesson 2 - Performance

08: Lesson 2 - Performance

Lesson 2 - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. Mississippi John Hurt made a handful of recordings in the late 1920s but didn't see widespread success as a professional musician until his "rediscovery" more than three decades later.

6 min
Lesson 3 - Lesson Overview

09: Lesson 3 - Lesson Overview

Lesson 3 - Lesson Overview is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. The term "pattern picking" refers to playing various repeating right-hand patterns in which not only the thumb but the fingers repeatedly play the same sequence of strings.

5 min
Lesson 3 - Performance

10: Lesson 3 - Performance

Lesson 3 - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. The term "pattern picking" refers to playing various repeating right-hand patterns in which not only the thumb but the fingers repeatedly play the same sequence of strings.

6 min
The Vamp - Overview

11: The Vamp - Overview

The Vamp - Overview is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. We'll look at how to combine call-and-response phrasing with minor pentatonic licks and get into some details about essential techniques.

2 min
The Vamp - Performance

12: The Vamp - Performance

The Vamp - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. Each two-bar phrase in The Vamp is basically a one-bar minor pentatonic lick over a steady bass followed by a one-bar vamp figure.

1 min
The Vamp - Breakdown

13: The Vamp - Breakdown

The Vamp - Breakdown is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. Hammerons, pulloffs, slides and bends are often referred to collectively as articulations.

9 min
Slow Fuse - Overview

14: Slow Fuse - Overview

Slow Fuse - Overview is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. I love how the call-and-response approach allows you to reference more of an ensemble sound.

1 min
Slow Fuse - Performance

15: Slow Fuse - Performance

Slow Fuse - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. This kind of call and response between single-note licks and a more double-stop-based vamp is something I've been exploring a lot in my own playing lately.

1 min
Slow Fuse - Breakdown

16: Slow Fuse - Breakdown

Slow Fuse - Breakdown is a video guitar lesson presented by David Hamburger. There are two more great things about playing in this kind of call-and-response vein. It serves as a kind of automatic taste enforcer, and it sets up some pretty finite spaces in which to do improvising.

9 min
Down On The Delta - Overview

17: Down On The Delta - Overview

Down On The Delta - Overview is a video guitar lesson presented by Tim Sparks. Let's look at everything we need to play "Down on the Delta", a simple fingerstyle blues in G played in first position that employs a call and response melody over a repeating bass tone.

0 min
G Blues Scale - Demonstration

18: G Blues Scale - Demonstration

G Blues Scale - Demonstration is a video guitar lesson presented by Tim Sparks. In this lesson, I'll demonstrate a G country blues scale that blends major and minor flavors using pull-off and hammer-on riffs in first position.

2 min
Repeating Riff - Demonstration

19: Repeating Riff - Demonstration

Repeating Riff - Demonstration is a video guitar lesson presented by Tim Sparks. Now let's look at a repeating syncopated blues riff played over a simple repeating bass tone in G.

2 min
Repeating 12 Bar Riff - Demonstration

20: Repeating 12 Bar Riff - Demonstration

Repeating 12 Bar Riff - Demonstration is a video guitar lesson presented by Tim Sparks. This segment takes the repeating blues riff from the preceding section and plays it over the I, IV, and V chords to create a simple blues.

2 min
Down On The Delta - Performance

21: Down On The Delta - Performance

Down On The Delta - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by Tim Sparks. Now I'll perform our study of "Down on the Delta" in G. The important thing to make note of here is picking out a melody with the fingers while maintaining a steady bass with the thumb.

1 min
Down On The Delta - Breakdown

22: Down On The Delta - Breakdown

Down On The Delta - Breakdown is a video guitar lesson presented by Tim Sparks. Let's break down all of the tool box elements and techniques found in "Down on the Delta."

3 min
Frieght Train Boogie - Performance & Breakdown

23: Frieght Train Boogie - Performance & Breakdown

Frieght Train Boogie - Performance & Breakdown is a video guitar lesson presented by Tim Sparks. Freight Train boogie is twelve bar blues. A three-note, chord shape riff followed by a boogie bass line is played in a version for the I, IV and V chord.

4 min
Lightning Strikes - Performance

24: Lightning Strikes - Performance

Lightning Strikes - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by David Blacker. This piece is a great starting place to work on the elements of steady bass picking.

2 min
Breakdown - Lightning Strikes

25: Breakdown - Lightning Strikes

Breakdown - Lightning Strikes is a video guitar lesson presented by David Blacker. Let's break down this piece and get a feel for what is going on. Try to take it slowly while you practice each technique and work on the feel for the part.

3 min
Play-along - Lightning Strikes

26: Play-along - Lightning Strikes

Play-along - Lightning Strikes is a video guitar lesson presented by David Blacker. Okay, now it's time to put it all together and practice playing this piece along with me.

2 min
Cocaine Blue - Performance

27: Cocaine Blue - Performance

Cocaine Blue - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by David Blacker. This piece is a direct tribute to the song Cocaine Blues which is a classic old folk blues tune. Cocaine Blues has been performed by countless performers throughout the years.

1 min
Breakdown - Cocaine Blue

28: Breakdown - Cocaine Blue

Breakdown - Cocaine Blue is a video guitar lesson presented by David Blacker. Let's break down this piece and get a feel for what is going on. Try to take it slowly while you practice each technique and work on the feel for the part.

4 min
Play-along - Cocaine Blue

29: Play-along - Cocaine Blue

Play-along - Cocaine Blue is a video guitar lesson presented by David Blacker. Okay, now it's time to put it all together and practice playing this piece along with me.

1 min
Walk the Bass - Lick #5

30: Walk the Bass - Lick #5

Walk the Bass - Lick #5 is a video guitar lesson presented by Joe Dalton. Here's a good example of what you can do with variations.

5 min
Rockin Chair Blues - Lick #30

31: Rockin Chair Blues - Lick #30

Rockin Chair Blues - Lick #30 is a video guitar lesson presented by Joe Dalton. In my opinion, one of the most interesting things about this chorus is the use of dissonance.

3 min
Big White - Lick #41

32: Big White - Lick #41

Big White - Lick #41 is a video guitar lesson presented by Joe Dalton. The drop D bass is thrown in between the other notes in the lick. The feel is that there is something constant going on, but we don't need to continually thump the bass.

2 min
Quittin' Time - Lick #47

33: Quittin' Time - Lick #47

Quittin' Time - Lick #47 is a video guitar lesson presented by Joe Dalton. Quittin' Time is a descending ending lick you might use on an up tempo song.

2 min
Performance Studies - SECTION 2: Overview

34: Performance Studies - SECTION 2: Overview

In this section you will look at some authentic old school songs. Getting these down will not be easy, but once you do, you will have a good grasp on this style!

1 min
Down the Dirt Road Blues - Performance

35: Down the Dirt Road Blues - Performance

Down the Dirt Road Blues - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by Paul Rishell. The first piece we'll study is "Down the Dirt Road Blues" by Charley Patton (Paramount, Richmond 1928). Just about every Charley Patton song has a really cool guitar part in it.

4 min
Down the Dirt Road Blues - Breakdown

36: Down the Dirt Road Blues - Breakdown

Down the Dirt Road Blues - Breakdown is a video guitar lesson presented by Paul Rishell. The first piece we'll study is "Down the Dirt Road Blues" by Charley Patton (Paramount, Richmond 1928). Just about every Charley Patton song has a really cool guitar part in it.

6 min
Black Horse Blues - Performance

37: Black Horse Blues - Performance

Black Horse Blues - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by Paul Rishell. This song by Blind Lemon Jefferson (September 1893 - December 1929) is probably the most difficult song to sing and play simultaneously of the entire course.

4 min
Black Horse Blues - Breakdown 1

38: Black Horse Blues - Breakdown 1

Black Horse Blues - Breakdown 1 is a video guitar lesson presented by Paul Rishell. We'll continue with the breakdown of "Black Horse Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson.

5 min
Black Horse Blues - Breakdown 2

39: Black Horse Blues - Breakdown 2

Black Horse Blues - Breakdown 2 is a video guitar lesson presented by Paul Rishell. We'll continue with the breakdown of "Black Horse Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson.

3 min
Play Blues Guitar 7: Fingerstyle Approaches - Conclusion

40: Play Blues Guitar 7: Fingerstyle Approaches - Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this core course in your learning path! When you're ready to advance your skills further, dive into the next core course in your TrueFire learning path. Practice smart. Play hard!

0 min