Online courses
currently available...
Fingerstyle Acoustic Blues:
A 10 lesson course in the art of acoustic
fingerstyle blues that gives you a real insight into the music pioneered
by legends such as Robert Johnson and Big Bill Broonzy. You'll learn all
the techniques necessary to give your playing a real authentic feel.
LESSON 1 - EM BLUES
A piece to demonstrate thumb and finger
independence in a blues instrumental and be aware of simple two note
chords for effective improvisation.
LESSON 2 - DAMPENING THE STRINGS
The use of dampened stings, demonstrated with
the tune Please don't go. Also, to use this tune as further study of thumb
and finger independence.
LESSON 3 - IMPROVISING THE BLUES
By using blues scales in E the student can begin
to improvise around the constant bass exercises of the previous session
and to put this into practice by playing the two prepared examples -
Fingerpicking Blues 1& 2.
LESSON 4 - CHICAGO SHUFFLE
Enables the student to play a more contemporary
fingerstyle blues. The bass line remains constant while at the same time a
nother bass line is introduced to provide an interesting harmony to the
melody line.
LESSON 5 - MOVING BASS
Demonstrates how the rhythmic feel of the
previous sessions works just as well if the bass line is allowed to move
around. This can be played in the moving bass instrumental and gives the
impression of a boogie woogie style - in the classic tradition of Ledbelly.
LESSON 6 - GUITAR BOOGIE
In this more advanced instrumental the student
will discover how a melody line is introduced over a moving bass pattern
for more effective fingerstyle playing. When this is acheived it becomes
simple to introduce own ideas from the blues patterns in the previous
session.
LESSON 7 - INTERNET BLUES
Using ideas from the earlier examples the
student can combine the use of bluesy two note chords over a moving bass
pattern.
LESSON 8 - BLUES FOR BRUSGARD
In this instrumental, all the previous ideas are
combined into one. The student can recognise how by using these techniques
a formidable fingerstyle can be achieved.
LESSON 9 - GUITAR SHUFFLE
An introduction to ragtime blues, using the
fingerstyle techniques in previous sessions. Different chord changes are
used to create this distinctive Big Bill Broonzy style of picking. Also,
some improvisational tricks are demonstrate to develop the shuffle.
LESSON 10 - FISHING BLUES
A more demanding ragtime blues tune than the
Shuffle, but again an interesting combination of the all the exercises the
student has learned.
Click
Here
Fingerstyle Blues 2:
A 10 lesson course that follows on from and
expands on "Fingerstyle Acoustic Blues."
LESSON 1 - NOTATION
A review of the tab method used for this course.
LESSON 2 - THUMB & FINGER WORKOUT
To play Fingerstyle well you have to develop thumb and finger
independence. This lesson gives you an excellent workout in this
department.
LESSON 3 - FINGERSTYLE GALLERY
You'll continue to give your thumb and fingers a great workout in this
lesson and become acquainted with different fingerstyles as pioneered by
the likes of: Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Son House, Muddy Waters,
John Lee Hooker, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Doc Watson.
LESSON 4 - TURNAROUNDS IN THE BLUES
You can't play the blues without knowing about turnarounds. Here's a
selection of tasty turnarounds in various keys.
LESSON 5 - G TUNING & FINGERSTYLE
Simply by detuning your guitar you can find a whole new fingerstyle
landscape. G tuning was the norm among Delta Blues pickers like Charlie
Patton, Son House and Robert Johnson.
LESSON 6 - D TUNING & FINGERSTYLE
As above but now in the key of D. This lesson gives you the lowdown on how
to play one of the all-time great acoustic blues pieces: Blind Blakes,
"Police Dog Blues".
LESSON 7 - RAGTIME BLUES
You'll get a good grounding in another great area of fingerstyle playing
in this lesson: Ragtime Blues. Learn how to play in the style of Ragtime
masters like Blind Blake, Big Bill Broonzy and Rev. Gary Davis. Ragtime is
also a great stepping stone to helping you develop a more contemporary
style of fingerstyle playing.
LESSON 8 - FINGERSTYLE & CHORD PLAYING
This lesson gets right into the nitty gritty of using chords, chord
fragments and inversions to give your blues playing real authenticity and
depth.
LESSON 9 - DYNAMICS & EFFECTS
Slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends etc are what give your playing the
real character of the blues. Of course they are mighty useful for all
kinds of styles; you can't really play acoustic fingerstyle properly
without knowing these tricks.
LESSON 10 - CHORD REVIEW
All the many chords used in this course brought together in a handy
reference guide.
Click
Here
Pentatonic To The Blues:
A course in 9 lessons that illuminates the
link between Pentatonic and Blues scales. Once you've got to grips with
this, you'll be able to create your own authentic blues riffs and play
dynamic solos over common blues progressions.
Lesson 1 History
Origins of the pentatonic and relevance to the blues.
Lesson 2 Major and Minor Pentatonics
Construction and uses of the two scales.
Lesson3 Pentatonic to
the blues
Turning pentatonics into useful tools for the blues. Playing with
patterns. This lesson is FREE.
Lesson 4 Stressing the Blues
Making more effective use of the blues scales, using bends, slides,
chromatic, passing, and neighbour tones.
Lesson 5 Bending the Blues
Instrumental highlighting blue note bending.
Lesson 6 Chromatic Blues
Instrumental blues using chromatic tones. Lesson
Lesson 7 Neighbour Blues
Instrumental blues using neighbour notes and slides.
Lesson 8 The Diminished Connection
Patterns and uses of the diminished scale in the blues.
Lesson 9 Scale Review
A selection of major and minor pentatonic scale patterns for the sixth and
fifth string roots. Minor pentatonic blues scale patterns for the sixth
and fifth string roots.
Click
Here
Acoustic Blues Slide & Bottleneck Guitar:
A 10 lesson course in the haunting art of
acoustic slide playing. The course includes 6 great acoustic slide
instrumentals and takes you in logical steps, assuming no prior knowledge
of the style, to playing like a regular Ry Cooder!
LESSON 1.HISTORY
A fascinating insight and background to the origins of slide playing.
LESSON TWO.GENERAL TECHNIQUES AND TIPS
A valuable insight into the methods for your development and practice.
Plus great advice on what kind of guitars to use, how they should be set
up, plus pointers on what type of slides to use to achieve certain
effects.
LESSON THREE.NOTATION NOTES
A revision of the tab system relative to slide.
LESSON FOUR.EXERCISES
A series of four groups designed to improve all aspects of playing.
Exercises are accompanied with audio files. These start at square one so
even if you're new to the guitar you can still do this course. If you've
dabbled with slide you'll surely want these lessons to get you playing
this fantastically haunting style like a real pro. This lesson is
FREE.
LESSON 5.CHORDS IN SLIDE PLAYING
Chord position charts for both open G and D tunings are listed, with audio
files.
LESSON 6.RIFFS AND PATTERNS
Commonly used riffs in G tuning, all relative to blues styles. These riffs
crop up in countless blues songs and instrumentals. All with audio files.
LESSON 7.INTROS AND TURNAROUNDS
A series of tried and tested riffs, intros and turnarounds for G tuning.
All with audio files.
LESSON 8.INSTRUMENTALS
Three superb instrumentals in the styles of Son House, John Lee Hooker and
Muddy Waters to demonstrate the use of G tuning and varying styles of the
blues. All with audio files.
LESSON 9.OPEN TUNINGS
A comprehensive look at 14 different tunings including regular tuning. All
examples with audio files.
LESSON 10.D TUNING
A closer look at open D tuning, a classic tuning for slide guitar. This
lesson is rounded off by three killer instrumentals instrumentals in
varying styles, including Blind Willie Johnson and Ry Cooder. All with
audio files.
Click
Here
Beginning Fingerstyle:
A 10 lesson course introducing you to the
art of fingerstyle. This is a more general course and gives you a mixed
bag of styles, including Classical, Blues, Ragtime and Country.
LESSON 1: PLAYING ARPEGGIOS
Getting to grips with right hand thumb and finger independence by
practising arpeggio exercises and drills. Plus a fingerstyle arrangement
of "House of the rising sun". This lesson is FREE.
LESSON 2: CLASSICAL STYLE
More important arpeggio exercises and drills, and a taste of playing in a
classical guitar style with a very famous tune: "Romance" by
Tarrega.
LESSON 3: BLUEGRASS STRUMS
Learn how to play those classic Country and Western type strums. Master
the basic bluegrass strum presented here and you''ll be able to play
countless Country and Western songs. As an amusement we've done
"Coming round the mountain".
LESSON 4: THE PINCH
One of the most important techniques to master when learning the art of
fingerstyle guitar. Whatever style you end up playing, you'll need this
little trick for sure. Here presented with exercises and a simple
arrangement of a famous Christmas carol.
LESSON 5:"LEFT" HAND STRETCH
A killer technique for achieving those enormous five fret stretches. This
exercise will develop an extremely strong left hand, a vital ingredient
for playing fingerstyle well.
LESSON 6: ALTERNATING THE BASS
A crucial technique for playing in all kinds of styles, including Ragtime,
Blues, C&W and Folk. This lesson includes a number of exercises to
help you develop a bouncy thumb.
LESSON 7: HARMONICS & BOB DYLAN!
Learn how to play clean, convincing harmonics. Plus you'll develop your
alternating bass technique further with a haunting acoustic blues guitar
arrangement of a Bob Dylan song.
LESSON 8: IT'S RAGTIME!
An introduction to Ragtime guitar with a working of "Camptown
Races". In this lesson you'll get to grips with an indispensible
technique - using your thumb for bass notes.
LESSON 9: INSTANT ACCOMPANIMENT
A great alternating bass style that you can apply to playing any number of
songs in a professional way.
LESSON 10: PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
In this final lesson we put all the tricks and techniques we have learned
- arpeggiating, pinching, thumbing the bass and alternating bass - in one
specially written piece for this course. It's an English Fingerstyle type
of tune.
Click
Here
Beginners Guitar:
19 lessons ideal for people new to the
acoustic guitar and guitar in general. You'll get to cover all the bases:
blues, rock, folk, fingerstyle, learn cool strumming patterns, basic
scales and chords. Plus you'll also learn some classic all-time monster
riffs to impress your friends.
Click
Here
Here's
your chance to take your acoustic guitar playing to a new level and master
all those professional techniques that will have your listeners gaping
with rapt awe. Join the Acoustic Guitar Workshop and learn how to play the
ultimate, stand-alone-don't-need-nuttin-else guitar which is Fingerstyle.
