Blues Guitar with Hawkeye

Genre and Style Guitar Course from Hawkeye Herman

The blues is a distinctly American style of music. Many popular genres such as jazz, rock, and country music draw upon basic blues concepts. Consequently, it is advantageous for any guitarist to study the blues.

142 Lessons

Complete course with step-by-step lessons and practice examples.

Multi-Camera

Course filmed with 6 cameras for the perfect angles.

92% Appoval

1837 of 1916 of our members have given this their approval.

Tabs & Info

Download tabs, helpers, JamTracks and docs included with lessons.

Included

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Full Course Breakdown

Hawkeye Herman, a masterful blues guitarist and singer, will guide you through important blues guitar concepts. He begins this series at the beginner level and gradually advances to more difficult material. You will learn blues chords, the 12 bar blues, the blues shuffle, slide guitar, and more.

1

Introduction to Blues

Hawkeye Herman introduces the blues. He explains the 12 bar blues chords and the poetic format that blues lyrics typically follow.

19:25 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

2

Understanding Blues Chords

Hawkeye explains how the I, IV, and V chords are used in a 12 bar blues progression.

12:12 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

3

Blues Rhythm

Hawkeye demonstrates common strumming patterns used in blues music. He also explains how country music evolved from the blues.

19:42 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

4

Intro to the Blues Shuffle

The shuffle is one of the most common rhythms used in blues music. Hawkeye introduces the most basic shuffle rhythm pattern.

18:12 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

5

More Blues Shuffle

Hawkeye covers the blues shuffle in greater depth.

13:13 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

6

The Blues Turnaround

Hawkeye introduces and explains a common blues turnaround.

7:45 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

7

Interesting Blues Turnaround

Hawkeye demonstrates various ways of arpeggiating the blues turnaround from the previous lesson.

8:08 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

8

Moving the Turnaround

Hawkeye explains how the turnaround from the previous lesson can be transposed to all 12 keys.

5:57 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

9

Turnaround in the Bass

Hawkeye explains how the blues turnaround can be played on the bass strings.

11:12 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

10

Turnaround Practice

Hawkeye provides some tips regarding how to integrate turnarounds into the context of the 12 bar blues form.

3:58 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

11

Turnarounds as Lead

In this lesson Hawkeye will explain how you can use turnarounds as a way to play basic lead.

0:00 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

12

Subtle Changes

Hawkeye demonstrates how subtle changes made to the blues shuffle can have a profound impact on the overall sound of the 12 bar form.

7:12 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

13

Blues Shuffle Variations

Hawkeye demonstrates more blues shuffle variations. He discusses playing individual notes and palm muting.

7:23 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

14

Bass Blues Shuffle

In this lesson, Hawkeye teaches a bass version of the blues shuffle that mimics a common left-hand piano pattern.

10:49 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

15

Turnaround Exercise

Hawkeye presents an exercise that will enable you to play a turnaround over the blues form in all twelve keys.

10:44 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

16

Delta Blues Turnaround

Hawkeye teaches a Delta blues turnaround in the key of A. This turnaround is played in the style of Robert Johnson.

10:45 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

17

Delta Blues Turnaround #2

Hawkeye Herman teaches a new Delta blues turnaround. This lick was inspired by Robert Johnson.

7:12 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

18

Robert Johnson Style

Hawkeye Herman teaches more components of Robert Johnson's signature sound.

27:38 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

19

Movable Chords

Hawkeye introduces some common, movable chord shapes.

17:42 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

20

Movable Chord Review

Hawkeye reviews movable chords in this lesson. He explains how these chord voicings can be used in a practical blues context.

5:41 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

21

Basic Blues Scale

Hawkeye Herman introduces the minor pentatonic scale in this lesson, the most commonly used scale in blues lead guitar.

23:54 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

22

Passing Notes

Hawkeye builds on the pentatonic scale. He introduces "blue" notes, which transform the pentatonic scale into the minor blues scale.

12:50 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

23

Scales and Keys

Hawkeye explains how to transpose the minor pentatonic and minor blues scales to different keys.

21:18 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

24

Finding the Key

Hawkeye Herman explains how to determine the key of a blues song. This information is essential if you wish to play lead over a song.

15:31 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

25

Lightnin' Hopkins Style

In this lesson, Hawkeye will bring together much of what he has taught in this lesson series and apply it to the style of Lightnin' Hopkins.

16:36 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

26

Treble Shuffle

Hawkeye explains how to play the blues shuffle on the treble strings.

9:22 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

27

The Great River Road

Hawkeye Herman teaches you how to play his original song, "The Great River Road," in this phenomenal lesson.

16:39 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

28

Mississippi John Hurt Style

Hawkeye covers the guitar style of Mississippi John Hurt. This style makes heavy use of alternating bass lines.

14:48 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

29

Piano Blues

Hawkeye teaches an original piece called "Piano Blues." He teaches this song to further demonstrate the alternating bass line.

13:20 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

30

Blues Accompaniment

Hawkeye Herman teaches a beautiful blues accompaniment pattern.

10:11 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

31

Stop-Time Blues

Hawkeye introduces the stop-time blues rhythm.

17:21 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

32

Sweet Home Chicago

Hawkeye Herman explains how to play Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago."

16:17 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

33

Eight Bar Blues

Hawkeye introduces the eight bar blues progression.

22:28 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

34

8 Bar Blues Key Transposition

Hawkeye takes the 8 bar blues material from the last lesson and explains how to transpose it to different keys.

6:39 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

35

Classic 8 Bar Blues

Hawkeye teaches a classic 8 bar blues tune in the style of Brownie McGhee and Big Bill Broonzy.

25:10 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

36

Playing Multiple Notes

In this lesson Hawkeye revisits the blues/pentatonic scale and talks about playing multiple notes at the same time.

9:42 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

37

Classic End Tag

Hawkeye Herman teaches a classic blues song ending. He also explains how it can be played in different keys.

9:42 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

38

Basic Blues Slide

Hawkeye Herman covers the basics of slide technique and provides exercises to demonstrate them.

25:49 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

39

Slide Guitar and Open D Tuning

Hawkeye Herman introduces open D tuning. He explains how to play a 12 bar blues progression with a slide in this tuning.

14:56 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

40

Ramblin' On My Mind

Hawkeye Herman demonstrates the classic Robert Johnson song, "Ramblin' On My Mind" in open D tuning.

8:41 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

41

Blues Shuffle in Open D

Hawkeye explains how to play the blues shuffle in open D tuning.

0:00 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

42

Open D Harmony Shuffle

Hawkeye teaches the "harmony" version of the shuffle in open D tuning.

5:15 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

43

Open D Turnaround

Hawkeye teaches a simple blues turnaround in open D tuning.

9:00 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

44

Open D Slide Licks

Hawkeye Herman teaches some open D slide guitar licks. These licks are inspired by the song "Ramblin' On My Mind" by Robert Johnson.

8:14 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

45

Pentatonic Scale in Open D

Hawkeye Herman explains how to play the D minor pentatonic scale in Open D tuning.

4:00 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

46

Ramblin' On My Mind

Hawkeye challenges you to play "Ramblin' On My Mind" using the techniques from the past couple of lessons.

4:03 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

47

Rock and Slide Guitar

Hawkeye shows that open D tuning and slide guitar are not exclusive to the blues. He provides an exercise that demonstrates how this tuning can be used in rock music.

15:55 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

48

D Tuning Chords

Hawkeye returns to the world of open D tuning. He introduces various chord voicings and explains how they can be used in the blues.

10:00 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

49

You Got To Move

In this lesson, Hawkeye teaches a classic blues song by Mississippi Fred McDowell - "You Got To Move".

9:03 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

50

You Got to Move Melody

Hawkeye Herman demonstrates how to play the melody of "You Got to Move" with a slide.

6:51 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

51

Slide Guitar and Blues Licks

Hawkeye Herman talks about playing and creating blues licks with the slide.

9:53 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

52

Elmore James Style

Hawkeye Herman breaks down important aspects of Elmore James' style.

23:11 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

53

Blues Licks and Riffs

Hawkeye teaches some versatile blues licks and riffs that can be used in open D tuning.

11:15 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

54

Open G Tuning

Hawkeye Herman teaches the basics of open G tuning.

7:28 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

55

G Tuning Chords

Hawkeye gives a brief overview of chords and how they are played in open G tuning.

6:11 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

56

Blues Scale in Open G Tuning

Hawkeye gives a brief rundown of how the blues / minor pentatonic scale can be played in open G tuning.

4:48 Runtime

1.5 Difficulty

57

G Tuning Accompaniment

Hawkeye talks about playing accompaniment using open G tuning.

7:44 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

58

Improvising in G Tuning

Improvisation using the minor pentatonic / blues scale is discussed in open G tuning. Hawkeye also touches on Robert Johnson's song, "Walkin' Blues."

7:26 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

59

Open G Shuffle Rhythm

In this lesson, Hawkeye Herman talks about playing the blues shuffle in open G tuning. He also shows some basic turnarounds.

10:37 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

60

Open G Shuffle Variations

Hawkeye reviews the blues shuffle in open G tuning. He demonstrates shuffle variations as well as a few licks, turnarounds, and other tidbits.

15:45 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

61

Robert Johnson Licks

Hawkeye teaches several Robert Johnson licks in this lesson. These licks are played with a slide in open G tuning.

14:40 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

View this Lesson
62

G Tuning and the Capo

Hawkeye introduces the capo and explains how it can be used. This lesson is still in the context of G tuning.

10:28 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

63

Come On In My Kitchen

Hawkeye Herman showcases the power of slide guitar by demonstrating the classic Robert Johnson song, "Come On In My Kitchen."

6:33 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

64

Skip James Style

Hawkeye Herman gives a brief rundown of Skip James' blues guitar style. This lesson also focuses on playing in open tunings without a slide.

19:15 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

65

Open D to Open G

Hawkeye demonstrates how to take a song from open D tuning and play it in open G. He uses the song "No Expectations" by the Rolling Stones as an example.

10:26 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

66

Drop D Tuning

Hawkeye shows you the wonders of drop D tuning and teaches his rendition of "Big Road Blues."

30:30 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

67

Statesboro Blues

Hawkeye goes over the fantastic song "Statesboro Blues" by Blind Willie McTell in Drop D tuning.

27:12 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

68

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Hawkeye discusses some history behind the great blues guitarist Blind Lemon Jefferson. He covers the song "Matchbox Blues" to provide an example of his style.

19:40 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

69

Minor Blues

Hawkeye explains the chord changes used in a minor blues progression.

12:53 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

70

The Capo

Hawkeye talks about the capo and its many uses.

22:32 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

71

Song Endings

By user request, Hawkeye shares ideas on how to end songs in this lesson.

21:26 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

72

Stop Time Blues

In this lesson, Hawkeye Herman returns to the wonderful world of stop-time blues. He teaches a few more ways to play in this glorious style.

17:53 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

73

Eight Bar Blues

Hawkeye talks about the eight bar blues and uses some classic blues songs as examples.

26:19 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

74

Blues Mambo

Hawkeye talks all about the blues mambo in this lesson.

16:09 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

75

Movable Endings

Hawkeye explains how all the endings you've learned up to this point can be transposed to any key.

31:53 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

76

Movable Blues Scale

Hawkeye talks about transposing the minor pentatonic scale to various keys.

16:58 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

77

Blues Scale Lead

Hawkeye explains how the blues scale can be used to play lead in any song.

30:57 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

78

Spanning the Neck

Hawkeye explains how the blues scale can span the neck in any key.

22:09 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

79

The Blues Had a Baby

Hawkeye talks about the background of rock 'n roll and how it is connected to blues.

21:42 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

80

Fun Licks

This lesson is filled with fun licks and lick techniques.

17:32 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

81

Spanning the Neck Continued

Hawkeye brings more blues wisdom to you in this lesson about spanning the neck.

18:18 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

82

Barre Chords Refresher

Hawkeye provides a few useful tips on playing barre chords.

13:18 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

83

Chord Relationships

Hawkeye discusses how the visual shapes of chords relate to one another on the fretboard.

15:06 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

84

Chord Relationships Continued

Hawkeye explains how to find the I, IV, and V chords in all 12 major keys.

8:43 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

85

Shuffle Rhythm Review

Hawkeye answers member questions on the shuffle rhythm.

16:19 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

86

Key of A Idea

Hawkeye shares an idea in the key of A that you can apply to your blues playing.

18:15 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

87

Thumbpick Vs. Flatpick

Thumbpick Vs. Flatpick: A most common question asked among guitarists is discussed in this lesson.

15:13 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

88

Capo Ideas

Hawkeye shares his ideas on the capo and explains why he thinks it is important for every guitarist to own one.

18:34 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

89

Everything is Movable

Hawkeye reiterates that everything is movable on the guitar and provides some fresh new ideas.

12:27 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

90

Bass Notes in Treble

Hawkeye explains how to add variety to the shuffle pattern by transferring the bass notes to the treble register and by adding palm muting. He also explains how you can create your own shuffle variations.

21:21 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

91

Treble Shuffle

Hawkeye provides more amazing tips and tricks on moving your shuffle rhythm to the treble for a unique sound.

16:50 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

92

Creating Solos

Hawkeye revisits the techniques learned in the last few lessons and explains how to tie tie them together to create solos.

9:46 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

93

Transposing Songs

Hawkeye provides some great tips for transposing any song you want to learn to a different key.

17:31 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

94

History of Blues

This exciting lesson dives into some of the earliest history of blues music and how it has shaped popular music today.

13:52 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

95

Blues is the Roots

Hawkeye Herman explains why "blues is the roots, and everything else is the fruits."

8:41 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

96

The Style of Hank Williams

Hawkeye discusses the history and style of Hank Williams.

17:07 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

97

The Style of Jimmie Rodgers

Hawkeye demonstrates some key aspects of Jimmie Rodgers' style.

12:30 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

98

Boom-Chicka Strum

Hawkeye demonstrates the "boom-chicka" strum and explains various ways you can incorporate it into your playing.

22:44 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

99

Fun Runs

Hawkeye Herman explains how to spice up your rhythm playing by incorporating bass runs between chord changes.

16:20 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

100

Review & Practice

Hawkeye Herman celebrates lesson 100 with a short but sweet review of what you've learned in the past couple of lessons.

6:51 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

101

Song Medley

Hawkeye Herman demonstrates rhythmic concepts from earlier lessons by playing a fun medley.

13:08 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

102

Hawkeye's Favorite Licks

Hawkeye shares some of his favorite licks in this lesson.

22:35 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

103

More Fun Licks

Hawkeye teaches more fun licks to add to your blues bag of tricks.

31:20 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

104

More Licks Up the Neck

Hawkeye Herman is back with some more classic blues licks that span the length of the fretboard.

26:20 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

105

Bass Licks

Hawkeye explains the importance of playing licks over the entire neck of the guitar.

21:33 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

106

Rock Me Lick

Hawkeye Herman shares a lick that is commonly known as the "Rock Me Baby" Lick. He explains how this lick can be incorporated into a performance of this classic B.B. King song.

19:09 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

107

Turnaround Positions

Hawkeye discusses how ideas derived from turnarounds can be incorporated into blues solos.

8:19 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

108

Instrumental Themes

Hawkeye Herman talks about instrumental themes and how you can add lead fills to them.

18:03 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

109

Instrumental Themes Continued

Hawkeye continues his discussion on instrumental themes and blues.

23:42 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

110

Ninth Chords

Hawkeye Herman explains how dominant 9th chords are formed and how they can be used in blues music.

15:16 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

111

Ninth Chords Continued

Hawkeye Herman continues his discussion on 9th chords.

26:52 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

112

More Eight Bar Blues

Hawkeye Herman shares more eight bar blues knowledge in this fun and information-packed lesson.

23:57 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

113

Using a Tuner

Hawkeye shares his thoughts on tuners in this lesson.

6:38 Runtime

0.5 Difficulty

114

Introducing the Capo

In the 114th installment of his Blues Series, Hawkeye introduces the capo. He demonstrates how this valuable tool allows you to transpose chord voicings to various keys.

23:21 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

115

Forming Barre Chords

Having trouble getting those fingers to form barre chords? In lesson #115 of his Blues Series, Hawkeye covers some tips and techniques to help with these problematic chord shapes. Any beginner can master barre chords with determination and a little help from Hawkeye.

10:03 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

116

4 Up, 5 Down Applied Concept

Hawkeye explains why the adjacent strings on the guitar are tuned in perfect fourths and how this relates to left hand fingering.

18:44 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

117

Relative Chord Shapes

Hawkeye continues where he left off in lesson 116 and explains how the tuning of the guitar relates to commonly used chord shapes.

16:43 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

118

Transposing Notes / Changing the Key

Hawkeye Herman reviews important transposition concepts. Here he demonstrates how to change the key of a song so that it is appropriate for your vocal range.

20:31 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

119

All About Finger Picking

Hawkeye takes a look at this important right hand technique.

20:54 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

120

Bo Diddley Beat

Hawkeye provides a history lesson on Bo Diddley. He also demonstrates how to play the classic "Bo Diddley Beat." This rhythmic pattern appears in countless blues and rock songs.

20:15 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

121

Thematic Bass Lines

Hawkeye teaches some blues bass lines that can be applied to the twelve bar blues form.

19:04 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

122

Bass Lines Continued

Hawkeye continues on from his 121st lesson with more examples of blues bass lines for guitar.

7:14 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

123

Lead Bass Ideas

Hawkeye dives into some lead bass ideas. He demonstrates how a classic Eric Clapton riff can be used over the twelve bar blues form in any key.

12:57 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

124

Willie's Bounce

Hawkeye teaches the bass line riff to his song "Willie's Bounce."

16:31 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

125

Finger Picking Part 2

Hawkeye continues his discussion on finger picking.

12:27 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

126

The Texas A

Hawkeye Herman teaches a version of the A chord that he calls "The Texas A."

13:59 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

127

Blues Scale: Adding the Major 3rd

Hawkeye breaks down the blues scale and demonstrates how to appropriately add the major 3rd.

26:16 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

128

Double Stops

As demonstrated in previous lessons, Hawkeye opens up the world of double stops. Hawkeye teaches some classic Chuck Berry licks to demonstrate how double stops can be used effectively.

11:53 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

129

Scrapper Blackwell

Hawkeye introduces the guitar stye of Scrapper Blackwell. He uses the song Scrapper called "E Blues" as a starting point.

20:46 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

130

Influence of Blind Lemon Jefferson

History flows deep in blues music. Hawkeye discusses the influence of Blind Lemon Jefferson. This lesson is one for the history books.

22:43 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

131

Humming and Strumming

Hawkeye opens up some ideas on how to "plan ahead" in your playing. Similar to riding a bike, you need to look forward to see where your going. Humming what you want to play allows you to anticipate the road ahead.

18:49 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

132

Katrina, Oh Katrina

Inspired by the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, Hawkeye was commissioned by the BBC to write a song about Katrina. Hawkeye demonstrates this song and recalls his thought process in writing this song.

29:53 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

133

All About the Hammer-on

Hawkeye demonstrates how a hammer-on can be used to open up doors in your playing. Hawkeye shows you how to achieve this technique and use it successfully in your playing.

24:07 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

134

The Pull-off

Hawkeye covers the pull-off, best friend of the hammer on. This technique is used to achieve the same goal as the hammer-on, yet with a completely different finger movement.

15:02 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

135

Using Hammer-ons and Pull-offs Together

Hawkeye combines lessons 133 and 134 and demonstrates some examples of how to utilize the hammer-on and pull-off techniques together to enhance your overall blues guitar skills.

10:27 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

136

The Quick Change

The 12 bar form is a staple in the world of blues music. However, there are plenty of different ways to arrange it. This lesson covers what is commonly called "The Quick Change."

15:15 Runtime

2.0 Difficulty

137

Starting on the IV Chord

Hawkeye demonstrates how to change up a traditional 12 bar blues progression by starting on the IV chord.

16:51 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

138

The Talking Blues

Hawkeye demonstrates yet another form of blues known as the "Talking Blues." This style is indicative of its name. It features a talking vocal style played over a I, IV, V chord progression.

24:43 Runtime

4.0 Difficulty

139

Utilizing 9th Chords

Need a slightly different voicing to spice up your playing? 9th chords will give your blues playing a colorful, urban sound.

24:53 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

140

Minor Tuning, Major Sound

Hawkeye breaks out his slide and demonstrates how chord progressions in major keys can be played in open minor tunings.

4:43 Runtime

1.0 Difficulty

141

Style of Elmore James

Hawkeye offers up some tricks and techniques that Elmore James utilized in his style of playing.

25:52 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

142

Style of Son House

In lesson 142, Hawkeye dives into the style of Son House. House pioneered an innovative style featuring strong, repetitive rhythms often played with a slide.

14:32 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

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  • Ashland, Oregon
  • Playing since 1958
  • 218 lessons at JamPlay
""One of America's finest acoustic guitarists and blues educators."
Cascade Blues Association

"Herman plays with a sensitive, reflective touch that continually draws attention to his vocals, which are effectively understated and free of affectation... Herman can rock with the best of them. A solid choice for fans of traditional acoustic blues."
Living Blues Magazine

" ...plays haunting music on a mournful guitar."
Los Angeles Times

"The only thing better than hearing this live album is seeing Hawkeye Herman in the flesh. Whether adding his own spin to blues classics or offering his own songs, Herman is a one-man history of blues, noteworthy guitar player and inimitable communicator. Miss him at your peril."
Blues Access

With over 40 years of performing experience, Michael "Hawkeye" Herman personifies the range of possibilities in blues and folk music. His dynamic blues guitar playing and vocal abilities have won him a faithful following and he leads a very active touring schedule of performances at festivals, concerts, school programs and educational workshops throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. His original music has been included in video dramas and documentaries and in four hit theatrical productions.

In 2000, Hawkeye was awarded Philadelphia's Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre for best original music in a theatrical production. "Everyday Living," Hawkeye's first nationally released album from 1987, now reissued on CD, features the late blues giants Charles Brown and "Cool Papa" Sadler, and established the demand for his now long-standing festival and concert touring. His latest CDs and DVD, "Blues Alive!" (CD), "It's All Blues To Me" (CD), and "Hawkeye Live In Concert" (DVD) have been greeted with rave reviews. Hawkeye's journalistic efforts have been published in numerous national and regional blues and music-related periodicals.

In 1998 he was the recipient of the Blues Foundation's "Keeping The Blues Alive" award for achievement in education. He served on the Board of Directors of the Blues Foundation for six years. Hawkeye was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of fame in 2004. In September of 2005, Hawkeye composed, at the request of the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), "Katrina, Oh Katrina (Hurricane Blues)," detailing the hurricane disaster on the Gulf Coast. The song was aired to over 7 million listeners on the popular "BBC Today" program. He is the cofounder of the Rogue Valley Blues Festival, Ashland, OR.

This musician has definitely carved out a spot for himself in the contemporary acoustic blues/folk field, and has earned a reputation as one of the most accomplished artists in the genre, and audiences throughout the US/Canada/Europe have come to know and appreciate Hawkeye's talent, dedication, and captivating performances.
Reviews & Feedback 92/100 with 1916 ratings
Pleasant81

your are a great teacher...thank you.

jp93722

Hawkeye's passion for the blues and teaching really comes through in his lessons. I appreciate his stepwise approach and thorough explanations

aramis75

Thank you Hawkeye! That was a lot of fun and learning experience! I am out to practice!

Mivler

This is perfect. This is my favorite lesson so far. This is exactly what I needed. Great teacher/teaching style.

tommy147

Easy to understand It's just what I needed.

Blues4SOV8

Enlightening.

mishmac2000

Yet another really good one.

seymour2

a little thing to amuse myself with on guitar - I like that concept.

sampsonsjs

A new button is needed. All of the above!

eddiej

Actually,I wanted to click all 3 tabs..option in the future(hint,hint)

belindah

I can kinda of understand..thanks

captain1956

Thanks hawkeye

Riffmiester

All of the above. Great tutorial top guy Hawkeye.

bbois61

All of the above. I've been playing 35 years and I gig regularly but I'm always on the lookout to learn new things. I really appreciate the enthusiasm and references to blues history Mark brings to the lesson. I'm going through his entire cours

AdamQ

Excellent teacher Hawkeye love his style of teaching and opening up possibilities for students like me.......

pgarner

Perfect. These lessons just continue to be outstanding.

cedric78

outstanding

LouiseB

Love, love love. I'm in heaven

kyowoonlee

This lesson was awesome...thanks Hawkeye!

Traspuerta

I love his approach to life!! (and music of course)

Guitarist18

Been improving a lot things and singing the blue's.

dicer2000

Best teacher here, so far

triarius

It sounds almost like a real solo. ;-)

Barbwriter

brought everything together and it made sense!

Cirfiera1

THANKS!!!!!

JavierLorente

Very, very good lesson!!! I really apreciate it! Thanks Hawkeye

teachme

I listen to him all the time

coffiee shop

easy on the ear

Mucco

Easy to understand And Just what I needed Hawkeyes rocks !!

jampwork

I would check all of them if possible. I think Hawkeye is an unbelievable teacher, and I have had a lot.

Adelsonplus

The way it's explained is easy to pick.

hgraef

First of all, all of the above. Fantastic!!!! After 4-5 years of hard work without any progress, I'm still beginner and finally I understood the 12 bar blues chords as I did today, from Hawkeye. Great Teacher. Thank you

thom125

Great starting point. Especially enjoyed the history lesson!

gbeto21

Good background.

macjamz

Good intro to blues.

cfredman

Good lesson!

Gohito

Good simple riff explained well.

luthier

not a great player but very good teacher

Lillianna

Good teacher.

rock_111

u r gr8 teacher

Mkephoenix

great instruction on how to start free styling w open d slide rather than just playing other peoples songs (which is great, but the moment someone jumped on stage with me I felt like I was in the deep end). This is exactly what I've been lookin

Mikeyod

Outstanding. Am really enjoying.

marksi

great introduction to the blues.

roger51

lessons i can use immediately and what a fun and engaged teacher!