Basic Blues Slide Guitar Lesson
Basic Blues Slide
Hawkeye Herman starts his journey into the world of slide guitar. He covers the basics of slide technique and provides exercises to demonstrate them.
Taught by Hawkeye Herman in Blues Guitar with Hawkeye seriesLength: 25:49Difficulty: 2.5 of 5
Note: A complete transcription of Hawkeye's performance can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.
Introduction
Notice how Hawkeye begins the song with a double stop lick from the E minor pentatonic scale. This lick was first introduced several lessons ago. This double stop consists of the notes G and B played on the first and second strings. A quarter step or microtone bend is applied to both notes in the double stop to give it a distinct blues flavor. Next, the bass version of the turnaround follows the lick.
Verse Section
"Long Distance Call" follows the basic 12 bar blues form in the key of E major. Over the tonic chord, Hawkeye frequently applies a common blues slide lick from the E minor pentatonic scale. This particular lick is played in a steady eighth note triplet rhythm. Notice how he plays this lick in two different octaves.
Introduction to Slide Guitar
A. Slide Guitar Set-up Tips
Playing with higher action is extremely beneficial when playing slide guitar. If you play slide with low action, unwanted noise from the frets will occur.
You must also be aware of your guitar's neck radius. Guitars necks either have a flat radius or a round radius. Most Fender guitars such as the Telecaster and Stratocaster have a round neck radius. The strings on these guitars arch across the fretboard. Gibson guitars such as the Les Paul and SG have a flat neck radius. It is slightly easier to play slide on a guitar with a flat neck radius. Flat necks allow you to lay the slide completely flat across every string. Consequently, you do not have to adjust the finger holding the slide when moving from one string to the next.
B. Choosing a Slide
1. Material
Slides are typically made from one of three different materials. Glass, metal, and porcelain slides are the most common. Each material produces a distinct tone. Guitarists such as Duane Allman, Bonnie Raitt, and Joe Walsh prefer glass slides because of the rich sustain that they produce. The thickness of the glass is directly proportional to the sustain length. Glass slides also produces the warmest tone. Metal slides are also very popular among blues, rock, metal, and country guitarists. Metal produces a brighter, much more aggressive sound than glass. They create a much dirtier sound due to the extra string noise that they produce. Finally, porcelain slides produce a tone that is a sort of middle ground between metal and glass. These slides produce the least amount of string noise. Aerosmith's Joe Perry typically plays with a porcelain slide.
2. Size
Slides come in a wide variety of lengths and thicknesses. Regardless of which material you choose, the slide should not extend past the second knuckle of the finger that you play slide with. You also want to make sure that the slide is not too loose or too tight.
3. Hawkeye's Preference
Hawkeye prefers to play with a small stainless steel slide. He inserts a piece of felt inside the slide to absorb sweat. The felt also takes up some space within the slide to ensure that it fits snugly around his pinkie finger. Some slides actually come with felt already inserted inside. Otherwise, it must be added with glue or some sort of thin, double-sided adhesive tape.
C. Which Finger Do I Use?
The finger used is strictly a matter of preference. Most players favor the pinkie finger, because it frees up the other three fingers for playing chords and single notes without the slide. However, famous guitarists such as Son House, Duane Allman, and Warren Haynes have been known to use the third finger. Bonnie Raitt typically uses her middle finger when playing slide. Chapter 3: () Proper Slide Technique - Play Lightly A. Slide Angle
Make sure that the slide rests directly on top of the strings. Do not angle the slide. If you do, you will hear the sound of the slide scraping across the bottom of the fretboard and neck. Rest the slide only on the strings that you are playing. If you cover all six strings, but do not pluck them, unwanted string noise will result. Keep the slide parallel to the strings at all times. When playing a note, the middle of the slide must rest directly over top of the fret. If you place the slide where you normally fret a note, the note will sound flat.
Be careful not to let the "paralax view" throw you off. A paralax is the apparent difference in location of an object when it is viewed from two points that do not occur on a single, straight line. Sometimes the slide is slightly past the fret when you think it is directly over it. This results in a note that sounds slightly sharp. Use your ears to guide you and tell you what is in tune. This will come with time and diligent practice.
B. Play Lightly
Lay the slide across the strings as lightly as possible. You want to avoid the sound of the slide traveling across the frets. This also causes a decrease in resonance, tone, and sustain. Having higher action definitely helps in these areas. Higher action also minimalizes unwanted string noise.
C. Vibrato
Practice sliding up to the 12th fret across the entire length of the fretboard. Apply a vibrato to the 12th fret note. Shake your finger back and forth while keeping the thumb fixed to the back of the neck. When performing a double stop combined with vibrato, you must keep the slide parallel to the frets. Otherwise, one of the notes will sound out of tune.
arious musical situations call for different types of vibrato. The distance you move the slide determines how wide the vibrato is. The speed at which you move your wrist determines the rate of the vibrato.
Applying Slide Guitar to the E Minor Pentatonic Scale
The minor pentatonic scale is used very frequently to create slide guitar licks. Hawkeye demonstrates one such lick at 05:10 in the lesson video. This lick utilizes the "open" position pattern of the E minor pentatonic scale. It concludes with a long glissando slide up to the note E at the 12th fret of the first string.
Practice the ascending and descending forms of the E minor pentatonic scale as well as the minor blues scale with the slide. Hawkeye demonstrates this exercise with the minor pentatonic scale at 07:32 in the lesson video.
The lick that Hawkeye plays within the context of the Muddy Waters song uses some patterns of the minor pentatonic scale that have not been discussed yet. Tablature to these patterns can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab. Chapter 4: (07:31) Slide Technique and Demonstration When playing slide, you must apply left-hand as well as right-hand muting techniques. Right-hand muting will be discussed in future slide lessons.
Left-Hand Muting
Drag one or more left-hand fingers behind the slide to mute the strings that you are not playing. This will eliminate unwanted string buzz and sympathetic vibrations that muddy up the sound. These noises become even more noticeable when playing electric guitar. However, you may want to allow the additional strings to ring in certain situations to create an ambient effect. Hawkeye plays slide this way almost all of the time. Chapter 5: (02:19) Slide and Muddy Waters Style Hawkeye concludes this lesson with another performance of "Long Distance Call." A slide lick derived from the E minor pentatonic scale is inserted in between vocal phrases.
Final Thoughts
Learning to play slide guitar is almost like learning how to play the guitar all over again. Even very advanced players struggle when first trying to play slide guitar. Be patient with this new technique. With proper practice and solid instruction, you will master this technique in no time. Always remember Hawkeye's cardinal rules of music when playing slide. Visualize where you are going next. Do not place all of your focus on what you are currently playing. Also, crawl before you walk. Walk before you run. Do not begin your adventure into slide guitar by trying to play all of Duane Allman's improvised slide solos. Start with basics such as playing through scales and simple exercises.
Additional Resources
For more information pertaining to slide guitar, check out the following books:
1. Electric Slide Guitar - book / cd by David Hamburger (Hal Leonard Corporation)
2. The Slide Guitar Book by Fred Sokolow (Hal Leonard Corporation)
Supplemental Learning Material
Blues Guitar with Hawkeye
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsThe 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.
Lesson 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.
Length: 19:25 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Understanding Blues Chords
Hawkeye explains how the I, IV, and V chords are used in a 12 bar blues progression.
Length: 12:12 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Blues Rhythm
Hawkeye demonstrates common strumming patterns used in blues music. He also explains how country music evolved from the blues.
Length: 19:42 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 18:12 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
More Blues Shuffle
Hawkeye covers the blues shuffle in greater depth.
Length: 13:13 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
The Blues Turnaround
Hawkeye introduces and explains a common blues turnaround.
Length: 7:45 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Interesting Blues Turnaround
Hawkeye demonstrates various ways of arpeggiating the blues turnaround from the previous lesson.
Length: 8:08 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Moving the Turnaround
Hawkeye explains how the turnaround from the previous lesson can be transposed to all 12 keys.
Length: 5:57 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Turnaround in the Bass
Hawkeye explains how the blues turnaround can be played on the bass strings.
Length: 11:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Turnaround Practice
Hawkeye provides some tips regarding how to integrate turnarounds into the context of the 12 bar blues form.
Length: 3:58 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Turnarounds as Lead
In this lesson Hawkeye will explain how you can use turnarounds as a way to play basic lead.
Length: 0:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 7:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Blues Shuffle Variations
Hawkeye demonstrates more blues shuffle variations. He discusses playing individual notes and palm muting.
Length: 7:23 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Bass Blues Shuffle
In this lesson, Hawkeye teaches a bass version of the blues shuffle that mimics a common left-hand piano pattern.
Length: 10:49 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Turnaround Exercise
Hawkeye presents an exercise that will enable you to play a turnaround over the blues form in all twelve keys.
Length: 10:44 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Delta Blues Turnaround
Hawkeye teaches a Delta blues turnaround in the key of A. This turnaround is played in the style of Robert Johnson.
Length: 10:45 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Delta Blues Turnaround #2
Hawkeye Herman teaches a new Delta blues turnaround. This lick was inspired by Robert Johnson.
Length: 7:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Robert Johnson Style
Hawkeye Herman teaches more components of Robert Johnson's signature sound.
Length: 27:38 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Movable Chords
Hawkeye introduces some common, movable chord shapes.
Length: 17:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Movable Chord Review
Hawkeye reviews movable chords in this lesson. He explains how these chord voicings can be used in a practical blues context.
Length: 5:41 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Basic Blues Scale
Hawkeye Herman introduces the minor pentatonic scale in this lesson, the most commonly used scale in blues lead guitar.
Length: 23:54 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Passing Notes
Hawkeye builds on the pentatonic scale. He introduces "blue" notes, which transform the pentatonic scale into the minor blues scale.
Length: 12:50 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Scales and Keys
Hawkeye explains how to transpose the minor pentatonic and minor blues scales to different keys.
Length: 21:18 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 15:31 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 16:36 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Treble Shuffle
Hawkeye explains how to play the blues shuffle on the treble strings.
Length: 9:22 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
The Great River Road
Hawkeye Herman teaches you how to play his original song, "The Great River Road," in this phenomenal lesson.
Length: 16:39 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Mississippi John Hurt Style
Hawkeye covers the guitar style of Mississippi John Hurt. This style makes heavy use of alternating bass lines.
Length: 14:48 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Piano Blues
Hawkeye teaches an original piece called "Piano Blues." He teaches this song to further demonstrate the alternating bass line.
Length: 13:20 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Blues Accompaniment
Hawkeye Herman teaches a beautiful blues accompaniment pattern.
Length: 10:11 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Stop-Time Blues
Hawkeye introduces the stop-time blues rhythm.
Length: 17:21 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Sweet Home Chicago
Hawkeye Herman explains how to play Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago."
Length: 16:17 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Eight Bar Blues
Hawkeye introduces the eight bar blues progression.
Length: 22:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 6:39 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Classic 8 Bar Blues
Hawkeye teaches a classic 8 bar blues tune in the style of Brownie McGhee and Big Bill Broonzy.
Length: 25:10 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Playing Multiple Notes
In this lesson Hawkeye revisits the blues/pentatonic scale and talks about playing multiple notes at the same time.
Length: 9:42 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Classic End Tag
Hawkeye Herman teaches a classic blues song ending. He also explains how it can be played in different keys.
Length: 9:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Basic Blues Slide
Hawkeye Herman covers the basics of slide technique and provides exercises to demonstrate them.
Length: 25:49 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 14:56 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Ramblin' On My Mind
Hawkeye Herman demonstrates the classic Robert Johnson song, "Ramblin' On My Mind" in open D tuning.
Length: 8:41 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Blues Shuffle in Open D
Hawkeye explains how to play the blues shuffle in open D tuning.
Length: 0:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Open D Harmony Shuffle
Hawkeye teaches the "harmony" version of the shuffle in open D tuning.
Length: 5:15 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Open D Turnaround
Hawkeye teaches a simple blues turnaround in open D tuning.
Length: 9:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 8:14 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Pentatonic Scale in Open D
Hawkeye Herman explains how to play the D minor pentatonic scale in Open D tuning.
Length: 4:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Ramblin' On My Mind
Hawkeye challenges you to play "Ramblin' On My Mind" using the techniques from the past couple of lessons.
Length: 4:03 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 15:55 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 10:00 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
You Got to Move
In this lesson, Hawkeye teaches a classic blues song by Mississippi Fred McDowell - "You Got to Move."
Length: 9:03 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
You Got to Move Melody
Hawkeye Herman demonstrates how to play the melody of "You Got to Move" with a slide.
Length: 6:51 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Slide Guitar and Blues Licks
Hawkeye Herman talks about playing and creating blues licks with the slide.
Length: 9:53 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Elmore James Style
Hawkeye Herman breaks down important aspects of Elmore James' style.
Length: 23:11 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Blues Licks and Riffs
Hawkeye teaches some versatile blues licks and riffs that can be used in open D tuning.
Length: 11:15 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Open G Tuning
Hawkeye Herman teaches the basics of open G tuning.
Length: 7:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
G Tuning Chords
Hawkeye gives a brief overview of chords and how they are played in open G tuning.
Length: 6:11 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 4:48 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
G Tuning Accompaniment
Hawkeye talks about playing accompaniment using open G tuning.
Length: 7:44 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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."
Length: 7:26 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 10:37 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 15:45 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 61
Robert Johnson Licks
Hawkeye teaches several Robert Johnson licks in this lesson. These licks are played with a slide in open G tuning.
Length: 14:40 Difficulty: 2.5 FREE
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.
Length: 10:28 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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."
Length: 6:33 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 19:15 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 10:26 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Drop D Tuning
Hawkeye shows you the wonders of drop D tuning and teaches his rendition of "Big Road Blues."
Length: 30:30 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Statesboro Blues
Hawkeye goes over the fantastic song "Statesboro Blues" by Blind Willie McTell in Drop D tuning.
Length: 27:12 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 19:40 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Minor Blues
Hawkeye explains the chord changes used in a minor blues progression.
Length: 12:53 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
The Capo
Hawkeye talks about the capo and its many uses.
Length: 22:32 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Song Endings
By user request, Hawkeye shares ideas on how to end songs in this lesson.
Length: 21:26 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 17:53 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Eight Bar Blues
Hawkeye talks about the eight bar blues and uses some classic blues songs as examples.
Length: 26:19 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Blues Mambo
Hawkeye talks all about the blues mambo in this lesson.
Length: 16:09 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Movable Endings
Hawkeye explains how all the endings you've learned up to this point can be transposed to any key.
Length: 31:53 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Movable Blues Scale
Hawkeye talks about transposing the minor pentatonic scale to various keys.
Length: 16:58 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Blues Scale Lead
Hawkeye explains how the blues scale can be used to play lead in any song.
Length: 30:57 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Spanning the Neck
Hawkeye explains how the blues scale can span the neck in any key.
Length: 22:09 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
The Blues Had a Baby
Hawkeye talks about the background of rock 'n roll and how it is connected to blues.
Length: 21:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Fun Licks
This lesson is filled with fun licks and lick techniques.
Length: 17:32 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Spanning the Neck Continued
Hawkeye brings more blues wisdom to you in this lesson about spanning the neck.
Length: 18:18 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Barre Chords Refresher
Hawkeye provides a few useful tips on playing barre chords.
Length: 13:18 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Chord Relationships
Hawkeye discusses how the visual shapes of chords relate to one another on the fretboard.
Length: 15:06 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Chord Relationships Continued
Hawkeye explains how to find the I, IV, and V chords in all 12 major keys.
Length: 8:43 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Shuffle Rhythm Review
Hawkeye answers member questions on the shuffle rhythm.
Length: 16:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Key of A Idea
Hawkeye shares an idea in the key of A that you can apply to your blues playing.
Length: 18:15 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Thumbpick Vs. Flatpick
Thumbpick Vs. Flatpick: A most common question asked among guitarists is discussed in this lesson.
Length: 15:13 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Capo Ideas
Hawkeye shares his ideas on the capo and explains why he thinks it is important for every guitarist to own one.
Length: 18:34 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Everything is Movable
Hawkeye reiterates that everything is movable on the guitar and provides some fresh new ideas.
Length: 12:27 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 21:21 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Treble Shuffle
Hawkeye provides more amazing tips and tricks on moving your shuffle rhythm to the treble for a unique sound.
Length: 16:50 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Creating Solos
Hawkeye revisits the techniques learned in the last few lessons and explains how to tie tie them together to create solos.
Length: 9:46 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Transposing Songs
Hawkeye provides some great tips for transposing any song you want to learn to a different key.
Length: 17:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
History of Blues
This exciting lesson dives into some of the earliest history of blues music and how it has shaped popular music today.
Length: 13:52 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Blues is the Roots
Hawkeye Herman explains why "blues is the roots, and everything else is the fruits."
Length: 8:41 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
The Style of Hank Williams
Hawkeye discusses the history and style of Hank Williams.
Length: 17:07 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
The Style of Jimmie Rodgers
Hawkeye demonstrates some key aspects of Jimmie Rodgers' style.
Length: 12:30 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Boom-Chicka Strum
Hawkeye demonstrates the "boom-chicka" strum and explains various ways you can incorporate it into your playing.
Length: 22:44 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Fun Runs
Hawkeye Herman explains how to spice up your rhythm playing by incorporating bass runs between chord changes.
Length: 16:20 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Review & Practice
Hawkeye Herman celebrates lesson 100 with a short but sweet review of what you've learned in the past couple of lessons.
Length: 6:51 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Song Medley
Hawkeye Herman demonstrates rhythmic concepts from earlier lessons by playing a fun medley.
Length: 13:08 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye's Favorite Licks
Hawkeye shares some of his favorite licks in this lesson.
Length: 22:35 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
More Fun Licks
Hawkeye teaches more fun licks to add to your blues bag of tricks.
Length: 31:20 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
More Licks Up the Neck
Hawkeye Herman is back with some more classic blues licks that span the length of the fretboard.
Length: 26:20 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Bass Licks
Hawkeye explains the importance of playing licks over the entire neck of the guitar.
Length: 21:33 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 19:09 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Turnaround Positions
Hawkeye discusses how ideas derived from turnarounds can be incorporated into blues solos.
Length: 8:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Instrumental Themes
Hawkeye Herman talks about instrumental themes and how you can add lead fills to them.
Length: 18:03 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Instrumental Themes Continued
Hawkeye continues his discussion on instrumental themes and blues.
Length: 23:42 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Ninth Chords
Hawkeye Herman explains how dominant 9th chords are formed and how they can be used in blues music.
Length: 15:16 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Ninth Chords Continued
Hawkeye Herman continues his discussion on 9th chords.
Length: 26:52 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
More Eight Bar Blues
Hawkeye Herman shares more eight bar blues knowledge in this fun and information-packed lesson.
Length: 23:57 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Using a Tuner
Hawkeye shares his thoughts on tuners in this lesson.
Length: 6:38 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 23:21 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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...
Length: 10:03 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 18:44 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 16:43 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 20:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
All About Finger Picking
Hawkeye takes a look at this important right hand technique.
Length: 20:54 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 20:15 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Thematic Bass Lines
Hawkeye teaches some blues bass lines that can be applied to the twelve bar blues form.
Length: 19:04 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Bass Lines Continued
Hawkeye continues on from his 121st lesson with more examples of blues bass lines for guitar.
Length: 7:14 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 12:57 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Willie's Bounce
Hawkeye teaches the bass line riff to his song "Willie's Bounce."
Length: 16:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Finger Picking Part 2
Hawkeye continues his discussion on finger picking.
Length: 12:27 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
The Texas A
Hawkeye Herman teaches a version of the A chord that he calls "The Texas A."
Length: 13:59 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Blues Scale: Adding the Major 3rd
Hawkeye breaks down the blues scale and demonstrates how to appropriately add the major 3rd.
Length: 26:16 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 11:53 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Scrapper Blackwell
Hawkeye introduces the guitar stye of Scrapper Blackwell. He uses the song Scrapper called "E Blues" as a starting point.
Length: 20:46 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 22:43 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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...
Length: 18:49 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 29:53 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 24:07 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 15:02 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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.
Length: 10:27 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
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."
Length: 15:15 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Starting on the IV Chord
Hawkeye demonstrates how to change up a traditional 12 bar blues progression by starting on the IV chord.
Length: 16:51 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 24:43 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Utilizing 9th Chords
Need a slightly different voicing to spice up your playing? 9th chords will give your blues playing a colorful, urban sound.
Length: 24:53 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Minor Tuning, Major Sound
Hawkeye breaks out his slide and demonstrates how chord progressions in major keys can be played in open minor tunings.
Length: 4:43 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Style of Elmore James
Hawkeye offers up some tricks and techniques that Elmore James utilized in his style of playing.
Length: 25:52 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
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.
Length: 14:32 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
About Hawkeye Herman
View Full Biography
""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.
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Hawkeye Herman
Hawkeye teaches several Robert Johnson licks in this lesson. These licks are played with a slide in open G tuning.
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Learn a handful of new blues techniques while learning to play Stevie Ray Vaughn's "The House Is Rockin'".
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.I was disciplined until lesson 38. I play a classical style guitar with nylon on 1, 2, and 3. Is it possible to play slide style with nylon strings? Or, do I need a 2nd guitar? I would like to buy and try one if you say a slide is doable on 'guts". Thanks, I have learned a ton from you and have skipped ahead to pick up new material that can be played on any guitar e.g. sight relationships are killer lessons as is the lesson on finding the relative minor 6th to play any song using the blues scale.
Thank you Hawkeye. 10-4 I'm getting a slide and return to lesson 38 to pick up where I left off. I can't get enough. Very impressive to get such help so quick. I am very encouraged and playing the blues scale across the neck and seeing stready technique progress. Your bite sized lessons are very satisfying.
Happy to oblige, Gary. Glad you're willing to try slide on your present guitar and seeing where it takes you. ;-) I try to respond to comments/questions ASAP ... but between April and Sept. I'm a bit slower in responding due to festival/concert touring. Stick with the program, be patient with yourself, and enjoy the process of learning/expanding your playing. I try to keep my lessons under 25 minutes long ... in hopes that folks can 'absorb' the information more readily in smaller increments. Be sure to watch some of my many videos at: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=HawkeyeH&view=videos ... so you can see how I use the many techniques I teach here online when I'm performing at festivals and in concert. try to play along with me and 'steal' my licks/riffs/ideas. Also, there are free guitar lessons at my web site, as well as many original articles I've written about blues history and the many iconic blues musicians I met and learned from over the years: http://www.HawkeyeHerman.com ... Thanks for 'traveling' with me on the 'blues highway' here at JamPlay.com.
Greetings, Gary. Thanks so much for the message/question and for enjoying these lessons. I encourage ALL to follow my lessons in the order they are presented as I've given a lot of thought as to the order and content of each lesson in order for all of my students to gain a strong foundation and understanding of blues guitar music without holes/gaps in one's knowledge. However, if you 'need' to 'skip around'/'cherry pick' through these lessons ... well, do what you must in order to keep progressing ... I understand your question and reason for skipping over the slide lessons in regard to your playing a 'classical' nylon string guitar ... however, you should be aware that you can play slide using a 'classical'/nylon string guitar ... but you must have a very delicate touch with the slide and understand that it won't project nearly as loudly as steel stringed guitar ... but that shouldn't stop you from giving it a try. Go for it. It's NOT necessary for you to buy a 'special guitar'' for slide ... blues music, including slide, can be played on ANY guitar. I get asked a lot of questions like yours ... be sure to visit the 'Forum' area where folks post general questions for open discussion: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman ... you'll find a lot of questions/answers/discussion about the topic you inquired about. Check out ... Classical guitar & blues: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman/9619.htm ... Resonator guitar recommendations: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman/3708.htm ... New Republic Resonator - String Question: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman/6559.htm ... Resonator guitar decided on hawkeye: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman/3951.htm ... My first slide! It's fun as hell!: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman/3590.htm ... Metal Slide, Open-D: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman/3670.htm ... String gauge on a resonator: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman/10215.htm ... Resonator guitar decided on Hawkeye: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman/3951.htm ... Resonator bridge: http://www.jamplay.com/forums/hawkeye-herman/6394.htm ... It's most gratifying for me to know that you've 'learned at ton' from my lessons. Thanks so much for the kind words. My advice is for you to try playing slide on your nylon string guitar ... if, after a while, you find like/enjoy playing slide and want to invest in another guitar, with steel strings, for slide playing ... keep in mind that you can do so on a very cheap beginners steel stringed guitar because low action is not really necessary for playing slide guitar ... a cheap guitar with somewhat high action (somewhat unplayable for standard playing) can work well for slide. Look through the forum posts and you'll see that others have asked about this ... you certainly don't need to have an old resonator guitar like mine to play slide guitar ... all you need is ... any guitar ... and a willingness to give it a try. I hope this information is helpful to you and that you continue to enjoy these lessons. ;-)
Hello Hawkeye, this is Gilles from Paris again. I first wrote to you I think in april to express my gratitude and appreciation. Well, I have been disciplined and practicing steadily. Though I learn other songs and pieces besides , I have kept to your lessons and gotten to lesson 38. I was feeling pretty good, able to play some blues, combine and use all that you have taught, apply it to different blues songs I want to play ... Just great. Then came lesson 38 and the reason I am writing is that I need a little encouragement here. Frankly, I am experiencing difficulties with the slide. I had never attempted it before and am surprised at how difficult it is - at least for me- to get a reasonably pure and musical sound. After feeling I had made a lot of progress, relatively speaking of course, it feels like being a beginner again. I was a little reassured when at the very end of the lesson you mention that many good players are back to square one when taking up the slide, but I guess a little more in that vein would be appreciated. Anyway, I'm certainly not giving up and tremendously enjoying learning so many blues songs made available by your very sound and efficient teaching, while tackling the slide. Thank you again and maybe see you in Paris in the fall ? Take care Gilles
Gilles, Thanks for your message. Yes, I will be at BLues sur Seine in MAntes la Jolie beginning on NOv. 4th. I will be performing in concert and in schools, as well as presenting a two-day seminar for musicians an teachers. There might be more information here: www.blues-sur-seine.com I will post my schedule of performances here soon. Gilles, we all learn at our own speed/pace. Why are you so impatient with yourself in regard to learning to use a slide? Especially after I specifically took the time to say that even an advanced player has early difficulty in learning to use a slide. Learning to play the guitar is a 'life's work' ... there is no end to the road of learning ... please put your anxieties about your 'failure' to learn to play with a slide 'overnight' to rest ... and understand that it doesn't matter how long it takes. There is no clock running that is counting the minutes/hours/days/months/ years that it takes to learn ... anything ... the only 'clock that is running' is the one in your head ... that causes you the frustrations that you are exhibiting. Could you please put the 'time element' aside and enjoy the process of learning and improving little by little by little on a daily basis. Why put limitations on yourself in regard to time. Are you in a hurry? Rome was no built in a day .... nor was ever a good slide player built in a day. Please relax ... and stop putting pressure on yourself and setting yourself up for disappointments by assuming that there is a time element involved in the learning process and in achieving success. Time is a creation of mankind ... and not a tangible 'thing.' The encouragement I give you is that we all must learn at your own pace/speed ... there are those who learn much faster than you, and there are those who learn much slower than you ... and even so, it doesn't matter. Are you playing the guitar for the enjoyment of learning and making music ... or are you learning to play the guitar as part of a 'race' to some non-existent finish line? There is no race, and there is no finish line ... there is only the joy of playing the guitar and improving day by day, some time in leaps and bounds, and sometimes in very small in increments. Every journey begins with the first step ;-) Thank you for being more patient ... with yourself. ;-)
Well, Hawkeye, I have to bow down at the wisdom of your words which go beyond music and apply to any learning process and indeed to life itself. The irony is that whenever I teach in my own field (writing, creative process etc) that's exactly what I tell students ! I guess my involvment with music relatively late in life (I'm 51) has been sort of a delayed love affair and I must be in some sort of hurry ! Thank you, you are absolutely right and to the point. Blues has a lot to do in its spirit with humility, eh ? Hoping to meet you and share in Paris. It is so much fun and joy playing music !
PS : Oh, and that's exactly what I did : i gave it a rest and today my slide playing sounds much better.
Gilles, Yes, thanks for understanding that ... what you teach your students ... applies to all areas of learning ... and applies to the teacher, as well. :-) Thanks again.
i must admit, i've jumped ahead a little, was feeling a bit down and disheartened with my blues playing, i guess i just want to be good now and not have to put in all the hard work!! So to cheer myself up, i had a go at your slide basics lesson. I just wanted to ask, what's the difference between the E blues scale and the Em pentatonic scale? Can you play either? Many thanks, will go back tomorrow to where i jumped from, just needed that extra lift. Did you ever get disheartened when you were first trying Hawkeye? OB
The 'E blues scale' and the 'Em pentatonic scale' refer to the same scale.
Am so disheartened, am almost on the verge of giving up, my month's membership runs out in a week, so not sure if its worth me buying another months membership. It's not in anyway to do with your teachiing, you are magnificent, just very down on myself. Did you ever feel that way learning the blues?
I'm sorry to sound like a depressive, i just hoped you'd have some words of wisdom. Cheers. OB
It's taken my whole life to get to where I am now. When you watch me, or Lightnin' Hopkins, BB King, T-Bone Walker, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Fiona Boyes, or any professional blues musician play the guitar and perform you are watching the entire culmination of what they know and have experienced in life and on the guitar in that moment. You do not see the hours of playiing and practicing that went into that person being who they are now ... and you want to become like that professional musician/performer in a few months or years. And you are dissatisfied with your progress in that direction and disheartened by the reality that you have to learn at your own pace, whatever that pace may be. Isn't it wonderful how the guitar and the blues can come together to help us see the realities of life ... and be able to accept and rejoice in those realities ... and keep moving on. You wrote a blues song about me ... why not take the opportunity at this time to tap your feelings and write a blues song about yourself and your current blues dissatisfaction in regard to not learning as fast as you'd like to learn, how you continue to stand in your own way by putting limitations on the amount of time it takes to learn something. BB King is 84 years old, and he's been playing the guitar since he was about 12 years old ... that's 72 years of guitar playing ... I could write a blues song, "There's Only One BB King," that goes, "I've been practicing and playing guitar for 50 years, and I still can't play like BB King." "I've been practicing and playing guitar for 50 years, and I still can't play like BB King." "If I don't sound like BB soon, I'm gonna give up on the whole damn thing!" :-) Sorry, but I'm a longtime bluesman/musician, and my 'words of wisdom' are best expressed in song/music. I hope you find this response comforting and encouraging.
You are the top man Hawkeye, just needed a well earned, blues boot up the backside!! You have many people writing and sending you e-mails so i'm quite flattered that you remember i wrote a song about you, wow!! I shouldn't have spent so long on the internet yesterday and watching eric clapton, lightnin, son house (if that's the correct spelling), my mind just said "Forget it mate", but what you said is true, sometimes we know we're being silly and just need to have somebody say it out loud, thank you so much Hawkeye, normal service will be resumed shortly!
P.S.....i feel very embarrassed!!
No need to feel embarrassed. You're not the "Lone Ranger" ... We all put ourselves under unrealistic pressures at time in our lives. Take a deep breath ... Exhale ... and keep on keeping on ... at your own pace. ;-)
Thanks for that. When i joined jamplay, at the beginning of feb, i saw the introduction of you playing 'the great river road' and i thought to myself, i'd love to play like that! I can play your song now and add variations of my own. I can do turnarounds in every key along the fret board. I can play 'lightnin' style adding lead into my play, i can use Robert Johnsons "Texas A" chord (the king of the moveable chords) and add it into songs!! All this since i joined jamplay at the beginning of feb!!! You see Hawkeye, even though i've been in australia for five years, and haven't touched my guitar in all that time (maybe once or twice), i'm actually learning quite quickly, so i dont know what my problem was!!! My wife and i have been married 5 years and are buying a 'special' present for each other,....of course i got her a diamond necklace and she is buying me a new guitar......it's a National resonator, an "Estralita Deluxe" so i'm over the moon right now! Thanks again for your words of encouragement, not only are you my blues mentor, but now you've become "Uncle Hawkeye" too lol!! Cheers. OB
You're most welcome. Enjoy your new guitar. The Estralita model is very similar to my "Trojan' model ... yours will have nicer looking veneer wood on the top. Cheers for what you've learned in such a short period of time ... it took me years to learn that amount of material ... I had to go dig it out of books and blues musicians in those days. Keep up the good work. You should find new inspiration by having a new guitar. :-)
Wow Hawkeye hope your tour in Europe was a success. Knowing you what ever came you way you made the best of it. I've been bad. I've been doing pretty good not skipping ahead but I finally have. Stopped into a music shop here in Chiang Mai, Thailand and bought a mental slide. Stuff it with some t-paper and it fits perfect. So, have slide in hand and skipped a few lesson to get to this one. This is great, oh how fun!!!! I will retrace my steps to follow up on lessons skipped. Just wanted to turn myself in.:)))
Great. Glad you've got a slide that fits your needs. You can always make your own out of a piece if copper tubing ... found in the plumbing department of hardware stores ... the only problem with copper is that it needs to be polished regularly to get rid of the oxidation that can coat the surface and hinder a clean sound. I hope now you can really enjoy exploring slide guitar. :-)
Thanks for your comments ... and honesty. Much appreciated. You can skip around in the lessons, and still learn a lot ... but doing so can hinder your 'complete understanding' of the blues and create gaps in your knowledge/musical foundation ... so if you do skip around, I hope you'll also always go back and 'stay with the program' ... be patient ... and try to follow the plan as I've layed it out ... at the inexpensive price you're paying to subscribe to these lessons ... I believe you should be patient and not 'cherry pick' the lessons ... good lord, you can watch 100 lessons in a month for less than I'd have to charge you for 1 (one) in-person guitar lesson (or for a lesson from any music store or guitar instructor) ... so why 'cheat yourself' out of information that's coming your way for so little money. :-) I hope you continue to enjoy these lesson ... via the lesson plan ... or via 'cherry -picking' .... either way, I'm glad you're here at Jamplay.com with me.
Yes Sir you are correct on all accounts. Just I was so excided to find this slide in a dark plastic form age that I had to try it out. I bet it was in the store for many years. It was only 7 lesson jump but I will listen to you and go back now. Thanks for all your help.
Are you saying you have a plastic slide? ... I've never seen a plastic slide that worked or sounded as good as a metal or glass slide. If this is so, let me know how it's working for you.
Sorry, what I meant was.... I walked into this little guitar shop, I asked for a slide, he digs around and pulls out this slide. I can hardly see though the colored old age plastic. But looking close I could see a metal slide. I told the guy to open it and if it fits I will buy it, just like my luck it fit. So it is a metal slide. I threw away the old dirty package it came in. After some cleaning it looks like new. Now, "take me to the station" :))
Thanks for the intro to slide. It's something I never tried and enjoyed playing with a thermometer case so I look forward to picking up a slide. Is there anyway to put the lyrics to the example songs you play in the supplemental materials or is there a copyright issue? It would be a nice time saver not to have to go google lyrics each lesson. Thanks again. I've played for 30 years and my guitar playing is definitely unstuck which is great fun.
Thanks for the comments. Glad you're enjoying the slide guitar lessons. I don't do the supplemental aspects of my lessons ... we have great guy named Matt who does all of that ... so you could request our admin. folks to have Matt do so (as if he doesn't have enough to do with notation all of the instructors lessons ;-) ... googling lyrics is fast and easy (and almost instantly gratifying) ... type in the correct song title and the word lyrics after the title ... and you can copy and paste the words into a word document on your own ... that's what I do whenever I need lyrics. Sorry, that's the best I can do for you from here. I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons.
Hi Hawkeye, Could you please explain the E minor scale in this lesson? I have the first three strings as 12-10, 12-10, 12-9 but am not sure of the fingers to use or what frets and fingers to use on the 4, 5 and 6 strings either. By the way, am really impressed with you going into the schools to bring the kids the blues. cheers, Patrick
The notes/frets to play are: on the high E string = 12 and 10, B (2nd string) = 12 and 10, G (3rd string) = 12 and 9, D (4th string) = 12 and 9, A (5th string) = 12 and 9, low E sting (6th string) = 12 and 10. If you're not playing these notes using the slide, then you should use your third (ring) finger at 12th fret on all the strings and the index finger on all of the notes/frets that are on the 9th or 10th fret on each of the strings. Yes, I'm now in Mississippi teaching in schools and performing at the brand new BB King Museum. I've been going into schools to teach/perform blues music for over 30 years, and have been in over 500 schools, all levels from elementary to college level, in 25 states, 8 foreign countries, and to over 1/2 m,illion students. I love going in tot he schools and explaining the msuic and it's history to students of all ages. "Blues is the roots, and everything else is the fruits." Thanks for you question and kind comment. I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons.
Thanks for the notes and your time, Hawkeye. Keep up your good work in the schools, too. :)-
My pleasure to help. I hope you continue to travel with me on the 'blues highway' here at jamplay.com
yeah i just realized you talked about it in the lesson. you called them "ambient sounds". i really like the sound. don't ever change your way of doing it!
wutangwu, Thanks for the comment. I won't change my style ... I met and was taught by the old guys, Son House, Bukka White, Furry Lewis, Mance Lipscomb, John Jackson, etc. ... and the 'cleanliness/purity' of the sound by damping behind the slide was of a lesser concern for them ... rarely used ... and as a result, for me, too. I appreciate the clean sound ... but I like the "haunting' sound better. As a matter of fact ... check out the LA Times quote here: .... Thanks again for your message and appreciation for the music.
that sound makes me think of an old shack in the everglades...a swampy area perhaps. i think i actually like the aftersound that comes after the slide even more...it sounds haunting!