Hawkeye shows you the wonders of drop D tuning and teaches his rendition of "Big Road Blues."
Taught by Hawkeye Herman in Blues Guitar with Hawkeye seriesLength: 30:30Difficulty: 3.0 of 5
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.
Lesson 1
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
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
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
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
Hawkeye covers the blues shuffle in greater depth.
Length: 13:13 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Hawkeye introduces and explains a common blues turnaround.
Length: 7:45 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye demonstrates various ways of arpeggiating the blues turnaround from the previous lesson.
Length: 8:08 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye explains how the turnaround from the previous lesson can be transposed to all 12 keys.
Length: 5:57 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye explains how the blues turnaround can be played on the bass strings.
Length: 11:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
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
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
Hawkeye demonstrates more blues shuffle variations. He discusses playing individual notes and palm muting.
Length: 7:23 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
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
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
Hawkeye Herman teaches a new Delta blues turnaround. This lick was inspired by Robert Johnson.
Length: 7:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye Herman teaches more components of Robert Johnson's signature sound.
Length: 27:38 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye introduces some common, movable chord shapes.
Length: 17:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
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
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
Hawkeye explains how to transpose the minor pentatonic and minor blues scales to different keys.
Length: 21:18 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
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
Hawkeye explains how to play the blues shuffle on the treble strings.
Length: 9:22 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
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
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
Hawkeye Herman teaches a beautiful blues accompaniment pattern.
Length: 10:11 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye introduces the stop-time blues rhythm.
Length: 17:21 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye Herman explains how to play Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago."
Length: 16:17 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye introduces the eight bar blues progression.
Length: 22:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
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
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
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
Hawkeye Herman covers the basics of slide technique and provides exercises to demonstrate them.
Length: 25:49 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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
Hawkeye Herman demonstrates the classic Robert Johnson song, "Ramblin' On My Mind" in open D tuning.
Length: 8:41 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye explains how to play the blues shuffle in open D tuning.
Length: 0:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye teaches the "harmony" version of the shuffle in open D tuning.
Length: 5:15 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye teaches a simple blues turnaround in open D tuning.
Length: 9:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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
Hawkeye Herman explains how to play the D minor pentatonic scale in Open D tuning.
Length: 4:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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
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
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
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
Hawkeye Herman demonstrates how to play the melody of "You Got to Move" with a slide.
Length: 6:51 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye Herman talks about playing and creating blues licks with the slide.
Length: 9:53 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye Herman breaks down important aspects of Elmore James' style.
Length: 23:11 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye teaches some versatile blues licks and riffs that can be used in open D tuning.
Length: 11:15 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye Herman teaches the basics of open G tuning.
Length: 7:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye gives a brief overview of chords and how they are played in open G tuning.
Length: 6:11 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
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
Hawkeye talks about playing accompaniment using open G tuning.
Length: 7:44 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Hawkeye goes over the fantastic song "Statesboro Blues" by Blind Willie McTell in Drop D tuning.
Length: 27:12 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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
Hawkeye explains the chord changes used in a minor blues progression.
Length: 12:53 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye talks about the capo and its many uses.
Length: 22:32 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
By user request, Hawkeye shares ideas on how to end songs in this lesson.
Length: 21:26 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
Hawkeye talks about the eight bar blues and uses some classic blues songs as examples.
Length: 26:19 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye talks all about the blues mambo in this lesson.
Length: 16:09 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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
Hawkeye talks about transposing the minor pentatonic scale to various keys.
Length: 16:58 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye explains how the blues scale can be used to play lead in any song.
Length: 30:57 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye explains how the blues scale can span the neck in any key.
Length: 22:09 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Hawkeye talks about the background of rock 'n roll and how it is connected to blues.
Length: 21:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
This lesson is filled with fun licks and lick techniques.
Length: 17:32 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye brings more blues wisdom to you in this lesson about spanning the neck.
Length: 18:18 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye provides a few useful tips on playing barre chords.
Length: 13:18 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye discusses how the visual shapes of chords relate to one another on the fretboard.
Length: 15:06 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye explains how to find the I, IV, and V chords in all 12 major keys.
Length: 8:43 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye answers member questions on the shuffle rhythm.
Length: 16:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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: A most common question asked among guitarists is discussed in this lesson.
Length: 15:13 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
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
Hawkeye reiterates that everything is movable on the guitar and provides some fresh new ideas.
Length: 12:27 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
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
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
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
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
Hawkeye Herman explains why "blues is the roots, and everything else is the fruits."
Length: 8:41 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Hawkeye discusses the history and style of Hank Williams.
Length: 17:07 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye demonstrates some key aspects of Jimmie Rodgers' style.
Length: 12:30 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
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
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
Hawkeye Herman demonstrates rhythmic concepts from earlier lessons by playing a fun medley.
Length: 13:08 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye shares some of his favorite licks in this lesson.
Length: 22:35 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye teaches more fun licks to add to your blues bag of tricks.
Length: 31:20 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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
Hawkeye explains the importance of playing licks over the entire neck of the guitar.
Length: 21:33 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
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
Hawkeye discusses how ideas derived from turnarounds can be incorporated into blues solos.
Length: 8:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Hawkeye Herman talks about instrumental themes and how you can add lead fills to them.
Length: 18:03 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye continues his discussion on instrumental themes and blues.
Length: 23:42 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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
Hawkeye Herman continues his discussion on 9th chords.
Length: 26:52 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye Herman shares more eight bar blues knowledge in this fun and information-packed lesson.
Length: 23:57 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye shares his thoughts on tuners in this lesson.
Length: 6:38 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
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
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
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
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
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
Hawkeye takes a look at this important right hand technique.
Length: 20:54 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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
Hawkeye teaches some blues bass lines that can be applied to the twelve bar blues form.
Length: 19:04 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hawkeye continues on from his 121st lesson with more examples of blues bass lines for guitar.
Length: 7:14 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
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
Hawkeye teaches the bass line riff to his song "Willie's Bounce."
Length: 16:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye continues his discussion on finger picking.
Length: 12:27 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye Herman teaches a version of the A chord that he calls "The Texas A."
Length: 13:59 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Hawkeye breaks down the blues scale and demonstrates how to appropriately add the major 3rd.
Length: 26:16 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
Hawkeye offers up some tricks and techniques that Elmore James utilized in his style of playing.
Length: 25:52 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
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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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.66 lessons in and ol' hawkey still telling us about his one finger A chord LOL
Great lesson Hawkeye. Breaking down the song like you did in sections makes it easier to learn. I'm enjoying you're lessons a lot. Thanks!
Thanks Hawkeye- I was not familiar with Tommy Johnson - I had learned of other Delta bluesmen - and am so happy that you introduced Tommy Johnson to me. I did an internet search and found his bio on wiki - which if you scroll down also leads to a 1928 recording of Big Road Blues - its there for all your students to hear and includes the full text of the lyrics. - In addition to the guitar you can also hear his unique voice which includes his signature falsetto. I will work on this lesson- it will be a real challenge - I try to spend at least an hour a day studying and playing blues - your a great teacher Hawkeye -thank you. Jeffrey
You're most welcome, Jeffrey. My pleasure to broaden your interest in blues music. Tommy Johnson was a very important and influential blues musician ... many blues and rock musicians have recorded his songs (Bonnie Rait, Eric Clapton, Canned Heat, etc.) ... including myself ... you'll find a sample version of Tommy Johnson's still popular blues standard "Big Road Blues" from my CD "Everyday Living" here: http://hawkeyeherman.com/media/Track01.MP3 ... and Hawkeye CD information here: http://hawkeyeherman.com/blues_shop.htm ... Please remember that there are free lessons at my web site: http://hawkeyeherman.com/guitar-lessons.htm ... articles on blues history and the many iconic blues performers I met and learned from directly here: http://hawkeyeherman.com/articles.htm ... and I have posted many blues songs on video at youtube .... http://www.youtube.com/user/HawkeyeH ... please watch these videos to see how I use the skills I teach in my lessons when I'm performing in concert and at festivals ... try to play along with me, try to 'steal' my licks/riffs/ideas ;-) I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons. Thanks again for your kind comments and for 'traveling' with me on the 'blues highway' here at JamPlay.com.
... and by the way, I learned to play the music of Tommy Johnson from KC Douglas, who was born and raised in Mississippi and frequently performed with Tommy Johnson in the Jackson, MS area years before Douglas moved to the Berkeley/Oakland, CA area. KC Douglas could play all of Johnson's music, and could replicate all of Johnson's songs and licks. I met KC back in the late 1960s in Berkeley, and I used to hang out with him now and then, and he showed me how to play "Big Road Blues," "Canned Heat Blues," and other Tommy Johnson songs in Johnson's style. Also, in case you didn't know it, KC Douglas had a number of minor blues hits, one was quite popular, called "Mercury Blues," and was a rock hit by Steve Miller, and covered by many other blues-rockers. To illustrate the importance of Tommy Johnson's influence, the famous rock band Canned Heat to their name fro one of Tommy Johnson's most popular songs, "Canned Heat Blues." I was very fortunate to have learned the music of Tommy Johnson from a person who knew Johnson and performed gigs with Johnson back in Mississippi years and years before. It is my duty and 'job' to pass on the legacy of these great blues artists. I'm glad you're enjoying these lessons, and I hope you continue to do so. Thanks again for your comments.
Finally perfected this song..Took me 3 times through the lessons from start to finish..phew! A journey indeed. (and almost 3 years..)
Thanks Hawkeye- I was not familiar with Tommy Johnson - I had learned of other Delta bluesmen - and am so happy that you introduced Tommy Johnson to me. I did an internet search and found his bio on wiki - which if you scroll down also leads to a 1928 recording of Big Road Blues - its there for all your students to hear and includes the full text of the lyrics. - In addition to the guitar you can also hear his unique voice which includes his signature falsetto. I will work on this lesson- it will be a real challenge - I try to spend at least an hour a day studying and playing blues - your a great teacher Hawkeye -thank you. Jeffrey
Congratulations, Danny. I'm glad you've 'got it.' It matter little how long it takes you to learn ... anything ... as long as you enjoy the journey and process. 'Time' is not an aspect in the learning process ... 'time' is a creation of humankind, and in music 'time' is 'tempo'/and keeping a solid 'time'/'tempo' is most important ... 'time' has nothing to do with learning process ... when it comes to learning ... there is no 'race' and there is no 'finish line' ... the element of time is an unnecessary stress factor that YOU bring to the table ... the joy is in the learning process and the journey ... 'it's a long and winding road that has no end' ... take satisfaction in your progress ... don't worry about time ... unless you want to NOT have fun and stress about how quickly you learn. Learning/practicing/developing skills are not measured in 'time' ... skills are developed/learned incrementally, and each of us learns/develops skills in 'our own time' ... there is no 'standard' time for developing skills ... it is a labor of love that exists outside of the concept of time. I congratulate you on your success and patience, and I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons and the development of your blues guitar playing skills without worrying and/or stressing how about how long it takes you to learn/develop and of those skills. The satisfaction and joy are in the journey. ;-)
I just wanted to drop a note to say thank you! I am 50 and just started playing. You are definitely a TEACHER!
Thanks for your kind comment, Ray. Very much appreciated. I have given a great deal of thought and planning as to the order and content of my lessons. If one follows the lessons in the order they are presented, patiently progressing incrementally at one's own speed from one lesson to the next in the order the lessons are presented one will gain a strong understanding and foundation in blues music. If one 'cherry picks' through these lessons selectively one will have huge gaps in one's understanding of blues guitar and in one's skills. Just a warning; Blues music is a 'language' ... so it follows that one would, logically, not try to study or learn a 'new' language by selectively viewing lessons in random order. ;-) I hope you are wisely viewing my lessons, beginning with lesson #1, and progressing in order through the lessons, not moving on to the next lesson until you can accomplish what is in the present lesson. This is how a 'language' is learned, and this is how my lessons are set up and how blues guitar is learned. Yes, I am a 'teacher' ... I've been playing the guitar for over 50 years and performing and teaching for over 45 years. I have been a visiting residency artist/teacher/musician in schools for over 34 years; in more than 500 schools, in 30 states, eight foreign nations, to well over 1/2 million students from elementary to the university level. I perform at/in concert venues and blues/music festivals and I frequently give blues guitar workshops at music festivals and music camps. I'm glad you are enjoying these lessons, and I hope you continue to do so. Again, thanks so much for your kind comment.
This is one of my favorite lessons. I love your in depth teaching on this tune, and teaching points that can be applied all the time. Amazingly, after one sitting I'm putting much of it together. Definitely some subtleties I need to 'get' and work on. I'll be refining this one forever.
Thanks so much for the kind words and for enjoying these lessons. I do appreciate your taking the time to let me know that my lessons (and my 'style' of teaching ;-) are having an impact on your ability to play and improve. The guitar is a 'life's work' ... enjoy the process of learning and growing, and always refrain from placing 'time constraints' on your progress ;-) I hope these lessons serve your plying ... forever. Again, thanks so much for 'traveling' with me on the 'blues highway' here at jamplay.com.
This is one of my favorite lessons. I love your in depth teaching on this tune, and teaching points that can be applied all the time. Amazingly, after one sitting I'm putting much of it together. Definitely some subtleties I need to 'get' and work on. I'll be refining this one forever.
Great lesson. I can play it well enough, but when I try to sing I can only keep time for the first 4 bars. After that my timing just falls apart. I have the same problems with your version of R. Johnson's "When you got a good friend". Are there any tips for keeping the rhythm?
I knew that was the answer, just didn't want to miss a simple technique if there was one. I love the practice, in fact I sometime need to force myself to stop and do the many other things that need to be done. Thanks again.
Don, if it's any encouragement to you, many, many years ago, it took me weeks of daily practice before I could play a simple shuffle rhythm and sing at the same time. As a teenager, in high school, I would come home after school and go up to my room and practice the guitar for a couple of hours ... until my Mom called me to dinner. When I would come down to dinner my Mom would say ... "How can you do that?!!" ... "How can I do what?," I would respond. "How can you practice the same thing on the guitar over and over and over and over again? Don't you get bored?," she clarified. In all innocence (and precocious wisdom) I would respond to her question by saying, "Gee, Mom, I just keep going, practicing, until I get it right ... no matter how long it takes. When I make a mistake, I don't pick up where I left off, I go all the way back to the beginning! It has to be perfect from beginning to end, so I don't stop and restart where the mistake happened, I go all the way back to the beginning of the song/piece." My Mom would just shake her head in wonder at my tenacity and patience ... at my driving my entire family crazy by my patiently practicing ... no matter how long it took, minutes, hours, or days ... until I got it 'right.' "Too bad you don't have the same patience and sense of hard work toward your school books" she'd say. I'd just shrug my shoulders, eat me dinner, and then go back up to my bedroom and continue practicing the guitar. I've always enjoyed the 'journey' ... I hope you do too! Thanks again for your kind comments and for being patient with yourself on the 'blues highway.' ;-)
Thanks for enjoying these lessons. Very much appreciated. If your guitar music 'falls apart' when you sing it's because you need to practice the guitar part even more, without singing. It's called 'muscle memory' ... the guitar part is in your brain, but not completely absorbed/learned by your fingers ... so that your fingers can go on 'auto-pilot' while you sing. It takes lots of practice and time to make this happen. Keep practicing the guitar part over and over again ... enjoy the practice, don't look at it as 'work' ... when your fingers automatically know where to go ... then you can add the vocal. This is not a 'race' to a 'finish line' ... everyone learns at their own speed ... don't put pressure on yourself to 'hurry up' and learn ... just relax and practice ... and eventually, in your own time, your fingers/ muscle memory will kick in and you'll be able to accomplish your goal of singing while you play. This happens bit by bit, incrementally, every time you pick up the guitar you improve ... sometimes in/by huge leaps, and sometimes in small bits. It's a journey ... not a race ... it's a long and winding road that has no end ... enjoy the process. You're improving every time you practice. There's no 'secret' to playing rhythm ... it's a matter of teaching your fingers what's in your brain ... the secret is repetition. When you see me perform ... or anyone perform/play/sing ... you're seeing the result of many hours upon hours of practice and repetition ... you see/hear the performance ... you don't see the time and practice/effort I've (anyone) has put into accomplishing the goal of singing and playing the song. ;-) Hang in there ... and enjoy the endless blues journey. Again, thanks so much for enjoying these lessons.
I have watched all of your lessons up to this and this one is absolutely my favorite lesson to date. I will be spending days perfecting it, but the instruction perfectly described each section of the song. Thanks so much, that is fantastic.
So glad you enjoyed this lesson. Thanks so much for the kind comment. I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons, and find yourself another "gem" of a lesson like this one along the way.
Hey Hawkeye, nice job! Tommy Johnson lives!
Thanks for dropping by, Eric. Much appreciated. I was lucky to have learned the music of Tommy Johnson from K.C. Douglas, who performed at house parties back in Mississippi with Tommy Johnson years before K.C. moved to the the SF/Oakland Bay Area. K.C. worked for many years for the City of Berkeley in the street maintenance department ... and he performed in clubs and at blues festivals up until his death. I used to hang out with him and I learned much of tommy Johnson's music from him. He was fine player, singer, and songwriter ... and probably is most famous for having written and recorded "Mercury Blues" ... which was a pop/rock hit for the Steve Miller Band ... and was sung by C&W performer Alan Jackson in Ford/Mercury television commercials years after K.C.'s death ... I'm happy to say that K.C.'s family reaped the royalties for both of these highly visible versions of his best know original song ... too bad K.C. did not live to realize the popularity and income from the song himself. Thanks again for stopping by. ;-)
Fantastic lesson Hawkeye, I love your teaching style, you always make everything look so doable, definitely going to give this one a go!
aquariarty, So glad you're enjoying these lessons, and my 'style' of teaching. If you have problems/questions/issues, please let me know. Thanks for your kind words. Much appreciated.
Great stuff as usual Hawkeye. You always manage to make these lessons so accessible and enjoyable. Thank you.
jsash, Thanks so much. Just doing my job ;-) ... passing on the blues torch/tradition on in as understandable a way as possible. I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons. Again, thanks so much.
Supplemental Content for this lesson will be posted by early tomorrow afternoon (4/24/09). Thanks for your patience!