Hawkeye explains how the blues scale can span the neck in any key.
Taught by Hawkeye Herman in Blues Guitar with Hawkeye seriesLength: 22:09Difficulty: 3.5 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 OnlyLesson 2
Hawkeye explains how the I, IV, and V chords are used in a 12 bar blues progression.
Length: 12:12 Difficulty: 1.0 Members OnlyLesson 3
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 OnlyLesson 4
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 OnlyLesson 5
Hawkeye covers the blues shuffle in greater depth.
Length: 13:13 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 6
Hawkeye introduces and explains a common blues turnaround.
Length: 7:45 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 7
Hawkeye demonstrates various ways of arpeggiating the blues turnaround from the previous lesson.
Length: 8:08 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 8
Hawkeye explains how the turnaround from the previous lesson can be transposed to all 12 keys.
Length: 5:57 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 9
Hawkeye explains how the blues turnaround can be played on the bass strings.
Length: 11:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 10
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 OnlyLesson 11
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 OnlyLesson 12
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 OnlyLesson 13
Hawkeye demonstrates more blues shuffle variations. He discusses playing individual notes and palm muting.
Length: 7:23 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 14
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 OnlyLesson 15
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 OnlyLesson 16
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 OnlyLesson 17
Hawkeye Herman teaches a new Delta blues turnaround. This lick was inspired by Robert Johnson.
Length: 7:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 18
Hawkeye Herman teaches more components of Robert Johnson's signature sound.
Length: 27:38 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 19
Hawkeye introduces some common, movable chord shapes.
Length: 17:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 20
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 OnlyLesson 21
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 OnlyLesson 22
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 OnlyLesson 23
Hawkeye explains how to transpose the minor pentatonic and minor blues scales to different keys.
Length: 21:18 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 24
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 OnlyLesson 25
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 OnlyLesson 26
Hawkeye explains how to play the blues shuffle on the treble strings.
Length: 9:22 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 27
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 OnlyLesson 28
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 OnlyLesson 29
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 OnlyLesson 30
Hawkeye Herman teaches a beautiful blues accompaniment pattern.
Length: 10:11 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 31
Hawkeye introduces the stop-time blues rhythm.
Length: 17:21 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 32
Hawkeye Herman explains how to play Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago."
Length: 16:17 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 33
Hawkeye introduces the eight bar blues progression.
Length: 22:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 34
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 OnlyLesson 35
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 OnlyLesson 36
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 OnlyLesson 37
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 OnlyLesson 38
Hawkeye Herman covers the basics of slide technique and provides exercises to demonstrate them.
Length: 25:49 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 39
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 OnlyLesson 40
Hawkeye Herman demonstrates the classic Robert Johnson song, "Ramblin' On My Mind" in open D tuning.
Length: 8:41 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 41
Hawkeye explains how to play the blues shuffle in open D tuning.
Length: 0:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 42
Hawkeye teaches the "harmony" version of the shuffle in open D tuning.
Length: 5:15 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 43
Hawkeye teaches a simple blues turnaround in open D tuning.
Length: 9:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 44
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 OnlyLesson 45
Hawkeye Herman explains how to play the D minor pentatonic scale in Open D tuning.
Length: 4:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 46
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 OnlyLesson 47
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 OnlyLesson 48
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 OnlyLesson 49
In this lesson, Hawkeye teaches a classic blues song by Mississippi Fred McDowell - "You Got To Move".
Length: 9:03 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 50
Hawkeye Herman demonstrates how to play the melody of "You Got to Move" with a slide.
Length: 6:51 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 51
Hawkeye Herman talks about playing and creating blues licks with the slide.
Length: 9:53 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 52
Hawkeye Herman breaks down important aspects of Elmore James' style.
Length: 23:11 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 53
Hawkeye teaches some versatile blues licks and riffs that can be used in open D tuning.
Length: 11:15 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 54
Hawkeye Herman teaches the basics of open G tuning.
Length: 7:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 55
Hawkeye gives a brief overview of chords and how they are played in open G tuning.
Length: 6:11 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 56
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 OnlyLesson 57
Hawkeye talks about playing accompaniment using open G tuning.
Length: 7:44 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 58
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 OnlyLesson 59
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 OnlyLesson 60
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 FREELesson 62
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 OnlyLesson 63
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 OnlyLesson 64
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 OnlyLesson 65
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 OnlyLesson 66
Hawkeye shows you the wonders of drop D tuning and teaches his rendition of "Big Road Blues."
Length: 30:30 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 67
Hawkeye goes over the fantastic song "Statesboro Blues" by Blind Willie McTell in Drop D tuning.
Length: 27:12 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 68
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 OnlyLesson 69
Hawkeye explains the chord changes used in a minor blues progression.
Length: 12:53 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 70
Hawkeye talks about the capo and its many uses.
Length: 22:32 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 71
By user request, Hawkeye shares ideas on how to end songs in this lesson.
Length: 21:26 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 72
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 OnlyLesson 73
Hawkeye talks about the eight bar blues and uses some classic blues songs as examples.
Length: 26:19 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 74
Hawkeye talks all about the blues mambo in this lesson.
Length: 16:09 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 75
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 OnlyLesson 76
Hawkeye talks about transposing the minor pentatonic scale to various keys.
Length: 16:58 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 77
Hawkeye explains how the blues scale can be used to play lead in any song.
Length: 30:57 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 78
Hawkeye explains how the blues scale can span the neck in any key.
Length: 22:09 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 79
Hawkeye talks about the background of rock 'n roll and how it is connected to blues.
Length: 21:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 80
This lesson is filled with fun licks and lick techniques.
Length: 17:32 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 81
Hawkeye brings more blues wisdom to you in this lesson about spanning the neck.
Length: 18:18 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 82
Hawkeye provides a few useful tips on playing barre chords.
Length: 13:18 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 83
Hawkeye discusses how the visual shapes of chords relate to one another on the fretboard.
Length: 15:06 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 84
Hawkeye explains how to find the I, IV, and V chords in all 12 major keys.
Length: 8:43 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 85
Hawkeye answers member questions on the shuffle rhythm.
Length: 16:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 86
Hawkeye shares an idea in the key of A that you can apply to your blues playing.
Length: 18:15 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 87
Thumbpick Vs. Flatpick: A most common question asked among guitarists is discussed in this lesson.
Length: 15:13 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 88
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 OnlyLesson 89
Hawkeye reiterates that everything is movable on the guitar and provides some fresh new ideas.
Length: 12:27 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 90
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 OnlyLesson 91
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 OnlyLesson 92
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 OnlyLesson 93
Hawkeye provides some great tips for transposing any song you want to learn to a different key.
Length: 17:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 94
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 OnlyLesson 95
Hawkeye Herman explains why "blues is the roots, and everything else is the fruits."
Length: 8:41 Difficulty: 1.0 Members OnlyLesson 96
Hawkeye discusses the history and style of Hank Williams.
Length: 17:07 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 97
Hawkeye demonstrates some key aspects of Jimmie Rodgers' style.
Length: 12:30 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 98
Hawkeye demonstrates the "boom-chicka" strum and explains various ways you can incorporate it into your playing.
Length: 22:44 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 99
Hawkeye Herman explains how to spice up your rhythm playing by incorporating bass runs between chord changes.
Length: 16:20 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 100
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 OnlyLesson 101
Hawkeye Herman demonstrates rhythmic concepts from earlier lessons by playing a fun medley.
Length: 13:08 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 102
Hawkeye shares some of his favorite licks in this lesson.
Length: 22:35 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 103
Hawkeye teaches more fun licks to add to your blues bag of tricks.
Length: 31:20 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 104
Hawkeye Herman is back with some more classic blues licks that span the length of the fretboard.
Length: 26:20 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 105
Hawkeye explains the importance of playing licks over the entire neck of the guitar.
Length: 21:33 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 106
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 OnlyLesson 107
Hawkeye discusses how ideas derived from turnarounds can be incorporated into blues solos.
Length: 8:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 108
Hawkeye Herman talks about instrumental themes and how you can add lead fills to them.
Length: 18:03 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 109
Hawkeye continues his discussion on instrumental themes and blues.
Length: 23:42 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 110
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 OnlyLesson 111
Hawkeye Herman continues his discussion on 9th chords.
Length: 26:52 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 112
Hawkeye Herman shares more eight bar blues knowledge in this fun and information-packed lesson.
Length: 23:57 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 113
Hawkeye shares his thoughts on tuners in this lesson.
Length: 6:38 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 114
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 OnlyLesson 115
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 OnlyLesson 116
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 OnlyLesson 117
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 OnlyLesson 118
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 OnlyLesson 119
Hawkeye takes a look at this important right hand technique.
Length: 20:54 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 120
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 OnlyLesson 121
Hawkeye teaches some blues bass lines that can be applied to the twelve bar blues form.
Length: 19:04 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 122
Hawkeye continues on from his 121st lesson with more examples of blues bass lines for guitar.
Length: 7:14 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 123
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 OnlyLesson 124
Hawkeye teaches the bass line riff to his song "Willie's Bounce."
Length: 16:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 125
Hawkeye continues his discussion on finger picking.
Length: 12:27 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 126
Hawkeye Herman teaches a version of the A chord that he calls "The Texas A."
Length: 13:59 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 127
Hawkeye breaks down the blues scale and demonstrates how to appropriately add the major 3rd.
Length: 26:16 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 128
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 OnlyLesson 129
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 OnlyLesson 130
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 OnlyLesson 131
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 OnlyLesson 132
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 OnlyLesson 133
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 OnlyLesson 134
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 OnlyLesson 135
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 OnlyLesson 136
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 OnlyLesson 137
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 OnlyLesson 138
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 OnlyLesson 139
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 OnlyLesson 140
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 OnlyLesson 141
Hawkeye offers up some tricks and techniques that Elmore James utilized in his style of playing.
Length: 25:52 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 142
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.
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
Lesson 40 takes a deeper look at slash chords. Mark discusses why they're called slash chords, and how they are formed.
Free LessonSeries DetailsTrace Bundy talks about the different ways you can use multiple capos to enhance your playing.
Free LessonSeries DetailsMitch teaches his interpretation of the classic "Cannonball Rag." This song provides beginning and intermediate guitarists...
Free LessonSeries DetailsJamPlay welcomes bassist and founding member of Godsmack, Robbie Merrill. In this short introduction lesson, Robbie showcases...
Free LessonSeries DetailsAlan shares his background in teaching and sets the direction for his beginning bass series with simple ideas and musical...
Free LessonSeries DetailsRich Nibbe takes a look at how you can apply the pentatonic scale in the style of John Mayer into your playing.
Free LessonSeries DetailsAward winning, Canadian fingerstyle guitarist Calum Graham introduces his Jamplay Artist Series, which aims to transform...
Free LessonSeries DetailsEve talks about the boom-chuck strum pattern. This strum pattern will completely change the sound of your playing.
Free LessonSeries DetailsErik expounds on the many possibilities of open tunings and the new harmonics that you can use in them. He explains what...
Free LessonSeries DetailsOur electric guitar lessons are taught by instructors with an incredible amount of teaching experience.
Matt Brown shows off some ways to add some creativity and originality to your rock chord voicings.
Free LessonSeries DetailsJoin Will Ripley as he gives us all the details of his series, "Rock Guitar for Beginners". You'll be playing cool rock riffs...
Free LessonSeries DetailsLita Ford, guitarist for The Runaways, presents a fantastic and in depth series on what it was like and what it took professionally...
Free LessonSeries DetailsJames explains how to tap arpeggios for extended musical reach.
Free LessonSeries DetailsEric Haugen discusses the goals of his "Six String Problem Solver" lesson series and what kind of material it covers.
Free LessonSeries DetailsAlbert Collins brought a lot of style to the blues scene. In this lesson, Kenny breaks down Albert's style for you to learn.
Free LessonSeries DetailsJamPlay introduces Nashville session player Guthrie Trapp! In this first segment, Guthrie talks a little about his influences,...
Free LessonSeries DetailsDavid Ellefson, co-founding member of Megadeth, explains his overall approach to teaching and learning bass in this introductory...
Free LessonSeries DetailsSignup today to enjoy access to our entire database of video lessons, along with our exclusive set of learning tools and features.
Take a minute to compare JamPlay to other traditional and new methods of learning guitar. Our estimates for "In-Person" lessons below are based on a weekly face-to-face lesson for $40 per hour.
![]() |
||||
Price Per Lesson | < $0.01 | $4 - $5 | $30 - $50 | Free |
Money Back Guarantee | Sometimes | n/a | ||
Number of Instructors | 92 | 1 – 3 | 1 | Zillions |
Interaction with Instructors | Daily Webcam Sessions | Weekly | ||
Professional Instructors | Luck of the Draw | Luck of the Draw | ||
New Lessons | Daily | Weekly | Minutely | |
Structured Lessons | ||||
Learn Any Style | Sorta | |||
Track Progress | ||||
HD Video | - | Sometimes | ||
Multiple Camera Angles | Sometimes | - | Sometimes | |
Accurate Tabs | Maybe | Maybe | ||
Scale/Chord Libraries | ||||
Custom JamTracks | ||||
Interactive Games | ||||
Community | ||||
Learn in Sweatpants | Socially Unacceptable | |||
Gasoline Needed | $0.00 | $0.00 | ~$4 / gallon! | $0.00 |
Mike H.
"I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar!"
I am 66 years young and I still got it! I would have never known this if it had not been for Jamplay! I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar! Ha! I cannot express enough how great you're website is! It is for beginners and advanced pickers! I am an advanced picker and thought I had lost it but thanks to you all, I found it again! Even though I only play by ear, I have been a member a whopping whole two weeks now and have already got Brent's country shuffle and country blues down and of course with embellishments. Thank you all for your wonderful program!
Greg J.
"With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace"
I'm a fifty eight year old newbie who owns a guitar which has been sitting untouched in a corner for about seven years now. Last weekend I got inspired to pick it up and finally learn how to play after watching an amazing Spanish guitarist on TV. So, here I am. I'm starting at the beginning with Steve Eulberg and I couldn't be happier (except for the sore fingers :) Some day I'm going to play like Steve! I'm self employed with a hectic schedule. With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace, rewinding and replaying the videos until I get it. This is a very enjoyable diversion from my work yet I still feel like I'm accomplishing something worthwhile. Thanks a lot, Greg
Bill
"I believe this is the absolute best site for guitar students."
I am commenting here to tell you and everyone at JamPlay that I believe this is the absolute best site for guitar students. I truly enjoy learning to play the guitar on JamPlay.com. Yes, I said the words, ""enjoy learning."" It is by far the best deal for the money.
Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.Thanks, Hawkeye, these lessons are fantastic. I've been playing classical and decided I want to learn finger style blues, but I'm starting with your lessons because it looked like they would give a good foundation in the blues. I also think this will be helpful to me when I go back to classical. One of my challenges was always playing pieces beyond the third position because I had such a difficult time memorizing where the various notes were. I always thought, you know, if only I could figure out a pattern it would be a lot easier. And now, here I have a pattern that will help me to become more fluent on the finger board. Many thanks for all the time you put into this!
This is fabulous, thank you. What you have enabled me to do over the last few months is to pick up the guitar and not feel as though I am floundering, stuck or intimidated by it, but I can use it and enjoy it. Opening up the fretboard has been a sticking point for a long long time and now I have finally overcome that barrier. Thank you so much.
well, maybe the last lesson 77 was the most important one so far...but Hawkeye this lesson 78 to me was the best!! Thanks so much for this lesson..
I'm glad you're continuing to find useful information in my lessons. To me, each and every lesson is important. That's why they are presented in this lesson series.. I've given considerable thought and planning as to the order and content of each and every lesson. Thanks for enjoying them all.
It's taking be a long time but doing them in order....thanks again for your great lessons...and when you are in Thailand I will let you ride my bamboo bike and trailer.:))
Time is not an element of consideration when it comes to learning an art form. There is no rush ... there is no 'race' and there is no 'finish line.' It's a long and winding road that has no end. The joy is in the journey ... there is no 'end of the line' ... enjoy the journey from one day to the next. Time is a creation of humankind that is not a consideration when it comes to the learning and practicing process ... when 'time' is placed into the learning process equation it creates STRESS. Be patient with yourself and I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons. I hope to ride your bamboo bicycle ... someday. Thanks for the invitation. ;-)
Hi Hawkeye , great lesson ! I understood it very well , as I know my notes across the neck (but that note guessing game on JamPlay gets me all the time !) & I know all 5 boxes of the Pentatonic scale & when I practice my scales I'm always looking for patterns that er repeated - kind of like a game. So I understood what you showed in this lesson , it was good to see it laid out in such an understandable & easy to follow manner - which unfortunately many instructors don't do.
Thanks for the kind comments about these lessons, DD. Very much appreciated. Don't forget about the free guitar lessons at my web site: http://hawkeyeherman.com/guitar-lessons.htm ... and in particular, learn how to 'hook up' all five 'boxes' of the blues scale by studying this "Spanning the neck using the blues scale in A": http://hawkeyeherman.com/pdf/lessons/Spanningtheneck-A.pdf ... and please do view some of my music videos so that you can see how I use the techniques I teach here at JamPlay.com when I'm performing in concerts and at festivals: http://www.youtube.com/user/HawkeyeH ... try to play along with me and 'lift' ('steal') my licks/riffs/ideas. Again, thanks for your positive comments and for enjoying these lessons.
Hawkeye, I think this is one of the best lesson so far,but I have been Guilty of jumping around .Soi my advice is to start with your first lesson and get that founadation to start with. I have in the last month Started literally from the begining and,although I can't play ach one as good as you, I cvertainly know the procedure for Pracrtice.This #78 lesson really starts to bring it home. Your the Best when it come to Blues Instruction and Playing.
Thanks so much for the kind comments, DD. Much appreciated. I'm glad that you are aware that I've given a lot of thought and planning as to the order content of these lessons ... and that they are meant to be taken incrementally, in the order presented, progressing from one lesson to the next at one's own learning speed. Skipping around/;cherry picking' within my lessons series will afford one a lot of information, but will not provide a strong understanding and foundation in the blues. My goal is to give each student a strong foundation/understanding of the blues that will allow them to play blues guitar freely/creatively/improvise, with feeling, and grow their skills on the instrument forever. You will find a 'graphic/chart' on this lesson "SPanning the neck" at my web site, here: http://hawkeyeherman.com/pdf/lessons/Spanningtheneck-A.pdf ... Thanks again for your kind comments and for enjoying these lessons ... 'the second time around.' ;-)
Hawkeye this lesson was huge for me. I may have gotten a peek behind the Green Door.
Hawkeye this lesson was huge for me. I may have gotten a peek behind the Green Door.
wow..thanks hawk! the last two lessons were great.. youve been holding out. haaa.
Hi, Rob. Glad you're enjoying my lessons. I don't know how to 'hold out' ... these lessons are pre-recorded and it's up to JamPlay.com admin. to post them as they see fit ... all of these lessons have been pre-recorded, usually over three long days at a time, at least three three-day sessions in the past three years. I have not control over when each incremental lesson is posted. There are free lessons at my web site: http://hawkeyeherman.com/guitar-lessons.htm ... including information about 'spanning the neck': http://hawkeyeherman.com/pdf/lessons/Spanningtheneck-A.pdf ... be sure to watch my videos here: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=HawkeyeH ... by watching the videos you'll see how I use the blues guitar techniques I teach here at JamPlay.com when I'm performing in concert and at festivals ... try to play along with me and even steal my licks/riffs/ideas. Thanks again for the message ... I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons. Cheers and Best, Hawkeye
i didn't mean it that way. i was just saying that 'holding out' by the fact that the last two lessons were like getting the big secret. its perfect where its placed. i wouldn't have been able to do it had it been introduced earlier. keith richards once said that one shouldn't even pick up an electric guitar untill they master the acoustic. i think i get what he was saying. one can't cheat on the acoustic! ha.. thanks again. you are a fantastic teacher. i'm now addicted to the blues.
I understand what you mean, Rob. I've given a lot of thought and planning as to the content and order of these lessons ... that's why I want people to follow them in the order they are presents, and progress at one's own speed from one lesson to the next. Skipping lessons/'cherry picking' will allow one to learn .... but not provide the strong foundation and understanding of blues music that patiently following the lessons in the order they are presented will provide. I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons and practicing/playing blues music ... forever! ;-)
Great lesson, Both lesson 77 and lesson 78 have created an "Aha" moment. One question, Can you move this method up 3 frets to create the major pentatonic scale like we can do with the 0-3, 0-2, 0-2 0-2, 0-3, 0-3 version of the minor pentatonic scale.
Thanks for letting me know that these lessons are opening the 'doors of perception'/'aha' moments for you. EVERYTHING is movable on the guitar ... in this case, that would be 'down' three frets' ... not up three frets. Give it a try ... don't be afraid to experiment and find out ... ;-) ... you won't get injured in the process. Thanks so much for enjoying these lessons and 'traveling' with me on the 'blues highway' here at JamPlay.com. I hope you continue to enjoy these lessons.
Hawkeye, yet another genius session, i'm beginning to think i'm a stalker as i cannot help myself tell you lesson after lesson what a inspirational teacher you really are. Just cos someone has the in-depth knowledge on a certain subject as in playing blues or learning any trade doesn't mean the necessarily can teach, and boy you truly, truly are a living legend in acoustic blues the way it should be played and how it should be taught!!!
You are too kind. I just love what I get to do, and that's always in my mind first and foremost ... and then comes my natural enthusiasm for sharing everything I can about blues music with others, while I'm still eagerly and always learning more, as well. My teaching skills are not learned, for the most part, they are the result of a great deal of experience trying to communicate musical concepts to others over the years, and via trial and error, eventually figuring out what and how to present the information in a manner that allows almost everyone to 'get it' on the first time around. If some don't 'get it' I've got alternative ways of explaining the same concept/idea/technique. In other words, as a teacher/guitar instructor, I'm not happy unless EVERYBODY 'gets it.' I'm willing to go slow and repeat concepts in multiple ways because I don't want anyone to miss out on the fun of playing blues guitar. I'm no genius. ... I just love what I do and am very gratified to be able to share it with others. Thanks so much.
hawkeye, not only are you a great teacher and blues player, but reading your comments and your attitude towards everything shows that you're also a compassionate person.
Gerald, Thanks so much for your kind comments and for enjoying these lessons. I love what I do, I've been blessed to have been able to work exclusively at playing the guitar as a life's work since 1975, and I love to teach and encourage others. I'll be filming more lessons next week ... so you'll be seeing many more of my lessons, beyond this one in the weeks ahead. I hope you continue to enjoy traveling the 'blues highway' with me. Thanks again!
Thank you Hawkeye, I have really enjoyed the lessons your a great teacher. wondering if anymore are coming.
Dom, Thanks so much. There might be more lessons in this series yet to be posted by jamplay.com ... not sure ... and even so ... I'll be filming more lessons for jamolay.com in late October ... so there will be many more lessons ahead. Thanks for asking ... and for enjoying these lessons. I hope you continue to enjoy the blues and the continuing lessons that will be posted here in the future.
so, lets say we want to play this in key of E, we find ANY 'E' on the neck and deploy the same STRUCTURE ? (visually speaking) cause there are bunch of lets say E's lets say in between frets 12 and 21 and surrounded by strings 2 to 6 . . . ??
kasra. Yes. That's why it's called 'spanning the neck :-) ... by finding the key note you want to play in, and using the visual pattern, you can play up/down/across the entire neck of the guitar in any key. Have fun.
Here's a 'graphic' that helps to cover the concepts in this lesson: www.hawkeyeherman.com/pdf/lessons/blues-box-system-F.pdf It's a bit different than what I'm showing you in this lesson ... but the ideas are the same and this might be helpful to some of you. Have fun!
I can only echo aquiguillermo. Clear as crstal. I have seen this pattern before in books but not in a way that engaged my interest and my understanding. The example of the question and answer on different octaves in a useful memory aid and also a good example to get us thinking about the practical applications - ie it isn't only a pattern of notes to be learned. Thanks Hawkeye. My weekend has had purpose with lessons 77 and 78.
No kidding vikingblues. Thanks Hawkeye for your sincere and inspiring comments and suggestions.
Thanks so much. the information in these last few lessons will feed your creative needs for years to come. Practice the 'pattern' and play licks in a 'call and response' way all over the neck ... and do this in EVERY KEY ... and you'll eventually have a good handle on what to do/where to go when playing a blues solo/fill/rhythm. If you do as I suggest, in a short time you'll be able to listen to all your favorite blues players and pretty much be able to figure out what they're doing ... within this pattern, usually ... when you hear something you think is 'new' to your ear ... and look for it on the guitar, you'll generally find that the player jumped from one note in this pattern/scale to another note in the scale in a place where you usually/habitually do something else that is closer to the the way the notes generally fall in the pattern. So, for me, this is like an endlessly amusing game, like a Rubix cube, with variations upon variations to be found ... by the player. Think of this scale/pattern like you'd think of building a vocabulary in language ... we all have access to the same words/vocabulary ... we learn 'new' words from others and reading and the media as we go through life and our vocabulary is ever expanding ... how much of our vocabulary we choose to use at any given time in order to be understood is up to us ... the choice of our words, the order in which they are used, the volume at which they are spoken, and the rhythm that is attached to them ... can happen as a conscious effort ... or a spontaneous response ... either way, we can be choose to be even more 'artful' unique in those choices ... if we're familiar basic 'tools' that most everyone is using. So it is with blues (blues/rock/jazz/bluegrass/etc.). What's in these recent lessons are the 'tools.' Get to know them, and they'll serve you forever. Have a great
Couldn´t be made simpler. Cristal clear. Up and walking faster. Thank you. Billy Huft
Billy, Thanks. Much appreciated. Practice 'spanning the nieck in every key, as you'll be using these skills for the rest of your blues guitar playing life. Don't forget to view the Hawkeye videos at yourtube.com to see how I use the information I share with your here when I'm performing: www.youtube.com/profile?user=HawkeyeH&view=videos Thanks again.
100% Hawkeye. Love your teachings.
steve, Thanks so much. Very much appreciated.
Thanks Hawkeye,for a really good lesson.
clifford, Thanks for the kind comments. I hope you follow the entire lesson curriculum and build a strong foundation in the blues.
Thanks Hawkeye, its great to see another teacher who really cares about us learners... JamPlay seems to have many of these types of instructor, which makes this site the best guitar learning site out there. I have got a month-long intensive teaching course coming up, but with any luck I can squeeze at least an hour of guitar practice in on a daily basis.
This is a cool lesson Hawkeye, thanks... gonna start your tutorials from start to finish and hit the blues. Been loving Mary Flower's fingerstyle tutorials, and this has got me hearing the blues in a different way than before. Really loved this lesson, thanks. Stu
skaterstu, Thanks for the kind comments. Good to have you traveling on the 'blues highway' with me. I hope you'll follow the lessons in the order present ... so there will be no hole/gaps in your 'blues foundation' ... and you'll playing/creating freely sooner than you might think. Enjoy the process and take your time. If you love the blues, this is a life's work, and journey is a happy one. Thanks for being here.