Series Introduction (Guitar Lesson)

Chapter 1: (02:15) Musical Demonstration Welcome to the new Phase 2 Fingerstyle Blues Series with Mary Flower! Sit back and enjoy an introductory performance from Mary. This performance will give you a brief glimpse at some of the techniques that shall be discussed in this series. Chapter 2: (05:56) Series Introduction Note: A detailed biography about Mary and her career will soon be available in the "Instructors and Staff" section of JamPlay. This section can be accessed through a button on the left hand side of the homepage.

Links

Mary Flower Official Site

Yellow Dog Records Official Site

Mary's three most recent albums were released on this Memphis label.

Yellow Dog Records On MySpace

Homespun Records

Mary has recorded eight albums and five instructional DVDs, two of which are on the Homespun label.

Mary's Style

Mary is most often lumped in with blues players. However, she plays a wide variety of styles. She is a very proficient fingerstyle player. Mary utilizes many of the techniques that you will see in Jim Deeming's Phase 2 fingerstyle series.

Piedmont Style aka East Coast Blues

The Piedmont blues style, also known as East Coast blues, is characterized by a fingerstyle approach to playing. The thumb typically performs an alternating bass line while a syncopated chordal figure or melody line is played on the treble strings. This guitar style is reminiscent of ragtime and stride piano arrangements. A few other blues styles such as the Delta blues style often utilize a fingerstyle approach. However, the Piedmont style is separated from Delta blues due to its ragtime influences.

Many elements of the Piedmont style are also borrowed from the "frailing" or "clawhammer" style. Modern musicians also refer to this style as the "Carter Family" style. Other stylistic elements are borrowed from banjo players and string band music.

Note: For more information about the clawhammer style, please visit lesson 11 of Jim Deeming's Phase 2 Fingerstyle Guitar Series.

Heyday

The heyday of the Piedmont style began around the mid 1920's and lasted to around the mid 1940's. During this time, the style dominated the local music scene. In 1940, Blind Boy Fuller's "Step It Up & Go" sold roughly 600,000 copies. After World War II, the Piedmont style began to lose commercial popularity as more modern styles of blues, and rock and roll began to develop. Musicians such as Josh White, Reverend Gary Davis, Brownie McGhee, and Sonny Terry worked to keep the Piedmont style alive throughout this period. Throughout the 50's and early 60's, Piedmont blues started gaining popularity among American folk music circles. During this time, the style shifted from a mainly dance based style enjoyed by African Americans to festival music enjoyed by mainly white audiences. Artists like Cephas & Wiggins, John Jackson, "Peg Leg Sam," Turner & Marvin Foddrell, and Henry Johnson frequently performed at these festivals. Today, players such as Mary Flower, Roy Book Binder, Doug McLeod, Jorma Kaukonen, and Paul Geremia have studied the techniques of the original Piedmont masters and help keep this American musical tradition alive and strong.

Essential Listening

Regardless of which style of music you want to play, listening is just as important as practicing your instrument.

Piedmont Style Musicians

Pink Anderson
Etta Baker
Charlie Parr
Blind Blake
Bull City Red aka Oh Red
Cephas & Wiggins ("Bowling Green" John Cephas and Phil Wiggins)
Elizabeth Cotten
Floyd Council
Reverend Gary Davis
Blind Boy Fuller
"Barbecue Bob" Hicks
George Higgs
Peg Leg Howell
John Jackson
Brownie McGhee
Blind Willie McTell
Cootie Stark
Sonny Terry
Blind Willie Walker
Curley Weaver
Josh White
Buddy Moss
Willie Trice
Henry Johnson
Tarheel Slim
Luke Jordan
William Moore
Roy Dunn
Pernell Charity
Marvin Fodrell
Guitar Gabriel
Frank Hovington/Guitar Frank
Roy Book Binder
Doug McLeod
Paul Geremia
"Laughing Charley Lincoln" aka Charlie Hicks
Happy & Artie Traum
Leo Kottke
Charles Henry "Baby" Tate
Julius Daniel(s)
Gabriel Brown
Cecil Barfield aka William Robertson
Sonny/Sunny Jones
"Peg Leg Sam" aka Arthur Jackson
Earnest Scott
Elester Anderson
James Putmon
Roosevelt May
Guitar Nubbit
Michael Roach
Keb Mo
Guy Davis
Reverend Peyton
Mary Flower
Steve James
Pat Donohue
Woody Mann

Additional Record Labels to Check Out

JSP Records - England

This company offers box sets from classic musicians such as the Carter Family, Lonnie Johnson, Django Reinhardt, Blind Blake, Bessie Smith, Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller, Louie Armstrong, Louis Jordon, Joe Hill Louis, Roscoe Gordon, and many more.

Proper

Proper is a similar company that features music from classic artists such as Sara Vaughn, Dizzie Gillespie, etc. Proper also offers music from modern artists such as Richard Thompson and Joan Baez.

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Member Comments about this Lesson

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