Playing in the Key of A (Guitar Lesson)
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Playing in the Key of A
In this lesson, Mary plays in the key of A major in drop D tuning.
Taught by Mary Flower in Fingerstyle Blues seriesLength: 8:36Difficulty: 2.0 of 5
Video Subtitles / Captions
Supplemental Learning Material
Fingerstyle Blues
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
Series Introduction
In this lesson, Mary Flower introduces herself and her playing style. She also discusses essential blues listening.
Length: 11:14 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Blues in Drop D
In this lesson, Mary Flower talks about playing the blues in drop D tuning. She teaches two amazing song examples to get you started.
Length: 21:50 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Playing in the Key of A
In this lesson, Mary plays in the key of A major in drop D tuning.
Length: 8:36 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Eight Bar Blues
In this lesson, Mary Flower talks about the eight bar blues. She demonstrates it in a couple different keys.
Length: 14:29 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
8 Bar Blues Progressions
Mary Flower shows several songs that demonstrate the 8 bar blues.
Length: 11:40 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
How Long and Statesboro Blues
Mary Flower demonstrates two classic songs that feature an 8 bar blues structure. The songs are "How Long" and "Statesboro Blues."
Length: 14:36 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Sounding Like a Piano
Mary Flower discusses various blues guitar techniques that can give your guitar a wonderful piano sound.
Length: 13:41 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Twelve Bar Blues
Mary uses the songs "CC Rider" and "When I Lost My Baby" as examples in her discussion of the 12 bar blues.
Length: 16:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Blues Duet
In this lesson, you will learn a blues duet that you can play with someone else. Or, you can record yourself playing one part and play the second part over it.
Length: 16:53 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Blues in the Key of E
Mary is back with another lesson filled with tips on playing the blues in the key of E.
Length: 6:07 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Midnight Hour Blues
Mary talks about the song "Midnight Hour Blues" and gives some great tips on how to play this beautiful tune.
Length: 9:36 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Movable Chord in the Key of E
Mary Flower dives into more blues in the key of E by teaching a movable chord.
Length: 4:30 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Arranging Songs
Mary talks a little bit about arranging songs and uses the song "John Henry" as an example.
Length: 9:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Spike Driver Blues
Mary teaches and discusses the history behind Mississippi John Hurt's song "Spike Driver Blues."
Length: 15:47 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Diminished Chords
Mary talks about diminished chords and looks at various different shapes. You will learn the song "Walking Across the Country" as an example.
Length: 16:35 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Buck Rag
Mary teaches the classic song "Rag Time" by Rev. Gary Davis in this fun Blues lesson.
Length: 23:16 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Mississippi Blues
Mary teaches a song called "Mississippi Blues" by Willie Brown.
Length: 32:03 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Saturday Night Rub
Mary Flower teaches the fun and catchy song "Saturday Night Rub" by Big Bill Broonzy.
Length: 25:52 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 19
Key of F
Mary talks about the key of F in this fantastic lesson.
Length: 8:20 Difficulty: 3.0 FREE
South Carolina Rag
Mary teaches the song "South Carolina Rag" by Willie Walker.
Length: 12:35 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Open D Tuning
Mary Flower talks about the advantages of open D tuning.
Length: 12:44 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Boogie Woogie Dance
Mary Flower shares her interpretation of a classic blues slide tune called "Boogie Woogie Dance."
Length: 16:44 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Alabama Bound
Mary Flower shares some thoughts on the bass notes found within the song "Alabama Bound" in this lesson.
Length: 6:31 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Blues in A
Mary Flower talks about improvising a blues in A.
Length: 13:05 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Sugar Babe
Mary Flower teaches her rendition of "Sugar Babe," a Mance Lipscomb tune.
Length: 9:49 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Michigan Water
Mary Flower teaches her rendition of "Michigan Water," a Jelly Roll Morton tune.
Length: 13:18 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Bye Bye Baby Blues
Mary Flower teaches her rendition of "Bye Bye Baby Blues" by Little Hat Jones.
Length: 12:47 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Mary Flower shares her rendition of the spiritual song "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" in this lesson.
Length: 10:33 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
River of Joy
Mary Flower shares an original song called "River of Joy."
Length: 16:43 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Open D Tuning Song Exercise
Mary Flower shares a song played in open D tuning that features alternating bass and syncopation.
Length: 12:34 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
M & O Blues
Mary Flower teaches her rendition of "M & O Blues," a Willie Brown song.
Length: 15:44 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Colored Aristocracy
Mary Flower teaches her rendition of the song "Colored Aristocracy."
Length: 13:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Turkey in the Straw
Mary Flower shares her modern rendition of "Turkey in the Straw."
Length: 10:24 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Trouble in Mind
Mary Flower shares her rendition of the catchy blues tune "Trouble in Mind."
Length: 8:22 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Crow Jane
Mary Flower demonstrates Carl Martin's arrangement of the song "Crow Jane."
Length: 15:52 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie
Mary Flower teaches her rendition of the song "Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie" by Elizabeth Cotten.
Length: 11:02 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
About Mary Flower
View Full Biography
Working in both the intricately syncopated Piedmont fingerpicking style and her own deeply bluesy lap-slide guitar, Mary has earned rave reviews from critics and audiences alike for her springwater-clear vocals and mastery of multiple guitar styles as well as her own compositions. Though she can create prewar blues and ragtime with the best of them, Mary draws on traditional, contemporary and original material to create something new: a sound uniquely her own that remains true to the timeless power of the blues.
Flower's elegant, funky and inventive playing on vintage guitars makes her one of a mere handful of women guitarists admired for their instrumental prowess. In 2000 and 2003 respectively, Mary placed in the top three at the National Fingerpicking Championship. Her career as an internationally known performer and teacher has spanned more than three
decades.
A recent transplant to the Northwest, Mary cut her teeth on the Colorado music scene where she played with the likes of Katy Moffatt, Pat Donohue, the Mother Folkers and more. Mary took a detour in the 80s to raise a family, all the time woodshedding and performing locally.
Mary's CD Bywater Dance, recorded pre-Katrina in New Orleans for Yellow Dog Records, has garnered widespread acclaim. An award-winning player with seven solo cds and 5 instructional DVDs to her credit, Flower is in demand for festivals, concerts and guitar workshops on both sides of the Atlantic.
"Unassuming blues heroine Mary Flower proves one again that she's one of
the nation's premier fingerstyle blues guitarists-- her technique is exceptional
throughout, and in the end, serves the highest purpose, the music--unfailingly
sweet, hot and sassy--every track on this album has something about it that will
give you the shivers... This is one of the most satisfying albums of the year."
- All Music Guide to Blues
"Her crisp, fluid fingerpicking sounds deceptively effortless, with flawlessly executed syncopation, the hallmark of a bouncing, upbeat Piedmont style. From casual listeners to devoted blues fans, Flower's music is accessible to everyone"
- Blues Review
"With her immaculate guitar playing and warm contralto, Mary Flower finds the
sweet spot between modern and rootsy in twelve tunes bred of back porches,
parlors, street corners, juke joints and country churches...one of the best blues based
singer songwriters working today."
- Acoustic Guitar Magazine
"Mary is one of those rare artists who manages to create a tincture of the aged
authentic with the freshly original."
- Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine
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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 agree with a few others here, I would love to see this broken down and explained better as I love this music but as it's new to me to try and play it I need explaining better. Thanks.
Mary, please take some time and break down that intro for us. The intro is very important. Or is the intro perhaps somewhere else in your lessons?
Print option does not work on supplementary content
I have a question about the first part of Hard DAy Blues. Mary says she is going to start on the 5 chord and does a few notes and a chord which she does not break down and explain. It's the very beginning part of the tune, and its not in the tab. Does anyone know enough about what she is doing at the very beggining to be able to break it down and explain it step by step??
Enter your comment here.
Great song...does anyone know if Mary details the intro she uses in the play through somewhere?
mary is a great teacher. i have been a strummer for most of my life so i m goin try hard at finger picking.just awsome.love the blues.
Another great lesson!
What type of fingerpicks (brass) is she using?
I think they're Dunlop Propics. I've never used fingerpicks before. I like using them except that they numb my fingers a little. I'm going to grow my nails again and play that way. I have pretty strong nails, we'll see how it sounds as I move forward with this.
Great lessons!!! Keep them coming.
More Mary, Great! I am addicted to Mazza's lessons!
enjoying your lesson sets very much. Even experimented by raising that 2 string up to a C from B. I can still get that slight bend by reaching up over the top of the nut and it makes that looong D with the F# way easier.(only needs two fingers now) I've struggled a bit with the main A riff. I think it's because of the syncopation but i'll get it.
I'm working on that really nice-sounding but wide D7 chord everytime I practice Hard Day with my small left hand, but I admit I go through the song at least once using a different D7 fingering that doesn't sound completely awful so thought I would share in case others are struggling w/it, too: 6th and 1st strings are open, first finger/2nd string/third fret . . . second finger/4th string/4th fret...third finger/5th string/5th fret....pinky/3rd string/5th fret. It's a C7 shape moved up a whole step, basically. There are three D notes are in it AND Mary's favorite F#. ;)
I really like your style and your lessons come just at the right moment for me. I hope there are gonna be lots more!
I can see that all supplemental material is written in Guitar Pro. Is there any chance to get the .gp5 file... I ´d love to practice reading and timing that way. THANKS!
Don't know if the Lesson 1 Exercise is malfunctioning or just not up yet? Exercise 2 opens up fine. I am thrilled that Mary's sharing her knowledge and blues style here. For me, it feels like Christmas has come early. ;D
Just updated the supplemental, mainly, page 1. Should be working now.
Wow, Mary is an awsome guitarist... I am falling in love!! Just watched the tutorial in its entirety and I love it, especially the solo-style blues she plays. Is Mary gonna be a permanent member of JamPlay churning out these lessons regularly? This style is really really cool, and I cannot wait to be playing this.
I've avoided alternate tunings until I get regular tuning down. But this sounds so awesome I'll have to now take that side trip and see where it goes. Jumbling chords about-- must be a joke or two about that.