Guitar Lessons - Blind Blake - King Of Ragtime Blues Guitar
What you'll learn
- By the end of the course you will be able to play typical Blake songs in the keys of C, G and open D
- You will learn to play Come On Boys by Blind Blake
- You will learn to play Too Tight Blues by Blind Blake
- You will learn to play West Coast Blues by Blind Blake
- You will learn to play Southern Rag by Blind Blake
- You will learn to play Down the Country by Blind Blake
- You will learn to play Police Dog Blues by Blind Blake
- You will learn to play Tootie Blues by Blind Blake
- You will learn to play That'll Never Happen No More by Blind Blake
- You will learn to play Early Mornin Blues by Blind Blake
Requirements
- You should be a seasoned finger picker to an advanced level, with excellent thumb control
- Acoustic guitar
Description
Blind Blake was a complete master of ragtime blues guitar - so how do we define that?
First of all, his performances had a joyful quality typical of the ragtime piano feel of the likes of Scott Joplin which the style emulated. Secondly, Blake introduced some techniques that gave the music a syncopation that almost defies belief. Although his playing inspired many artists since his passing, very few can capture the feel of his picking patterns. He picked with his bare thumb and probably two fingers. A great many legendary blues men used just one finger for picking acoustic blues, but the triplets you can hear in much of Blake's music makes this just about impossible. His fingers were indeed fast and very, very accurate.
He would vary his techniques within a song to make it more interesting and exciting, singing along with an alternating bass picking pattern and regularly throwing in fast single string runs picked with his thumb and forefinger. He could also reverse his bass picking pattern seemingly at will, also changing from a two string pattern to a three string variation. He might double up on the timing in the middle of a song and then seamlessly return without missing a beat (for example, Tootie Blues). When he combined all of these techniques in one song, it was formidable.
Blake's most famous technique is also the one most difficult to copy. He would slip or roll his thumb from one bass string to another, so instead of hearing one bass note per beat, we hear two! Your thumb needs to be super disciplined to do this correctly, as your fingers will be picking the treble strings at the same time! Now it's time to sing as well - wow, this is great fun! Good Luck.
Jim Bruce was voted N°2 Internet Guitar Instructor by Truefire in 2013.
Who this course is for:
- Blues guitar enthusiasts with experience who want to learn more about the ragtime blues finger pickling techniques of Blind Blake
Instructor
- 4.4 Instructor Rating
- 516 Reviews
- 24,761 Students
- 11 Courses
Fingerstyle Acoustic Blues Guitar Lessons In The Old Style
Acoustic blues guitar teacher Jim Bruce was voted Number 2 top guitar instructor on Truefire in 2013 (Number 1 for acoustic blues lessons). Jim still plays blues guitar on the street in Europe and also gives concerts - plus teaching old style finger picking wherever he goes!
Now online students can benefit from over 40 years of real experience playing blues guitar in the authentic way. If you want to play real blues guitar just like the old blues men, then is where you come to find out how. Keep it real with Jim Bruce and play blues guitar like it was originally played using these state-of-the-art acoustic guitar lessons.
A word from Jim - " My playing career goes way back, to the folk clubs on the UK in the sixties, clubs pubs and bars in six countries, and on the city streets of Europe. This is how I learned my trade.
One day someone asked me to slow down a lick to show them exactly what I was doing with my hands. As I tried to do this, I found that I was doing much, much more than I realized. It was these tiny hand movements that make acoustic blues so exciting when it's performed properly. This is the main focus of my lessons - to show students exactly how to play blues guitar in great detail. "
Peace, Jim Bruce
Jim's blues guitar lessons online on Udemy follow a well proven and award-winning formula guaranteed to have you playing the blues in the shortest time possible. Learn blues guitar with a pro and sign up now!