This course takes you into the vibrant world of Blind Blake's acoustic blues guitar, showcasing his remarkable techniques and joyful style. You'll learn to play iconic songs while discovering the magic behind his unique picking methods.
The guitar of Blind Blake is perhaps the pinnacle of acoustic blues guitar technique. This course explores his style.
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.
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
7 Lectures
2 Lectures
1 Lectures
Fingerstyle Acoustic Blues Guitar Lessons In The Old StyleAcoustic 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...
The teacher goes above and beyond. And yes this course is amazing I'm learning lots of new stuff thanks Jim. :)
Jim's first lesson was phenomenal. I look forward to the next section! Gotta boot that thing!
A nicely paced course with clear explanations.
I’m not sure yet
Excellent learning tool. The visuals are fantastic.
Perfect, I wanted to learn Blind Blake, specifically.
Yeah really loving the course, Jim Bruce is a fantastic
teacher
I love the way Jim breaks it all down into sections and gives just enough about his own musicianship to let you experiment.
He explains well and breaks it into manageable bites
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Arif M.
This is the best fingerstyle content I have come across for intermediate to advanced guitarists interested in authentic country blues guitar. I am very happy with my purchase. Thank you very much for delivering this quality lesson collection!