Topic: Country Blues Musicianship taught by John Miller

[SGGW]

Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop Presents:

[float=left][/float] Country Blues Musicianship
taught by John Miller

Beginning to build a repertoire of songs that you can play comfortably is the first important step in getting started in the Country Blues. But once you've got that repertoire-building process started, it can be enormously helpful to become acquainted with the Blues in a more general, less song-specific way, learning the various stylistic pathways that enable experienced blues players who have never met or played together before to sit down and make music together. When you see that happen, it seems like magic, but it's really just a matter of their knowing and understanding the language of the blues.

In this 2-DVD lesson, master musician and teacher John Miller provides you with a thorough background in the musical language of the Blues, providing you with the tools that, with work and practice, will enable you to be a more complete musician - one who is able to:

    ? recognize the form and know the progression after playing through it once or twice;
    ? join in at jam sessions;
    ? provide chordal accompaniment and "play time", and
    ? know where to play fills without clashing with the vocal

On Disc 1, John starts out explaining the I, IV and V chords and shows how they provide the chordal basis for the blues. Then he goes on to explain and demonstrate the various blues forms most commonly encountered in the Country Blues, 12-bar blues, 8-bar blues, 16-bar blues, and 18-bar ragtime blues. As he works through these different forms, John demonstrates how the phrasing in each of these blues types is directed by the vocal, and how the accompanying instrument responds to it. This information is delivered in clear detail, not skimmed over, so that you'll recognize the different blues forms when you hear them in the future. Disc 1 finishes up with performance footage of Blues greats Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, John Jackson, Pink Anderson, Dave Van Ronk and Libba Cotten playing songs in the various blues forms.

On Disc 2, John addresses other issues involved in being a more confident and complete musician: Rhythm and timing, playing rhythm guitar, using a capo to create musical space when playing with other guitarists, turn-arounds and how they work, how to move ideas from one key to another on the guitar, and how to create an arrangement of your own.

The PDF files which can be found on each of the discs of Country Blues Musicianship expand on John's instruction on the video and include tips that will help you understand and master the concepts that are being discussed in the lesson. Let Country Blues Musicianship help you get to the place where you can join in at jams, know where a song is going next and recognize and understand new songs with calmness.

226 minutes ? Level 2 ? Detailed tab/music PDF booklet on the DVD

http://www.guitarvideos.com/products/guitar-workshop-instructional-dvds/country-blues-musicianship

[mutantmoose]

Wow - this looks fantastic - I think I have to get through some of the other discs first.

[Blues Vintage]

What song is being played during the opening credits? Is there a tab for it?

[Johnm]

Hi Harry,
I can't remember what tune I played in the opening credits.  It may have been Shirley Griffith's version of "Saturday Blues".  Whatever it was, there is no TAB for it, but since you can see me playing it you don't need TAB, right?
All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Thanks John. Yes it's "Saturday Blues". I wasn't sure but I thought I recognized the melody from that Larry Johnson/John Hammond Jr. album. Re-recorded as "Saturday Evening Blues".



I didn't know it was an Ishmon Bracey song (which is a shame). Found out that H.C. Speir changed the title to "Saturday Blues" from Bracey's "Shaggy Hound" (Ted Gioia - Delta Blues).
Saw an outstanding version on YouTube by Prof. Scratchy.

I know I don't really need the tab but I found one on the excellent country blues resource, 52 weeks of blues.
http://www.52weeksofblues.com/?song=saturday-blues

[Johnm]

Hi Harry,
Yes, the Internet is great source for free instruction--as long as your only concern is that it is free.
All best,
Johnm

[frankie]

oboy.

that site is certainly free! yup.

[Zoharbareket]

cool site that 52 weeks!

anyone know who is behind it?

the country blues musicianship DVD is great, I learned a lot from it!

[ArthurBlake]

I can vouch that it is a good video but I was left wanting more, a bit more advanced stuff but as I also teach it is very handy as a source, as usual John takes his time and explains it all nicely. I did however have a full grasp of what is there and I think I might end up giving this to my student who deserves it as he never stops practicing, in just 8 weeks he has gone from not being able to fingerpick at all to having good control over the alternating bass and a few songs from Mississippi John Hurt and Frank Stokes. This video lesson would be of great benefit to him I think. I have always been a huge fan of SGGW lesson videos, some I bought not ever thinking I ever had a hope of learning even one song from, I just bought them just to see guys like John and Ari Eisnger plaing and teaching songs I never thought anyone could ever hope to play..... to buying videos I knew I was ready for. Having said that I have learned to play most songs from ever the highest level stuff.... took time but I would pick up parts and eventually learned to play them fluently.... then over time as I takled other tunes I went did the worst thing... forgotten how most of the tunes went... but I can always go back and pick them up. Anyway without turning this into an epic I want to say that to those of you with just a beginner to a mid intermediate level this video is an absolute beuaty as a textbook and country blues guitar music has never been explained better.