Topic: John Miller Website

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I realized that I did not make clear in my announcement of the Zoom session that I've scheduled for next Saturday, "Expanding Your Blues Vocabulary", that the session will be very "hands-on", and will involve the participants in playing their guitars, trying out new ideas and moving chord shapes and licks around. I believe that the quickest way to incorporate new concepts and sounds into your playing is to get your hands using those concepts and making those sounds. The hands on the guitar bring the ideas to life. So if you sign up for the session, have your guitar ready to go, in standard tuning.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi,
I wanted to let you know that I am offering the second in a series of Zoom groups classes, “Expanding Your Blues Vocabulary”, and the class will be given this coming Saturday, May 6, at 10:00 AM PDT.

This session will focus on turn-arounds, the phrases that conclude so many blues progressions, and that send you back to the beginning of the form. Almost everyone who has played blues for even a little while knows how to play at least a couple of turn-arounds in different keys or playing positions. In the class, we’ll be looking at how turn-arounds are structured and how they accomplish their musical goal. We’ll then see how to create your own turn-arounds, for any key in which you might wish to play, and how you can come up with turn-arounds you’ve never heard anyone play previously but which are squarely and comfortably in the language of the blues. The session will be very hands-on, so have your guitar ready and in tune in standard tuning.

Cost of the group lesson will be $40.00. Payment can be made by making a deposit to my account at paypal.com, which is the same as my email address: john@johnmillerguitar.com. When I receive notification that a payment has been made, I will send a link that will provide admission to the Zoom session. Attendees will not be visible, and will be muted. The last ten minutes of each session will be devoted to questions and answers, which will be operated via the chat function. Attendees should be comfortable playing fingerstyle blues with alternating and monotonic bass, and be open to thinking about understanding how and what to play, rather than focusing solely on where to put your fingers. At the session, I will be using a whiteboard occasionally to communicate important points. I will be recording the sessions as well, for attendees who would like to be able to review the session later.

If this sounds like something you would like to learn, I look forward to working with you on turn-arounds this coming Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 10:00 AM PDT. Thanks for your time.

All best,
John Miller

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I wanted to let you know that I am offering the third in a series of Zoom group classes, “Expanding Your Blues Vocabulary”, and the one-hour session will be given this coming Saturday, June 10, starting at 10:00 AM PDT.

This session will focus on open tunings, and most especially Spanish tuning (Open G), Vestapol tuning (Open D) and Open Bb tuning. The thrust of the class will be to show how to understand chord voicing across these open tunings and to show you how to come up with voicings you’ve not used previously or heard used, but which are nonetheless speaking in the musical language of the blues. We’ll also see how you can move ideas and licks from one tuning to another. We’ll conclude by seeing how altering these tunings slightly can make possible a whole new range of sounds. The session will be hands-on, so have your guitar ready and be equipped to re-tune a couple of times over the course of the session.

Cost of the group lesson will be $40.00. Payment can be made by making a deposit to my account at paypal.com, which is the same as my email address: john@johnmillerguitar.com. When I receive notification that a payment has been made, I will send a link that will provide admission to the Zoom session. Attendees will not be visible, and will be muted. The last ten minutes of each session will be devoted to questions and answers, which will be operated via the chat function. Attendees should be comfortable playing fingerstyle blues with alternating and monotonic bass, and be open to thinking about understanding how and what to play, rather than focusing solely on where to put your fingers. At the session, I will be using a whiteboard occasionally to communicate important points. I will be recording the sessions as well, for attendees who would like to be able to review the session later, or for those of you who want the class but will be unable to attend this coming Saturday.

If this sounds like something you would like to learn, I look forward to working with you on open tunings this coming Saturday, June 10th, 2023 at 10:00 AM PDT. Thanks for your  time.

All best,
John Miller

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I just wanted to bump the announcement of the Zoom class I'll be doing this Saturday at 10:00 AM PDT on "Open Tunings". If you're a guitar player in this style and would like to know more about open tunings and how to approach them, understand them better and find your own ideas in them I think you'll find it really helpful. Read the previous post in this thread for more information and to find out how to sign up for the class.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi,
I wanted to let you know that after a several-month hiatus, I'm offering a Song of the Month lesson for September, 2023 on Lightnin' Hopkins' song, "Goin' Back To Florida", a terrific blues played in E position in standard tuning. Here is Lightnin's performance:



For just $35.00 during the month of September, 2023, you'll receive the lesson, which has a TAB transcription, sent as a .pdf file, of Lightnin's intro, verse one and two accompaniments and solo, and thorough talk-throughs of each section of the piece, sent as .mp3s. To place an order for the lesson and make payment, follow the instructions outlined in the Teaching section of my website, johnmillerguitar.com. I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity to learn this classic song of Lighnin's.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I wanted to let you know that the Song of the Month lesson for October, 2023 at my website is Lonnie Johnson's "I'm Nuts About That Gal", a terrific performance in which Lonnie moved beyond his usual vocabulary of licks. Here is his performance:



For $35.00 during the month of October, 2023 you will receive a TAB transcription that has Lonnie Johnson's intro, verse one accompaniment, solo and coda, and very thorough talk-throughs of each section of his performance. To place a lesson order, go to johnmillerguitar.com, in the Teaching section, and follow the instructions for making a deposit to my account at paypal.com. I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity to learn this piece by one of the most influential blues guitarists.

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I'm offering a lesson on Babe Stovall's beautiful version of "Worried Blues" for December 2023's Song of the Month. Here is his performance of the song:



The transcription that accompanies the lesson has his intro solo, verse accompaniment and later solo with a thorough play/talk-through of each section explaining fingering and picking choices. During the Month of December, 2023 only, I'm offering the lesson for $35.00.

In addition, I'm offering my arrangement of the Holiday standard, "Silver Bell", also for $35.00, during the month of December, 2023. To order either or both lessons, go to johnmillerguitar.com in the "Teaching" section and follow the instructions for making payment that are presented there. Thanks for your time.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Happy New Year! I wanted to let you know that I'm offering a lesson on Tom Dickson's "Labor Blues", a terrific Memphis blues played in E position in standard tuning, as the Song of the Month lesson for January, 2024. Here is his performance of the song:



The TAB transcription that accompanies the lesson includes his intro solo, verse one accompaniment and later solo. In addition to the transcription, you'll receive thorough talk-throughs of the different passes through the form. Cost of the lesson during the month of January, 2024 only, is $35.00. To order the lesson, go to my website, johnmillerguitar.com and follow the instructions in the Teaching section for making a payment to my paypal account. I hope folks will take advantage of this opportunity to learn a song by one of the unsung masters of Country Blues guitar.
All best,
Johnm
 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
A Series of Zoom Classes: Fingerstyle Blues Guitar By Ear

As the title of the series implies, these classes on going to be working on building your ability to play fingerstyle blues guitar by ear, without the use of written notation of any sort. If this seems a daunting prospect, consider—up until the relatively recent past, everyone who played blues guitar learned by ear and watching other players, including all of our Country Blues heroes of the ‘20s and ‘30s. Playing by ear is a learned and learnable skill, not some sort of mysterious gift that you either have or you don’t. It just needs to be developed, and that’s what these classes are designed to do.

There will be four classes in the series and they are:
   * Hearing and Playing Blues Guitar Licks in E position, standard tuning
   * Blues Jamming—Strategies for Keeping It Musical
   * Figuring out a Recorded Performance by Ear, in Class
   * Re-Arranging a Recorded Blues Performance

The first class will be held Saturday, January 20, 2024, at 10:00 AM Pacific Standard Time. Here is the class description and sign-up information:

Hearing and Playing Blues Guitar Licks in E position, Standard Tuning

This one-hour Zoom class will focus on building your vocabulary of Blues licks in E position in standard tuning. Class will be very hands-on, so you’ll need your guitar tuned up and ready to go. The presentation will focus on playing licks that E position makes easily available on the first five frets; both licks that you’ve heard before and new ones that we’ll make up in class, with a goal of hearing in your head what you want to play before you play it, and knowing where to go on the neck to find the lick.

The class will be recorded and sent to all participants so you’ll be able to review the lesson content. Persons interested in a class who are unable to attend the day it is offered may purchase it later. Cost of the class is $40.00. To sign up, make a payment to my account at paypal.com as per the instructions at https://johnmillerguitar.com/teaching.html . Once I’ve been notified that payment has been made, I’ll send you an invitation. I hope to see you there!

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Blues Jamming—Keeping It Musical
This one-hour Zoom class will be presented at 10:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on Saturday, February 3, and will focus on building skills that will equip you to participate in blues jams and add something to the musical mix. Topics will include:
   * Listening and responding
   * Knowing the I, IV and V chords in different keys
   * Recognizing the groove—shuffle or not?
   * Recognizing the form
   * Creating musical space,
and other related topics. There will be a question-and-answer session at the end of the presentation, and I will provide an additional film with a variety of blues in different keys and rhythms for participants to practice jamming with and accompanying.

The class will be recorded and sent to all participants along with the jamming practice film. Cost of the class is $40.00, and it is not necessary to attend when the class is presented to sign up. To sign up, make a payment to my account at paypal.com as per the instructions at https://johnmillerguitar.com/teaching.html . Please send me an email at john@johnmillerguitar when you sign up, so that I’ll be able to send you the Zoom invitation. Once I’ve been notified that payment has been made, I’ll send you an invitation. I hope to see you there!
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I wanted to let you know that the Song of the Month lesson for February, 2024 is Lightnin' Hopkins' powerful "Penitentiary Blues". Here it is:



The lesson will include a lesson that has his intro, verse one and two accompaniments and solo, as well as thorough play/talk-throughs of each of those sections of the song. Lightnin's performance showcases his playing in A in standard tuning. Cost of the lesson is $35.00 during the month of February and to order a lesson, follow the procedure outlined at johnmillerguitar.com in the Teaching section. Thanks.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Figuring Out a Fingerstyle Blues by Ear
One of the most liberating and confidence-building skills you can develop is the ability to figure out, by ear, a song that you’d like to play. In this one-hour class, which will be presented at 10:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time on Saturday, February 17, I will be doing that in the class, in real time, with the song (or songs) chosen by the attendees. Focus of the presentation will be on providing a process that will outline what to concentrate on and listen for at each step of the way. At the conclusion of the class, I’ll offer a number of suggestions for songs that would be good ones to figure out, based on the musical tastes of the attendees.

The class will be recorded and sent to all participants. Cost of the class is $40.00, and it is not necessary to attend when the class is presented to enroll in it. To sign up, make a payment to my account at paypal.com as per the instructions at https://johnmillerguitar.com/teaching.html . Please send me an email at john@johnmillerguitar.com when you sign up, so that I’ll be able to send you the Zoom invitation. Once I’ve been notified by PayPal that payment has been made, I’ll send you an invitation. I hope to see you there!
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Re-Arranging Fingerstyle Blues Classics
One way to keep the Blues evolving and moving forward is to create your own arrangements of the songs your models played. In this Zoom class, which will be presented on Saturday, March 2 at 10:00 AM Pacific Standard Time, we’ll be looking at a number of different strategies for re-arranging fingerstyle blues, among them:
   * Transposing the song to a different playing position or tuning;
   * Giving the song a different rhythmic feel;
   * Coming up with a new signature lick
We’ll take a couple of songs and I’ll demonstrate how you can use a few relatively simple concepts to create your own arrangements of fingerstyle blues classics. Opportunities to ask questions will be made at intervals during the presentation.

The class will be recorded and sent to all participants. Cost of the class is $40.00, and it is not necessary to attend when the class is presented to enroll in it. To sign up, make a payment to my account at paypal.com as per the instructions at https://johnmillerguitar.com/teaching.html . Please send me an email at john@johnmillerguitar.com when you sign up, so that I’ll be able to send you the Zoom invitation. Once I’ve been notified by PayPal that payment has been made, I’ll send you an invitation. I hope to see you there!

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I wanted to let you know that the Song of the Month lesson I'm offering for March, 2024 is "Good Boy Blues" by Arthur Pettis, a terrific and extremely varied piece that he played out of C position in standard tuning. Here is Arthur Pettis' performance of "Good Boy Blues":



During the month of March, 2024 you can purchase a lesson on "Good Boy Blues" for $35.00. The lesson includes a TAB transcription which has Pettis' intro solo, verse one and four accompaniments and his concluding solo, along with very thorough play/talk-throughs of each of those passes through the song's form. To order the lesson, go to my website, johnmillerguitar.com and follow the instructions in the Teaching section for making a payment to my paypal account. I hope folks will take advantage of this opportunity to learn one of the really outstanding performances in C in early blues recordings.

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Zoom Classes Announcement: Fingerstyle Blues Played in Open/Alternate Tunings

In this series of classes, we’ll be looking at the open and alternate tunings most commonly used in playing fingerstyle blues guitar, focusing on a different tuning for each class. In the classes, we’ll be looking at the playing of the most notable stylists in each tuning, analyzing their approach to the tuning, learning some licks and chord voicings that they used, and taking a look for new possibilities the tuning offers that speak in the style. There will be five classes in this series:

   * Spanish tuning (Open G, DGDGBD)
   * Vestapol tuning (Open D, DADF#AD)
   * EAEGBE tuning
   * DGDGBE tuning
   * Cross-note tuning (Open D minor, DADFAD)

As with the last round of Zoom classes I presented, emphasis will very much be hands-on and working via listening, watching and imitating—no notation of any sort will be used or presented. The classes will not be focusing on slide guitar playing in these tunings. The first class in the series will be presented Saturday, April 6 at 10:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time. Here is the class description and sign-up information:

Fingerstyle Blues In Spanish (Open G) Tuning

We’ll start the class by seeing how the blues scale sits in Spanish tuning and how the I, IV and V7 chords have most commonly been voiced by players of the past. We’ll then look at the approach that several of the players who specialized in Spanish tuning took to playing in it—people like Clifford Gibson, Furry Lewis, Robert Johnson and John Lee Hooker. We’ll conclude the class by looking for possibilities that the tuning offers that were not utilized by players of the past but that nonetheless speak in the language of the blues.

The class will be recorded and sent to all participants so you’ll be able to review the lesson content. Persons interested in the class who are unable to attend the day it is offered may still purchase it and receive the film of the class. Cost of the class is $40.00. To sign up, make a payment to my account at paypal.com as per the instructions at https://johnmillerguitar.com/teaching.html . Once I’ve been notified that payment has been made, I’ll send you an invitation. I hope to see you there!

All best,
Johnm