Your source for all things country blues. Free lessons playing fingerstyle blues. Finger picking, gaining thumb and finger independence, keys, chords, scales, tabs and exercises. There’s also some history, featuring profiles and biographies of some of the biggest and least known blues musicians.
This website is a tribute to the resource I’ve always dreamed of finding.
It’s also a work in progress. If you’d like to contribute and article, lesson or resource please drop us a line.
To say that Bogan was ahead of her time is a tremendous understatement. Given the adversity she must have encountered in a conservative culture rife with sexism and racism, her ground-breaking achievements are proof that she was an unstoppable force. Not only was...
Folkstreams.net is an incredible archive, or as they call it a 'national preserve' of impossible to find documentary films about American folk music and roots cultures. The films on their wonderful site were created by independent filmmakers beginning in the 60s who...
Every Day in the Week Blues is a classic Pink Anderson song which can be found on Pink Anderson: Vol. 1 Carolina Bluesman and the album this version comes from, the great Gospel Blues & Street Songs album which features the songs of both Pink Anderson and Reverend...
Utilizing super low tunings his slide playing sounds monstrous, the loose strings combined with his powerful finger picking let him snap and pluck and slide his dirty electric blues in a way that probably shouldn’t be possible.
It’s not even Halloween yet, so you must be wondering, ‘Where have you been with the lessons?’ and, ‘Why the hell a Fingerstyle Christmas song?’ Jingle Bell Blues.
Sam ‘Lightning’ Hopkins was a very influential Texas Blues musician whose songs have inspired everyone from the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn to The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many points in between.
Bumblebee Slim was a highly prolific singer, songwriter and guitarist. He recorded over 150 songs for Parmount Records, Decca, Bluebird and Vocalion, accompanied frequently by such top notch musicians such as Big Bill Broonzy, Peetie Wheatstraw, Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie, and Washboard Sam.
This is Blind Willie McTell’s stunning rendition of the old Gospel song. The passion of his vocals is matched by what must be a host of angels helping his hands create miracles on his 12 string.
This catchy song was written and recorded by Henry Thomas between 1927 and 1929 for Vocalion Records. Thomas played guitar and accompanied himself on quills (an instrument similar to a pan flute).
Charlie Patton became the epitome of the rough and tumble bluesman, his heavy drinking, smoking, womanizing and hell-raising became almost as legendary as his music. As the first blues star he would be booked in advance to play instead of rambling from town to town looking for gigs, and because of his reputation he’d always pack them in.
Floyd Council was an American blues guitarist and singer who played blues in the East Coast / Piedmont style.
At this point you should have a pretty good idea of how to develop your fingerpicking skills, applying and identifying chord shapes and finger patterns, and thumb independence.