Michael Williams – Blues Guitar
Guitarists who know the blues have a natural advantage over those that don’t. No matter what style they chose to play – jazz, rock, classical – having a blues background provides guitarists with a foundation in form, control, feel and harmonies that can be used to advance their playing in any genre of music. Blues Guitar Workshop begins by teaching the 12-bar blues harmony, basic rhythm guitar technique, and the pentatonic and blues scale in the open position up the neck. You’ll learn to incorporate some of the nuances of the masters into your playing – from doubling the bass over a shuffle in the style of Buddy Guy, to combining major and minor pentatonic scales in the style of B.B. King and T-Bone Walker. Through call and response exercises and playing in other grooves and tempos, you’ll learn to pace your solos to create tension and release – a technique mastered by all the greatest guitarists. You’ll learn to reuse the concepts and musical elements to expand your musical foundation and enhance your ability, whether you’re trying to bring a blues sound to your playing or adding more depth and feel to any other style.
In this course you will:
- Learn to play several styles of rhythm guitar, and solo over 8 and 12-bar progressions in E, G, and other keys, with varying tempos and grooves, including shuffles, straight eighth, and slow blues.
- Play pentatonic and blues scales in 5 positions up the neck, and use those fingerings while soloing.
- Play turnarounds, and use solo pacing and call and response techniques.
- Play examples and progressions from several styles of blues, including Chicago blues, gospel blues, jazz blues, and minor blues.
- Learn the techniques and licks of classic stylists, such as T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, Lightning Hopkins, B.B. King, Earl Hooker, and Magic Sam, whether you’re trying to bring a blues sound to your playing, or interested in adding more depth to your own style.
- Learn basic finger style and slide techniques.
Syllabus
Lesson 1 Playing the Blues in E
Lesson 2 Blues in E—Varying the Feel, Minor Pentatonic Scales, and 8-Bar Blues
Lesson 3 Slow Blues with Sliding 9th Chords, Pentatonic Scales Part 2, and String Bends
Lesson 4 T-Bone Style Blues with Sliding 9th Chords, and Chicago Shuffles
Lesson 5 Flat Tire/Jump Chords and Feel, with T-Bone Walker’s Soloing Style and Influences
Lesson 6 Minor Blues, Rhythm Guitar Variations, and Call Response Techniques
Lesson 7 Playing in the Pocket, and Magic Sam Style Blues
Lesson 8 Basic Slide Techniques and Open Tunings: Elmore James
Lesson 9 Slide in G Tuning: Son House, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker Styles
Lesson 10 Blues Rock and Gospel Blues
Lesson 11 Jazz Blues: Kenny Burrell, Comping Range, and Rhythm Guitar Along the Neck
Lesson 12 More Jazz Blues
Requirements
Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements
Completion of Guitar Chords 101 and Guitar Scales 101 or equivalent knowledge and experience is required. Students should have at least one year of playing experience and the ability to play some chords on the guitar. Guitar tablature and chord blocks, in addition to traditional notation, will be used throughout the course.
Required Textbook(s)
- None required
Software Requirements
- Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software that can import backing track audio to record along with (GarageBand, Audacity, etc.)
Hardware Requirements
- Electric (recommended) or acoustic guitar. Check out Reverb for guitar deals*
Students are required to record video for assignments. You can use your smartphone, digital camera, or webcam to do this. If you do not already have a preferred video software, you can use the built-in recorder tool within your assignment post. You can play the backing track through your speakers as you record and the microphone will pick up both the guitar (acoustic or through an amp) and the track as you play along.
General Course Requirements
Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in live chats. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course.
Mac Users
- OS X 10.10 Yosemite or higher
PC Users
- Windows 7 or higher
All Users
- Latest version of Google Chrome
- Zoom meeting software (available in the course when joining your first chat)
- Webcam
- Speakers or headphones
- External or internal Microphone
- Broadband Internet connection
Instructors
Author & Instructor
Michael Williams has been active as a blues and jazz guitarist since 1987, performing extensively throughout the United States and Canada as a member of Grammy award winning James Cotton’s blues band, and with many other artists, including David “Fathead” Newman, Mighty Sam McClain, the Bruce Katz Band, Sugar Ray Norcia, Darrell Nulisch, Toni Lynn Washington, Michelle Willson, Jerry Portnoy, the Love Dogs, blues piano virtuoso David Maxwell, and his own band, Michael Williams and Friends. Michael performed on James Cotton’s album, 35th Anniversary Jam, which won a W.C. Handy Award and received a Grammy nomination for the Best Traditional Blues Album in 2003. He performed on Bruce Katz’s 2004 release, entitled A Deeper Blue, and his playing, songwriting, and arranging are featured on Michelle Willson’s album So Emotional, which earned a four-star review in DownBeat magazine. In 1999 he released an album, entitled Late Night Walk (Blue Tempo Records), which features ten original compositions with guest artists David “Fathead” Newman on tenor sax, Sugar Ray Norcia on vocals, and Bruce Katz on Hammond B3 organ and piano.
Michael is an associate professor in the Guitar department at Berklee College of Music and specializes in teaching a mix of blues and jazz styles. Originally from Northern California, he has written jingles for radio and television, and performed on extended tours throughout Europe with jazz and theater groups.
What’s Next?
When taken for credit, Blues Guitar can be applied towards these associated programs:
Associated Certificate Programs
- General Music Studies Professional Certificate
- Blues Guitar Professional Certificate
- General Music Studies Advanced Professional Certificate
- Guitar Advanced Professional Certificate
Associated Degree Major
- Bachelor’s Degree in Guitar
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