Personalized Lessons on Electric Blues Guitar

Blues is a style that is at the heart of all American music.  Jazz, country music, and rock 'n roll all have their roots in the blues.  Blues played on the electric guitar became popularized in the 1940s by the likes of T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker, each of whom forged a completely unique style from the same musical foundation.  That's the way it is with the blues, once you become somewhat proficient, you play them as you please!  Students in this course will learn to play by following in the footsteps of the great players of electric blues. 

Students will learn to play authentic blues by learning songs, techniques, riffs, and phrases used by the great electric blues masters such as B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Freddy King, and Buddy Guy.  We will also find out how the next generation of guitarists like Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as contemporary artists such as Gary Clark Junior or Joe Bonamassa, have adapted these techniques to move the blues into the modern era.

Topics include learning:

• Chords progressions commonly used to play blues and how to play them with a variety of rhythms.
• Chords, scales and arpeggios needed to create blues sounds.
• Riffs and common phrases used by the blues masters.
• Playing complete solos from recordings by great blues artists.
• How to improvise a blues solo by using the scales and riffs in your own way.
• Overall techniques needed to perform blues such as string bending, sliding notes, hammering, pulling off and vibrato.
• How to play with a slide.
• To develop a repertoire of classic, important and commonly played blues songs.
• How to incorporate elements of other styles, like jazz or rock, into the blues.

About Chris Stevens: Chris Stevens is a blues guitarist who lives in Seattle, Washington USA.  Chris graduated from the University of Washington with a deer in advertising, yet chose to pursue a career as a performing musician and private guitar instructor in the early 1980's.

As a developing guitarist, Chris had many lessons from prominent Seattle area instructors and began learning to improvise by listening to and studying recordings by blues legends Mike Bloomfield and B.B. King.  In high school and college he performed in the school jazz ensembles.  A two year stint in the Army found him performing guitar and percussion in the 8th US Army Band stationed in Seoul, Korea. Upon his return to the States, he played in a variety of cover and original rock groups.  In the mid 80's, inspired by the emergence of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chris refocused his attention on the blues and immersed himself in the vibrant Seattle blues scene.  Chis has been leading his own blues bands ever since and is regarded as one of the finest blues guitarists in the region. Chris's album "Bankshot" is available on CD and digital downloads.