Blues bottleneck slide guitar class:

These classes will be taught in "Spanish" A/G open tuning , and "Sebastopol" E/D open tuning. First, we will cover easy ways to get in an out of these tunings. We will touch base with those styles that have most influenced the course of "Blues Slide Guitar." Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Miss. Fred McDowell, Elmore James, and others. We will not only learn the note-for-note "licks" of their most popular tunes, but will explore ways to think and jam in these tunings. Most of the information will be included in printed handouts distributed in class to the students. Be sure to bring a slide--(Mine fits over the little finger, but...). Also, a capo is very useful. A portable recorder.
 

A style not limited to Texans, but generally associated with players like Lightnin’ Hopkins, this approach to guitar playing is a main element in the strong styles of players like John Lee Hooker and  Fred McDowell, etc...This style is characterized by keeping a strong driving bass line on the bottom while throwing all sorts of “licks” on the top. What I like to call “Thumpin’ Thumb and Fiery Fingers.” (Or maybe “How to fire your bass player and drummer, and still keep em’ dancing”.)  We will cover a wide range of bass lines: "Drivin’ Mono-Bass"--"Walking Bass"--"Octave Bass" etc. All just groovin’ along holding down the bottom,  while chords, partial chords, and “scale licks” are bouncing along there on top. (Kind of like playing “rhythm” and “lead” guitar at the same time.)
Although this style generally implies solo guitar, everything we learn from doing this can be applied to jammin’ with other players.

The class will cover every “feel,” from “Boogies” to Ballads. Most of the material covered in class will be in the keys of E and A. This gives us those fat juicy open string bass notes. There will be a lot of concentration on creating “THE GROOVE“! 

There will be printed material handouts and a lot of in class jammin’!  Bring a portable recorder if you have one.