Alfred's PLAY: Blues Guitar 2: Guitar Book & DVD

Raw and soulful, with the kind of bent notes and swung rhythms that make blues instantly recognizable. The format respects the learner's pace while the subject matter pulls you into a musical tradition built on feel, repetition, and personal expression.

Guitarists with foundational playing ability who want to build blues vocabulary without committing to expensive private lessons. Weekend players looking to deepen their understanding of a single genre, and advanced beginners ready to explore styles beyond basic chord progressions.

• Watch the DVD segments multiple times before sitting down to play. Muscle memory develops faster when you've already seen the physical approach demonstrated.
• Start with the backing tracks at a slower tempo, then incrementally increase speed as your comfort grows. Blues rhythm is about feel, not rush.
• Record yourself playing along with the DVD accompaniments. Playback reveals timing issues and phrasing weaknesses that feel invisible in the moment.
• Isolate the left-hand fingering patterns from the right-hand rhythm separately, then combine them. Blues forms reward precision in each hand independently before integration.

Use this as a supplementary resource for guitarists preparing for jazz or roots-music ensembles where blues vocabulary becomes essential vocabulary. It pairs well with ensemble rehearsals that touch on blues standards, giving individual players the solo and improvisation confidence they need.

• Blues chord progressions and harmonic movement (12-bar form, shuffle rhythm)
• Bending, sliding, and vibrato techniques specific to blues expression
• Listening and call-and-response phrasing
• Rhythm guitar comping and accompaniment patterns
• Basic improvisation over blues changes