Real Blues Guitar (Revised): Guitar Book & Online Video/Audio

This book refuses to separate rhythm and lead guitar as if they were different subjects. Chipkin's decision to cover both idioms alongside the specific techniques of seven major blues voices means students develop a cohesive understanding of blues language rather than collecting isolated licks. The video component, with Chipkin performing every example in the book, transforms printed instruction into something learnable; you watch his hands, hear the tone, and understand context in ways notation alone cannot convey.

Rich and earthy. You'll move through the book feeling the groove beneath your hands while learning the fine details of vibrato, bending, and phrasing that separate a competent blues player from someone who truly speaks the language. Every example connects to a real guitarist's sound, so your practice stays rooted in music that matters.

Intermediate guitarists with basic technique who want to move beyond generic blues patterns and into the language of the tradition. This is for anyone serious about understanding why B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Albert King all sound distinctly themselves, and for players ready to build that same kind of personal voice.

• Study the video performances with the MP3 tracks playing simultaneously. Watch Chipkin's hand position and touch, then slow down the audio tracks to match your current playing speed.
• Work through one blues master's section completely before moving to the next. This lets you internalize one artist's approach to phrasing, note choice, and dynamics before adding another voice to your vocabulary.
• Record yourself playing the rhythm examples, then practice lead lines over your own recordings. This connects the two halves of the blues vocabulary and prepares you for real ensemble playing.
• When learning a new technique, play the examples in multiple keys. The book uses specific keys, but blues is transposable; your fluency grows when you apply the same idea across the neck.

This works as a directed independent study resource for guitarists in a private studio setting or as supplementary material in a contemporary guitar ensemble course. A guitarist can move through it semester by semester, and the video component means instruction happens even outside lesson time. It pairs naturally with ensemble work where students apply their growing blues vocabulary in group settings.

• Blues rhythm patterns and comping techniques across multiple styles
• Lead guitar phrasing including bending, vibrato, and note choice within the blues scale
• Recognizing and replicating the distinctive techniques of major blues voices
• Solo construction and improvisation over blues changes
• Translating notation and video demonstration into physical, musical understanding