Chrispd
Verified buyer
01/05/26
Sean is such a great teacher. He is clear and complete. And beyond that he manages to really convey enthusiasm for the material.
Views of the Blues
Charlie Christian, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell Inspirations
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About this course
The transformation of traditional acoustic country blues to electric blues established the foundation and roots of jazz. Players like Charlie Christian, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green were all preeminent pioneers of electric blues and its evolution into jazz guitar. Together, along with several other giants of the genre, they composed the very vocabulary used today by virtually every player, across every style and sub-genre of contemporary blues and jazz blues.
Anyone interested in spicing up their blues playing would be well served by studying these four players and their vocabulary, and that’s precisely what you’ll do here in Sean McGowan’s Views of the Blues.
”You’ll play your way through Views of the Blues, first learning the innovative blues vocabulary of electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, and then three of his most soulful and influential torch-bearers: Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green. By learning and exploring each of these players' approaches to the common ground of blues, you'll gain new perspectives into harmonic thinking, rhythmic ideas, phrasing, and organizing improvisational ideas on the fretboard.”
Sean organized Views of the Blues into four sections. Each section will focus on the signature elements, licks, harmonic approaches, and individual styles of each of these legendary guitarists. To build your vocabulary, Sean shows you 5 licks for each artist that are signature to the artist’s style. You’ll then apply that vocabulary and stylistic approach over 2 soloing performance studies for each artist.
Sean will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way. You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the licks and soloing performance studies. Plus, Sean includes all of the backing tracks for you to work with on your own. In addition, you’ll be able to loop or slow down any of the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace.
Grab your guitar and let’s expand our view of the blues with Sean McGowan!
Anyone interested in spicing up their blues playing would be well served by studying these four players and their vocabulary, and that’s precisely what you’ll do here in Sean McGowan’s Views of the Blues.
”You’ll play your way through Views of the Blues, first learning the innovative blues vocabulary of electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, and then three of his most soulful and influential torch-bearers: Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green. By learning and exploring each of these players' approaches to the common ground of blues, you'll gain new perspectives into harmonic thinking, rhythmic ideas, phrasing, and organizing improvisational ideas on the fretboard.”
Sean organized Views of the Blues into four sections. Each section will focus on the signature elements, licks, harmonic approaches, and individual styles of each of these legendary guitarists. To build your vocabulary, Sean shows you 5 licks for each artist that are signature to the artist’s style. You’ll then apply that vocabulary and stylistic approach over 2 soloing performance studies for each artist.
Sean will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way. You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the licks and soloing performance studies. Plus, Sean includes all of the backing tracks for you to work with on your own. In addition, you’ll be able to loop or slow down any of the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace.
Grab your guitar and let’s expand our view of the blues with Sean McGowan!
What you'll learn
- Execute sweep picking licks in a musical context
- Target chord tones (especially 3rds and 5ths) over chord changes
- Use the 9th and 6th intervals to add color to blues lines
- Recognize the connection between classical training and jazz touch
- Understand Kenny Burrell's historical significance and influence on jazz and blues guitar
Release date: 06/03/2019 • 2h 34m runtime
Sample lessons
CC Swing Riff
Lick 2
Benny's Bugle
Stylistic Etude 1: Performance
KB Q & A
Lick 4
Chitlins
Stylistic Etude 2: Performance
What's included
47 lessons • 25 charts • 23 Jam Tracks
Views of the Blues
Hi, I'm Sean McGowan, and welcome to Views of the Blues! The genre of twentieth-century Blues music throughout regional America is extremely diverse with a multiplicity of styles and perspectives. Blues is also the common thread among most styles of American music including, of course, jazz. The blues form in jazz is ubiquitous, though there have been countless variations and innovations throughout the early swing, big band, bebop, and post-bop periods and musicians.
This course invites you to experience the innovative blues vocabulary of electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, and three of his most soulful and influential torch-bearers: Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green. By learning and exploring each of these players' approaches to the common ground of blues, you'll gain new perspectives into harmonic thinking, rhythmic ideas, phrasing, and organizing improvisational ideas on the fretboard.
Section 1 explores the style of the first great electric guitarist in jazz, Charlie Christian. Hailing from Texas and Oklahoma, Christian was a contemporary of the great early blues guitarist Aaron "T-Bone" Walker, and the great Western swing guitarist Eldon Shamblin. Much of their collective guitar vocabularies would influence literally every electric guitarist who followed, ultimately laying the groundwork for blues and early rock guitar vocabulary. We'll take a look at a couple of his signature approaches to blues, and then work through two etudes over 12-bar blues progressions in the keys of F and Bb.
Next, we'll explore the incredible style of Kenny Burrell through signature lead and comping licks and etudes that cover repetition, advanced chord voicings, bebop turnarounds, and creating a question and answer dialogue within a solo.
Section 3 explores the inimitable style of Wes Montgomery. We'll look at how he used phrasing, chromatic ii-V and sub ii-V lines over blues, plus his signature approaches to soloing with octaves and block chords using the thumb.
The final section will offer some insight into the style of jazz and soul guitar giant Grant Green. We'll look at how he would always start a solo with a great opening line, and how he utilized ii-V lines and patterns in a blues setting.
All of the licks and stylistic etudes are tabbed and notated, and you'll be able to loop or slow down any of the exercises or studies so you can work through them at your own pace. So, go grab your guitar and let's dive into the blues!
This course invites you to experience the innovative blues vocabulary of electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian, and three of his most soulful and influential torch-bearers: Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green. By learning and exploring each of these players' approaches to the common ground of blues, you'll gain new perspectives into harmonic thinking, rhythmic ideas, phrasing, and organizing improvisational ideas on the fretboard.
Section 1 explores the style of the first great electric guitarist in jazz, Charlie Christian. Hailing from Texas and Oklahoma, Christian was a contemporary of the great early blues guitarist Aaron "T-Bone" Walker, and the great Western swing guitarist Eldon Shamblin. Much of their collective guitar vocabularies would influence literally every electric guitarist who followed, ultimately laying the groundwork for blues and early rock guitar vocabulary. We'll take a look at a couple of his signature approaches to blues, and then work through two etudes over 12-bar blues progressions in the keys of F and Bb.
Next, we'll explore the incredible style of Kenny Burrell through signature lead and comping licks and etudes that cover repetition, advanced chord voicings, bebop turnarounds, and creating a question and answer dialogue within a solo.
Section 3 explores the inimitable style of Wes Montgomery. We'll look at how he used phrasing, chromatic ii-V and sub ii-V lines over blues, plus his signature approaches to soloing with octaves and block chords using the thumb.
The final section will offer some insight into the style of jazz and soul guitar giant Grant Green. We'll look at how he would always start a solo with a great opening line, and how he utilized ii-V lines and patterns in a blues setting.
All of the licks and stylistic etudes are tabbed and notated, and you'll be able to loop or slow down any of the exercises or studies so you can work through them at your own pace. So, go grab your guitar and let's dive into the blues!
Charlie Christian
The great Charlie Christian was a regional guitar hero throughout the southwest U.S., playing in various 'territory bands' until he hit the big time with big band and radio star Benny Goodman. Christian infused Goodman's big bands and small groups with soulful blues licks, riffs, and startlingly fresh solos and horn-like sound using a Gibson electric guitar and amp combo. Later when he moved to New York, he played regularly in after hours sessions with musicians such as Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie, laying the groundwork for what would become bebop in the early 1940s.
CC Early Swing
This lick shows how Charlie Christian would kick off a solo with a strong opening line. Over a basic blues in Bb, this lick stays in a familiar "blues box" pattern on the fretboard, but also outlines the chord changes using chromaticism and choice guide tone notes.
CC Swing Riff
Charlie Christian had the innate ability to create long lead lines, that were beautifully crafted and always had a strong sense of direction. This lick in the key of F showcases how he would create opening lead lines using a chromatic riff that almost sounded like a horn section line in a big band.
Benny's Bugle
This etude features two choruses of lead lines over a 12-bar blues in Bb, expanding on the ideas in lick one. In addition to blues vocabulary and chromatic ideas, this solo features techniques such as sliding, double-stops, ii-V lines, and even long note bending in the style of a swing tenor saxophonist.
Benny's Bugle
This etude features two choruses of lead lines over a 12-bar blues in Bb, expanding on the ideas in lick one. In addition to blues vocabulary and chromatic ideas, this solo features techniques such as sliding, double-stops, ii-V lines, and even long note bending in the style of a swing tenor saxophonist.
Benny's Bugle
This etude features two choruses of lead lines over a 12-bar blues in Bb, expanding on the ideas in lick one. In addition to blues vocabulary and chromatic ideas, this solo features techniques such as sliding, double-stops, ii-V lines, and even long note bending in the style of a swing tenor saxophonist.
+ 40 more lessons
Reviews
16 results
Sindibad
05/10/25
Sean McGowan's Views of the Blues
It's a great musical flavor across several styles of the same family.
Ohio5665
Verified buyer
10/25/22
Great course for gaining insight into the styles and concepts of some of the greatest guitarists. Sean Mc Gowan is a great teacher and educator and explains all of the ideas and concepts clearly. Love this course!
krvavi
07/10/21
Great Course
Great educational material for all Jazz Guitar Players.
jmsab99
Verified buyer
05/30/21
A flavor of the Blues
It is a great course to explore the Blues from another point of view with great Jazzmen like Charlie Christian (an electric guitar pioneer), Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green. Sean McGowan has made a great job in this course to give us the essence of that style of playing. This course give us much more colors to put in our Blues' vocabulary. The strategy of his course is great and the lessons are well construct. Thank you Sean !!!
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