Exploring Survival Guides

Walking F Blues - Overview is a video guitar lesson presented by Sean McGowan and is sourced from Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Survival Guide.

This étude features four choruses of a standard 12 bar jazz blues in the key of F, and showcases walking four basslines, special rhythms and articulations, and gradually increases in difficulty by adding syncopated chord voicings on top of a moving bass part, creating the illusion of multiple players. This étude also illustrates a number of chord substitutions and turnarounds that players can use in their own arrangements of the blues and original compositions.

Walking F Blues - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by Sean McGowan and is sourced from Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Survival Guide.

This étude features four choruses of a standard 12 bar jazz blues in the key of F, and showcases walking four basslines, special rhythms and articulations, and gradually increases in difficulty by adding syncopated chord voicings on top of a moving bass part, creating the illusion of multiple players. This étude also illustrates a number of chord substitutions and turnarounds that players can use in their own arrangements of the blues and original compositions.

Walking F Blues - Breakdown is a video guitar lesson presented by Sean McGowan and is sourced from Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar Survival Guide.

This étude features four choruses of a standard 12 bar jazz blues in the key of F, and showcases walking four basslines, special rhythms and articulations, and gradually increases in difficulty by adding syncopated chord voicings on top of a moving bass part, creating the illusion of multiple players. This étude also illustrates a number of chord substitutions and turnarounds that players can use in their own arrangements of the blues and original compositions.

1/2 Step Slide Embellishments - Concept 5 is a video guitar lesson presented by Brooks Robertson and is sourced from Fingerstyle Survival Guide.

This is a great sounding tool that you can use for a variety of different sounds. It will be important to have a grasp of some basic chord forms that you will apply this technique to. The primary idea is to take any chord form and play the chord in double stops (groups of two notes at a time) ascending or descending. What gives the technique an even more unique sound is adding in two slides (down a 1/2 step, then back up to the cord tones) after initially playing the double stop.

After some experimenting you might find that this would also work with groups or three notes, or four, etc.. First practice the technique with very few chord forms, even one is enough to begin. Then as you become more comfortable, smooth and fluid with the concept try it with various qualities, inversions and progressions of chords. It is up to you to experiment with all the various songs and places you could apply this technique and what sounds good to your ears.

Into The Trees - Overview is a video guitar lesson presented by Brooks Robertson and is sourced from Fingerstyle Survival Guide.

Into The Trees is a dynamic tune that will have you tapping your foot and bobbing your head, at least that is what I do when I play it! This is the title tune of my solo album Into The Trees, released in 2010. I wrote this song accidentally one spring morning sitting out on the deck. This is another good example of using a balance of concepts, techniques and the ear to come up with an interesting song. One of the most important elements that went into writing this song was allowing myself to experiment and try different things until I found what I liked the sound of. It utilizes some unique chord forms, fingernail clicks, the 1/2 step sliding concept with diminished 7th chord forms, banjo rolls, dynamics and decoration.

Into The Trees - Performance is a video guitar lesson presented by Brooks Robertson and is sourced from Fingerstyle Survival Guide.

As you watch the performance video be sure again to pay attention to what each hand is doing individually and then how the left and right hands work together. Try and distinguish which concepts are being used where and when. Watch for chord forms and inversions, left and right hand dynamics, fingernail clicks and banjo rolls. You can also use this performance video as a practice tool to play along with or to hear particular phrasing and nuances throughout the song.