Blues Architect

Constructing and performing multi-chorus blues guitar solos

Marty FriedmanTommy EmmanuelSteve VaiEric GalesEric Johnson

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Blues Architect

About this course

Most of us tend to just solo on the fly, but what if you had a blueprint, something to help you organize your improvising? In this series of video guitar lessons, David Hamburger shows you how to construct ear-bending blues solos by working with the underlying structure of any blues progression or vamp.

You will learn how to play compelling guitar solos using major and minor pentatonic scales, Mixolydian scales, chromatic passing notes and altered tones, you’ll learn how to develop tasty, soulful solos packed with tension and release that gradually build over two or three choruses to a compelling climax.

Instead of playing the same old licks, you’ll discover how to use root targeting, call-and-response phrasing, hybrid grip picking, double stops, triads and chord hits to create dynamic, exciting solos over everything from a Texas shuffle or a blues-rock groove to a New Orleans-style funk feel. Here's how Blues Architect is presented:

You will play your way through 10 contemporary blues instrumentals, learning and performing rhythm and solo parts in context against a rhythm track.

All of the rhythm lessons demonstrate the specific pattern and then suggest alternate voicings and fills to expand the rhythm part out over an entire tune.

The solo lessons demonstrate a single chorus solo, breaking them down note-by-note, and then suggest variations and ideas for an extended solo.

Hamburger then performs an extended solo illustrating the variations and solo development ideas discussed in the previous lesson segment.

The lesson concludes with a commentary running over the solo to further illustrate the "blueprint" for the solo and focus on key variations.

Every single solo is fully notated and tabbed in Power Tab! Rhythm tracks, chord charts, text descriptions and other supporting material are included.

What you'll learn

  • Play a complete 12-bar minor blues with jazz chord substitutions
  • Use chord melody approach over rhythm changes
  • Create multiple arrangement variations (single notes, double stops, chords)
  • Apply compact triad voicings across different string sets
  • Build structured solos that follow the song's dynamic arc
Release date: 05/12/2006 • 5h 08m runtime
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Sample lessons
Blue Chicken
Blue Chicken
Introduction
Blue Chicken
Blue Chicken
Breakdown
Blue Chicken
Blue Chicken
Variation
Blue Chicken
Blue Chicken
Extended Performance

What's included

80 lessons • 30 charts • 10 Jam Tracks

4 On The Floor
Freddie King is a champ when it comes to root targeting. It's part of why, when you listen to him, you might think, "aw, that's just pentatonics," but when you get in there and try to figure some of it out, you start to realize, "oh, hey, wait a second..." Within a palette of just major and minor pentatonic, King uses phrasing and root targeting to shape his solos. Visit Freddie King online at http://www.freddiekingsite.com/index.html
4 On The Floor
Freddie King is a champ when it comes to root targeting. It's part of why, when you listen to him, you might think, "aw, that's just pentatonics," but when you get in there and try to figure some of it out, you start to realize, "oh, hey, wait a second..." Within a palette of just major and minor pentatonic, King uses phrasing and root targeting to shape his solos. Visit Freddie King online at http://www.freddiekingsite.com/index.html
4 On The Floor
You can find some hands on music and tab for a few of David Grissom's favorite moves in an interview I did with him for the March 2006 issue of Vintage Guitar. While it's not archived online (yeah, I checked) their site does have a really good Grissom interview conducted by my Austin comrade Dan Forte, otherwise known as Teisco Del Rey. Visit David Grissom online at http://www.vintageguitar.com/artists/details.asp?ID=221
4 On The Floor
You can find some hands on music and tab for a few of David Grissom's favorite moves in an interview I did with him for the March 2006 issue of Vintage Guitar. While it's not archived online (yeah, I checked) their site does have a really good Grissom interview conducted by my Austin comrade Dan Forte, otherwise known as Teisco Del Rey. Visit David Grissom online at http://www.vintageguitar.com/artists/details.asp?ID=221
4 On The Floor
I've provided a commentary track to the extended solo for each tune in this course on bank 3, Video 1. This way, if you want, as you see and hear the solo go by, you can hear me talking through the various scales, positions and phrasing choices that I've made. The lesson on rhythm guitar for each tune will start on Video 2 of that tune's third bank. Visit David online at http://www.davidhamburger.com
4 On The Floor
I've provided a commentary track to the extended solo for each tune in this course on bank 3, Video 1. This way, if you want, as you see and hear the solo go by, you can hear me talking through the various scales, positions and phrasing choices that I've made. The lesson on rhythm guitar for each tune will start on Video 2 of that tune's third bank. Visit David online at http://www.davidhamburger.com
4 On The Floor
This tune has a straight-eighth note feel (as opposed to a swing feel) and the all-time source for straight-eighths rhythm guitar is the music of James Brown, which was built around the seminal funk guitar style of Jimmy Nolen. Nolen's first recording with Brown was "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," and the rest is pretty much ninth-chord history. Visit Jimmy Nolen online at http://www.funky-stuff.com/Nolen/bio.htm

+ 73 more lessons

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Reviews

12 results

Ohio5665

Verified buyer

12/03/23

Blues Architect

Great course by a great teacher and musician!

Dave58

Verified buyer

07/01/22

Great!

Very educational course! I like David's teaching. My guitar playing has gotten a lot better. I own several courses from this virtuoso

Angelfire1

Verified buyer

03/22/21

There are many great instructors on TrueFire, but David Hamburger is my favorite. Most of the cool licks I play I stole from David.

pendragone

Verified buyer

01/19/21

Blues Architect

very Well done !

ldrayrainey

Verified buyer

05/11/20

Blues 'Awakening'

I am from the south and I have heard blues all my life but, never really understood it. David now has put me on the road to understanding a music I have loved all my life.

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