luisk
Verified buyer
04/04/26
Great Course
Very inspiring and a perfect way to learn Eric’s style and approach. Easy to follow and full of ideas you can use right away.
RAW
Tap Into The Unfiltered Soul of Blues Guitar and Unleash Your Most Expressive Playing
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Eric Gales
Educator
—
Genres
About this course
Ask any serious guitarist, journalist, or educator to name the players who have redefined the modern blues idiom, fusing the past with fearless creativity — and Eric Gales’ name will be on every list. From his first record deal as a teenager to commanding festival stages around the world, Eric has spent decades pushing the language of blues guitar forward, blending fiery technique, raw emotion, and an unmistakable voice that transcends genre.
In Raw, Eric strips it all back to the essence. This is his most personal and revealing masterclass to date and a deep dive into how feel, tone, and honesty shape every phrase he plays. He shares the musical roots that shaped him, from his early days playing in church services and marching with the drumline to absorbing lessons from his brothers and the legends who inspired him. You’ll see how those experiences molded his sense of time, touch, and soul, and how he continues to evolve as one of the most expressive voices in modern guitar.
“When I play, I’m not thinking about rules or patterns — I’m feeling it. Every note, every bend, every sound comes from somewhere deep inside. That’s what Raw is all about." – Eric Gales.
What You’ll Discover:
Join Eric Gales inside Raw and rediscover what it means to play with truth and soul. Experience the heart of modern blues guitar. Grab your guitar and dig in!
In Raw, Eric strips it all back to the essence. This is his most personal and revealing masterclass to date and a deep dive into how feel, tone, and honesty shape every phrase he plays. He shares the musical roots that shaped him, from his early days playing in church services and marching with the drumline to absorbing lessons from his brothers and the legends who inspired him. You’ll see how those experiences molded his sense of time, touch, and soul, and how he continues to evolve as one of the most expressive voices in modern guitar.
“When I play, I’m not thinking about rules or patterns — I’m feeling it. Every note, every bend, every sound comes from somewhere deep inside. That’s what Raw is all about." – Eric Gales.
What You’ll Discover:
- How Eric shapes tone, touch, and dynamics to bring emotion and identity to every note
- Creative phrasing, timing, and rhythmic control drawn from his years performing across blues, rock, funk, and soul settings
- Harmonic ideas and chordal movement inspired by organ and keyboard players
- How to improvise with intention and use your ear to guide your expression
- Over 20 performance studies across ten live-band tracks recorded in a range of blues styles
- Full access to TrueFire’s learning tools: synchronized tab and notation, looping, slow motion, and more
Join Eric Gales inside Raw and rediscover what it means to play with truth and soul. Experience the heart of modern blues guitar. Grab your guitar and dig in!
What you'll learn
- Execute rhythm variations within a shuffle feel
- Integrate rhythm and lead parts in a blues context
- Understanding when to play full throttle vs. leaving space in solos
- Learning to combine rhythm and lead guitar parts simultaneously
- Developing dynamic control and phrasing awareness
Release date: 12/11/2025 • 3h 38m runtime
Sample lessons
I Wonder When Groove
Performance Study Overview
I Wonder When Groove
Performance | Rhythm
I Wonder When Groove
Performance | Lead
What's included
56 lessons • 30 charts • 20 Jam Tracks
Eric Gales Raw
Hey everybody. I'm Eric Gales. When I play, I'm not thinking about rules or patterns. I'm feeling it — every note, every bend, every sound comes from somewhere deep inside. That's what RAW is all about. In this masterclass, I'm pulling back the curtain on everything I do: what shaped me as a musician, my feel, and the way that I play. RAW isn't about chasing perfection — it's about chasing expression. It's about understanding your sound, shaping your tone, and trusting your ear to tell you when it's right.
You'll explore how to bring emotion to every note, how to build feel and groove through phrasing, timing, and control. We'll talk about borrowing harmonic ideas from organ and keyboard players to color your rhythm, and how to pull from all kinds of influences like I do — blues, rock, gospel, and jazz — to create something that's uniquely your own.
Across 20 performance studies, I'll show you how I put it all together over a variety of blues feels. You'll have access to all of TrueFire's learning tools: synchronized tab and notation, looping, slow motion, and more. You can dig into every idea at your own pace.
This is about playing from the heart — raw, honest, and real. Grab your guitar, and let's get started.
You'll explore how to bring emotion to every note, how to build feel and groove through phrasing, timing, and control. We'll talk about borrowing harmonic ideas from organ and keyboard players to color your rhythm, and how to pull from all kinds of influences like I do — blues, rock, gospel, and jazz — to create something that's uniquely your own.
Across 20 performance studies, I'll show you how I put it all together over a variety of blues feels. You'll have access to all of TrueFire's learning tools: synchronized tab and notation, looping, slow motion, and more. You can dig into every idea at your own pace.
This is about playing from the heart — raw, honest, and real. Grab your guitar, and let's get started.
Family, Early Influences & Exposure to Music
In this segment, I share where my love for the guitar began and how my earliest influences shaped everything I do today. Growing up surrounded by music—from my brothers playing around the house to the gospel sounds in church—I was exposed to every style imaginable: blues, rock, jazz, country, and more. I picked up the guitar at four years old, learning my first church groove and then an Albert King tune that set me on my path. From there, I soaked up inspiration from players like Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and countless others, while also learning from incredible musicians in my own family. I talk about how those experiences made me the player I am today, why I’m grateful for my roots, and how I continue to learn and draw from other artists, both known and undiscovered, to keep pushing my sound forward.
Lefty, Upside Down & Backwards
In this lesson, I talk about how I ended up playing guitar left-handed, upside down, and backwards—a style that’s become my trademark. I’m the youngest of five brothers, and several of them also played this same way. My middle brother, Little Jimmy King, was a natural lefty, while my oldest brother and I are actually right-handed but still play lefty, which makes it even more unorthodox. When I first picked up a guitar at four years old, I held it the way that felt natural, without knowing there was a “right” or “wrong” way. From that moment on, I stuck with it—learning from right-handed players, flipping what I saw, and figuring things out my own way. Over time, I realized that this unique approach became part of my sound and identity, and I’m grateful I never changed it. My brother always told me to keep playing how I play, and that’s what I want to pass on: whatever works for you, that’s the right way to play.
Tuning Down to E Flat
In this segment, I talk about why I prefer tuning down to E-flat—a habit I’ve had since I was a kid. My brother taught me early on about tuning, string setup, and how to get the right tension, and over time I found that E-flat just felt and sounded better. It gives the guitar a slightly beefier, warmer tone and makes singing easier since my voice sits in a lower range. Tuning down a half step also takes some strain off the strings, though you may need a slightly heavier gauge to keep things tight. For me, playing in E-flat feels completely natural now—standard tuning actually feels a little too tense. Sometimes I’ll even drop the low string another whole step for an even fatter sound. It’s all about comfort, tone, and what works best for your playing style, and for me, E-flat hits that sweet spot.
Poultry Residence Groove
In this lesson, we’re diving into an up-tempo 12-bar blues in G-flat that’s packed with energy and feel. We’ll work through a rhythm part built on tight, staccato chords and a slick half-step walk-down turnaround that really locks in the groove. Then we’ll dig into the lead section, focusing on vocal-like phrasing and classic blues vocabulary that lets the guitar sing. Let’s break it all down and see how we can make it our own.
Poultry Residence Groove
In this lesson, we’re diving into an up-tempo 12-bar blues in G-flat that’s packed with energy and feel. We’ll work through a rhythm part built on tight, staccato chords and a slick half-step walk-down turnaround that really locks in the groove. Then we’ll dig into the lead section, focusing on vocal-like phrasing and classic blues vocabulary that lets the guitar sing. Let’s break it all down and see how we can make it our own.
Poultry Residence Groove
In this lesson, we’re diving into an up-tempo 12-bar blues in G-flat that’s packed with energy and feel. We’ll work through a rhythm part built on tight, staccato chords and a slick half-step walk-down turnaround that really locks in the groove. Then we’ll dig into the lead section, focusing on vocal-like phrasing and classic blues vocabulary that lets the guitar sing. Let’s break it all down and see how we can make it our own.
+ 49 more lessons
Reviews
11 results
Jkevil3
Verified buyer
03/03/26
Worth The Time!
Excellent course! This probably one of the more unique courses on TF, which makes sense considering Gales is one of the more unique guitars players on the scene. It's different because I have approached it both as a course, and I've also played it in the background while I work, similar to a podcast, just let it run and listen to Eric's stories and context. I Highly Recommend this course.
JimmyWilliams
Verified buyer
03/01/26
Mr Gales is Awesome
waltero1
Verified buyer
02/27/26
Raw
I’m right handed. Following the chord forms without the names of them on the tabs is confusing.
Mr_Tibbs2
Verified buyer
02/16/26
A dream made true
You have no idea how much I've wanted Eric Gales to release a class on guitar! This was a dream made true! Thanks TrueFire!
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