Not just what, but HOW
Everyone gets in a rut at some point, and starts looking for a way to make the familiar sound new and fun again. If you feel like your blues soloing needs a reboot, it might seem like learning more scales and arpeggios is the answer. But it's easy to quickly get overwhelmed by the sheer amount there is to learn and all the ways you're told you need to practice it, before you even get to playing anything remotely cool-sounding.
Fortunately, it doesn't have to be that complicated. Guitarists like Charlie Christian, Tiny Grimes, Herb Ellis and Duke Robillard really rely on just a few essential scales in a couple of positions on the neck, yet manage to spin out a seemingly endless variety of blues choruses that combine the drive and impact of the blues with the wit and sophistication of jazz. With the right ideas and information, you can too.
A Three-Step Method to Upgrade your Soloing
Know The Swing Roadmap
When it comes to the twelve-bar progression, swing musicians pick up where Delta and Chicago blues leaves off. Understand how to think like a swing musician, and your hands will follow.
Right Scales, Right Phrasing
Swing soloing is based on just a few recurring scales played with very specific kinds of rhythms, or phrasing. Use these building blocks to emulate this classic style, or repurpose them to your own creative ends.
Build a Vocabulary of Moves
Swing licks resolve – every phrase in a swing solo is constantly on the go. With just a handful of licks in one familiar position, you can start putting together your own swing-style blues choruses.
Getting That Sound Shouldn't Feel Mysterious
Learning new licks and how to put them together does take time and practice, but what to work on and how to get there shouldn't be a big mystery or take the rest of your life to accomplish. From the outside, the swing style can look hard to decipher, but it's really just based on a few key scales and, more importantly, a few key concepts for creating authentic, musical and convincing solos. For this workshop, I've distilled those concepts down to the essentials, and I'll show you how swing musicians think about the blues form, the specific kinds of licks you need to play twelve bar blues in the swing style, how to put those licks together in the most musical, intuitive way possible, and the best way to practice your new vocabulary.
HOW IT WORKS
Sign Up
Use the secure form below to sign up for and attend the live online workshop (or watch the replay later)
Take The Workshop
Learn the most essential swing scales and how to apply them to the twelve bar blues
Start Swinging The Blues
Watch the replay for an entire year, organize your practice plan, and start swinging the blues changes
Is this workshop for electric or acoustic guitar players?
Do I need to play with a pick to take this workshop?
Is this workshop part of the Fingerstyle Five membership?
Do I need to sign up for all three workshops?
Is there a special price if I sign up for all three workshops?
I missed the Freddie Green workshop. Can I still sign up for it now?
$79 04/22/23 FREDDIE GREEN CHORDS
Comp authentic swing rhythms on the blues with these classic voicings and chord substitutions
$79 05/20/23 THE SWING SCALE
Play the changes on the blues with this one essential scale
$79 06/24/23 BEBOP FOR BEGINNERS
Add chromatic notes and altered tones to your blues improvisation
Sign up for all three Reliable Source workshops now and save $40!
Get a year's access to The Swing Scale, the replay of April's Freddie Green Chords, and June's Bebop For Beginners for $197.
Please read if you are purchasing the Reliable Source Bundle:
Your total of $197 will be processed as two separate charges. You will only see the initial $79 charge at first, but as you continue with your order, the second, $118 charge will show up and process next.
