Expanding Blues Guitar
4.7 (6)

Tired of the same cliche blues licks? Feeling stuck in that old pentatonic box? Need some fresh new chord voicings for your blues progressions? Want your solos to actually reflect the sound of the chord changes? In this 4-week course, we will explore ways to make the sound of the blues changes come out in your playing. We will look at voice-leading through blues progressions, methods for outlining chord changes in your single note lines, more organic soloing, enhancing your vocabulary with jazz-influenced sounds, chord substitutions, modes, and more! We will examine how blues players like B.B. King, Albert King, Robben Ford, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, approach making the changes when improvising over a blues progression. The course includes handouts, and opportunities for Q&A and live feedback!

What's included

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Jamey Arent
On TIL since 2022
I'm a Los Angeles-based touring/session guitarist, solo artist, and music educator. I've toured/recorded with Frankie Valli, Smokey Robinson, Matthew Morrison, B. Slade, Spencer Day, Nigel Hall, and Raquel Rodriguez. I am an adjunct professor of guitar at Los Angeles City College.
What you'll do
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Voice Leading The Blues
We will break down the most important notes in each chord of the blues, and use them to build great-sounding voicings closely connected to other chords in the progression all over the guitar neck. We will also look at some useful substitutions in the blues progression, and learn how altered chords work. This type of chord knowledge will enhance your single note blues improvising too!
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Making The Changes
A good soloist can make their improvised solos reflect the sound of the chord progression within their lines. We will examine different ways to bring out the sound of the chord changes in the blues by hitting different chord tones, utilizing different pentatonic scales, and analyzing some classic blues licks from T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, Albert King, Robben Ford, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
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Organic Blues
As guitarists, we have a tendency to get stuck in guitar cliches and overplay when we solo. Utilizing rhythmic phrasing, motivic development, and horn player-influenced breathing, we can make our solos more interesting for the listener and the band by actually saying something!
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Modes, Advanced Scales, Jazz Blues, Minor Blues and more!
In this final week of the course, we will look at how to utilize modes of the major scale, melodic minor scale, and harmonic minor scale in a blues context. We will also look at common jazz blues and minor blues chord changes to enhance your knowledge of what is possible within a 12-bar blues form.
Who you are
Though this class is open to players of all skill levels, it will probably be most useful for intermediate to advanced players looking to expand the possibilities of what can be played over a blues progression. It is recommended that you know the basic 12-bar blues progression and feel comfortable talking a solo.
What to bring
Your guitar and whatever you'd like to take additional notes! A looper is recommended for demonstrating your own playing over a blues progression, but it's not required.
4.7 (6 reviews)
profile
Bob Finch
January 2023

Jamey is a great teacher and is very personable. He manages to move at a pace that, at least to me, balances between those in the class familiar with basic concepts in music theory and those (like me) with a more modest understanding, which is to say, I need to pay attention and revisit the recorded classes, but Jamey challenges me just enough to keep me interested and engaged, never frustrated. I have learned a lot already and love the new material I have to work with.

Stew B
January 2023

Jamey does a great job in prep, reads the room well in these virtual settings to gauge what is resonating with the group, and teaches by example. I find the sessions to be an effective blend of fundamentals along with applied creativity. I'm really glad I signed up, and plan to continue.

Daniel Mathews
January 2023

Jeremy is amazingly knowledgeable about the guitar and always explains things very thoroughly.

D
January 2023

He is the Guitar Master! Good info in the class with handouts and links. Great demonstrations and answers everyones questions. Quick email responses.

Michael McQuilkin
January 2023

Break out of the Pentatonic Box, Learn to Improvise in Blues like Your Guitar Heroes.

Michael
January 2023

I think Jamie’s teaching is clear and easy to follow. I think we cover a bit too much too fast and I can’t keep up. But, I am definitely learning some great material.

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