Country Blues Guitar

The use of open tunings on the guitar to accompany singing is one of the hallmark sounds of the Country Blues. Unquestionably, the two open tunings that have been used most commonly in the Country Blues have been Spanish tuning, often called Open G tuning and Vestapol tuning, quite often called Open D tuning. For this 2-DVD lesson, we've chosen the names Spanish and Vestapol to designate these tunings, because in practice, Spanish tuning was not alwaystuned exactly to an open G chord and Vestapol tuning was not always tuned to an open D chord.

Each one of these tunings represents its own sort of sound universe, but what is really interesting to hear is the different approaches that different players took to the sametunings, and the different sounds that resulted. In each of these tunings, you'll encounter players whose approach was so melody-driven that it ends up sounding almost like slide guitar played without a slide, and at the oppositeend of the spectrum, high concept, chordally sophisticated arrangements. We've purposely chosen the songs that are taught on the lesson to encompass as much of that sound spectrum as possible.

On Disc 1, the Spanish tuninglesson, we start by presenting an overview to the tuning, how it is set up, and where the foundational chord positions needed to play Country Blues in that tuning are located. Then we launch into the repertoire: Elizabeth Cotten'sserene rendition of the hymn When I Get Home, Mississippi John Hurt's danceable Boys, You're Welcome, Teddy Darby's hypnotic Built Right On The Ground, Clifford Gibson's uptown Bad Luck Dice, Mance Lipscomb's ancient-soundingWillie Poor Boy and Kenny Baker's haunting Legend of the Whistling Brakeman.

On Disc 2, the Vestapol tuning lesson, we begin with the an overview that provides the sound of the tuning, the approach that is best suited toit, and the