Welcome to “The Friday 5,” your weekly dose of musical inspiration and education. If you’ve ever been captivated by a blues guitar‘s soulful, emotive strains, you’re not alone. The blues, with its rich history and deep emotional resonance, has been a source of inspiration for musicians and music lovers alike for generations. Join us on a journey to explore the roots, techniques, and nuances of blues guitar that have shaped the landscape of modern music.
RELATED: Get TrueFire All Access and Learn to Play the Blues >
Blues-Rock on the Edge – Walter Trout
“Using 6 of my own tunes, I’ll show you my favorite blues-rock approaches; how to build a solo with more imagination and avoid cliches, how to create more dynamic lines, how to visualize the neck, rhythm guitar strategies, inversions, practice tips, fills in between vocals, and most importantly — how to forget it all and just play!”
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Boogie’s Blues – Jonathon Long
Any musician growing up in Louisiana is heavily influenced by the “gumbo” of musical styles being played all around them — soul, gospel, rock, country, jazz, zydeco, and of course, the blues. Jonathon “Boogie” Long took those influences to a whole new level by incorporating the characteristic feels and techniques of these distinct musical styles into his masterful blues playing. Jonathon shows you how to do the same in this TrueFire masterclass, Boogie’s Blues.
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Shades of Blues – Jack Ruch
In this masterclass from Jack Ruch, you’ll learn 10 of Jack’s favorite approaches for “coloring” your blues solos over basic blues changes, sophisticated changes and even across various styles such as slow blues shuffles, gospel-inspired changes, funky New Orleans style grooves, jazz-blues tunes, latin flavored feels, sophisticated soul changes and lots more.
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Blues-Rock Masterclass – Joe Bonamassa
In this Blues-Rock Masterclass, Joe uses 10 of his songs as the guitar lesson framework for sharing his creative approaches, key influences, and techniques for crafting rhythm guitar parts, improvising solos, performing, and writing songs.
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Blue Highways – Josh Smith
Josh organized Blue Highways into two sections. In the first section, he passes on 11 key concepts and techniques that comprise his singular style and approach to blues guitar: The Basics, Phrasing and Time, Honoring and Disregarding Heroes, Roadmaps, Goals for Blues, Working Towards Goals, Exploring Outside The Pentatonic, Melodic Minor, Rhythm Approaches, The Right Hand, Building a Vocabulary, and Your Personal Style.
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Whether you’re aiming to master the delta blues, electrify your playing with Chicago blues, or add some Texas blues flavor to your repertoire, TrueFire has you covered. So, as you embark on your blues guitar journey with TrueFire, remember that the blues isn’t just a genre; it’s a powerful and authentic expression of the human experience. With the knowledge and skills you’ve gained here, you’re well-equipped to carry the torch of this enduring and soul-stirring music forward. Keep practicing, keep playing, and keep the blues alive!
RELATED: Get TrueFire All Access and Learn to Play the Blues >