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Table of Contents INTRODUCTION EASY BLUES 1 EASY BLUES 2 WARM UP BLUES EM BLUES BIG BILL'S BLUES BLUES FOR MY OLD 45 BLUES FOR TEDDY CONVENTION BLUES CRAWLING BLUES FISHING BLUES HOOKER BLUES INTERNET BLUES MISSISSIPPI FLOOD MORNING BLUES ROLLING BLUES SMOOTH BLUES STROLLING BLUES ABOUT THE AUTHOR MORE FROM RICK PAYNE COPYRIGHT Rick Payne 2017

Simply Blues Fingerstyle Guitar By Rick Payne 2017

INTRODUCTION Fingerstyle guitar is one of the most popular and satisfying ways of playing. Use the thumb and fingers to open up the range of sounds that the guitar can produce, and you're really flying. This is especially so when playing the blues. You can have a neat bass line while still picking away on a melody in the many different blues styles out there. I've been playing this style for many years and it is certainly one of my favourite ways of either arranging or performing. In this collection, I've put together a few of the blues tunes that I've arranged or written. They're all open to improvisation and you should experiment with the styles. All the 18 tunes are supported by audio and some video when available. So, put on your blues shoes and let's get picking. Enjoy! Audio Preview Video Preview

EASY BLUES 1 These two tunes, ‘Easy Blues 1 and 2', were originally compiled for an early course of mine called, ‘Fingerstyle Blues’. They demonstrate the simple but essential technique of constant thumb bass and syncopated top line melody. If you want to play like any of the great blues players, like Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy and many more, as you probably know already, this is the style you have to master. Invention is the key, and you could take these basic pieces to another level. But, as with all great blues, simplicity is often the clue to sounding authentic in the blues. Audio

EASY BLUES 2 Audio

WARM UP BLUES 'Warm Up Blues' is a simple twelve bar in E. Bar 1 kicks off with partial chord E and alternates briefly with the small A chord to create a shuffle style.The partial chord element of this piece, makes fingerstyle blues more effective and authentic by avoiding the normal larger shapes that you might play. The opportunity to improvise with the partial chords of this tune is wide open, so experiment by moving these shapes around the fretboard, and see if you can create a version of your own. Audio Video

EM BLUES This tune is another early invention of mine, used to demonstrate the use of constant thumb in fingerstyle blues. Also, the piece shows how simple chord shapes, as in the opening bars, can be used, while a change of bass string can suggest the change in the three chord blues sequence. It’s an interesting tune, and one open to lots of improvisation. You could move those small chords up and down the fretboard and create a fingerstyle blues marathon! Audio

BIG BILL'S BLUES I'm a huge fan of Big Bill Broonzy. He was one of the undisputed kings of ragtime/blues and can be credited with developing the 'stomping' thumb and fingerstyle which made his playing so distinctive and irresistable. 'Big Bill's Blues' is my tribute to his style, and is fairly easy to play. The three chord progression in A uses the partial two note chords typical in Broonzy's playing, and works with the constant bass pattern. Bars 1 to 4 uses the two note A7 with the thumb on the fifth string. The riff in bars 2 and 4 is typical Broonzy and has a strong Chicago blues feel with slides and bend on the third fret 6th string. Bar 5 uses the classic inverted D7 which features throughout the piece and is moved along by the pull off. After resolving the three chord trick to the bluesy E7, variations to the theme kick in from bar 17 with higher end inversions of A7 and D7, while the thumb maintains the constant bass. The piece is open to lots of movement, so experiment with the partial chords. Learn more about the Big Bill Broonzy style in my course, 'Broonzy Blues'. Audio Video

BLUES FOR MY OLD 45 'Blues for my Old 45', is the first tune I wrote using a recently acquired Gibson J45. It has a really mellow tone and suits the blues style of the piece.The theme uses a combination of E and Em with an easy going boogie line bass. It requires a firm fretting hand to cope with the changing bass line and moving top line chords, especially as you move through Em/G and Ebm/F#. In bar 17 I've introduced a shift in style with the A9 chord, with an alternating bass pattern reminiscent of the country swing playing of Chet Atkins or Merle Travis. This tune was first published in my book, 'Fingerstyle Blues Collection'. Audio Video

BLUES FOR TEDDY This is a regular blues, but played in the classical style with a certain 'Britishness' about it. As a trained classical player, I find it inevitable that this aspect of my playing will show through in all the different styles I enjoy playing. Using a classical picking hand position, it is easy to let all the parts ring out and sound quite different from a standard blues style of 'Clawhammer' or dampening. However, you can try it anyway you chose. There's plenty of movement between the top and bottom line, and some of the bars should be fretted carefully with logical fingering to make it flow smoothly. The opening bars using the bass strings should be played with your thumb, and fret positions could be changed to suit yourself. This tune appears as a study tune in my collection, 'Great British Fingerstyle' Audio Video

CONVENTION BLUES 'Convention Blues' uses a blend of folk and blues, borrowing from the style of Richard Thompson. The traditional sound comes from the free style open strums on the 5 chords, punctuated by fast, 'reel' like runs. Using sus chords also adds to the folk flavour. The blues element is created by the three chord,12 bar arrangement using, basically E, A and B. I prefer to strum rather than pluck the chords, but please try both as the choice is yours. Look out for the pull offs in the reels, as these help maintain the speed.The patterns stay mostly the same throughout. Bending the low string, like at the end of bar 6, help you kick back into the E5 bar and strengthen the blues style. If you enjoy this kind of style, check out players like Richard Thompson, Martin Carthy and Martin Simpson, to name but a few. Audio Video

CRAWLING BLUES Here we have a fingerstyle in the classic fashion of the unique blue splayer, John Lee Hooker. I penned this one for my course, ‘Hooker Blues’. It uses his signature rhythmic triplets and random bass notes, and is typical of the way he played in regular tuning. The blues sequence of E, A and B7 was often mixed up and turned upside down, but this arrangement is fairly standard. Take a listen to his tune,‘Tupelo’, and you’ll get a good idea of this style from the master himself. Audio Video

FISHING BLUES This old tune has been handed down through the years, and was also made famous by Taj Mahal's folk/blues version. I heard a fingerstyle rendition many years ago, and this is the bones of what I can remember. As always, I am interested in the moving bass line style, and often use the tune to demonstrate thumb and finger independence in my workshops. Try and maintain the basic chord positions to help guide you through the piece, and let your fretboard fingering fall naturally into place. Audio Video

HOOKER BLUES This is a simple introduction to a John Lee Hooker type tune using the rootsy sounds of open A tuning. It sounds just as effective in open G with a capo on second fret if you don't want tune your strings that high.The shuffle style of the open sequence should be played fairly tight, and the off beat chords clipped, with fret hand muting to create the Hooker flavour. Bar 5 uses his classic IV chord device the D7 played as if you using a C chord shape in regular tuning. This should be played with a mix of open and muted sound. To break up the rhythm I've used a typical Hooker pattern in bar 9, sliding triplets and riff. Also, there is another classic triplet riff in bar 13. This kind of accompaniment can quite easily ramble on with no urgency to change chords, and is a great way to emulate the Hooker sound. This tune featured as an exercise in my course, 'Hooker Blues'. Audio Video

INTERNET BLUES 'Internet Blues', was written as another exercise for my book, 'Fingerstyle Blues'. It has a kind of 'Fats Domino' feel to the bass line, and demonstrates thumb and finger independance. The partial chords form the normal 12 bar blues pattern of E7, A7 and B7, while the moving bass provides the melody and drives along the chords. It's fairly easy to play once you sort out your fretboard fingering. Audio Video

MISSISSIPPI FLOOD Here's another tune I wrote for my course 'Hooker Blues', dedicated to the great John Lee Hooker. It's a take on the kind of accompaniment he would use in tunes like 'Tupelo' or 'I'll Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive'. Simple phrases, as in bar 1, would set the piece rolling slowly along. These phrases might often be repeated throughout as a kind of hook. In this fairly straight down the line blues, he broke his own rules, and would complete a normal 12 bar sequence, as in this piece. Audio Video

MORNING BLUES I wrote this tune early in the morning, hence the title, but it could have been called 'Bert's Blues' after the late great Bert Jansch as he often played the Big Bill Broonzy style alongside his own blend of folk guitar. 'Morning Blues' is my take on this mix of styles - a thumping four beat pattern on the bass, with bluesy two note chords and folky sus chords thrown in the bag. It's essentially a three chord trick using Em, Am and Bsus4. From the very beginning maintain the four beat bass pattern with your thumb while your fingers play the melody around the partial Em at the 7th fret. Bar 2 has an interesting mix between A/C# and A7 that being the Jansch influence. Variations in the tune are provided by the two note minor chords against the constant bass. Use a logical fingering it's fairly easy as the same shapes occur with just a change of bass note. Once you get into the swing of the piece, you can improvise by moving the two notechords around the fretboard.This tune was first published in my book, 'Fingerstyle Blues Collection'. Audio Video

ROLLING BLUES 'Rolling Blues', first featured in my course, 'Great BritishFingerstyle'. It was used to demonstrate the influence of American piano and guitar blues on British guitarists. The tune is loosely based on the style of 'Jelly Roll Morton' who as a boogie woogie player, definitely influenced the likes of Bert Jansch, Davey Graham and many more. Audio Video

SMOOTH BLUES 'Smooth Blues' uses a 'shuffle' rhythm, primarily between the E7, A6 and B6 chords. It is a popular Chicago blues style and, in this arrangement, gives an overall smooth flavour, similar to the style of T Bone Walker. It can be picked or strummed,with the low E string adding depth to the moving chords above. It is simply the changing chord inversions in this piece that create the melody, and demonstrate the great effects you can make if you to move away from the basic open chord positions.This tune appears in my book, 'Fingerstyle Blues Collection. Audio Video

STROLLING BLUES 'Strolling Blues' was inspired by the great John Lee Hooker. It captures one ofthe many ways he used a constant bass with simple rolling chords. The sequence is based around a twelve bar in E, using E7, A7 and B7, mostly around the open position. The Hooker type motif is played at the end of each bar, as a little bass riff. This is a great way of introducing each bar and is simple to play. Bar 1 sets the style, with a hammer on from open to third string. You can try bending 3rd fret second string for a more bluesy effect. Bar 13 introduces a little single note improvisation to break away from the rolling pattern of the first twelve bars. To maintain the flavour of this early blues style, try dampening the bass with the palm of the picking hand, just before the bridge. This technique is especially effective in the solo passages. This tune appears in my course, 'Blues And Rags Collection' Audio Video

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rick Payne is an established acoustic Blues guitarist with many national and international tours to his credit. He has become especially well known for his authentic acoustic blues finger picking, in the many traditional styles of the blues including Delta blues, Piedmont, Ragtime and slide and has recorded several albums of this kind. Often compared with Ry Cooder, guitar maestro Rick Payne’s performances have taken him to prime time TV, to festivals and theatres throughout the UK and on tour to Europe, India, USA, Scandinavia and the Greek Islands. He has provided music to a number of major TV productions, for programmes on Radio 4 and the BBC World Service. He has also featured on The Paul Jones and Mike Harding's show on BBC Radio 2. Rick has recorded a number of CDs, including the noted Blue River Blues Reviewers have described his sound as: heart wrenching and passionate, delicate and scorching, seriously brilliant, totally absorbing and spellbindingly evocative with raw and fiery vocals to match. Rick's latest CD Radio City is now available as CD or download. As a teacher he has written and facilitated many Courses and guitar workshop style sessions, teaching the art of Big Bill Broonzy, Robert Johnson, Blind Blake, Rev Garry Davis, Django, Ry Cooder and many more.

MORE FROM RICK PAYNE

Rick Payne courses e books available include: Hooker Blues - available in the Kindle Store Blues And Rag Tags - available in the Kindle Store Great British Finger Style - available in the Kindle Store Broonzy Blues - available in the Kindle Store Let's Django - available in the Kindle Store Ry Cooder Slide Guitar - rickpayne.co.uk Ry Cooder Finger Style - rickpayne.co.uk Blues Chord Buster - available in the Kindle Store Chord Creative - available in the Kindle Store Blues And Rags Collection - available in the Kindle Store Blues In A Day - available in the Kindle Store Bottleneck Blues Volume 1 - available in the Kindle Store Bottleneck Blues Volume 2 - available in the Kindle Store Spirit Of The Blues - available in the Kindle Store Simply Ragtime Fingerstyle - available in the Kindle Store

COPYRIGHT Rick Payne 2017 www.rickpayne.co.uk