Fingerpicking Lessons From Toby Walker

[Toby Walker]

Fingerpicking Blues, Slide and Ragtime guitar lessons
Movies and tab that you can easily download.

"Toby Walker is one of the finest instructors we've ever had at the Swannanoa Gathering. His teaching style is engaging and entertaining, leaving the students wanting more and more. Everyone loves Toby."
Al Petteway, Guitar Week Coordinator

"Flat out... you have to hear this great musician... I'm blown away."
- Jorma Kaukonen
Hot Tuna, Jefferson Airplane.


"Toby Walker is a fingerstyle guitar virtuoso, especially adept at blues, rags and hot country picking. He has a solid command of all aspects of blues fingerpicking, and he knows how to teach it as well."
- Happy Traum, founder of Homespun Music Instruction.

Most teachers simply teach you how to play a song and that's it. You wind up playing the same 12 to 16 or so bars over and over again, which can get very dull after awhile.

I'll take you MUCH further by giving you the tools to find out what makes a song really tick, and how to add countless variations to the music. I'll also show you how to apply this knowledge to ANY other song that you already play!

You'll be more creative, imaginative, and knowledgeable on your instrument and surprised at how technically proficient you'll become in the process!

I'll teach you how to fish, rather than just feed you a fish.

BONUS: Included with your order you'll receive:

• Email Support
• YouTube Support
• Enrollment in my Lick Of The Month Club.

Here's the first of many lessons I'll be listing here. Feel free to check out my movies and the links in my signature.



Blues Foundation

If you're just starting out in fingerpicking or already fingerpick and want to build a solid foundation of acoustic blues playing by adding some new songs, licks and techniques, while understanding how it works in all the popular blues keys, then this course is for you.

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/blues-foundation.html



Dear Toby,
"I have been practicing the guitar for a year and a half now, using your lessons, for an hour every single day. Specifically, those Blues Packs in E, A, and C.
Each pack have been a fantastic introduction to those keys and I feel that I got much more out of them then I paid for.
Those lessons have given me the tools for picking up new things such as licks and ideas whenever I listen or watch other players.
Most important, I am today a much better player than I was then so thank you." Vincent.

[Toby Walker]

Fingerpicking Chicago Blues

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/fi...ago-blues.html

[Toby Walker]

Basket Full Of Lessons

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/basket-of-lessons.html

Over 40 video fingerpicking guitar lessons are jammed into this basket!!!!
Everything from hot licks, double stops, turnarounds, endings, reverse hammers, funky tricks, snazzy chords, finger exercises.... a TON of cool stuff!!

[Toby Walker]

Band In YOUR Hand

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/band-in-your-hand.html

Turn your fingerpicking hand into a virtual one man (or woman) band.

[Toby Walker]

Learning How To Fingerpick

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/learning-how-to-finger-pick.html

A complete course that will give you the solid fundamentals of fingerpicking from which to further build on 21 movies, 10 pages of tab, and 7 songs!!



Ever wonder how people could keep a melody line going on top of an alternating bass (Travis Picking), making the guitar sound like it's being played by two people... effortlessly? Did you ever want to learn that, even if you've never finger picked before or just "fooled around" a bit? Then this is the course for you. Not only will you learn this wonderful way of sounding like a one-man (or woman) band, but you'll also learn some exciting country blues songs in the process.

I'll start you off with a basic alternating bass pattern that you can easily do within a few minutes. Pretty soon you'll be adding in the melody to "Oh Susanna" on top of that bass line, and quite possibly amazing yourself at how easy this can be.

By the end of this course you'll sound like an accomplished fingerpicker, independently weaving beautiful melodies with strong, solid bass lines. You will have all the skills you need to move on to a multitude of songs that you never would have thought were possible.

Here are the songs you'll learn:
"Oh Susanna" - Traditional
"Spike Driver Blues" - Mississippi John Hurt
"Sugar Babe" - Mance Lipscomb
"Crow Jane" - Traditional
"How Long Blues" - Leroy Carr
"Beggin' Back Blues" - Blind Lemon Jefferson
"Freight Train" - Elizabeth Cotton

Level: Beginning to beginning/intermediate. All you need to know are several open chords on the guitar to get started.

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/learning-how-to-finger-pick.html

[Toby Walker]

Learning Slide Guitar

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/learning-slide-guitar.html

A complete course that will give you the solid fundamentals in learning slide guitar.



For a few years now, folks have been asking me to put together some slide guitar lessons, so here you go: 16 pages of tab, 27 Quick Time movies, and songs in the styles of Blind Willie Johnson, Mance Lipscomb, Blind Willie McTell, Mississippi Fred McDowell. and Elmore James.

8 jam-packed lessons with tab, movies, songs, and hours of instruction are included in this set!

If you've never played slide guitar or tried but couldn't get the hang of it, then this series of lessons will certainly unlock the mysteries of this unique style of playing.

You'll learn:
• How to get the best tone
• How to get rid of unwanted notes by muting
• How to expand upon a song once you learn the basics
• Several songs in the styles of the slide guitar giants.
• Fingerpicking the bass while playing slide melodies
• Cool turnarounds and double stop licks
• Vestapol tuning (Open D), one of the most versatile and powerful tunings used by country blues guitarists over the decades.

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/learning-slide-guitar.html

[jaan]

I just ordered a couple of these. I always admired your playing and videos posted here. Looking forward to getting started.

Thanks Toby!
Jaan

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by jaan

I just ordered a couple of these. I always admired your playing and videos posted here. Looking forward to getting started.

Thanks Toby!
Jaan

Thanks Jaan. I'll get them right out to you.

[Toby Walker]

Raggin' The Blues



For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/raggin-the-blues-pack.html

If you ever wanted to master the Piedmont style of Ragtime/Blues guitar than this is the pack for you.



I've included 6 songs that will cover the range of this exciting and fun school of guitar playing. You'll be putting that 'Pizzazz' into your playing and swinging for sure!

Hey Hey Daddy Blues' by Bilnd Blake, 'Buck Dance' and 'Lord I'll Be With You Always' by Reverend Gary Davis, 'Jivin' Woman Blues' by Blind Boy Fuller, my own arrangement of 'Step It Up and Go,' and 'Going To The Racetrack' by Etta Baker. Of course I'll also be teaching folks how to put their own spin on those songs with the multitude of techniques that they'll be learning.


In addition to learning these six songs I will teach you how to add a TON of additional licks which will improve your playing and give you the ability to turn any one of these songs into one of your own.

You'll be able to put YOUR stamp on them, something no other instructional method shows you how to do!!!

There is over 4 1/2 hours of instructional videos and dozens of pages of tab here!!

In 'Hey Hey Daddy Blues' by Blind Blake you'll learn:
• The jazzy chords that Blake was fond of.
• Blake's use of 'double-thumbing' to really swing the tune.
• Bouncing walking bass lines.
• Snazzy single line runs.
• Triplet licks that make the chords come alive.

In 'Buck Dance' and
'Lord, I'll Be With You Always' by Gary Davis you'll learn:
• How Davis made his guitar 'talk.'
• His unique way of playing chord inversions and diminished chords.
• How to add some backward banjo rolls.
• Alternate variations of his solos.

In 'Jivin' Woman Blues' by Blind Boy Fuller you'll learn:
• What a ragtime/jazz chord progression looks and sounds like.
• His unique single line licks.
• Moving bass lines
• Swinging right hand patterns.
• Two jazzy solos that I composed especially for this song and style.


In 'Goin' To The Racetrack' by Etta Baker you'll learn:
• The true style of Piedmont blues by one of it's finest players.
• Her way of playing the E chord which enabled her to reach higher notes.
• The way she used a 'backwards' hammer on to really swing the song.
• A variation solo which I composed for this song.


'Step It Up and Go' is my own take on the popular Piedmont song. you'll learn:
• How a ragtime/blues progression moves right along in the key of E.
• How I developed my variations for the solos.
• How to add new chord inversions and swing chords to the song.
• Adding quick moving arpeggio single line licks to play over chords.

Level: Intermediate to advanced fingerpickers. No matter where you are on this spectrum, you'll be upping your game immensely.

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/raggin-the-blues-pack.html

[Toby Walker]

Robert Johnson and BEYOND



For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/robert-johnson-and-beyond.html

Learn the style of this incredible blues musician AND be able to put your own stamp on each song.



In addition to learning these six songs I will teach you how to add a TON of additional licks which will improve your playing and give you the ability to turn any one of these songs into one of your own.

You'll be able to put YOUR stamp on them, something no other instructional method shows you how to do!!!

In "Drunken Hearted Man" you'll learn:
• The unique chords that Johnson used
• Johnson's use of double-stop triplets
• The oddest turnaround of all
• Lonnie Johnson's jazzy licks and how to add them to this song
• Interesting ways to play a G chord in Drop D tuning. There are a total of 8 movies and 3 pages of tab chock full of licks.

In "Stop Breaking Down" you'll learn:
• The unique way Johnson played - without a slide - in Spanish tuning.
• Johnson's use of shuffle bass with added notes on top.
• How to add a "Double Time" technique to spice up your solos.
• Additional licks, bass runs, and double stops in Spanish Tuning.

In "When You Got A Good Friend" you'll learn:
• How to use common tones in chords to add variety.
• "Open Note Transportation" - seamlessly playing across the fingerboard.
• Getting the most out of diminished, 6th, and 9th chords.
• Using triplets in your solos.

In "Steady Rolling Man" you'll learn:
• How to play tasteful triplet licks above a steady bass line.
• How to turn one lick into a "pocket full" of equally exciting and diverse ones.
• How to combine boogie woogie bass lines with other notes of the chord .
• The "backwards triplet roll" - a cool way to use arpeggios.
• How to improvise and come up with your own versions of the song.
• How to apply these licks to other songs.

In "They're Red Hot" you'll learn:
• The use of chord substitutions with 9th, added 9th, diminished, and 6th chords.
• How to move from one 7th chord to another with "The Diminished Bridge.'"
• Right hand techniques such as a banjo "backward roll," the "Boom Chuck," and what I like to call "The Corkscrew."

In "Hell Hound On My Trail" you'll learn:
• The "crossnote" tuning that Johnson used and how to REALLY use it!
• The powerful way descending bass lines work.
• How I use "Bentonia" chords to add even more ideas to this song.
• How to improvise and come up with your own versions of the song.
• How to apply the E minor and B minor pentatonic scales to create interesting licks.

Level: for intermediate players as well as advanced - you'll need to know how to play your open chords and be able to do some basic fingerpicking patterns.


For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/robert-johnson-and-beyond.html

[Toby Walker]

Baby Please Don't Go



For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/baby-please-dont-go.html

Who can beat Mance Lipscomb when it comes to driving blues?



Mance Lipscomb had a syncopated, steady drive that inspired countless country and modern day blues musicians, and this song is one of the prime examples of his playing.

You'll learn how to keep a rock solid bass line going while playing some wonderful, syncopated melody lines on top. Some of the techniques you'll be learning will be the reverse hammer, the reverse slide and the reverse pull off, which really gave Mance's songs a super swing quality.

I'll show you how he did his solo plus, as an added bonus, I'm also including my own solo at the end, which I constructed in Mance's style. I'll also explain my thinking behind that, and how you can do the same in some of the songs you're already playing.

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/baby-please-dont-go.html

[Toby Walker]

I have a new one that will soon be released. It'll be a challenging instrumental that will improve your technique and be a wonderful tune to add to your repertoire.

[Toby Walker]

The Packs. Total immersion.
Pick a key and completely master it.



The "Packs" are a series of lessons that are specifically designed around each of the "Blues" keys. Each "Pack" contains several songs by various artists, licks, chords, turnarounds, endings, intros, and special tips to give you complete mastery over that particular key.

The "Packs" are some of my best selling lessons for a reason: They work. Based on the proven concept of total immersion, you will be studying songs and ideas that are completely based on the key for that particular Pack. The result is a comprehensive mastery of playing within that key.

Each "Pack" consists of dozens of lessons that go beyond just teaching you how to play songs... you'll become an expert in the key that you're working in. You'll really get an inside view as to every possible way to get the most out of any song you'll learn in that particular key. You'll have a great time learning new turnarounds, bass lines, exciting licks, CAGED systems, chord variations, and much more. I'll also teach you how to apply what you just learned in one song to the other ones.


To find out more about these PACKS, just click on this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/the-packs.html

[Toby Walker]

The A Pack

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/the-a-pack.html

The 'A Pack'
 - Becoming Super Proficient in Playing Country Blues In The Key Of A

 .



Lots of folks learn songs. You'll learn to pull those songs apart and discover how to use the "treasures within" to raise your own playing to new heights.
Learn how to put Blind Boy Fuller Turnarounds into Robert Johnson songs; combine Mance Lipscomb's lead lines with Lemon Jefferson's boogie woogie bass lines.
You'll learn how to mix and match hot licks, turnarounds, endings, jazzy chords, and much more. You'll come away with so many ideas that you'll never need to play a song the same way twice!
All of these ideas are unique to the key of A... hence why I call it the "A Pack." 


Song List: All the songs come with numerous variations which again show you how to expand your playing.

"Shake Shake Mama" - Mance Lipscomb

"Kind-Hearted Woman" - Robert Johnson

"Me and the Devil Blues" - Robert Johnson

"Black and Tan" - Blind Boy Fuller

"Coffee Blues" - Mississippi John Hurt

"Matchbox Blues" - Lemon Jefferson

* Bonus *

Turnarounds and Endings

Using 6th and 9th chords

Applying Piedmont Licks to Delta Songs

Level: for intermediate players as well as advanced - you'll need to know how to play your open chords and be able to do some basic fingerpicking patterns.



For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/the-a-pack.html

[Toby Walker]

The G Pack

For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/the-g-pack.html

The 'G Pack'
 - Becoming Super Proficient in Playing Country Blues In The Key Of G. 44 movies, Plenty of tab, 6 songs, the caged system, and a ton of licks!

 .



The G Pack features Blind Blake's "That'll Never Happen No More," Robert Johnson's "Love In Vain," Big Bill Broonzy's "Key To The Highway," "Special Rider Blues" by Skip James, the gospel blues of "Let Us Get Together," and Pink Anderson's "Try Some Of That," all in the key of G. Finally, I'll teach you how the CAGED System works and how it can be applied to any key, especially G.

As in all my lessons, you'll not only learn the songs but how to improvise and add your own solos to each one!!

In 44 instructional movies with all the accompanying tablature included, you'll also learn:

• How to play the blues up and down the fingerboard like a master.
• How to sound like a one-person band... bassist, rhythm, and lead all rolled into one.
• The G6 tuning and how easily it can be used for playing blues. I mean... EASY.
• How to use double stops effectively in solos and accompaniments.
• How to combine bass AND those double stops to create some interesting syncopated lines.
• The all-important and widely used 9th chords and 6th interval licks.
• Right-hand techniques such as the forward and backward banjo roll and the "corkscrew."
• How to improvise in Spanish tuning and G6 tuning in a fun and easy way.
• How to play triplet lead licks above a steady bass line.
• How to use diminished chords to transition between other chords.
• A variety of chord inversions.
• How to really "swing" a song the way Blind Blake did, with jumping bass lines and melody notes.

Level: for intermediate players as well as advanced - you'll need to know how to play your open chords and be able to do some basic fingerpicking patterns.



For more information, click this link:
http://www.tobywalkerslessons.com/the-g-pack.html