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  #16  
Old 08-05-2013, 10:01 AM
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Toby Walker Toby Walker is offline
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Originally Posted by Blueser100 View Post
Thanks Toby. I see that the "Bad Luck Blues with Extras" is exactly what you are talking about. Worked through that version today and it really spices up the tune! Only thing I was wondering is, you said sing as I play but I have no idea about the lyrics. Is there a lyric sheet in the materials somewhere?
I don't include lyric sheets with the lessons but the lyrics are available online. Years ago... before the internet... we all had to guess as to what some of these guys were singing. Not an easy thing to do given the poor quality of some of those older recordings. In some cases I've seen several variations of lyrics of the same song.
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  #17  
Old 08-05-2013, 09:22 PM
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Ok Toby sounds like a fun addition to the project!
  #18  
Old 08-06-2013, 11:14 AM
LeftArm LeftArm is offline
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Just noticed something which perhaps I should have realised earlier. Each lick ends on a root note. Each bar that doesn't end on a root leads to a bar that does. The result of this is that all even bars end on a root and most odd bars do as well. This should help me out with improvising a bit as I tend to try to cram too many notes in each bar.
Toby, do you have any tips on getting that nice tremolo sound on your long notes? When I try this the whole guitar is wobbling around?

There's lyrics for Bad Luck Blues here:
http://www.luckymojo.com/bluesbadluckjefferson.html
But I'm not sure how they fit in the meter of the tune.
  #19  
Old 08-06-2013, 02:16 PM
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Originally Posted by LeftArm View Post
Just noticed something which perhaps I should have realised earlier. Each lick ends on a root note. Each bar that doesn't end on a root leads to a bar that does. The result of this is that all even bars end on a root and most odd bars do as well. This should help me out with improvising a bit as I tend to try to cram too many notes in each bar.
Toby, do you have any tips on getting that nice tremolo sound on your long notes? When I try this the whole guitar is wobbling around?

There's lyrics for Bad Luck Blues here:
http://www.luckymojo.com/bluesbadluckjefferson.html
But I'm not sure how they fit in the meter of the tune.
I like to think of the root note as the period at the end of a sentence, or an exclamation mark if your really have something exciting to say! That's how I think when I'm improvising... as a monologue with a series of sentences that begins and ends in a logical manner. By ending your phrases on a root note you can make a pretty nice statement. Of course you don't always have to do that... ending on a 5th works and even a 3rd.

As far as getting a tremolo (vibrato) sound I use wrist to wiggle back and forth when doing it with my first finger. When I play a tremolo with my 2nd, 3rd or 4th fingers I use the finger itself to gently tug down on the string and then letting it spring up by itself. I never found the need to make the whole guitar shake though. It's all in your fretting hand... fingers and wrist.

I realize this is a little tough for me to describe so I just made a little movie on my trust iPad.
Just scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the link that says 'Getting A Good Vibrato.'


http://www.littletobywalker.com/how-...a-vibrato.html

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  #20  
Old 08-07-2013, 10:39 AM
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Thanks Toby that video has really helped.


I think you are going to have your work cut out with this thread.

  #21  
Old 08-07-2013, 06:25 PM
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Thanks Toby that video has really helped.


I think you are going to have your work cut out with this thread.

No problem. When I'm off the road I have a bit more time. Besides... I like doing this stuff.
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  #22  
Old 08-08-2013, 04:57 PM
MrBJones MrBJones is offline
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Hi folks. I'm nearing the end of the second disk of Stefan Grossman's "Fingerpicking Guitar Techniques"; it's been just the right level challenge. I had figured on going straight to his "Fingerpicking Country Blues". But I've heard so many good things about Toby's lessons that maybe I'll go to one of them instead. Would any be appropriate as a follow-up to Grossman's "Techniques"?
  #23  
Old 08-08-2013, 07:04 PM
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Hi folks. I'm nearing the end of the second disk of Stefan Grossman's "Fingerpicking Guitar Techniques"; it's been just the right level challenge. I had figured on going straight to his "Fingerpicking Country Blues". But I've heard so many good things about Toby's lessons that maybe I'll go to one of them instead. Would any be appropriate as a follow-up to Grossman's "Techniques"?
Hi MrBJones,

Stefan does a great job at showing you how to play a variety of songs in the fingerpicking blues/rag style. I personally think that any of my PACK lessons would be a wonderful followup to his course. What you'll learn is how to expand on the songs you already learned or the ones that I teach in the PACKS. What I do is show folks how to incorporate all kinds of licks, bass runs, chord inversions and more into ANY song in a particular key.

The E PACK in particular shows you how to use the CAGED system to make your way all over the fingerboard, thus giving you the knowledge and freedom to take songs in any direction you'd like.

You can find these on my web site.
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Last edited by Toby Walker; 08-08-2013 at 09:34 PM.
  #24  
Old 08-08-2013, 09:25 PM
clintj clintj is offline
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I added the D box to the E box, and am picking them up fast now. I've started adding this stuff to my vocabulary and incorporating it into playing G and C blues as well. I can actually improvise a couple of measures at a time now and have it sound pretty good! Kudos for making these, Toby. I'm actually really enjoying learning something I've put off way too long.
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  #25  
Old 08-09-2013, 06:00 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clintj View Post
I added the D box to the E box, and am picking them up fast now. I've started adding this stuff to my vocabulary and incorporating it into playing G and C blues as well. I can actually improvise a couple of measures at a time now and have it sound pretty good! Kudos for making these, Toby. I'm actually really enjoying learning something I've put off way too long.
Thanks clintj and Kudos to YOU for applying the boxes to other keys and for your success in improvising!! That's exactly what I enjoy hearing. Keep up the good work amigo!
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  #26  
Old 08-09-2013, 08:09 PM
Fuzzy125 Fuzzy125 is offline
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Default A quick question for Toby

Should I work through your Blues Fingerpicking Freedom 1 & 2 before tackling the Packs? Or is it the other way around? How would you compare the two series in terms of the level of difficulty?
  #27  
Old 08-10-2013, 06:27 AM
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Should I work through your Blues Fingerpicking Freedom 1 & 2 before tackling the Packs? Or is it the other way around? How would you compare the two series in terms of the level of difficulty?
Hi Fuzzy,

They all work hand in hand and are within the Intermediate fingerpicking level.

The only difference is that the PACKS start out at an intermediate level and take you a bit further.

How about it guys... anyone else have experience with the BFF?
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Last edited by Toby Walker; 08-10-2013 at 08:23 AM.
  #28  
Old 08-15-2013, 02:30 PM
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How are you folks coming along with the lessons?
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  #29  
Old 08-15-2013, 02:39 PM
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I'm doing well, mostly focusing on the first two C pack songs, to get melodies and licks under fingers so I can wean myself from the tab. Not doing much singing but I hope to start another tune thus weekend.
  #30  
Old 08-16-2013, 04:51 AM
LeftArm LeftArm is offline
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I'm still running through the E,D,C,A,G box licks. I'm still conscious that I am playing them from the tab with little alteration (The odd slide or pull off here and there). I've started to try to break this habit by putting two sets on the music stand and playing a few bars from one then the other.
I've also started "Dead Bass in E Across the Board"
I think I may be rushing too much at once...

(I'm also learning Candy Man from the C pack as Eric Bibb does a really nice version on a CD that I have.)
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