Country Blues book?

[Picklefingers]

Hi;

I'm trying to learn country blues; I'm not great with DVD/Youtube tutorials; I've found I'm best with tab books but I'm struggling to find something that's the right level.

Can anyone recommend a book of tab that starts with fairly simple tunes and gets progressively more challenging?

I describe myself as a beggintermediate player and would like to learn some 3/4 minute tunes.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Will.

[pegleghowell]

Try some of Stefan Grossman`s books published by Oak back in the day and/or
Woody Mann`s "Six Black Blues Guitarists"..you may even be able to find them as downloadable PDF`s with a little bit of Googling.They offer a broad range of tunes/styles and the material ranges from beginner to advanced.You`ll need to listen to the original recordings along with the lessons to get the most out of the books and to pick up small details or variations not covered in the transcriptions.

[Picklefingers]

Originally Posted by pegleghowell

Try some of Stefan Grossman`s books published by Oak back in the day and/or
Woody Mann`s "Six Black Blues Guitarists"..you may even be able to find them as downloadable PDF`s with a little bit of Googling.They offer a broad range of tunes/styles and the material ranges from beginner to advanced.You`ll need to listen to the original recordings along with the lessons to get the most out of the books and to pick up small details or variations not covered in the transcriptions.

Thanks for that; no PDF but did find Woody Mann's book for £10 on fleabay so will give it a whirl.

[JonPR]

I'd recommend Stefan Grossman too - even if you have to pay for a book if you can't find a free PDF! - but actually my advice would be old school: listen to the originals and copy them. I.e. the way the original players learned their craft.

Obviously a combination of methods is the best way: recordings and (if you can find them) videos, plus books and youtubes for more detailed guidance.

You can find videos on youtube of Mississippi John Hurt (good beginner level tunes), Rev Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, Skip James, Son House, Fred McDowell, Lightnin' Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb, Sam Chatmon and one or two others. All of it is essential viewing - to at least get the feel, even if the technical details are ahead of you at the moment.

And of course Stefan Grossman has some free lessons on youtube.

[niko]

Since you already have Woody's book, I'd recommend also Stefan Gossman's, and especially this one :
Mel Bay's Complete Country Blues Guitar Book
https://www.guitarvideos.com/stefan-...egory=33687101

[Picklefingers]

I really like the range of Stefan Grossman's books but struggle with the weird tab they use!

Thank you all for your recommendations.

Will.

[Dave Hicks]

Check out Valerie Turner's book for (mostly) Piedmont style: https://www.piedmontbluz.com/book1.html

D.H.

[Picklefingers]

Originally Posted by Dave Hicks

Check out Valerie Turner's book for (mostly) Piedmont style: https://www.piedmontbluz.com/book1.html

D.H.

I have seen that one and looked into it but it isn't available in the UK (or I can't find it!) and the cost of shipping from the US is quite high sadly.

[blue]

Originally Posted by niko

Since you already have Woody's book, I'd recommend also Stefan Gossman's, and especially this one :
Mel Bay's Complete Country Blues Guitar Book
https://www.guitarvideos.com/stefan-...egory=33687101

I got that book at a used book store. It's an impressively large collection. It isn't "progressive" though. You'll have to dig out the easier ones. The good news is they are there.

[reeve21]

Hi Pickle,

Like you, I learn better from a book than a video.

I've got a lot of the materials already mentioned and recommend them. It sounds like some of the Woody Mann and Stefan Grossman stuff might be a stretch right now. The Valerie Turner book has simple arrangements that still sound good.

Here are a couple my teacher had me use early in my country blues journey.

This one is from Steve James, it includes an intro to slide and open tunings.

https://www.amazon.com/Fingerstyle-B...a-529461734532

This one is by Dave Rubin

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009D0MHFO...ng=UTF8&btkr=1

These books contain original tunes designed to build technique.

They set me up pretty well for this anthology of John Hurt tunes, which took me a year to plow through. I had some early issues with Grossman's unusual approach to tab but it becomes second nature after a while.

https://www.amazon.com/Stefan-Grossm...03849146&psc=1

Good luck!

[joe paul]

Absolutely Steve James.
If you like the Fingerstyle Blues Songbook, his Roots and Blues Fingerstyle and Explorations books can take you further.
Honestly, get his last couple of recordings too, the Live and the Blues and Folk Songs Vol 1, it's some of the best playing out there and helps understand the man and the music.

https://stevejames.com/music-dvds-and-books/

[joe paul]

And... John Miller is also a great teacher, maybe the most knowledgeable there is in Country Blues.
If I was starting out again I'd go for this, his book on the foundations. It's possible some of it may be easy for you, not sure of the level, but I'm sure it's worth working through.

https://www.guitarvideos.com/stefan-...egory=33687101

If you want to check out how he plays, there's this :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MhZ9RgdqpY&t=816s

and Steve James, here you go :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKvdxfggM3w