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Fingerpicking Blues Variations w/ Pete Madsen
The key to our goal of playing blues variations will be learning the CAGED system: a way of mapping out the entire fretboard by using the first position chords of C – A – G – E – D. These chord shapes can be transferred all over the guitar neck to yield great chord voicings that will make our playing come alive with fresh insights and melodic ideas. We will begin with the basics of the CAGED system, then apply those ideas to Mississippi John Hurt’s song “Stagolee.” We will then apply the system to other blues songs and chord changes. I plan to move pretty slowly in the beginning, but once we get the CAGED concepts down we will, hopefully, pick up the momentum. Other songs include: St. James Infirmary, Cowboy Blues, Train Stop Blues, That’ll Never Happen No More. Note: This class was originally called “Improvising for Fingerstyle Blues,” and with practice these concepts can be applied to improvisation, but in the beginning it becomes more of a mapping process. Participants should be comfortable playing an alternating bass pattern on their guitars, and have some experience playing fingerstyle blues. Pete Madsen is a teacher, writer, guitarist and performer based in Berkeley, California. He has written numerous lessons for Acoustic Guitar and Play Guitar magazines; and is the author of "FretMaster: Slide Guitar" and the "Fretmaster: Funk Book," both published by Backbeat books; as well as "A Guide to Acoustic Blues Guitar" and "The CAGED System for Guitar." |
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Wednesdays, 7:00-8:15 pm, beginning March 13
