Many early blues songs from players such as Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Blake and others were played using the basic Cowboy chords (chords played between the first three frets) that most beginning students have learned. Combining those chords with fingerstyle methods such as Travis picking (alternating bass) or dead thumb (monotonic bass) can be a joy in and of itself. But what if the student could take his/her knowledge of old blues tunes and learn to improvise with them? Using tools such as the CAGED system and using pentatonic scales we can open a new world of improvisation.

In this book we will learn the basic tools for soloing, which include scales and partial chords. We will play several 12 bar solos and analyze how they are built. Along the way you will learn all of the above techniques, but MOST importantly you will learn to create musical phrases. As the word suggests, a phrase is based on the language skills you already possess. If you think of your daily speech as a template for soloing you will bring life and vitality to your playing. *If ordering this book from Amazon there will not be a CD. Instead you can download all the audio files at: http: //learnbluesguitarnow.com/book