learnacousticblues

WELCOME to Learn Blues Guitar Now!

The site is dedicated to guitar education. If you are trying to find out about Pete Madsen's shows, cds, and  musical projects go to: petemadsenguitar.com

 

UPCOMING FALL GUITAR CLASSES

Fingerstyle Folk Guitar

Starts Wednesday, October 7

7:30-8:45

Six Wednesdays

Price $150

Online -zoom invite

In this class we will apply fingerstyle technique to classic folk songs.

 

Songs:

Don't Think Twice, It's Alright (Dylan)

Puff, the Magic Dragon (Peter, Paul, and Mary)

Pancho and Lefty (Townes Van Zandt)

Will the Circle be Unbroken (traditional)

Clay Pigeons (John Prine/Blaze Foley)

Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

and a few more...

Contact Pete about this class (mailto:buzzyfrets@yahoo.com)

 

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Beatles Thursday

Starts Thursday, October 1

7:30 -9pm

Six Thursdays

Price: $150

Online -zoom invite

In this class will play through several Beatles songs using chord/lyric sheets and TAB where appropriate.

 

Songs will include:

Can't Buy Me Love

Blackbird

It's Only Love

Strawberry Fields Forever

Paperback Writer

Something

and a few more...

Contact Pete about this class (mailto:buzzyfrets@yahoo.com)

In this class we will work through 1-2 songs a night

 

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Bottleneck Slide

Starts Saturday, October 10

noon-1:30pm

Six Saturdays

Price: $150

Online -zoom invite

Contact Pete about this class (mailto:buzzyfrets@yahoo.com)

 

From its primitive beginnings to its maturity in the age of rock’n’roll, slide guitar has given the guitarist a voice that extends the emotional range of the instrument. The slide allows guitarists to find the notes between notes; the place between the frets where the slippery quality of human emotion runs. The slide can make the strings growl or whimper; it can be bold and menacing or quiet and sympathetic. The slide can keep a run going, circling the perimeters of chord changes; or it could stop it dead in its tracks and give the listener something to ponder.

 

In this class we will play slide guitar in standard tuning, open G and open D tunings. The focus will be on playing single and double strings runs. We will be learning the techniques of proper intonation, string damping, and how to create phrases from pentatonic scales and chord tones. We will also cover a bit of fingerstyle guitar. I will discuss the various materials (glass, ceramic, metal), sizes and shape of slide and their tonal properties.

 

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Jamming the Blues

Starts Saturday, October 10

10am-11:30am

Six Saturdays

Price: $150

Online -zoom invite

In this class I will be teaching blues in more of the electric style. We will learn RHYTHM: shuffle rhythms, walking bass lines, chords accents; and SOLOING ideas using  pentatonic scales and chord tones. I will cover techniques like string bending, finger slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, playing swing-style rhythms, and more.

 

Songs will include:

Sweet Home Chicago

Kansas City

St. James Infirmary

Trouble in Mind



 

 TRUE FIRE CHANNEL!

September 18, 2020

As many people all over the world are being forced to shelter is place its a good time to work on your guitar skills

Check out my True Fire channel: access to lots of TABS, videos and acoustic blues guitar education. The focus is on fingerstyle blues. Learn to play:

• alternating bass

• monotonic bass

• slide guitar

• open tunings

• Lots and Lots of songs!

There over 200 videos and over a 150 TABS

Pete's Fingerstyle Blues Academy

 

I also teach private lessons at my studio in Berkeley. E-mail or call me for rates and availability.

 

 

Order the latest book: Play the Blues Like...

This book shows you how to play in the style of 12 different blues and blues-inspired artists, such as: Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Skip James, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Memphis

Minnie, and many more. The book was written in conjunction with Acoustic Guitar magazine and published by Hal Leonard.

 

WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT PETE MADSEN'S TEACHING:

I'm a beginning guitar player and have been Pete's student for a few months and wanted to write him up here because I couldn't imagine having found a better teacher. I tried a few other people before going to Pete and the difference is amazing. While most guitar teachers know how to play, Pete also knows how to teach.
He's great at explaining things, great at showing technique, he sends an audio recording of each lesson to your email address (a HUGE help), and teaches you songs that you want to play. In addition to all this his rates are good and he's a cool, easy-going, guitar-loving guy…
--private student

looked forward to the class every week. Even though we were at different skill levels, Pete provided each of us with personal attention which inspired us all to practice. It was fun and rewarding to see myself (and all the other students) improve over the period of the class. Highly recommended!
Bob, student from class


Pete Madsen’s blues guitar classes at the Freight are just great! You learn a lot, and it is incredible fun. I honestly cannot get enough!
– student from class


i been playing for quite a while but not correct finger picking cant sink so this is nice and clear teaching i too think this is one of the best thanks bro
– youtube comment

Thanks for the good video on_ your blues lesson. You explained clearly and broke it down just enough keep up the blues lessons friend God bless

jo bro you helped me so much understand more about_ fingerpicking and syncopation. please keep on teaching man, your one of the best around…
--youtube comment




Took Pete’s Acoustic Blues class.......it was everything I hoped for. He really helped me wrap my head around the fingerpicking that had eluded me for years....thanks again!
I'm looking forward to studying with him again in the future.
-- student from class