Fingerpicking blues guitar is a never ending study full of surprises and discoveries. Each key of the guitar offers new sounds and textures. A blues played in the key of C sounds world's apart from a blues played in the keys of A, G, D or E. In this series I decided to focus on a single key for each lesson.

The key of A can be very down home and tough. It can be rough and tumble. It can be driving and it can be lyrical. In this lesson I explore playing ideas, licks and techniques from a host of legendary bluesmen: Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Blind Boy Fuller, Rev. Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Lemon Jefferson. Playing styles from the delta of Mississippi to the streets of Durham, North Carolina to the juke joints of Dallas, Texas.

We also take a trip playing a blues in A minor. First we set up a fingerstyle melody and then we play off this with improvised lead lines. All in all, a deep exploration of fingerstyle blues guitar in the key of A.

A detailed tab/music booklet is included as a PDF file on the DVD. Each tune is taught phrase by phrase and played slowly on a split-screen.

Titles include: Blues For Son, Blues For Lightnin', Blues For the Carolinas, Big Bill Blues in A, Monday Morning Blues, Hop Scotch Blues and Hitting the Road With Jack

103 minutes • Level 2/3 • Detailed tab/music PDF file on the DVD