Check out ArtistsWorks newest video lesson series, blues slide guitar with blues guitar master Keith Wyatt!

In 1903, W.C. Handy, the "Father of the Blues," came across a man playing a guitar by sliding a knife blade up and down the neck, and he later recalled it as "the weirdest sound I ever heard." In the century-plus since, generations of players have developed slide guitar technique to a high level, but slide is still one of the most intuitive ways to begin playing blues guitar. With some basic skills and vocabulary, you can make blues slide part of your own guitar repertoire, and that's the reason for the latest addition to the Electric Blues Guitar program: "Introduction to Electric Slide."

The lessons start with basic slide technique, including choosing a slide and a finger to wear it on, learning to play precisely in tune, and developing reliable picking and damping skills. Beginning with the down-home 'diddley bow' approach of playing melodies on one string, you'll learn how to find your way around in standard tuning and how to play solos over standard blues chord progressions. 

Each lesson includes complete solos with detailed demonstrations of slide phrases and techniques based on the styles of major slide influences ranging from Robert Nighthawk and Earl Hooker to Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Duane Allman and Ry Cooder. Rhythm tracks, tab and recommendations for listening are included to help you practice and learn more about the tradition.

By the end of the lessons, you'll have enough knowledge of basic slide style and technique to be able to jam along with tracks or other players, understand the styles that you hear on classic recordings, and continue developing your skills on your own.

When you’re ready to sign up for Keith’s complete blues guitar course, you’ll get access to a wealth of musical knowledge and hundreds of blues guitar lessons, plus the ArtistWorks Video Exchange Learning platform, which allows Keith to review and respond to student video submissions. All students can access the Video Exchange library and watch each other’s interactions with Keith — this library is constantly expanding and may contain the key to unlock your playing. The Video Exchange Learning platform is truly what solidifies ArtistWorks as some of the top online music lessons around.