DATA-DVD | 920.35 MB

David Blacker's Lone Wolf Blues examines the techniques and guitar stylings of early acoustic and country blues and explores their influence on the contemporary American Roots scene.

Blacker has invested thousands of hours studying and documenting American Roots guitar music. "Blues is the heart and soul of all great American music. Early blues music sparked an unprecedented individual spirit and distinctly American archetype. One lone voice singing a song and telling a uniquely personal story that connects to the collective heart and mind."

American Roots music is a broad category spanning folk, bluegrass, gospel, jug band, country and of course -- the blues. Lone Wolf Blues drills down on the early stylings of pioneers like Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson and Son House but also examines more contemporary lone wolf artists like Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Johnny Cash. "There's no one particular sound to the Lone Wolf Blues. It's more of a vibe, feeling or an attitude. It has lots of history and deep roots but remains present and fresh."

In Lone Wolf Blues, Blacker demonstrates the key techniques that have been passed down from early blues players to modern day Americana songwriters. You'll learn right-hand picking techniques to keep a bass line going on the low strings while playing an independent melody line on the higher strings. You'll learn Travis Picking where you alternate a bass line between two of the low strings while playing through some complex higher string melody lines.

Blacker will show you the key chord shapes to perform a wide range of early and contemporary stylized pieces, and to fuel your own musical ideas. You'll also work with essential open tunings, from the perspective of a songwriter, to give you a whole new palette of options to work with as a solo guitarist and/or singer-songwriter.

You'll play your way through Lone Wolf Blues -- all of the techniques and fundamentals are taught in context through a series of 20 repertoire-building pieces that introduce you to the wide variety of sounds and styles of American Roots guitar. From down home country and delta blues to folk, bluegrass and even some of the more jazzy tonalities, you'll walk away with a solid bag of American Roots chops.