Blues Fingerpicking : Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar : Ragtime Blues Fingerpicking Style : Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle

Out of the many acoustic blues guitar styles perhaps ragtime blues guitar is the most exciting. It sounds complex, and in some cases, it is!

However, just like any style of acoustic blues fingerpicking, there are riffs, patterns and tricks that appear again and again. With the right approach, these common fingerstyle blues guitar patterns can be adapted and used across a broad range of songs.

In this course I demonstrate some basic techniques common to all ragtime blues songs, and also highlight the specialized patterns of two great classic ragtime guitarists, Bind Boy Fuller and Blind Blake. Blake was faster and more complex, but both men were masters at this syncopated way of playing guitar. You've probably heard the word 'syncopation', but exactly what is it?

A syncopated beat strictly speaking is when the accent isn't applied on the beat, where we would expect, but off the beat. Also, the timing can change. the overall effect is a happy guitar sound that gets your feet tapping. The first ragtime was created on the piano and was intended to be dance music.

It's quite easy to simulate the 'bum-chick' sound of the bass pattern of ragtime piano on guitar, and once the trick of alternating the picking thumb between two or more bass strings is perfected, you're on your way!

Most of the videos show closeups of my hands, and I've added the guitar tab on the screen so that you can play along with me and practice what your learn. After learning some tricks made famous by Blake and Fuller, you'll be able to tackle a complete song (Screamin' and Cryin') by Fuller by following the video for the complete lesson at the end of the course.

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