Although Blues is primarily an aural tradition, understanding some basic music theory can be very useful in gaining a deeper understanding of blues idioms, and can be a great help in learning new tunes and developing technical ability and agility on the guitar. Rather than starting with abstract concepts, this class will dive right into tunes by Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, and Robert Lockwood Jr. We will explore the ways in which the music of these masters can be “unlocked” by understanding the basics of chord inversions (the CAGED system) and chord construction.