The Mississippi Delta is a region that produced some of the most influential musicians in American history. Guitarists like Eddie “Son” House, Charley Patton, Willie Brown, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Nehemiah “Skip” James, Robert Johnson, McKinley “Muddy Waters” Morganfield and Chester “Howlin’ Wolf” Burnett set the standard for this music in Mississippi and helped to usher in urban electric styles in places like Chicago and Detroit.
This class will focus on playing guitar in both standard and open tunings, utilizing fingerpicking and slide styles. We will explore the guitar styles of the aforementioned Delta blues giants while touching on the aesthetics that define the Delta style. Lyric sheets and music tablature will be provided. This class is designed for intermediate level players. Students should bring a steel string acoustic guitar, thumb and fingerpicks and a guitar slide (glass or metal).