Discover the Soul of the Blues–One Riff at a Time
If you've always dreamed of playing the blues–of bending notes like B.B. King, locking into a groove like Stevie Ray Vaughan, or channeling raw emotion like Muddy Waters–the Hal Leonard Blues Guitar Method is your ultimate starting point.
Crafted by the world's most trusted name in guitar instruction, this comprehensive, hands-on guide teaches you the essential techniques and timeless feel of authentic blues guitar. From gritty rhythm grooves to expressive lead licks, you'll learn using real excerpts from legendary blues tracks–not watered-down nursery rhymes (okay, we do include “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” but not like you've ever heard it before!).
Explore the foundations of the 12-bar blues, master expressive techniques like vibrato and string bending, and build your chops with iconic riffs, turnarounds, and boogie patterns inspired by blues greats like Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and Albert King.
You'll get:
• Lessons in chords, scales, licks, and phrasing
• Techniques like hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides
• Both standard notation and tablature
• Over 70 audio tracks for play-along and demonstration
Featuring classics like “Boom Boom,” “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” and more, this method doesn't just teach you how to play–it teaches you how to feel the blues.
Plug in, turn up, and start your journey with the publisher trusted by millions of guitarists worldwide.
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| List | $19.99 |
This comprehensive source for learning blues guitar is designed to develop both your lead and rhythm playing. Blues styles covered include Texas, Delta, R&B, early rock & roll, gospel and blues/rock. The book also features: 21 complete solos • blues chords, progressions and riffs • turnarounds • movable scales and soloing techniques • string bending • utilizing the entire fingerboard • using 6ths • chord-melody style • music notation and tab • audio with leads and full band backing • video lessons • and more. This second edition now includes audio and video access online!
The audio is accessed online using the unique code inside each book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.
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| List | $24.99 |
The term “12-bar blues” has become synonymous with blues music and is the basis for an incredible body of jazz, rock 'n' roll, and other forms of popular music. This book with online audio is solely devoted to providing guitarists with all the technical tools necessary for playing 12-bar blues with authority. The audio includes 24 full-band tracks. Covers: boogie, shuffle, swing, riff, and jazzy blues progressions; Chicago, minor, slow, bebop, and other blues styles; soloing, intros, turnarounds, accompanying keyboards and more. In standard notation and tablature.
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| List | $19.99 |
Expand your guitar knowledge with the Guitar Lesson Goldmine series! Featuring 100 individual modules covering a giant array of topics, each lesson in this Blues volume includes detailed instruction with playing examples presented in standard notation and tablature. You'll also get extremely useful tips, scale diagrams, chord grids, photos, and more to reinforce your learning experience plus audio demos featuring performance demos of all the examples in the book! A huge variety of blues guitar styles and techniques are covered, including: turnarounds, hammer-ons and pull-offs, slides, the blues scale, 12-bar blues, double stops, muting techniques, hybrid picking, fingerstyle blues, and much more!
The audio is accessed online using the unique code inside each book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.
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| List | $27.99 |
An ideal reference guide to playing the blues for all guitarists. Full instruction on blues theory, chords, rhythm, scales, advanced solo technique, beginnings and endings, riff construction and more. Includes play-along audio with 12 jam tracks.
Audio is accessed online using the unique code inside the book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.
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| List | $32.99 |
Study the trademark songs, licks, tones and techniques that made Stevie Ray Vaughan a legend. Each book comes with a unique code that will give you access to audio files of all the music in the book online. This pack looks at 15 of Vaughan's most influential songs including: Couldn't Stand the Weather • Love Struck Baby • Pride and Joy • Texas Flood • and more.
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| List | $34.99 |
A step-by-step method for learning this rich and powerful style. Takes you from the fundamentals of fingerpicking to five authentic blues tunes. Includes graded exercises, illustrated tips, plus standard notation and tablature.
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| List | $22.99 |
Study the trademark songs, licks, tones, and techniques of blues juggernaut Joe Bonamassa. This comprehensive book and audio teaching method provides detailed analysis of his guitars, techniques, styles, songs, licks, riffs, and much more. You'll learn everything you need to know about his renowned guitar playing, from the settings he uses with his enormous guitar and amp collection, the “Bona-seum,” to his virtuosic blues licks and beyond. Learn to play like Joe Bonamassa today!
Includes five full songs: Driving Towards the Daylight • Dust Bowl • Oh Beautiful! • Redemption • The River • and excerpts from ten other signature tunes.
Audio is accessed online using the unique code inside the book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.
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| List | $29.99 |
Renowned R&B, blues and funk ace Cornell Dupree was a guitarist of legendary proportion, with more than 2,500 albums as a sideman to his credit! In this authoritative book/audio pack, he reveals his playing secrets, covering: R&B, blues and funk styles; double-stops, vamps, scales and playing tips; common progressions and riffs; his equipment set-up; and much more. The audio features 10 songs written and performed by Cornell with full-band backing. The book also includes a foreword by blues expert Dave Rubin, a biography, Cornell's reminiscences, great photos, and standard notation and tablature. The audio is accessed online using the unique code inside each book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.
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| List | $24.99 |
A comprehensive source for mastering the art of blues guitar soloing. Topics covered include: essential skills, shuffle phrasing, sliding, 12-bar blues, tempo, blues fusions, and much more. Online audio access is included for exercises, licks, and play-alongs.
Online audio is accessed at halleonard.com/mylibrary
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| List | $34.99 |
A kaleidoscopic reinterpretation of 16 blues rock titans is the hallmark of this Greg Koch book with over three hours of online video lessons. It breaks down the styles, techniques, and licks of guitarists including Albert Collins, B.B. King, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter and many more. The book includes note-for-note transcriptions of all the samples and solos in the videos. In addition, Greg has created “mash-ups” of multiple players, infused with his own unique guitar stylings, to create a brave new blues for the masses.
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| List | $24.99 |
Study the trademark songs, licks, tones, and techniques of blues guitar royal, Freddie King. This comprehensive book and audio teaching method provides detailed analysis of King's gear, tone, techniques, styles, songs, licks, riffs, and much more. You'll learn everything you need to know about Freddie's legendary guitar playing, from his early '60s guitar instrumental hits to his '70s blues-funk excursions and beyond. The book includes access to audio tracks online, for download or streaming, using the unique code inside the book! Including PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, pan left or right. Songs include: Going Down • I'm Tore Down • Remington Ride • San-Ho-Zay • The Stumble • and more.
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| List | $29.99 |
This book with online audio features 25 classic blues riffs arranged for beginning to intermediate guitarists, complete with a “riff history.” Also includes great audio recommendations to help you further your blues knowledge and chops. The audio includes a demonstration of every example in the book. The audio is accessed online using the unique code inside each book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.
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| List | $17.99 |
Add to your repertoire and reinforce your technique with this collection of blues songs. Bring these songs to life by listening to the recordings online, which feature short versions of each piece, played slowly and up to tempo. Includes full guitar parts in standard notation with chords, accompanying parts, and tablature, as well as detailed notes on song origins and arrangements. The audio files are accessed online, for download or streaming, using the unique code inside each book.
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| List | $19.99 |
As rhythm guitarist for blues legend Muddy Waters, Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin has gained invaluable experience in the art of Chicago blues rhythm guitar. And now in this exclusive and comprehensive book/DVD package, Bob Margolin and blues author/historian Dave Rubin bring you the definitive instructional guitar method on the subject, featuring loads of rhythm guitar playing examples to learn and practice, covering a variety of styles, techniques, tips, historical anecdotes, and much more. To top it off, every playing example in the book is performed on the accompanying DVD by Bob Margolin himself! The book also features a unique code to access the same videos online for download or streaming!
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| List | $22.99 |