Slow Blues in the Style of Jeff Beck - Michael Casswell
Page Four

So Mike cranks up the lesson which is in E. Bass B to A to E. This is a slow blues in E and Mike noodles around over it showing us high string three note triad voicings both major and minor but tricked out with various effects. It sounds great too. So here he shows us some chord shapes full and partial and how to use them in conjunction with the notes that comprise them. Bm and B pentatonic and several more besides . This is a real nice little bit of guitar lesson that we get in how to solo over E9 and  Dom7 chords. Sorry wont spoil it but its good!

Next we get to the 1st section. He plays maybe 16 bars of backing track. While playing like Jeff beck on top of it. Its great! You see how its done and that's its not all that different. It sure sounds different though due to aural enrichment.

The 2nd section has some tricky stuff Mike tells us and then proceeds to wail like a banshee with a hell hound on its trail. Its advanced and sounds really good too! Its worth watching and learning from the many dynamic tricks you can achieve with the right tools and technique. Especially if you own a Fender Stratocaster. The signal is itself inspirational and lends itself to creative manipulation. If you can get that sound you are going to have more fun.

Section three is around 18 bars long of backing track and the remaining 22 minutes like a Fender Stratocaster instruction manual full of finger picking couplets worth their weight in serious practice time. Michael has guitar finger nails on his right hand. He has let them grow long.

So if you like Jeff Beck and have seriously considered my warning about getting the guitar sound being necessary to full enjoyment get ready to learn a lot. Michael plays exceptionally well and keeps it fun. Even if you forget the finger style part of it the whammy stuff is worth knowing big time. You will want to change the spring load tension of your tremelo arm so it flutters like a door stop too. Read my other review where Michael discusses the tremelo arm - whammy bar Stratocaster guitar technique in great detail.

Slow Blues Style of Jeff Beck - Page One | Page Two | Page Three | Page Four