American Blues in 6 Weeks - Combined 6 Weeks Set
A Complete Roadmap to Blues Guitar in Six Weeks
Welcome to American Blues in 6 Weeks - Combined 6 Weeks Set by Steve Trovato—a focused and practical guitar course designed to guide your playing towards real, achievable progress in just six weeks. This structured programme is built around clear weekly goals, helping you develop essential blues techniques, phrasing, and improvisational skills at a manageable and easy-to-follow pace.
Each week introduces new concepts, techniques, and licks inspired by legendary blues guitarists, giving you the tools to not only play authentic blues lines but also understand how and why they work. Every lesson is supported by a high-quality blues backing track, allowing you to immediately apply what you’ve learned in a musical context and develop your timing, feel, and confidence.
Week-by-Week Breakdown
Week 1 – Stevie Ray Vaughan Style
The course begins with a deep dive into the powerful and expressive style of Stevie Ray Vaughan. You’ll explore essential blues scale patterns and learn how to shape phrases with authority and feel. The iconic shuffle rhythm is introduced, helping you lock into that classic blues groove.
You’ll also work on double stops, trills, hammer-ons and pull-offs, and triplet phrasing—key elements that give blues its energy and movement. Chromatic passing tones are introduced to expand your vocabulary, allowing you to add tension and sophistication to your lines.
Week 2 – Johnny Winter Style
In Week 2, the focus shifts to the fiery and aggressive style of Johnny Winter. You’ll continue developing your blues scale knowledge while exploring repetitious phrasing—an essential concept for building memorable and effective solos.
Hammer-ons and pull-offs are used to construct fluid licks, while triplet-based phrasing helps you stay “in the pocket” and groove with confidence. You’ll also learn how pentatonic sequencing can be used to create dynamic and evolving blues phrases.
Week 3 – Albert Collins Style
Week 3 introduces the distinctive style of Albert Collins, with a focus on expanding your fretboard knowledge. You’ll learn both blues scale and major pentatonic scale patterns, and how to move between them seamlessly.
Double stops are revisited with a more advanced approach, and you’ll develop position shifting techniques that allow you to create longer, more flowing licks. Combining scales becomes a key concept here, helping you unlock more expressive and varied improvisation.
Week 4 – B.B. King Style
This week centres around the legendary phrasing and feel of B.B. King. You’ll refine your understanding of both blues and major pentatonic scales while focusing on one of the most important aspects of blues guitar—vibrato.
You’ll learn how to apply B.B. King’s signature vibrato style, along with precise bending techniques and note targeting. Understanding which notes to bend and when to use them will dramatically improve your phrasing and emotional expression.
Week 5 – Jimi Hendrix Style
Week 5 explores the innovative and expressive style of Jimi Hendrix. You’ll continue working with blues scale patterns while developing a more dynamic and rhythmic approach to phrasing.
Techniques such as the blues rake are introduced, adding attack and intensity to your playing. You’ll also focus on phrase repetition, learning how to build ideas and develop motifs that make your solos more cohesive and musical.
Week 6 – Albert King Style
The final week brings everything together, inspired by the powerful and soulful style of Albert King. You’ll work on position shifting to create longer, more connected lines across the fretboard.
Advanced bending techniques are introduced, including multiple note bends on a single string and intervallic bending. This week is all about combining the techniques and concepts from the previous lessons, giving you the confidence to create expressive, authentic blues solos.
Essential Techniques and Their Benefits
String Bending
String bending is fundamental to blues guitar, allowing you to add expression and vocal-like qualities to your playing. Developing control over pitch and intonation helps you create more emotive and authentic phrases.
Vibrato
Vibrato gives life to sustained notes, adding depth and personality to your sound. Learning different vibrato styles allows you to shape your tone and develop a unique voice on the instrument.
Hammer-ons and Pull-offs
These legato techniques improve fluidity and speed, enabling you to play smoother and more connected lines while reducing picking effort.
Double Stops
Double stops add harmonic richness and rhythmic drive to your playing. They are essential for both rhythm and lead work, helping you create fuller-sounding phrases.
Trills
Trills enhance your phrasing by adding speed and intensity to your lines. They are a great way to inject energy and variation into your solos.
Slides
Slides allow you to connect notes seamlessly and move across the fretboard with ease, contributing to a more fluid and expressive playing style.
Chromaticism
Chromatic notes add tension and colour to your playing. When used effectively, they can create more sophisticated and engaging blues lines.
Syncopated Rhythms and Triplets
Understanding rhythm is crucial in blues. Syncopation and triplet phrasing help you groove more effectively and create phrases that feel natural and musical.
Chord Progressions and Scale Integration
A strong understanding of blues chord progressions allows you to target the right notes at the right time. Combining scales gives you greater freedom and creativity when improvising.
Learn from a Blues Authority
Steve Trovato is a highly respected guitarist and educator, known for his deep knowledge of blues and jazz guitar. Drawing influence from icons such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Albert King, Johnny Winter, and Jimi Hendrix, Trovato brings authenticity and clarity to every lesson.
His teaching approach focuses on real-world application, ensuring that every concept you learn can be used immediately in your own playing. This makes the course ideal for guitarists looking to develop both their technical ability and musical understanding.
Techniques Used in This Course
About The Tutor
Tutor Profile
Steve Trovato
To fans of country music, Steve needs no introduction and as an educator Steve holds a fulltime position in the Studio Jazz Department of Southern California. Steve has had a huge impact on the guitar learning scene with his old country guitar video and his Voodoo Blues series of books...