Bob Brozman - Learn To Play Bottleneck Blues Guitar Volume 1

Bob Brozman Learn To Play Bottleneck Blues Guitar Volume 1. This DVD, along with volumes 2 & 3, are hands down the best available if you want to play authentic pre-war style blues slide guitar. Bob Brozman is an extraordinary player with an encyclopedic knowledge of the music. Bob’s incredible chops are vividly documented not only on this DVD but in the 26 recordings he has released since his first in 1981. Beyond the music, Bob is acknowledged as the world’s foremost authority on National guitars. His 1993 book, The History and Artistry of National Resonator Instruments, is the definitive work on the topic. Bob’s passion for pre-war blues and slide guitar comes across clearly throughout this DVD.
If you have never touched a guitar before this DVD may not be the best place to start. Even though Bob starts from the very beginning and leads the viewer through all aspects of slide playing in detail, the early sections progress quickly and it is helpful to already be comfortable with first position chords and basic finger picking. If you have been playing for a while but have not learned finger picking you can learn the basics here if you can resist the temptation to skip ahead to the embellishments Bob demonstrates as the lesson progresses.
Tone is what differentiates a rudimentary slide player from an excellent player. Bob explains, demonstrates, and leads the viewer through progressive exercises that will help you produce the clean and accurate tones that sets one slide player apart from another. Even if you are already a slide player the DVD is worth the price for Bob’s instruction on harmonics. I can say from experience that adding a few tasteful harmonics into your slide playing now and then will set you apart at a jam!
DVD 1 in this series starts with the basics and rapidly progresses into repertoire tunes such as “Walking Blues,” “I Can’t Be Satisfied,” “Crossroads Blues,” and “Come On In My Kitchen.” Along the way Bob teaches tricks and embellishments used by players like Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Muddy Waters, and Tampa Red. Most of the instruction uses the popular Open G (“Spanish”) tuning though there is a section on Open E (“Vastapol”) tuning. (More in Volumes 2 & 3.)
You simply will not find anyone that knows the history of the music, the instruments, and how to play it and demonstrate basic and advanced playing techniques better than Bob Brozman. There are other tutorials on blues slide guitar but why not start with the best? Highly recommended if you are at all serious about slide guitar playing in the Delta Blues style.

See also:

Bob Brozman: Learn To Play Bottleneck Blues Guitar Vol. 2 - Advanced Technique

Bob Brozman: Learn To Play Bottleneck Blues Guitar Vol. 3 - Repertoire

Bob Brozman - Traditional Hawaiian Steel Guitar

Bob Brozman - Traditional Caribbean Guitar: Calypso & Other Island Rhythms

Language: English
Year: 2003
Country: USA
Running time: 01:32:19
Quality: DVD5
Video: NTSC 4:3 (720x480) VBR
Audio: English (Dolby AC3, 2 ch)
Booklet: Yes (PDF)
Size: 4 Gb

Bob Brozman: Learn To Play Bottleneck Blues Guitar Vol. 1 - The Basics