Historical Note: The Blues is a style of music that comes from the deep sadness and hardship African-Americans felt in the Deep South of the late 19th century. Like most cultural contributions of Black artists, the Blues was later commercialized in White mainstream music by the likes of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead and many others throughout the 20th century.

Introductory Notes

Welcome! As you work your way through this self-paced course, you may refer to the Syllabus provided below for recommendations about pacing yourself and organizing your practice of the included material. Feel free to adapt and adjust as feels appropriate for you, your goals for your practice, and your day-to-day assessment of your own progress.

I expect a wide variety of students to be interested in this course. Perhaps you are relatively new to playing and excited to dive right in. Perhaps you are excited to expand your repertoire with this genre or music. Perhaps you are an experienced player looking for more organized practice playing by ear. Whatever your background and interest, the material provided in this course aims to help you improve both your playing and your musicianship.

I recommend you take a moment before starting this course to decide what your initial goals are for your work with this material. Keep in mind that the materials provided give you a lot of options for your practice - you do not need to take on everything if it doesn’t feel right! Pick the things that feel most aligned with your goals, and remember you can always return the material again later to go a level deeper. Think about what challenge(s) will fill that sweet spot between boringly easy and frustratingly difficult.

For example, this course covers material aimed at improving your by ear playing skills and your technical playing skills. You may choose to go through the course first with a focus just on by ear playing, and then again just on the tricks. Or, you may enjoy working on them together. Either way is entirely appropriate and offers you plenty to work on! Note: For this reason, I have provided a separate packet titled “Blues Tricks” to complement this packet.

Please make use of the video tutorials and play alongs on the Ukulele By Ear Blues Practice Page in your practice. If you encounter an exercise in the Syllabus below that you would like to see a demonstration of, let me know! I am always working on new videos and am happy to provide more concrete examples of what I describe.

Enjoy!

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Ukulele by Ear: The Blues with Song by Song™

Avery Hill, Instructor | www.learnsongbysong.com

Syllabus Note: I have designed this six-week curriculum for students who are already somewhat familiar with the Blues, and are looking to deepen their by-ear playing skills as well as their technical skills. If you are brand new to the Blues, I would recommend you give yourself at least 8 weeks to progress through the material provided.

Week 1 • Review/Learn the 12-Bar Blues in C (p. 6)

• Take note not only of the chord progression, but the general organization of the overall pattern, as it will be the same in the other keys we play. I’ve offered a couple suggestions, but what will help you best remember it? Use Song Snippet: Sweet Home Chicago (p. 6) with lyrics to help you, as well.

• Exercise: Play through the pattern with a gentle swing strum, 2-3x. Put the paper down and explain to yourself out loud how the 12-Bar Blues pattern is organized, in your own words. How far can you whittle it down to the most basic terms? Try playing through the pattern without the music and see what you remember!

• Learn/Review and play through Sweet Home Chicago (p. 7) • Use the video tutorial on the Practice Page as needed.

• By Ear Focus Exercises • After reviewing the 12-Bar Blues in C, start each practice by playing through the

pattern by ear as best you can. The goal, of course, is to play it 100% correctly without music, but it is not my expectation that you will reach that goal these first few days. Instead, let your mistakes be check-in points for yourself. What’s tripping you up? What needs to be corrected? How will you remember next time?

• Between practice sessions with Sweet Home Chicago, listen to the original recording link provided on the Practice Page. Now that you know the chord progression, can you hear it in the recording? What else do you hear? For those brand new to this song, just listen to learn, too!

Week 2 • Warm up with the 12-Bar Blues in C / Sweet Home Chicago - by ear? • Review/Learn the 12-Bar Blues in G, D, and A (pp. 8-10)

• Follow the same general approach provided above for each of the other keys covered in this course: first, spend some time with the pattern by itself, playing without the paper as soon as you can; second, apply the pattern to the example song provided, using video tutorials and play alongs on the Practice Page as needed; third, listen to original recordings to internalize the songs and challenge yourself to get away from the paper as soon as you can.

• Learn the chord progression and song arrangement variations in Down-Hearted Blues and St. Louis Blues (Basic) (pp. 11-12). Use the Practice Page videos as needed.

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• The chord progression variations in Down-Hearted Blues can be applied to most 12-Bar Blues in most keys. Once you feel comfortable, try transposing them and applying them to one or more of the other 12-Bar Blues songs.

• By Ear Focus Exercise • Print and fill out the provided “Cheat Sheets” for any to all of the first six songs.

What information do you still need to play and sing this song? Try to distill it down to the minimum. Continue your practice of these songs from the Cheat Sheets. By the end of the week, aim to fold down the top section with your notes to yourself and just play from the lyrics.

Week 3 • Warm up with the 12-Bar Blues in C, G, D, and/or A. Can you play 1-2x through the

pattern in all keys by ear? Pick one or two songs that are fun to play, too. • Continue to play 12-Bar Blues songs in all keys from your lyric cheat sheets. • Learn the 8-Bar Blues with Trouble in Mind (p. 13)

• What differences and similarities do you notice between 8-Bar and 12-Bar Blues? • Stick with the basic 8-bar blues provided at the top of the song chart, or add some

fun with the jazzy variation at the bottom of the page. Note: Trying the jazzy variation will get you ready for the next song!

• Listen to original recording links provided on the Practice Page for reference, and use video tutorials and/or play alongs, as needed.

• Challenge: What does this pattern look like in other keys? Try transposing Trouble in Mind into at least one other key.

• Let’s add a trick! Learn the Blues Shuffle in C (Tricks, pp. 1-2). • Use the images and video tutorials provided to add the shuffle to the Key of C,

then to Sweet Home Chicago. • Note: The beat-by-beat chord illustrations on p. __ may be a lifesaver to some, and

totally confusing to others. If you belong to the latter group, there’s no need to force yourself into making sense of it, as long as you otherwise feel good about your understanding of the shuffle.

Week 4 • Warm up with any song(s) from the 12-Bar Blues by ear. • Challenge: Warm up with Sweet Home Chicago with the Blues Shuffle and/or Turn

Arounds … by ear! • Review Trouble in Mind basic or jazzy variation.

• As we did with the 12-Bar Blues, think about how you might organize either of these pattern variations in your mind, to help you play by ear. Try it a couple times and take note of whatever is tripping you up.

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• Learn ‘Tain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do (p. 14) • This song provides an example of Jazz pulling the Blues over to its side of the

table, so to speak; hence the more technical chord progression. Keep in mind, though, that it’s not a far jump from the jazzy variation of Trouble in Mind.

• Note there is an introduction to the song that does not match the 8-Bar Blues pattern. This was a common practice for songs of this style and time. Give yourself time to learn it separately from the 8-Bar pattern, if needed.

• Listen to original recording links provided on the Practice Page for reference, and use video tutorials and/or play alongs, as needed.

• As this 8-Bar pattern becomes more complicated, can you still keep it organized in your mind effectively? Does your original organization of the basic form help you expand into this one? Work towards playing this repeating progression by ear by the end of the week.

• Let’s add another trick! Learn the Turn Around Trick in C (Tricks, p. 3) • Use the images and video tutorials provided to apply this trick to the Key of C, and

then to Sweet Home Chicago, Trouble in Mind, and/or ‘Tain’t Nobody’s Business. • By Ear Focus Exercise

• Print and fill out the provided “Cheat Sheets” for these two songs. What information do you still need to play and sing them? Try to distill it down to the minimum. Continue your practice of these songs from the Cheat Sheets. By the end of the week, aim to fold down the top section with your notes to yourself and just play from the lyrics.

Week 5 • Warm up with any song(s) from the 12-Bar Blues by ear, as well as Trouble in Mind. • Review ’Tain’t Nobody’s Business. How are you doing getting this progression into

your ears and fingers, to play from memory? • Let’s add another trick! Learn the Trickle Down Trick in C (Tricks, pp. 4-6)

• Use the images and video tutorials provided to apply this trick to the Key of C, and then to Sweet Home Chicago, Trouble in Mind, and/or ‘Tain’t Nobody’s Business.

• Learn the 16-Bar Blues with Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad (p. 15) • Note that this song is labeled “White Blues” — this song is another example of

musicians from a different genre borrowing a Blues progression and adapting it to their own style. In this case, the Blues ends up sounding more like folk in style.

• Look at the chord progression. How does the 12-Bar Blues pattern compare now to the 16-Bar? Note that this song simply takes one line of the 12-Bar Blues and repeats it, adding 4 bars to the pattern as a whole to get 16 bars.

• Listen to original recording links provided on the Practice Page for reference, and use video tutorials and/or play alongs, as needed.

• As we did with the 12-Bar Blues, think about how you might organize either of these pattern variations in your mind, to help you play by ear. Try it a couple times and take note of whatever is tripping you up.

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Week 6 • Warm up with Trouble in Mind, and ‘Tain’t Nobody’s Business by ear as best you can. • Review Turn Around and Trickle Down Tricks. If you haven’t added them to all our

songs in the Key of C, try them in a new song this week. • Review the 16-Bar Blues and Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad. Can you play the

pattern by ear? • Learn Hoochie Coochie Man (pp. 16-17)

• Note that the 16-Bar Blues pattern used in this song is different from Goin’ Down the Road. What’s different? How does it compare with the 12-Bar Blues?

• Note also the tricks embedded in this song! • Learn the opening pick-up lick that precedes each of the first 8 bars of each

verse. Listen to original recording links provided on the Practice Page for reference, and use the video tutorials, as needed.

• Challenge: Learn the outro lick that closes the song, again using the Practice Page as needed. Note there is an “easy” and a “challenge” version of the same trick - it just depends how many fingers you want to use on those final chords!

• There’s no need to wait until you master the tricks to play through this song on its own. You’re welcome to leave the tricks out entirely, especially if you are choosing to focus more on playing by ear. However, I would encourage you to try the pick-up lick, even when playing by ear, as it is quite repetitive and worth the effort to incorporate.

• By Ear Focus Exercise • Print and fill out the provided “Cheat Sheets” for our two 16-Bar Blues songs. What

information do you still need to play and sing them? Try to distill it down to the minimum. Continue your practice of these songs from the Cheat Sheets. By the end of the week, aim to fold down the top section with your notes to yourself and just play from the lyrics.

Moving Forward • Keep all of these songs fresh (especially your favorites!) by warming up with them

and/or incorporating them into your practice regularly. Try to practice them without play along videos as much as you can, and without your “cheat sheets”.

• Separate your Tricks practice from your practice of a song, in general, so you can really focus on developing the required technique. You might delineate time within one practice session, or you might alternate daily practice sessions between, for example, technical practice and general play-through practice.

• Remember you have access to these materials for a while. Don’t worry if something feels beyond you now - focus on what feels within your reach, and come back to the harder material later.

• What opportunities might you have to playing these pieces for an “audience”? No matter how informal, preparing to play for someone is a great goal to work toward.

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1. 12-Bar Blues Some of the earliest Blues songs were organized in a very particular way. We call this pattern the 12-Bar Blues because it is made up of 12 “bars” (groups of 4 beats, also called “measures”).

12-Bar Blues in C

Notice how you can take this 12-bar pattern and break it down: • Three lines of four bars each • Progression from one chord per line to two and then three • “Elevator” image: Line 3: 3rd floor (G7) Line 2: 2nd floor (F) 2nd floor (F) Line 1: 1st floor (C) 1st floor (C) 1st floor (C)

Song Snippet: Sweet Home Chicago Blues Standard - First recorded by Robert Johnson (1936)

Standard time - Each chord = 4 strums, * = 2 strums - Swing strum

C C C C Verse: Come on!… Baby don’t you want to go? F F C C Come on!… Baby don’t you want to go? G7 F C C* G7* Back from the land of California to my sweet home Chi-ca-go

For your practice: Listen to an original recording of this song - can you hear the 12-bar pattern? Play this pattern in a loop. When you feel pretty good about it, try looking at your instrument instead of the paper. At some point when you sit down to practice, can you play it from memory?

C - - - C - - - C - - - C - - -

F - - - F - - - C - - - C - - -

G7 - - - F - - - C - - - C - G7 -

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Sweet Home Chicago Blues Standard - First recorded by Robert Johnson (1936)

Standard time - Each chord = 4 strums, * = 2 strums, /=1 strum hold - Swing strum

Intro: One verse without lyrics

C C C C Verse: Come on!… Baby don’t you want to go? F F C C Come on!… Baby don’t you want to go? G7 F C C* G7* Back from the land of California to my sweet home Chi-ca-go Repeat Verse

C/ C/ Break: Two and two is four, four and four is eight C/ C Come on darlin’, now you’re gonna make me late F F C C My darlin’ please!… Baby don’t you want to go? G7 F C C* G7* Back from the land of California to my sweet home Chi-ca-go Instrumental: One verse without lyrics

C C C C Verse: Come on!… Baby don’t you want to go? F F C C Come on!… Baby don’t you want to go? G7 F C End on C Outro: Back from the land of California to my sweet home Chi-ca-go

C - - - C - - - C - - - C - - -

F - - - F - - - C - - - C - - -

G7 - - - F - - - C - - - C - G7 -

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12-Bar Blues in G

Gulf Coast Blues Clarence Williams (1923)

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats, except * = 2 beats - Slow swing strum

Intro: D7 C G G* D7*

G G G G Verse 1: The man I love … he has done left this town C C G G The man I love … he has done left this town D7 C G G* D7* And if it keeps on snowing… I will be Gulf Coast bound

G G G G Verse 2: The mail man passed but he didn't leave no news C C G G The mail man passed but he didn't leave no news D7 C G G* D7* I'll tell the world he left me with those Gulf Coast blues

G G G G Verse 3: Some of you men sure do make me tired C C G G Some of you men sure do make me tired D7 You've got a mouthful of “gimme", C G End on G and a handful of "much oblige” …

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Ind-Mid Ring

G - - - G - - - G - - - G - - -

C - - - C - - - G - - - G - - -

D7 - - - C - - - G - - - G - D7 -

12-Bar Blues in D

St. Louis Blues (Basic) W.C. Handy (1914)

12 Bar Blues - Each chord = 4 beats, except * = 2 beats

Intro: A7 G D D* A7*

D D D D Verse 1: I hate to see that evening sun go down G G D D I hate to see that evening sun go down A7 G D D* A7* 'Cause, my baby... he's gone left this town

D D D D Verse 2: If I’m feelin' tomorrow like I feel to - day G G D D If I'm feelin' tomorrow like I feel to - day A7 G D D* A7* I'll pack my truck and make my get-a-way

D D D D Verse 3: I got the St. Louis blues, blue as I can be G G D D That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea A7 G D End on D Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me

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Index-Middle-Ring or Middle-Ring-Pinky

Index + Middle Ring

Index or Middle

D - - - D - - - D - - - D - - -

G - - - G - - - D - - - D - - -

A7 - - - G - - - D - - - D - A7 -

12-Bar Blues in A

Backwater Blues

Bessie Smith (1927) 12 Bar Blues - Each chord = 4 beats, except * = 2 beats

Intro: E7 D A A* E7*

A A A A Verse 1: When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night D D A A When it rains five days and the skies turn dark as night E7 D A A* E7* Then trouble’s taking place in the lowlands at night

V2: Then they rowed a little boat about five miles across the farm ___ Then they rowed a little boat about five miles across the farm ___ I packed all my clothes, throwed them in, and they rowed me a-long (turn)

V3: Then I went and stood up on some high old lonesome hill ___ Then I went and stood up on some high old lonesome hill ___ Then looked down on the house ___ where I used to live (turn)

V4: That’s why the blues done called me to pack my things and go ___ That’s why the blues done called me to pack my things and go ___

E7 D A End on A Outro: ‘Cause my house fell down and I can’t live there no more

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Index Middle

Index Middle-Ring

A - - - A - - - A - - - A - - -

D - - - D - - - A - - - A - - -

E7 - - - D - - - A - - - A - E7 -

2. 12-Bar Blues Variations There are endless variations on the basic 12-Bar Blues pattern. What changes do you notice in this example?;

Down-Hearted Blues Alberta Hunter & Lovie Austin (1922)

Each chord = 4 beats, * = 2 beats - Swing strum

Intro: G7 F C C* G7/ (2)

C F C C7 Verse 1: My man mis-treat-ed me and he drove me from his door F F7 C C7 Lord, he mis-treat-ed me and he drove me from his door G7 F C C* G7* But the Good Book says you got to reap just what you sow

Verse 2: Lord, I ain’t never loved but three men in my life: ___ Lord, I ain’t never loved but three men in my life: ___ My father, my brother and the man that wrecked my life (turn)

Verse 3: Lord, it may be a week and it may be a month or two ___ Lord, it may be a week and it may be a month or two ___ All the dirt you’re doin’ to me is sure coming home to you (turn)

Verse 4: Lord I walked the floor, wrang my hands and cried ___ Lord I walked the floor, wrang my hands and cried ___

Outro: G7 F C* F* G7* C7/ Had the Down-Hearted Blues and couldn’t be sat-is-fied

C (I) - - - F (IV) - - - C (I) - - - C7 (I7) - - -

F(IV) - - - F7(IV7) - - - C (I) - - - C7 (I7) - - -

G7(V7) - - - F (IV) - - - C (I) - - - C (I) - G7(V7) -

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“quick change”

St. Louis Blues (Full) Originally by W.C. Handy / Lyrics as performed by Billie Holliday

Family of D: Plus:

Each chord = 4 beats, except * = 2 beats - Swing strum

Intro: A7 G D D* A7*

D G D D7 I hate to see that evening sun go down G G7 D D7 I hate to see that evening sun go down A7 G D D* A7* 'Cause, my baby... he's gone left this town

D G D D7 If I’m feelin' tomorrow like I feel to - day G G7 D D7 If I'm feelin' tomorrow like I feel to - day A7 G D D* A7* I'll pack my truck and make my get-a-way

Dm Dm A7 A7 St. Louis woman with her diamond ring A7 A7 Dm Dm Pulls that man a-round by her apron string Dm Dm A7 A7 If it wasn't for powder and her store-bought hair A7 A7 Dm A7 That man I love wouldn't have gone no-where, no - where

D G D D7 I got the St. Louis blues, blue as I can be G G7 D D7 That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea A7 G D End on D7 Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me

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Ind-Mid-Ri or Mid-Ri-Pin

Ind or Mid

3. 8-Bar Blues (in C) As you might expect, the 8-Bar Blues is a repetitive progression over 8 bars of music. What similarities and differences to the 12-Bar Blues do you notice?

Trouble in Mind Richard M. Jones (1924) - Lyrics below from two early recordings by Thelma La Vizzo (1924)

and Bertha “Chippie” Hill (1926)

Basic 8-Bar Blues:

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Slow swing strum

C G7 C F V1: Trouble in mind … I’m blue, but I won’t be blue al-ways C G7 C C* G7* The sun’s gonna shine … in my back door someday

V2: I’m all a-lone at mid-night, and the lamps are burning low Never had so much trouble ___ in my life be-fore ___

V3: Trouble in mind, I’m blue, oh I almost lost my mind Sometimes I feel like livin’, ___ sometimes I feel like dyin’ ___

V4: I’m gonna lay my head on that lonesome railroad line (orig: “iron”) Let the 2:19 ___ satisfy my mind ___ … End on C

Jazzy Variation:

C - - - G7 - - - C - - - F - - -

C - - - G7 - - - C - - - C - G7 -

C - - - G7 - - - C - - - F - Cdim -

C - A7 - D7 - G7 - C - - - C - G7 -

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’T Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do Porter Grainger & Everett Robbins (1922) - This arrangement per Bessie Smith (1923)

Even More Jazzy …

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Slow swing strum

C E7 Am E7 Intro: … There ain’t nothing I can do … or nothing I can say A7 A7 Dm A7 … That folks don't cri - ti - cize me Dm A7 Dm Dm … But I'm gonna do just as I want to any-way Dm Dm D7 G7 … I don't care if they all de-spise me … C E7 Am F* Cdim* V1: … If I should take a notion … to jump in-to the ocean C* A7* D7* G7* C C* G7* … ’T aint nobody's business if I do V2: If I go to church on Sunday … then just sing the shimmy down on Monday 'T ain't nobody's business if I do, if I do V3: If my friend ain't got no money, and I say "take all mine, honey" 'T ain't nobody's business if I do V4: If I give him my last nickel and it leaves me in a pickle 'T ain't nobody's business if I do, if I do … End on C

C - - - E7 - - - Am - - - F - Cdim -

C - A7 - D7 - G7 - C - - - C - G7 -

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4. 16-Bar Blues (in C) Unlike the 8-Bar Blues, the 16-Bar Blues is often a variation on the original 12-Bar Blues. It often repeats one particular line of the 12-Bar pattern, usually to fit the lyrical pattern of the song. But watch out! It’s not always the same line …

Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad (Lonesome Road Blues) Traditional “White Blues” - Lyrics here collected by Lomax Family

16-Bar Blues:

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Thumb-strum or light Standard strum

G G G G Verse 1: I’m goin’ down the road feelin’ bad C C G G I’m goin’ down the road feelin’ bad C C G G I’m goin’ down the road feelin’ bad — Lord, Lord! D7 D7 G G I ain’t gonna be treated this way

V2: I’m goin’ where the climate suits my clothes …

V3: I’m goin’ where the water tastes like wine …

V4: They only feed me cornbread and beans …

Repeat Verse 1 … End on G

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G - - - G - - - G - - - G - - -

C - - - C - - - G - - - G - - -

C - - - C - - - G - - - G - - -

D7 - - - D7 - - - G - - - G - - -

Hoochie Coochie Man Willie Dixon - made famous by Muddy Waters (1954)

16-Bar Blues, “Chicago Blues”:

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Slow swing strum

Pick Up Lick: (pick up) A A A ------------0-----------------------0--- E ----0-3-0-3-0---------------0-3-0-3-0--- C ------------1-----------------------1--- G ------------2-----------------------2--- 3 + a 4 + a 1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a 1 …

A/ A/ V1: The gypsy woman told my mother … before I was born A/ A/ "You got a boy child's comin’ … gon’ be a son of a gun A/ A/ He gonna make pretty womens … jump and shout A/ A (resume swing strum) Then the world wanna know … what this all about." D D A A But you know I'm him … everybody knows I'm him E7 D A A* E7* You know I'm the hoochie coochie man … everybody knows I'm him

V2: I got a black cat bone … I got a mojo too … I got the John the Conqueror root … I’m gonna mess with you … I'm gonna make you, girls … Lead me by my hand … Then the world will know … I’m a hoochie coochie man … But you know I'm him …

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A - - - A - - - A - - - A - - -

A - - - A - - - A - - - A - - -

D - - - D - - - A - - - A - - -

E7 - - - D - - - A - - - A - E7 -

V3: On the seventh hour … On the seventh day … On the seventh month … The seven doctors say "He was born for good luck.” … And that you'll see … I got seven hundred dollars … Don’t you mess with me … But you know I'm him … End on A7

Outro Lick (Walk Up - Easy):

(Bar 11:) (Bar 12:) A A7 D Ddim7 E7 Bb7 A7 A --0---------------------------------0----- E --0-----0---0-2---2-2---2-0-----1---0----- C --1-----1---1-2---2-3---3-2-----2---1----- G --2-----0---0-2---2-2---2-4---------0----- 1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a 1 + a 2 + a 3

Outro Lick (Walk Up - Challenge):

(Bar 11:) (Bar 12:) A A7 D Ddim7 E7 Bb7 A7 A --0-----0---0-0---0-3---3-------1---0----- E --0-----0---0-2---2-2---2-0-----1---0----- C --1-----1---1-2---2-3---3-2-----2---1----- G --2-----0---0-2---2-2---2-4-----1---0----- 1 + a 2 + a 3 + a 4 + a 1 + a 2 + a 3

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