Blues (Monthly Ongoing Class)

The blues is the foundation of countless styles of music, from rock and country to jazz, soul, and R&B. Blues is an ongoing class for upper beginner to intermediate guitarists who want to develop authentic blues vocabulary, strengthen their rhythm and lead playing, and gain a deeper understanding of the techniques, theory, and musical language that have influenced generations of guitarists.

This isn't a class where we simply learn a blues song and move on. Each month, we work with a new song, artist, or musical concept as a starting point for a deeper exploration of the blues. We'll break down how the music was constructed, study the techniques and theory behind it, and apply those ideas directly to your own playing.

Rather than passively memorizing songs, you'll learn to recognize the musical choices being made and understand why they work. You'll build a vocabulary of techniques, chord shapes, scales, rhythms, and improvisational concepts that you can carry into other songs and styles.

What to Expect

The featured music and learning objectives rotate each month, allowing you to continually build on your blues foundation while exploring different eras, players, and approaches to the style.

Depending on the material we're studying, class may explore:

• Moveable chord shapes, including barre chords, triads, shell voicings, 7th chords, and more

• 12-bar blues progressions and other common blues song forms

• Blues rhythm and accompaniment techniques

• Understanding chord function and blues harmony

• Pentatonic scale soloing

• Connecting scales and chord shapes across the neck

• Introduction to improvisation and developing your existing improvisation skills

• Phrasing, articulation, dynamics, and rhythmic feel

• Building musical and expressive guitar solos

• Developing your ear through learning phrases and melodies by ear

• Breaking down what you hear from a theory and technique standpoint

• Transcribing and applying ideas from legendary players

• Understanding how blues vocabulary connects to rock, jazz, soul, R&B, and other styles

All content is layered to meet you where you're at. Whether you're just beginning to explore improvisation or already have some experience soloing, we'll build on your current skill set and introduce challenges that are appropriate for your level.

Learn From the Players Who Shaped the Blues

Throughout the course, we'll explore the playing, compositions, recordings, and musical ideas of influential artists including:

T-Bone Walker, B.B. King, Albert King, Little Walter, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sonny Rollins, The Allman Brothers, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Lonnie Johnson, Kenny Burrell, and many others.

We'll also look beyond guitar when it helps us become better musicians. Great blues players have always learned from singers, horn players, pianists, harmonica players, and other instrumentalists. Studying those musical ideas can help you develop a more expressive ear and create solos that sound like music, rather than simply running through scales.

Learn the Language, Not Just the Licks

A major focus of Blues is developing your ability to hear, understand, and apply the musical language you're studying.

You'll learn phrases and ideas by ear, then break them down from a theory and technique perspective. What scale or chord is being used? Why does that particular note work? How does the phrase interact with the underlying harmony? What makes the rhythm or articulation sound distinctly bluesy?

The goal is to take those discoveries and turn them into your own musical vocabulary.

Over time, you'll begin to recognize patterns across different players and recordings, giving you a stronger foundation for improvisation and helping you move beyond simply memorizing isolated licks.

A New Musical Deep Dive Every Month

Blues is designed as a monthly, ongoing class, with new songs, artists, techniques, and learning objectives introduced throughout the year.

Each month's material builds on the skills you've developed previously while introducing new applications and challenges. This allows you to continue taking the class month after month while steadily expanding your understanding of the style.

You don't need to already be an experienced blues guitarist. What matters is that you have enough foundational guitar skills to engage with the material and apply the concepts we're exploring.

Is This Class Right for You?

Blues is not intended for complete beginners.

Students who are brand new to guitar should first complete our Guitar Fundamentals program, which is also available through Rose City Guitar Company. This ensures you have the foundational skills needed to get the most out of our genre-specific classes.

If you're unsure whether you're ready for Blues, reach out to us for a free assessment. We'd be happy to help determine which class is the best fit for your current experience and musical goals.

A Flexible Membership-Based Program

Blues is one of many specialty classes included in our monthly membership program. As a member of Rose City Guitar Company, you're not limited to just one class—you can build a schedule around your goals and interests.

Want to combine Blues with Rockin' n Rollin', R&B & Soul, Frets & Theory, or another specialty class? You can mix and match classes throughout the month to create a personalized learning path.

Memberships include 4, 6, 8, or up to 12 classes per month, with pricing based on how many classes you'd like to attend. This gives you the flexibility to explore multiple styles while learning alongside a supportive community of fellow musicians.

What Happens After I Purchase?

Blues is offered Saturdays at 11:00 AM. Your monthly membership covers 4 classes in this class.

Once you sign up through our website, we'll send you a welcome packet along with instructions for accessing our online scheduling system.

Because classes are limited to just 5 students, you'll reserve your seat each week through our online calendar. If you ever need to miss a class, you can easily reschedule into another eligible class—such as Guided Practice—using the same booking system.

If you have questions about whether Blues is the right fit for your experience level or musical goals, reach out anytime at 971-300-4202 or rosecityguitarco@gmail.com. We'd be happy to help you find the class that's right for you.