Just released! Featuring 16 songs taught and performed in 40 video segments with notation, text comments, interactive power tab, looping, frame advance, zoom, and other useful controls. Works on PC or Mac also includes access to Truefire TV

We exalt the value of this course primarily because of the man behind it – Paul Rishell. For those of you new to country blues guitar, Rishell has played and swapped tunes with Son House, John Lee Hooker, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and Howlin’ Wolf amongst many other giants of the art form. A bonafide torchbearer of the country blues tradition, Rishell has studied, performed, recorded and taught the form for 45 years. Paul and his partner Annie Raines (who blows some extremely mean harmonica on a couple of the performances herein) recorded “Moving to the Country” together, which won them a WC Handy award for Acoustic Blues Album of the Year. Suffice to say, you’re in good hands with Dirt Road Blues.

Rishell diligently guides you through 16 handpicked tunes to cover a wide variety of the feels, rhythms and techniques that are characteristic to country blues guitar. You’ll learn all of the parts, rhythms and requisite techniques for “Down the Dirt Road Blues” by Charley Patton, “Shake ‘em On Down” by Tommy McClennan, “Low Down Rounder” by Peg Leg Howell, “Sweet Jivin’ Mama” by Blind Blake, “One Dime Blues” by Blind Lemon Jefferson, “Rag Mama Rag” by Blind Boy Fuller, “Trouble Blues” by Scrapper Blackwell, “Black Horse Blues” by Blind Lemon Jefferson, “Custard Pie” by Blind Boy Fuller, “Hunkie Tunkie” and Keep it Clean” by Charley Jordan, “Step it up and Go” by Blind Boy Fuller and four Rishell originals; “Vanessa,” “Louise,” “I’m Gonna Jump and Shout” and “Blues on a Holiday.”

Get a solid grip on this Delta, Piedmont and Texas blues guitar repertoire and you’ll be able to handle anything (including your own compositions) with authenticity, stellar technique and maximum groove. Head out to the porch now with Dirt Road Blues.

Paul Rishell’s Dirt Road Blues is optimised for solid intermediate to advanced players, is presented across two interactive video CD-ROMs (Windows and Mac compatible), features 40 full-length interactive video lessons, text overviews, standard notation and interactive power tab so you can “see” and “hear” the tab and notation played out at any tempo. TrueFire’s video lesson player features zoom, frame advance, looping and other handy controls.