Stefan Grossman Guitar Workshop

The use of open tunings on the guitar to accompany singing is one of the hallmark sounds of the Country Blues. Unquestionably, the two open tunings that have been used most commonly in the Country Blues have been Spanish tuning, often called Open G tuning and Vestapol tuning, quite often called Open D tuning. For this 2-DVD lesson, we've chosen the names Spanish and Vestapol to designate these tunings, because in practice, Spanish tuning was not always tuned exactly to an open G chord and Vestapol tuning was not always tuned to an open D chord.

Each one of these tunings represents its own sort of sound universe, but what is really interesting to hear is the different approaches that different players took to the same tunings, and the different sounds that resulted.

Disc 1, the Spanish tuning lesson, we start by presenting an overview to the tuning, how it is set up, and where the foundational chord positions needed to play Country Blues in that tuning are located. 

• Elizabeth Cotten - When I Get Home
• Mississippi John Hurt - Boys, You're Welcome
• Teddy Darby - Built Right On The Ground
• Clifford Gibson - Bad Luck Dice
• Mance Lipscomb - Willie Poor Boy
• Kenny Baker - Legend of the Whistling Brakeman

Disc 2 begin with the an overview that provides the sound of the tuning, the approach that is best suited to it, and the chordal positions needed to play Country Blues in it.

• Tarheel Slim - No Time At All
• Jimmy Lee Williams -  Have You Ever Seen Peaches?
• John Byrd - Old Timbrook Blues
• Memphis Willie B. - Brownsville Blues
• Blind Boy Fuller - Little Woman You're So Sweet
• Jesse Thomas - Another Friend Like Me