Blues by the Book

Roy Book Binder modestly asserts that he's just showing you "some tricks about playing the guitar" here. Well, Roy's humble, that's sure, but by the end of these two videos you will have mastered a complete vocabulary of licks and techniques and be ready to develop your own distinctive blues style, which is what "Book" had in mind all along.

He carefully breaks down the elements of his fingerstyle brand of "hillbilly country blues" into the simplest pieces -- "like a puzzle" -- but you'll soon see the wisdom in his philosophy: "There are no rules to playing the guitar. Anything you can do is just fine. The blues are played out of emotions."

Roy gained his appreciation of blues and ragtime improvisation when he apprenticed with the great Piedmont style players. His firsthand knowledge of their stylings -- plus his reminiscences and stories -- make these lessons a must for anyone who loves traditional blues.

Review:

"This guy really cracks me up with his slow turtle voice, old-timer accent and dry sense of humor. He often tells little stories and funny things that keep you interested and covers complex and mind blowing Country Blues and Ragtime tricks in a way that even my hound dog could understand. In any case you will enjoy these tapes for years and learn more in a few months than it took these pros to learn and decode for years."-- Web review on Epinions.Com

Student Review:

"I purchased the two Roy Book Binder tapes a while back and I just wanted to let you know that they are in my opinion some of the best instructional tapes I have ever watched. I learned more about Florida blues pickin' in two hours than I have in twenty years of playing. I rate your instruction tapes as the very best there is available and I put Roy's tapes right there with yours. Thanks for making this available to everyone. I have become a decent finger picker thanks to you guys."