Playing the Blues

[Rob MacKillop]

Soundfiles for my forthcoming guitar edition, The DADGAD Blues Book (Mel Bay Publications). DADGAD is the name of the strings - an alternative tuning. The pieces are either 12-bar studies I wrote myself, or my arrangements of some old Blues classics. The book starts fairly easy, and progresses to fairly complex (St. Louis Blues). I hope you like them. If interested, I'll let you know when the book is available - I imagine around July.

https://soundcloud.com/robmackillop/sets/tracks-from-the-dadgad-blues-book

EDIT 6 August 2016: This book is now available from the publisher's website: http://www.melbay.com/Products/30544MEB/dadgad-blues-.aspx

and here's a promo video:

and the cover:



Hard copies of the book can be bought from the publisher or their distributors in the USA. It will be available as a hard copy elsewhere in a few months' time. However, the eBook version and all the soundfiles can be downloaded from the publisher now: http://www.melbay.com/Products/30544MEB/dadgad-blues-.aspx

 

[Rense Haveman]

Great! I've never tried any alternative tuning, I probably should.... And it sounds great, and real classical country blues like....
Promise nothing, but please let me know when the book is available, and where to get it. Seriously interested...

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Cheers, Rense. I tried to cover a few styles - country, early jazz, modal jazz, gut-bucket blues Something for everyone!

 

[Pete Askew]

Thanks, Rob. I enjoyed those.

Now off to the pub to drown my sorrows!

 

[John Allen]

Missed this post until now. I've listened to all of those clips and am now listening to some more of your recordings on there. Very enjoyable.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Cheers, John. I don't perform these days, but I scrape a living from teaching individuals from my home. I enjoy it very much. And Mel Bay, the US music publisher, commission books from me, which all adds to the pot. I hope you like the music, and if you have any questions, fire away.

 

[Douglas McMann]

Give me a shout when the book becomes available Rob..it sounds good..time to dust off the od git fiddle...

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I'm told July, but it usually takes a couple of months after that to get into the shops, Amazon and the like. I'll mention it here.

 

[Brian Moore]

Lovely stuff Rob. Blues is my favorite musical genre and acoustic guitar blues is what appeals to me most.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I like it all. I really can't say I prefer one genre over others. Some people find that frustrating in me, wishing I'd settle on one style. But I can't. It's all just music. I love it all.

 

[Martin Pancisin]

Very nice Rob. Please let me know when the book is out.

Is it me, or do I hear the riff/strumming pattern from the The Beautiful South's Rotterdam on Beck's Blues (tuning is of course different)? Is it common melody? Do you have any experience with steel guitars?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I've never heard The Beautiful South, any track, but I'll look it up.

Steel guitars - I can play them, but don't have one at the moment. I've been trying to cut down on the number of instruments in the house, and it had to go. I do like that steel guitar sound, though.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, I've listen to Rottedam - definitely no relation between that and Beck's Blues. I don't think I need fear a court case

 

[Martin Pancisin]

I certainly did not mean to imply any copyright infringement. I just heard it an immediately thought, I have heard something similar already.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Don't worry. I always think it's amazing that all the music we've heard in our life, all the music throughout western musical history, stems from just twelve notes. It should be no surprise that we hear similarities here and there.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I've edited the original post above, with video and availability.

 

[David Crosbie]

I do like a bit of DADGAD. John Martyn was a fan! Just think "Spencer the Rover"