The origins of the blues-The form-The origins of the blues The form -The beat -Picking-hand technique for fingerstyle guitar -Preparing to play or first blues-Building a solid technique -The alternating bass-Picking with the fingers -Combining the thumb and fingers -Preparing to play a blues in G -Preparing to play a blues in E-Melody notes -Eighth notes, dotted notes, and syncopation -Eighth notes and the alternating bass-Dotted rhythms -Syncopation -Blue notes -Fretting-hand techniques -Hammerons -Pulloffs -Slides -Double stops -Bends -Vibrato -Picking-hand techniques -The brushstroke -Heel damping -Walking basslines -Vamps -Playing chords in the higher positions -Singing the blues -The blues lyric form -Turnaround fills -Five blues pieces -Contents of compact disc