New Rock and Blues course for E9 players!

[Mark van Allen]

After hearing years of comments that there's no instruction available for modern rock, blues, and pop styles, my latest course sets out to tackle that!

Rock, Pop, and Blues for the E9 tuning.
Like my other courses, it's a talk style course, no tab needed, on two FULL 80 minute CDs exploring how to play rhythm and solos over modern Rock, Pop, and Blues music. 2 hours and 40 minutes of in-depth instruction on arpeggios, chord forms, Rhythm styles, the Memphis vamp, Power Chords, "The Emmons reverse", "The Hendrix Chord", major, minor, pentatonic, blues, and hexatonic scales, licks and improv, use of effects, overdrive and distortion, sequences and patterns, transcribed solos including David Lindley's "Running On Empty", and more, with backing tracks for practice. There's nothing like this course available anywhere!

Although it starts with basic scale and chord info, it's intended for the intermediate to advanced player, or someone who understands some basic theory on E9. (A great companion would be my E9 Theory and Number System course!)
More info and PayPal ordering button on my website here: http://www.markvanallen.com/store_books.html
Those who don't like PayPal can email me directly.

[Brad Sarno]

Just placed my order!!

Thanks for making this Mark...

Brad

[Mike Archer]

bump for Marks course

[Pat Bennett]

Hi, Mark - I'm a beginner on the straight steel (just picked up a 1960 Supro from the original owner!) and I'm looking for some foundational help. I play rock & blues. Do you have any short tracks so I can see what your teaching style is like on your CD's? Thanks...

[Mark van Allen]

Thanks so much, Brad, I've heard SO many players asking why there wasn't more instructional stuff for Rock and Blues.
Mike, I'll always have one for you. They're flying out the door, but I know how to get more!
Pat, I really intend to get some samples up somehow, between working on "C6 on E9" and "Rock Lap Steel" courses and trying to keep up with the 5 bands I'm supposed to be in, I'm breathing hard!

[Pat Bennett]

Okay, but do you have any vids of you playing rock with your steel? I'd like to see them... what tuning do you use, open D, E6, what?

[Mark van Allen]

Now that I can find. Here's a studio cut from John Keane's for a Radio Promo, it's a Reggae feel and more of my approach to 'clean major' rock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY-qD7QV-IU

Here' s a bit of live Blueground Undergrass from a few years back with me leaning on the overdrive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvTEJ6VWJjY gotta love the martians...

Since you're on a Supro, Pat, this might be more what you're looking for, 6 string lap, P90's . Pretty much the same approach I use on crunchy rock on pedal. And lots of pedal stuff following. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y81wEYRhtWM

If you own or have a friend that has the recent 3 CD "Mulennium" set from Govt. Mule, I'm playing E9 rock on the third disc.

More here: http://markvanallen.com/discography.html

[Pat Bennett]

Okay, you're right: the SF video was closer to the mark. Very nice! Here's some of the songs I'm working on right now with my Strat that I'd like to integrate the lap steel into: Let the Guitar Do The Work (Jimmy Thackery - E), Kicken Chicken (also Thackery - A), Beg Steal Borrow (Ray Lamontagne - G#), When the Levee Breaks (Zeppelin), Someday Baby (Dylan - C#), You Got To Lose (G. Thoroughgood - E/A). Is there one tuning you can suggest so I can play most of these?

[Mark van Allen]

Honestly Pat, from the looks of that kind of material I'd suggest open E for six string- E B E G# B E low to high. Power chord (thirdless) on the bottom, and great patterns all over for major and minor pentatonics as well as major scales. Pretty easy conversion over to Pedal E9 if you move to that. Plus loads of Allman licks to rip.

[Pat Bennett]

Thanks; I started out with that and am working in Dmaj right now but I'll play around with both and see where it goes. Thanks, again.

[Mark van Allen]

D tuning with D A D F# A D bottom up will be the same tuning, just a whole step down. I use that on some of my resos, it depends where you want your open strings to fall. It's fun, sometimes it's cool to have the open root chord for a lot of songs, other times the open b7 or 4...

[Nathan Emerson]

Really like your playing with Gov't Mule and Blueground Undergrass -two of my favorite bands with my favorite instrument ! That Saint Francis video sounds great, couple songs remind me of Widespread Panic style writings.

Looking into getting your courses on E9th & dobro when the income tax check comes in. Hoping it helps me find the "pockets" everyone tells me I gotta find. Any help on theory won't hurt anyways!

THANKS

[George Buechley]

For anyone that plays pedal steel in a rock band or what they're calling country these days, I highly recommend this course.

George