Blues with Brains - DVD by Chuck D'Aloia

[BadSneakers]

While this is probably old news for many people here, I just wanted to bump this thread based on my first experience with Chuck's Blues with Brains series. For a guy like me who is weak when it comes to theory, this is the perfect way to go back and expand my approach to improvisation. It allows me to get the ideas and notes to sink into my gray matter without getting overwhelmed and without it all sounding like just a bunch of scales that are forced into a solo. I've just started going through the lessons but there is plenty here for anyone looking for a spark in there approach to improv.

Cheers,
Jeff

[cdaloia]

Originally Posted by BadSneakers

While this is probably old news for many people here, I just wanted to bump this thread based on my first experience with Chuck's Blues with Brains series. For a guy like me who is weak when it comes to theory, this is the perfect way to go back and expand my approach to improvisation. It allows me to get the ideas and notes to sink into my gray matter without getting overwhelmed and without it all sounding like just a bunch of scales that are forced into a solo. I've just started going through the lessons but there is plenty here for anyone looking for a spark in there approach to improv.

Cheers,
Jeff

Thanks Jeff, appreciated!

More info here: http://chuckdaloiamusic.com/id2.html There are 9 vids available now.

[Swain]

Just got the whole series.

Solid stuff!

Really enjoying the "One Chord Grooves" video.

[57gold]

After having BWB I for a good while, got off my butt and purchased the series and could not be happier.

Why? Well, been playing for decades and in spite of my best efforts to expand my blues/rock vocabulary beyond pentatonic, major and minor scales with "blue notes" and free wheeling chromatics...all good stuff for classic rock...my attempts at the jazz vernacular have been less than successful.

Part of my problem stems from my unwillingness to start where I left off as a 12 year old with piano lessons and learn to read notation. My son, who just graduated from college and taught himself how to read music, to arrange 6 part choral pieces for his acappella group and has studied university level music theory (as an elective, for fun) says "hey Dad, know one would ever know that you don't know how to read by the way you play". (Until they drop a jazz chart on my stand.)

Have tried some other lessons, tapes, DVDs and even a couple of sessions with local jazz players...modes, scales, arpeggios by the boatload...enough to make my head spin...have tried learning some tunes by ear or with tab...but once Wes or Kenny or Grant started improvising...couldn't figure out why they where hitting notes that seemed irrelevant to the chords, but sounded great.

My son, the smart guy in the family, once suggested I drop the quest because "you play better than 90% of the guys out there who are hobbyists and those wankers on your DVDs with their modes and arpeggios sound like they are playing exercises, not music. Why do you want to sound like them?" I put on some Mike Stern, Scofield, Whitfield, Wes...and say, "I'm looking for a bit of that outside of the box magic." Smart boy, who I have taken to 55 Bar to hear Stern and others perform, can't argue.

Well, Chuck's lessons seem like they are made for me, particularly BWB II & III, and the Advanced Ideas. It's like he met with me, said "hey, you know how to get around all over the neck, you know your chords, even the jazz ones, but let me help you get your head around more complex harmony and expand you vocabulary as a soloist." After the long weekend with the series, I'm hearing stuff that the guys I love to listen to coming from my instrument...and I now understand the connections of the "outside lines" to the chord changes in a way that I can employ them to spice up my solos.

Thanks Chuck. I hope fellow TPGer's take advantage of your lessons. You are a fine teacher and your calm, music-focused approach to teaching theory is just what I have been looking for.

[terrapin]

These sound great and I want to order. Does anyone know if I will be able to access the downloads from my I-Pad. It looks like a download is the only format and my I-Pad is my tool of preference these days.

Thanks...............

[eddie101]

Originally Posted by 57gold

After having BWB I for a good while, got off my butt and purchased the series and could not be happier.

Why? Well, been playing for decades and in spite of my best efforts to expand my blues/rock vocabulary beyond pentatonic, major and minor scales with "blue notes" and free wheeling chromatics...all good stuff for classic rock...my attempts at the jazz vernacular have been less than successful.

Part of my problem stems from my unwillingness to start where I left off as a 12 year old with piano lessons and learn to read notation. My son, who just graduated from college and taught himself how to read music, to arrange 6 part choral pieces for his acappella group and has studied university level music theory (as an elective, for fun) says "hey Dad, know one would ever know that you don't know how to read by the way you play". (Until they drop a jazz chart on my stand.)

Have tried some other lessons, tapes, DVDs and even a couple of sessions with local jazz players...modes, scales, arpeggios by the boatload...enough to make my head spin...have tried learning some tunes by ear or with tab...but once Wes or Kenny or Grant started improvising...couldn't figure out why they where hitting notes that seemed irrelevant to the chords, but sounded great.

My son, the smart guy in the family, once suggested I drop the quest because "you play better than 90% of the guys out there who are hobbyists and those wankers on your DVDs with their modes and arpeggios sound like they are playing exercises, not music. Why do you want to sound like them?" I put on some Mike Stern, Scofield, Whitfield, Wes...and say, "I'm looking for a bit of that outside of the box magic." Smart boy, who I have taken to 55 Bar to hear Stern and others perform, can't argue.

Well, Chuck's lessons seem like they are made for me, particularly BWB II & III, and the Advanced Ideas. It's like he met with me, said "hey, you know how to get around all over the neck, you know your chords, even the jazz ones, but let me help you get your head around more complex harmony and expand you vocabulary as a soloist." After the long weekend with the series, I'm hearing stuff that the guys I love to listen to coming from my instrument...and I now understand the connections of the "outside lines" to the chord changes in a way that I can employ them to spice up my solos.

Thanks Chuck. I hope fellow TPGer's take advantage of your lessons. You are a fine teacher and your calm, music-focused approach to teaching theory is just what I have been looking for.

+1. The man is born to teach and he knows his, uh, stuff inside and out. They are, by far, the best instructional videos available out there.

My only beef is that he taught me everything that I know BUT he didn't teach me everything that HE knows. Ha! Love ya, Chuck!

[terrapin]

I want to send out great Kudos to Chuck as a generous man as well as a great player. After my recent post in this thread asking whether these lessons can be downloaded to an I-Pad I received two seperate e-mail attempts from Chuck to try to see if the I-Pad could download the lessons. Unfortunately it won't, but that was so generous of Chuck to take the time and effort!!!

When I get resettled and get my PC up and running I WILL buy these lessons.

[cdaloia]

I just want everyone to know how much that I appreciate the support and kind words. I never knew that this would have turned into a series of 9 vids when I made BWB. And despite many stops and starts, I am still working on my edu site. A lot of the footage is done, stay tuned.

The 2 latest vids:

"Chord Voicings" will greatly expand your chord vocabulary w/ a solid and easily understood "horizontal approach" to diatonic harmony. It may be an eye opener for some.

BWB "Advanced Ideas" (Pt V) will give you some unorthodox approaches to dom 7th chords (sym aug) and some unusual twists and turns (II-V subs) on your way to the IV chord.

TAB and standard notation doc's are included.

Go here for all info on my edu material: http://chuckdaloiamusic.com/id2.html

Also, take a look around the site. There's a lot of music. Clips of tunes, gear demos, etc...all free DL's.
Thanks again,

Chuck

[electro61]

I just got the heads up from Chuck on Youtube.

Chuck D'Aloia just released EVERY DVD he's ever put out on his new subscription based website!

http://cdguitar.org/

All 5 Blues With Brains and 19 other video series streaming online - ALL for $25/month...

Can you say "NO BRAINER". haha. I just signed up. It's going to be a good month of jamming!!

Absolute best deal around. Thanks to all of you for recommending his lessons!

[jzilla]

it's a great day for guitarists, indeed!