What makes a great debut album? Its reflection on its time and place in contemporary…
Tag: a conversation with the blues
Dive into the history, legacy, and musical forms of the blues with our collection of blues Flypaper articles. To explore deeper, check out Soundfly’s free blues course taught by Princeton University music director, Vince DiMura, A Conversation with the Blues.
6 Songs That Prove Otis Spann Sold His Soul to the Devil, Too
Blues legend has it that at the corner of Highway 61 and Highway 49 in…
9 of the Most Ripping Country Guitarists Who Advanced the Language of Their Instrument
It’s unlikely you’ll find any rip-roaring country instrumentals making waves in these modern times. But…
Are There “Happy” Blue Notes? Well, Maybe…
Okay, so there’s no such thing as a “happy” blue note, I made that up.…
Song Kitchen: “Peg” by Steely Dan
Welcome to the latest edition of Song Kitchen! Well aren’t you in for a treat, because…
Funk School: Breaking Down the i-IV Tritone Flip in “Uptown Funk”
“Perfect – fourth / Perfect – fourth / Tri – tone / Tri – tone”…
Overcoming “The Blues Rut” and Expanding Your Guitar Creativity
There’s a very good reason why the pentatonic scale is so generally pleasing, applicable, and…
Understanding Advanced Blues Harmony
The 12-bar blues is the most important structural element in the history of American popular…
The Alchemy of the Blues: Turning Guitars into Vocalists
One of the greatest secrets about the blues is that it’s not primarily about the…
Pulitzer Prize-Winner Yusef Komunyakaa on the Poetry of the Blues
Few people I’ve ever met speak with the gravitas of Yusef Komunyakaa. A conversation with…