Damn, everyone here saying they know more about what the blues is, talking about technique, you know, spend your own time putting up lessons for free before you go and knock someone else. He's spreading the word about an artist a lot of kids wouldn't know about, giving credit to a song recorded by many artists, like Johnny Winter, and may even be opening the door for the next SRV or a kid who doesnt have money for lessons but will keep the blues alive forty years from now, so go play your custom PRS on your $3k Orange stack and let the man teach the blues.
Ivan Damico Couldn't have said it better, brother. Just read a message by someone criticizing Tom's tutorial on Bukka White..man, these haters are dorks!
Any interpretation of this piece is 100% Legit. Shortly before that video of him was recorded he had only recently re-learned the piece having forgotten his music from not playing for about 30 years I am sure his skills were far sharper in his youth.
Indeed, his earlier recordings have survived (or most of them) and while he certainly still had his vigor in his later years, his playing was far different. Many others also did recordings of this song in different ways, such as Leadbelly.
all I can say is what a fantastic tutorial this man just done, he made it look so easy to do ,so I take my hat of to this man as say well done Tom thanks for this
Very educational...! I've seen a lot of instruction videos, and many of them kind a shoots over my head and my skills... which makes them hard to take in. This video really shows the moves and licks. Very god...!!!
I’ve been playing guitar since I was 16. Rock, metal, funk, I’ve toured it all. Tom’s lessons on Robert Johnson took my playing to the next level. Came to check out the Son House lesson and looks like I’ll be getting that as well! Keep up the great work, Tom and thanks for being such a great instructor!
Great lesson! That angle of the slide can help actually keep things IN tune because naturally (according to physics) M3 intervals are 14cents flat so having that angle can flatten your b string by around 14cents making it sound closer to being tuned according to the harmonic series.
This Cary the Okie Cowboy. You rock Tom!! You taught me how to play a great version of this song on my Silver B fanatic National Duolian. Rolling and Tumbling is good to. You play that one with a bit of Cross Roads sounding stuff.
Tom is a fantastic teacher. Fun fact, when i play slide i angle, kinda like Son House, not intentionally, or to copy. I find it easier to have more control, playing at an angle, came naturally
a nice clear lesson on how to play a fine interpretation of son house's death letter blues take what you want from it. my thought is it its a kind of top down road map on the tune .. now you could if your where so inclined mimic the vocal part in exactitude or impersonate as close as you could possibly try do. and if you have had that awful miss fortune conveyed in the lyric you could draw on that experience to help sing this song as it is an edited moment a memory of an event we all will have to face some time, that terrible grief of loss. that silent still emptiness and that cold emanating from the shrouded those whispered moments... and everything that follows it flows on to that sad funeral moment then you will have this blues and that letter symbolic whichever way it may come posted it'll shine a light on son house's most excellent act.
I actually liked the weird wobbly sound of the side at an angle, it give it that classic, spooky, distressed sound, but you're right it depends on where you use it, great video.
Time to play is shorter than any would choose, so choice of real, competent instruction is critical.I. play Scruggs five string the majority of my time. Internet is a three blade sword. So much trial and random stations to travel. I play 12 and 6 when I want a change of heart. I have gone through Tom's Mississippi John Hurt's "Gospel Guitar" and found the intermediate level teaching challenging and worthy of the folks Tom F. is interpreting. Would've like to have had this resource many years ago. I look forward to his lessons of other greats of Blues offered through Stefan Grossman's well respected catalog.
Tom makes a hell of an impression... I have bought the lessons on Robert Johnson...and this guy is VERY GOOD. The fact he can sort it all out and deliver a kind of way for us to wade through the transcripts [ cause the Hal/ Leonard scripts are just too technical ( and I'm an intermediate player ) ] is pretty impressive.
The great Son Jouse. Great lesson but i wish the camera was set up to show you hitting the strings as well as the next to see each string being hit.. Thank you
Thank you Tom for posting this blues guitar tutorial. Just stated playing again due to the Corvid 19 lock down. Your teaching style is professional and easy to follow.
I love this stuff! Lots of great ideas here. I'm not a slide guy, nor do I use fingerpicks, but I try to incorporate these ideas with heavy vibrato, playing hard, dissonance and creating dynamics. I like how you really snap the strings on some of those notes, makes it nasty! I also like the vibrato you use, awesome.
I just love the sounds you are making. I am new to guitar, I have an electric guitar and will start taking lessons in another week or two when I settle down. I thought I would have to buy one of those metal guitars but the sounds you are getting are fantastic.
I have to hit the high E Fifth fret with my finger and not use the slide... just cant get it to sound good unless I give it a snap using my fingers. I guess my slide technique sucks but it works for me. Great lesson as always Mr. Feldmann
I saw Son many times in the folk clubs of the 1960's. I don't recall him being overly concerned about his guitar being out of tune. He was a powerful intuitive player and alcohol fueled visionary. I wondered if he was hallucinating something real.
Thank you for posting this lesson Tom. As far as the folks below talkin bout art & transcension & the right/wrong angle of your slide, geez guys chill... Of course blues is not science! (thank god) & nobody in the world duplicates Son House version of death letter. As far as this song’s basic technique & patterns -take it wherever you want it- and thanks to Tom for a free tut :)))).
dude , I like this . I am an old timer . with little knowledge . of guitar , but you make it feel possible to do , I may eat my words . but hey , I will try.......
I've got huge hands, Hendrix big, and the only way I can play slide is on my ring finger. There is no one way. Pinkies are great for many, but it's a suggestion. I liked this lesson aside from the nonsense about son house being out of tune because of which finger he used. Tom, SH wasn't overly concerned with perfect intonation. Look at the way he closes off the chord at the end of this song. He was there for the ride, but the specifics didn't matter. We're talking about a time when tuning was basically a rough guideline.
Dang Ive been doing it wrong. I play on my little finger and angle it for the sound. My damping was better on my ring finger BUT on my pinky it frees up three fingers for chords and adding more notes to chords. But Im sloppy anyways. I thought Son House was using his pinky all this time especially when he does the C and D stretch. But look at his fingers they are extra long.
Interesting, your thoughts I use my ring finger. I cannot dampen behind the slide for what ever reason the shape of my fingers. My thumb also wraps around. I do my tremelo by shaking the gutiar. I was wondering if you would elaborate more on ring finger use of slide.
Great man. I have watched his video of him playing many times and his fingers must be leather because he looks like he is just pounding and slapping those strings with no thumb/finger picks. I know him The Great Robert Johnson and Willie Brown all played together a lot. I wonder how much Robert Johnson taught him and Willie Brown how to play once Robert Johnson disappeared for 9 months and then came back from Arkansas to teach them to play. Great job man, thanx for the lesson.
Yeah I learned that a little after I made this comment, ha. The only difference is they were ladder braced which gives a way better sound than anything modern!
Finger picks. I tried them but trusted my fingers more. Doubt Son House had anything but his fingers and old strings. 💪 Find that soul in yourself and don’t depend on anything else.
You can draw a line from Robert Johnson up thru Muddy Waters and you'll go by Peter Green , Buddy Guy , Eric Clapton , Duane Allman..the blues have a long lineage..
So, open G? Thank you so much. Awesome tutorial. Own a Gretch Honey Dipper. I’ve been playing open G w/slide for years and haven’t been able to nail this one. Great tutorial my friend.
Great lesson Tom. Any way you can come up with a little solo, I don't know, maybe around the 2 minute mark? I just think one would add so much to this incredible song, give the listener and player a break from the body of the song. Claptons a pro at doing that to those old songs.
The little things like the dissident notes from the slide being angled are the things that gave House his sound along with his picking style. They're what set black blues apart from white people's music.
Hi. Does anyone know what kind of fingerpicks are being used in this lesson? I would like to try some. I've never seen picks which can strike from the pad side of the finger as opposed to the nail side. I don't even know how to search for that.
what kind of picks are u using/??/ i have been turning regular metal picks around to the pad side of my middle two fingers to try to acheive what u r talking about. pplease keep me in ur loop if u get some success in solving this. thanx
I have a problem being critical here about this not being "exactly" the same as Son House's version? Son House taught Robert Johnson how to play the guitar. Johnson played all these same songs basically the same, but in his own unique way. I absolutely have no interest in trying to clone a great unique artist like Son House. You have to fit that song into your own wheel house. Muddy Waters played these songs too, but in his own style. I like to study the original, and I want to know the notes and inflections, but I try to find something that retains the feeling but is something that I can do well. It may not be exactly the same. One thing that people forget is that these artists did not play in every conceivable style. They played THEIR style for their whole lives. You cannot duplicate something like that. They have a comfort level with these songs that comes from decades of performing thousands of times. Tom Feldman is breaking down everybody's style. He's amazing. All these artists have licks that you have to practice rather relentlessly for a long time before they become second nature and sound completely natural. But they didn't play other people's licks, just their own. Tom Feldman is playing everything and with an amazing degree of authenicity.
Damn, everyone here saying they know more about what the blues is, talking about technique, you know, spend your own time putting up lessons for free before you go and knock someone else. He's spreading the word about an artist a lot of kids wouldn't know about, giving credit to a song recorded by many artists, like Johnny Winter, and may even be opening the door for the next SRV or a kid who doesnt have money for lessons but will keep the blues alive forty years from now, so go play your custom PRS on your $3k Orange stack and let the man teach the blues.
Ivan Damico well said brother
Ivan Damico Couldn't have said it better, brother. Just read a message by someone criticizing Tom's tutorial on Bukka White..man, these haters are dorks!
Marco André Moreira Lol just saw this and noticed it was posted on my birthday! Nice one lol!
Amen to that.
Amen
Tom is the best blues teacher on TH-cam. Enough said
Any interpretation of this piece is 100% Legit. Shortly before that video of him was recorded he had only recently re-learned the piece having forgotten his music from not playing for about 30 years I am sure his skills were far sharper in his youth.
Indeed, his earlier recordings have survived (or most of them) and while he certainly still had his vigor in his later years, his playing was far different. Many others also did recordings of this song in different ways, such as Leadbelly.
That picking hand. Thats a man that has absolutely perfected his craft.
thankyou so much for takin the time to show us technique that frees us to actually start playing this slide blues song properly...respect..
Son House was a hardworking groovemeister.
What an inspiration he is.
all I can say is what a fantastic tutorial this man just done, he made it look so easy to do ,so I take my hat of to this man as say well done Tom thanks for this
Tom is the greatest guitar teacher of the blues! No one is better on the subject than him.
Great tutorial. A lovely, respectful teaching style. Thank you so much, Tom.
Love it!..This past year, my immersion into open tuning slide guitar blues, my world has opened up. Thanks!
So true, when you start using open tuning you start a new guitar life. Delta blues for ever
Best guitar lesson I’ve had in a long time.
Chills...every single time I hear this man....
Thanks Tom. Thanks Stefan and thanks Son House.
Yes....gloriously!
Very educational...! I've seen a lot of instruction videos, and many of them kind a shoots over my head and my skills... which makes them hard to take in. This video really shows the moves and licks. Very god...!!!
Thank you for this lesson man
I’ve been playing guitar since I was 16. Rock, metal, funk, I’ve toured it all. Tom’s lessons on Robert Johnson took my playing to the next level. Came to check out the Son House lesson and looks like I’ll be getting that as well! Keep up the great work, Tom and thanks for being such a great instructor!
Great lesson! That angle of the slide can help actually keep things IN tune because naturally (according to physics) M3 intervals are 14cents flat so having that angle can flatten your b string by around 14cents making it sound closer to being tuned according to the harmonic series.
thats a really cool tip
Tom, even if I never play this great song , I’ve learned a lot I can incorporate in my playing. Thank you for such a meticulous lesson.
I've watched a lot of guitar lessons on YT, but damn it, I think this guy is the BEST!
This Cary the Okie Cowboy. You rock Tom!! You taught me how to play a great version of this song on my Silver B fanatic National Duolian. Rolling and Tumbling is good to. You play that one with a bit of Cross Roads sounding stuff.
No One compares to THE MAN!!!!! Son House!!!
Shein Die the one and only
Tom is a fantastic teacher. Fun fact, when i play slide i angle, kinda like Son House, not intentionally, or to copy. I find it easier to have more control, playing at an angle, came naturally
Love that hook and beat.
Open G: DGDGBD from low to high.
Wow! Really lovin what you do, Tom. Haven't yet taken the deep Blues dive... and your stuff pulls me to the deep end.
a nice clear lesson on how to play a fine interpretation
of son house's death letter blues take what you want from it.
my thought is it its a kind of top down road map on the tune ..
now you could if your where so inclined
mimic the vocal part in exactitude
or impersonate as close as you could possibly try do.
and if you have had that awful miss fortune conveyed in the lyric
you could draw on that experience
to help sing this song as it is an edited moment a memory of an event
we all will have to face some time, that terrible grief of loss.
that silent still emptiness and that cold emanating from the shrouded
those whispered moments...
and everything that follows it flows on to that sad funeral moment
then you will have this blues and that letter symbolic
whichever way it may come posted
it'll shine a light on son house's
most excellent act.
One of the best explanations of Son Houses style I have ever seen.
FANTASTIC TEACHER
The story of how Al Wilson retaught Son house the guitar again was reported in a magazine called 'Blues Access' in Fall 98
I actually liked the weird wobbly sound of the side at an angle, it give it that classic, spooky, distressed sound, but you're right it depends on where you use it, great video.
Tom is great...got a few his video teachings...generous teacher...great guitarist...Thanks Tom.
What a song what driving riff.Simply superb.
Time to play is shorter than any would choose, so choice of real, competent instruction is critical.I. play Scruggs five string the majority of my time. Internet is a three blade sword. So much trial and random stations to travel. I play 12 and 6 when I want a change of heart. I have gone through Tom's Mississippi John Hurt's "Gospel Guitar" and found the intermediate level teaching challenging and worthy of the folks Tom F. is interpreting. Would've like to have had this resource many years ago. I look forward to his lessons of other greats of Blues offered through Stefan Grossman's well respected catalog.
Is always wonderful to see you work here on TH-cam, Tom. Thanks Tom.
Tom makes a hell of an impression... I have bought the lessons on Robert Johnson...and this guy is VERY GOOD. The fact he can sort it all out and deliver a kind of way for us to wade through the transcripts [ cause the Hal/ Leonard scripts are just too technical ( and I'm an intermediate player ) ] is pretty impressive.
I hear you. A picture is worth a thousand words and a 5 minute video is worth a book of incorrect tab.
Was für ein geniales Video. Danach habe ich lange gesucht. Danke dir !!!
Great lesson. Thanks for the download.
I just came across this great lesson . Thanks for breaking this down it was very helpful.
Great Lesson!!! The best i seen on YT
The great Son Jouse. Great lesson but i wish the camera was set up to show you hitting the strings as well as the next to see each string being hit.. Thank you
What a lesson. Thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you very much I'd love to take a lesson from you.
Thank you Tom for posting this blues guitar tutorial. Just stated playing again due to the Corvid 19 lock down. Your teaching style is professional and easy to follow.
I love this stuff! Lots of great ideas here. I'm not a slide guy, nor do I use fingerpicks, but I try to incorporate these ideas with heavy vibrato, playing hard, dissonance and creating dynamics. I like how you really snap the strings on some of those notes, makes it nasty! I also like the vibrato you use, awesome.
I just love the sounds you are making. I am new to guitar, I have an electric guitar and will start taking lessons in another week or two when I settle down. I thought I would have to buy one of those metal guitars but the sounds you are getting are fantastic.
I have to hit the high E Fifth fret with my finger and not use the slide... just cant get it to sound good unless I give it a snap using my fingers. I guess my slide technique sucks but it works for me. Great lesson as always Mr. Feldmann
Man you are an amazing teacher I play slide too but I learned more in 20 minutes than I have in years! Excellent.
Hey man that was a great lesson! Ty
Wonderful lesson 👍👏🇺🇸❤️
I saw Son many times in the folk clubs of the 1960's. I don't recall him being overly concerned about his guitar being out of tune. He was a powerful intuitive player and alcohol fueled visionary. I wondered if he was hallucinating something real.
Thank you for posting this lesson Tom. As far as the folks below talkin bout art & transcension & the right/wrong angle of your slide, geez guys chill... Of course blues is not science! (thank god) & nobody in the world duplicates Son House version of death letter. As far as this song’s basic technique & patterns -take it wherever you want it- and thanks to Tom for a free tut :)))).
Totally agree with you Hollerboy and Scott Long, great lesson. Note to self: check out the other Tom Feldman lessons.
How can people leave a thumbs down ? It's explained very well for newbies .....great job 👍👍
Because their malcontents
Damn! This just blew my mind..
thank you Tom
Easy and perfect way to blues world.
Great tutorial, thanks!
This is terrific, very true to the recording, thanks so much for sharing this.
Tom, always a great lesson on one of the greats...!!
Thanks Tom , great lesson , fun to lear with you .
Top lesson man. Top lesson. Thank you
The theory is good but the feeling it's the most important, don't forget it
great lesson.thank you .
Nicely taught!
Love, Son House but Mr. Feldman has crazy skills to teach. Need some lessons.
Thanks so much for this!
Excellently done!!
great lesson!
dude , I like this . I am an old timer . with little knowledge . of guitar , but you make it feel possible to do , I may eat my words . but hey , I will try.......
- Most wonderful!
This helped me so much!
Using the slide on the ring finger (as Son House did in the video) creates a minor sound on the slide, which is very much part of his sound, IMHO.
+Daniel Tanz One video and you are an expert on Son? He used3 different types of slides on two fingers.
I've got huge hands, Hendrix big, and the only way I can play slide is on my ring finger. There is no one way. Pinkies are great for many, but it's a suggestion.
I liked this lesson aside from the nonsense about son house being out of tune because of which finger he used.
Tom, SH wasn't overly concerned with perfect intonation. Look at the way he closes off the chord at the end of this song. He was there for the ride, but the specifics didn't matter. We're talking about a time when tuning was basically a rough guideline.
Has nothing to do with where the slide is and everything to do with where its used, and the angle he puts it at.
Dang Ive been doing it wrong. I play on my little finger and angle it for the sound. My damping was better on my ring finger BUT on my pinky it frees up three fingers for chords and adding more notes to chords. But Im sloppy anyways. I thought Son House was using his pinky all this time especially when he does the C and D stretch. But look at his fingers they are extra long.
Interesting, your thoughts
I use my ring finger. I cannot dampen behind the slide for what ever reason the shape of my fingers. My thumb also wraps around. I do my tremelo by shaking the gutiar.
I was wondering if you would elaborate more on ring finger use of slide.
Great lesson Tom, thanks heaps
Great man. I have watched his video of him playing many times and his fingers must be leather because he looks like he is just pounding and slapping those strings with no thumb/finger picks. I know him The Great Robert Johnson and Willie Brown all played together a lot. I wonder how much Robert Johnson taught him and Willie Brown how to play once Robert Johnson disappeared for 9 months and then came back from Arkansas to teach them to play. Great job man, thanx for the lesson.
I don't mean to be rude but Son house is the guy who taught THEM how to play and not the other way around.
@@ryanestrada3897 correct
Great lesson
Nice! Makes me wanna shout: "Carrrroooliiiine... I think you broke mah legs!" 😃😊
My man,Eddie House😎💜
Nice work..
Simply unbelievable... my good he’s got the blues by the neck like a han about to become dinner.
EXCELLENT!
Is it true that Al (Blind Owl) Wilson re-taught Son House how to play....on his rediscovery?
Yep
Yes he learn by ear the old songs and teach then to house after 20 years without playing
He ATTACKS that guitar...
Great job! I want to know, how do you get such a great slide sound out of a regular acoustic?
Yeah I learned that a little after I made this comment, ha. The only difference is they were ladder braced which gives a way better sound than anything modern!
Finger picks. I tried them but trusted my fingers more. Doubt Son House had anything but his fingers and old strings. 💪
Find that soul in yourself and don’t depend on anything else.
really helpful
You can draw a line from Robert Johnson up thru Muddy Waters and you'll go by Peter Green , Buddy Guy , Eric Clapton , Duane Allman..the blues have a long lineage..
looks like son house is just hitting the strings
I love Son House, but his hands in this vid look like something out of a horror movie.
addisonscout Lol... I was thinking the same thing. I’ve been listening to him since the early 70’s, but only lately have found vids of him playing. 😊
Long term Alchoholism, harsh hand-labour and rheumatoid arthritis
@@rev.jimjonesandthekool-aid4488 somehow added to the character of his playing
@addisonscout....Go away forever.
Frostbite
So, open G? Thank you so much. Awesome tutorial. Own a Gretch Honey Dipper. I’ve been playing open G w/slide for years and haven’t been able to nail this one. Great tutorial my friend.
Great lesson Tom. Any way you can come up with a little solo, I don't know, maybe around the 2 minute mark? I just think one would add so much to this incredible song, give the listener and player a break from the body of the song. Claptons a pro at doing that to those old songs.
Any way YOU can do a solo?
Death letter blues 🤘🍻
MASTERS Masters Classe au précurseur du B.L.U.E.S.
The little things like the dissident notes from the slide being angled are the things that gave House his sound along with his picking style. They're what set black blues apart from white people's music.
Amen Travis!
I'm watching this and i don't even own a guitar
im watching this and i don´t even have eyes!
@@luisalbertorosa7433 atleast you can listen to this gorgeous piece of music
Get one
Me too!!! But I would love to learn. And I'm 66. How crazy is that?!?
@@cyndygough4107 Not crazy I'M 70 look at my humble videos th-cam.com/video/YnTaScFLLg8/w-d-xo.html
Anyone know what guitar Tom is using ?
I know its a year late, but I believe its a Collings 00 series
Hi. Does anyone know what kind of fingerpicks are being used in this lesson? I would like to try some. I've never seen picks which can strike from the pad side of the finger as opposed to the nail side. I don't even know how to search for that.
He's using picks the standard way. The picks aren't special, you could turn them around.
what kind of picks are u using/??/ i have been turning regular metal picks around to the pad side of my middle two fingers to try to acheive what u r talking about. pplease keep me in ur loop if u get some success in solving this. thanx
You are using yours backwards lol
Can anybody make out what kind of resonator guitar Son is using here? Dobro, Regal...
tweezee National Style O
super cool now I feel much as me way?
I have a problem being critical here about this not being "exactly" the same as Son House's version? Son House taught Robert Johnson how to play the guitar. Johnson played all these same songs basically the same, but in his own unique way. I absolutely have no interest in trying to clone a great unique artist like Son House. You have to fit that song into your own wheel house. Muddy Waters played these songs too, but in his own style. I like to study the original, and I want to know the notes and inflections, but I try to find something that retains the feeling but is something that I can do well. It may not be exactly the same. One thing that people forget is that these artists did not play in every conceivable style. They played THEIR style for their whole lives. You cannot duplicate something like that. They have a comfort level with these songs that comes from decades of performing thousands of times. Tom Feldman is breaking down everybody's style. He's amazing. All these artists have licks that you have to practice rather relentlessly for a long time before they become second nature and sound completely natural. But they didn't play other people's licks, just their own. Tom Feldman is playing everything and with an amazing degree of authenicity.
Is he playing in open tuning?
I feel like I have just been shown the secrets of the universe.