learnacousticblues

WELCOME to Learn Blues Guitar Now!

 

GUITAR CLASSES May 2026

ONLINE


 

The Guitar of Freddie King

Six Tuesdays beginning May 12

7-8:30pm

On-line, zoom

Price: $175

For the past several months I have been teaching swing blues from artists such as T-Bone Walker, Tiny Grimes, and Junior Watson. Now it’s time to come back to one of my favorites and a player who I think of as a prime connection between swing blues and modern day Chicago and Texas blues: Freddie King. In the early 1960s King put out an album of instrumental blues, Let’s Hideaway and Dance Away with Freddie King, which featured the hit, “Hideaway.” King has been a major influence on my playing — I quote his licks all the time. If you are looking to become a better blues player and expand your vocabulary of classic blues phrases and licks you should take this class!

Songs:

Hideaway

The Stumble

Heads Up

Just Pickin’

Sidetracked

Sen-sa-Shun


 

In Person


 

The Beatles

At

Timbre Folk

801 Bancroft 

Berkeley, CA

Six Wednesdays beginning May 13

7:15-8:45

Price: $175


 

Okay, so I have been hammering the blues classes for a long time so its time to get a group of folks together to play some Beatles songs. In this class we will learn to play 5-8 Beatles tunes. This is not a vocal class but folks are welcome to sing along to the following:

Here Comes the Sun

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

A Hard Day’s Night

And I Love Her

and more


 

To sign up contact Pete Madsen: buzzyfrets@yahoo.com


 


 

 


 

 

 

 

NEW BOOK AVAILABLE NOW!:

A GUIDE TO ACOUSTIC BLUES GUITAR:  Volume 2

Forty songs and exercises to give your acoustic blues a kick start! Songs from Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis and many more. Standard tuning, open g tuning, and open D tuning.

 

CHECK IT OUT HERE

 

 TrueFire

Update: February 2024

TrueFire channel is still live and growing. The latest lessons are Chump Man Blues by Blind Blake, and They're Red Hot by Robert Johnson.

TrueFire

 

Check out my True Fire channel: access to lots of TABS, videos and acoustic blues guitar education. The focus is on fingerstyle blues. Learn to play:

• alternating bass

• monotonic bass

• slide guitar

• open tunings

• Lots and Lots of songs!

There over 200 videos and over a 150 TABS

Pete's Fingerstyle Blues Academy

 

I also teach private lessons at my studio in Berkeley. E-mail or call me for rates and availability.

 

 

Order the book: Play the Blues Like...

 

 

This book shows you how to play in the style of 12 different blues and blues-inspired artists, such as: Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Skip James, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Memphis

Minnie, and many more. The book was written in conjunction with Acoustic Guitar magazine and published by Hal Leonard.

 

WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT PETE MADSEN'S TEACHING:

I'm a beginning guitar player and have been Pete's student for a few months and wanted to write him up here because I couldn't imagine having found a better teacher. I tried a few other people before going to Pete and the difference is amazing. While most guitar teachers know how to play, Pete also knows how to teach.
He's great at explaining things, great at showing technique, he sends an audio recording of each lesson to your email address (a HUGE help), and teaches you songs that you want to play. In addition to all this his rates are good and he's a cool, easy-going, guitar-loving guy…
--private student

looked forward to the class every week. Even though we were at different skill levels, Pete provided each of us with personal attention which inspired us all to practice. It was fun and rewarding to see myself (and all the other students) improve over the period of the class. Highly recommended!
Bob, student from class


Pete Madsen’s blues guitar classes at the Freight are just great! You learn a lot, and it is incredible fun. I honestly cannot get enough!
– student from class


i been playing for quite a while but not correct finger picking cant sink so this is nice and clear teaching i too think this is one of the best thanks bro
– youtube comment

Thanks for the good video on_ your blues lesson. You explained clearly and broke it down just enough keep up the blues lessons friend God bless

jo bro you helped me so much understand more about_ fingerpicking and syncopation. please keep on teaching man, your one of the best around…
--youtube comment




Took Pete’s Acoustic Blues class.......it was everything I hoped for. He really helped me wrap my head around the fingerpicking that had eluded me for years....thanks again!
I'm looking forward to studying with him again in the future.
-- student from class