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Booklet
Improving your Ear for the Country Blues Guitarist
Study Guide for Disc One

Introduction:
This study guide is intended to collect and re-emphasize the various identifying aural
characteristics of the E, C, D and A positions in standard tuning, as presented on the video. The
Study Guide will conclude with an ear-training test of your ability to identify songs played out of
those four positions. The songs needed to take the test are included on the disc as bonus tracks,
and the answers are included, as well.
If you print out this pdf, you won’t always have to go back to the disc to refer to the sound
characteristics and you can fill out the test answers on the page.

E Position in standard tuning, identifying characteristics:

1) In E position, the I, IV and V chords are E, A and B. The low root of the E chord, the open sixth
string, is the lowest note than can be struck on the guitar, so the pitch of the bass notes will
go up as you move from the I chord to the IV and V chords.
2) The most common alternating bass for the I chord in E position is the octave alternation from
the open sixth string to the second fret of the fourth string. To remember the sound of that
octave alternation, think of the first two notes of “Some-where over the rainbow”.
3) The hammer using the index finger to go from the open third string to the first fret of the third
string is one of the most common sounds in the treble of the E position.
4) The turn-around coming down from the fourth fret of the first and third strings, in all of its
different versions, is a treble sound that can help to identify the E position in standard tuning.
5) The V7 chord in E in standard tuning, B7, is often walked chromatically, a fret at a time, from
the open fifth string up to the second fret of the fifth string. Once you’ve arrived at the B7 chord,
it is common to move the alternation in the bass down to the sixth string and “travel” with the
shape, moving it up and down one or two frets.
6) There is a family of Delta Blues in E position in standard tuning, that use a slide from the second
to the seventh fret of the fifth string, followed by a fretting of the seventh fret of the first string
and a bent 8th fret of the second string. There are a host of songs that employ this sound.

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C position in standard tuning, identifying characteristics:
1) In C position, the I, IV and V chords are C, F and G. Assuming you are hitting the root of the
C chord located at the third fret of the fifth string on your downbeats in the I chord, when you
move to the IV chord, the thumb-wrapped F, the pitch of the bass will go way down. The bass
will move up one whole step if you go from the IV chord to the V chord (G), and then continue
moving up in pitch as you resolve the V chord back to the I chord, C.
2) The most common alternation for the I chord, C, in C position, is a major third, going from the
third fret of the fifth string to the second fret of the fourth string. To recall the sound of that
major third interval, think of the first two notes of the “Marine’s Hymn”: “From the halls of
Montezuma…”.
Another common alternation in C position is the so-called “inside out” alternation, C-E-G-E,
which moves from the third fret of the fifth string to the second fret of the fourth string, then
to the third fret of the sixth string and back to the second fret of the fourth string. A less common
alternation is the sixth favored by Libba Cotten, in which you alternate from the third fret of
the sixth string (G) up the second fret of the fourth string (E) (this alternation was also used
by Rev. Gary Davis). A good way to remember the sound of that sixth in the bass is to think
of the first two notes of “My Bon-ny lies over the ocean.” Remember that whatever
alternations are used for the C position, they will travel with the position up and down the neck
as you move the position.
3) In the treble in C position, almost everything is fretted by the little finger and the index finger.
The “blue” notes are not readily available, so that the sound of songs played in C position in
standard tuning tends more toward major sounds — hymns, Pop songs, folk songs and pre-
Blues songs, and raggy material.
4) Many players who worked out of C position would move the position intact up the neck, using
the little finger to fret the first string and “traveling” the position to get melodic movement up
the neck, with the melody on the first string taking the bass along for the ride.
5) The most common alternation for the IV chord, F, in the C position is an octave, moving from
the thumb-wrapped first fret of the sixth string to the third fret of the fourth string. The V chord,
G, most commonly alternates between the third fret of the sixth string and the open fourth
string, an interval of a fifth. To identify the sound of a fifth, think of the beginning of “Twinkle
twinkle little star…”.

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D position in standard tuning, identifying characteristics:
1) The I, IV and V chords in D are D, G and A.
2) In D position, the most common alternation in the bass for the I chord goes from the open fifth
string, A, to the open fourth string, D. This D alternation differs from all the others we’ve
previously encountered in that the root of the chord falls on the second and fourth beats of
the measure, rather than the first and third beats, as in E and C positions in standard tuning.
The interval of that alternation is a fourth, and a good way to remember the sound of it is: “Here
comes the bride”.
3) The unusual alternation for the D chord yields some interesting results when you resolve the
D chord to the IV chord, G, or the V chord, A. When you resolve the D chord to the G chord,
the alternation in G will most commonly be G (third fret of the sixth string) to the open D string
or B (second fret of the fifth string) to the open D string. In either case, G will have the same
note, D, for its second and fourth beats in its alternation as does D. Similarly, when you resolve
the D chord to the V chord, A, the most common alternation in A is from the open fifth string,
A, to the second fret of the fourth string, E. Thus, The D alternation, from A to D, and the A
alternation, from A to E, share the same downbeat on beats two and four of the alternation.
The way that the alternating basses work for the I, IV and V chords in D position is unlike any
other position.
4) In the treble, D position makes easily accessible hammers to the second fret of the first string
and to the first fret of the first string. These first string hammers are one of the most telling
identifying characteristics of the sound of the D position in standard tuning.
5) A sound that is often heard in the treble in D position, standard tuning, is a slide up the neck
that has you ending up fretting the seventh fret of the second string and the fifth fret of the first
string. Normally the slide is sounded on the second string as you move up the neck into this
position. This position was especially favored and used quite a lot by Mississippi John Hurt.

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The A Position in standard tuning, identifying characteristics:
1) The I, IV and V chords in A position are A, D and E.
2) The A chord fingering of choice in A position in standard tuning is most often the “long A”, with
the index finger barring the top four strings at the second fret and the little finger fretting the
first string at the fifth fret. It has a notably big and bright sound.
3) The alternating bass most commonly used for the I chord moves from the open A string, A, up
to the second fret of the fourth string, E. The interval of this alternation is a fifth, just as it was
for the I chord in G, and the way to remember it is, “Twinkle, twinkle, little star”.
4) The IV chord in A position has many voicing options. Some players, such as Mississippi John
Hurt, most often chose a D major chord at the base of the neck, or the “slid up” position on
the first two strings at the seventh fret of the second string and the fifth fret of the first string.
A more common choice for the IV chord is to come up to the second fret of the sixth string from
below, while fretting a partial D7 in the treble, at the second fret of the third string and the first
fret of the second string. This was the IV7 option in A position preferred by many or most East
Coast players and Robert Johnson.
5) A very distinctive sound in the treble over the I chord in A position can be found in the playing
of Robert Johnson, and before him, Scrapper Blackwell. To get this A7 sound, you finger a D7
shape on the first three strings, fretting the third string at the ninth fret, the second string at
the eighth fret and the first string at the ninth fret. Moving the position intact down one fret
in pitch gives you an A diminished 7. Robert Johnson echoed this sound by fretting an A 7 on
the fourth string at the fifth fret, the third string at the sixth fret and the second string at the
fifth fret, all the while playing the open fifth string in the bass. Moving the position intact down
one fret in pitch while keeping the open fifth string in the bass gives you an A diminished 7
chord.
6) Remember that the V chord, E, will have the E characteristics we discussed earlier.
7) Robert Johnson and many other players liked to employ a turn-around in A position in which
you walk down the fourth string, a fret at a time, from the fifth fret down to the second fret,
all the while keeping the first string fretted at the fifth fret by the little finger.
8) Some players liked to utilize IV7 (D7) and V7 (E7) chords out of the A position in which the
C7 position is simply moved up the neck to play those two chords. Blind Boy Fuller and other
East Coast players often chose this option.
9) One of the most commonly encountered characteristic sounds in A position is made by sliding
the index finger partial barre of the top four strings up to the second fret from the first fret. Most
often when this slide is performed, the second string is sounded, but the fourth string may be
sounded in harmony with the second string as in Blind Boy Fuller’s “Weeping Willow Blues”.

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Ear-Training Test
You’re now ready to try a position identification test on the E, C, D and A positions in standard
tuning. Before taking the test, or trying to figure out the playing position for other songs, here are
a few points to consider.
• It is unlikely that any song will display all of the identifying characteristics we have presented
for a given playing position. It’s more likely that a song will show a couple of the characteristic
sounds. Don’t feel defeated if you can’t tell a position after listening through a song once. Listen
as many times as feels necessary — this isn’t a time trial.
• Try listening through the tunes just concentrating on the bass, and what intervals are being
struck in the alternation, if there is one. If you can develop your ability to isolate the bass in
your listening, you will quite often be able to identify the playing position solely on that basis.
• Don’t expect all of the position identifications to come with equal ease. Some you may be able
to identify pretty dependably very soon, and others may take more work before you begin to
feel sure of your identifications.
• Remember that the lists of sound characteristics are not complete. In other words, you may
be able to come up with additional sound characteristics that will help you identify the different
playing positions as much or more than those we’ve gone over thus far. Anything that will help
you identify playing positions by ear dependably and accurately is worth considering.

Here are the tracks and performers for the Ear-training test. Once you have made a determina-
tion of what you believe the playing position for each of the songs to be, enter it in the blank
provided after the performer’s name. Please don’t look at the answer key until you’ve tried to work
out the playing positions on your own. It’s the best way to test your skills up to this point. Have
fun with it.

1) Alabama Blues, Robert Wilkins, ___ position in standard tuning

2) Farewell to You Baby, Carl Martin, ___ position in standard tuning

3) Tallahatchie River Blues, Mattie Delaney, ___ position in standard tuning

4) Florida Bound, Edward Thompson, ___ position in standard tuning

5) Seven Sister Blues, Edward Thompson, ___ position in standard tuning

6) Baby You Got To Do Better, Blind Boy Fuller, ___ position in standard tuning

7) Fishing Blues, Henry Thomas, ___ position in standard tuning

8) He’s in the Jailhouse Now, Blind Blake, ___ position in standard tuning

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Answer Key, Ear-Training Test

1) Alabama Blues — C position in standard tuning

2) Farewell to You Baby — A position in standard tuning

3) Tallahatchie River Blues — D position in standard tuning

4) Florida Bound — E position in standard tuning

5) Seven Sister Blues — A position in standard tuning

6) Baby You Got To Do Better — E position in standard tuning

7) Fishing Blues — D position in standard tuning

8) He’s in the Jailhouse Now — C position in standard tuning