New Orleans Chords & Rhythms Pt. 2

In this guitar masterclass, teacher Jamie McLean continues his exploration of New Orleans rhythms and chord voicings. He builds on the material covered in the previous lesson by demonstrating additional grooves and techniques.

Jamie starts by reviewing a basic New Orleans groove using a D7 chord shape. He breaks down the rhythmic feel in his right hand and adds ghost notes. He then moves the groove to different chord shapes. Michael provides encouragement as Jamie teaches.

The class delves deeper into incorporating basslines into the grooves. Jamie demonstrates using the ring finger to walk basslines between notes like the root and fifth. He emphasizes the importance of playing "wide" by covering more octaves rather than staying "chunky". This allows for more room to add rhythmic flourishes.

As the masterclass progresses, Jamie solos through the grooves, incorporating riffs and single-note lines. He discusses when it's appropriate to embellish versus keeping the core rhythmic feel. Michael offers additional insight from the chat. Overall, the class provides invaluable techniques for bringing New Orleans flavors to guitar playing.