Play acoustic like Blind Blake

A ragtime innovator, Blind Blake is a much-imitated player with a soft touch and a syncopated style

Tristan Seume, Thu 15 Nov 2007, 3:51 pm GMT

The Florida-born ragtime and blues guitarist, Blind Blake, made a name for himself in the 1920s along with early blues greats such as Blind Lemon Jefferson and Robert Johnson.

A well-studied player with a flawless sense of rhythm, Blind Blake never had to shout to be heard, such was the warmth of his vocals and the tightness of his guitar playing. He amazed his contemporaries with his piano-like syncopated style, which has been copied by many ragtime players since, such as Rev Gary Davis and Stefan Grossman.

Gear

The only surviving photo of Blind Blake shows him playing what appears to be a Harmony Guitar. We used a Fred Welker 000 for the recording.

Click 'see all pictures' in the picture box for full-sized tab.

Audio - Tutorial track

Play acoustic like Blind Blake

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