On today’s episode of Hangnail’s Hollers, I speak with Heath Tyler, who runs Feedback Guitar Academy, where he offers lessons in many styles, with a special focus on Hill Country blues. His YouTube channel has had over three million views, and he’s been a big influence on the blues renaissance that’s been emerging online in recent years. Check out Heath’s courses here, and his YouTube channel here.
Topics include:
The Austin blues scene and seeing Pinetop Perkins live.
The showmanship of Buddy Guy and Eric Tessmer.
Crazy guitar tricks and how ending a set by ripping out all your guitar strings isn’t as hard as you might think.
What is Mississippi Hill Country blues?
How percussion is at the heart of the Hill Country style.
The legacy of Junior Kimbrough and why he didn’t consider his music Hill Country blues.
A deep dive into Kimbrough’s style, with Heath playing examples.
The difference between traditional Hill Country blues and Junior Kimbrough’s self-created style, Cotton Patch Soul blues.
Juke joints and why Hill Country blues is fundamentally party music.
Junior Kimbrough meeting Bono and being unimpressed by him.
R. L. Burnside’s hypnotic boogie.
The importance of the right-hand groove in Hill Country playing.
The one-man-band quality of Burnside’s style.
Why blues is great for people just starting to play guitar.
Heath demonstrates the “build” method of fingerstyle guitar.
Why “playing notes without rhythm is almost like trying to speak a language by spelling out the words.”
Essential players to listen to if you want to get into Hill Country blues.
The greatness of The Black Keys and how their style is deeply influenced by Junior Kimbrough.
How the Kimbrough and Burnside families are keeping Hill Country blues alive.
How “the mighty algorithm” creates blues rabbit holes on YouTube.
On Heath’s video breaking down Burnside’s song “Jumper on the Line” getting 33 thousand views.
Are we seeing an internet-driven blues renaissance?
How Hill Country blues is “anti-shred.”
Is Hill Country the grunge of blues?
Heath’s current and upcoming projects, including his new blues course for beginners.
Heath Tyler on Hill Country Blues