Following the author's successful Acoustic Guitar Styles (Routledge, April 2002), this book introduces the readers to the basics of finger-style acoustic guitar blues. Most would-be blues guitarists today learn primarily from books, using notation or guitar tablature, reinforced by CDs, videos, or live teachers. Often this involves rote repetition rather than encouraging creative exploration. Students become copycats, able to play by rote but lack the conceptual equipment to create music on their own. Worst of all, because they learn to play notes rather than working outwards from rhythmic gestures in the picking hands, their music lacks rhythmic vitality. This book concentrates on keeping your playing rhythmic and alive.