Welcome to this lesson on ‘Blues for Matteo’!
This tune is part of the Joscho Stephan Trio album Take-Off and features the incredible Italian guitar phenomenon Matteo Mancuso. Matteo has also shared his insights in a special Academy guest lesson, which is highly recommended if you haven’t seen it yet.

“Blues for Matteo” is a modern, kind of blues.
In this lesson, you will learn the melody, a full solo and two core elements that define the character of this piece:

1) Rhythm guitar: switching between straight accompaniment and Gypsy-style la pompe.
A key challenge is the smooth transition between these two feels. Tight muting, steady time and clean switching are essential to make the groove work.

2) Two-part melody
The theme relies heavily on parallel two-voice lines, which were originally played by Joscho and Matteo.
This is an excellent way to develop timing, articulation and accuracy when playing two melodies in unison.

If you want to expand your rhythmic versatility, strengthen your control of two-voice phrasing and explore a fresh approach to the blues, this lesson offers plenty to get stuck into.

Let’s get started!