Help: Guitar videos

Subject: Guitar videos
From: TexasTom46
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 10:54 PM

Hi, y'all...I'm a newbie here as far as posting goes (although I have lurked here for several years on and off now).

I am wondering if anyone can recommend some good guitar training videos - that you have PERSONALLY used and found helpful.

I have been playing guitar since I was 11 (I am 47 now) and am self-taught. I am looking to expand my skills which are alright. Presently, I can play rhythm okay, and I do a two-finger finger-picking style that is pretty adequate (good enough that people think I am doing more complicated things than I really am).

Anyways, I want to expand my skills on a fairly basic level. I would like to find a few videos ideas that might help me to do the following: 1. learn to play some folk tunes using alternate tunings (beyond your standard drop-D tuning, which I can do already); 2. learn some basic guitar fills and the like for when I play solo (not interested in playing lead guitar at this time), especially for country and country blues type stuff; and 3. learn to expand my horizons in playing blues, especially learning several blues progressions (I know some).

I would appreciate it if you can give me some ideas. Be specific as you can regarding the particular video you suggest (e.g., who is the artist doing the training, who produces it, where it can be ordered, etc.).

I will look forward to your suggestions.

Texas Tom aka Tom Webber

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar videos
From: ddw
Date: 13 Jun 01 - 11:53 PM

Tom,

We've had several threads on this in the past and a clear winner seems to be homespun

If you can't find anything there, I have a book called Fretboard Roadmaps that is excellent. The one I have is for blues, but a friend showed me one a couple of weeks ago for country licks that he said is wonderful. The books come with tapes or CDs and they lay out things with tablature that is pretty easy to follow.

You might also just go to the forum search, put "videos" in the the box and set the time for two or three years. It should give y ou a bunch.

cheers,

david

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar videos
From: GUEST,Roger in Baltimore
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 08:00 AM

Tom, From where you say you are in your guitar development, I'd suggest you go to homespun (listed above) and select Happy Traum's Learning to Fingerpick Guitar. You can start with Video 1 or save some money and buy the two video package.

Happy's tapes have good content, are presented well and are easy to understand.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar videos
From: TexasTom46
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 12:08 PM

Thanks for your suggestions regarding the videos. I had a pretty good inkling that the Homespun videos were the best for my money. But I wanted to get some first-hand recommendations.

Texas Tom aka Tom Webber

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar videos
From:
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 07:53 AM

From what I read of your experience, Tom I would suggest two "Homespun" tapes. They are both more "advanced" than the one Roger suggested. They are way too advanced for me, and perhaps for you too, but I did pick up a few tips and licks from them that made me feel like a better guitarist.

One is "Docs Guitar". This is a collaboration between Smithsonian Folkways and Homespun tapes. I got it partly because I thought it was a historic document. Jack Lawrence's tips on backup are particularly good, but I think Doc Watson's demonstrations do make the impossible, possible.

The other one is "The Real Merle Travis Guitar" taught by his son Thom Bresh. Bresh "relaxes" the approach to Travis' style and points out where he was (intentionally) sloppy for example.

Of course neither of these are Blues, but they use a lot of similar techniques.

For learning to fingerpick the blues, alternate tuning, etc. I have found the Stefan Grossman books the most helpful. He has some basic fingerpicking ones and some some specialized ones (eg on alternate tuning).

Actually, I prefer his audio lessons, but I am an old fogey.

His web site is http://www.guitarvideos.com/.

Murray

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar videos
From: Whistleworks
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 11:56 AM

El McMeen has some excellent instructional videos. Hope this is helpful.

Bob Pegritz

Subject: RE: Help: Guitar videos
From: Benjamin
Date: 22 Jun 01 - 07:31 PM

I'd recomend Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop (the same link as given above). You really should look through the catolog and see for yourself what's availible and what you'd like to learn. I've enjoyed every one I've ordered.