After four decades of teaching beginners to play this style, Happy Traum has devised this nearly foolproof method to help you develop the coordination you need to get off to a great start. The challenge for guitarists is in developing an "independent thumb" so that the rhythm, alternating between bass strings, stays constant while the fingers play syncopated melody notes on the high strings. For most starting players, it is the coordination between these two elements- the thumb and fingers working independently of one another -- that is initially difficult. Happy trains you to "rewire your brain" so that it eventually becomes second nature. He shows you how to pick out simple melodies, playing them on the beat with the bass notes and then, once this is established, playing the trickier off-beats. At the same time you'll gain invaluable information about using finger picks, string damping, picking out melodies, Travis style picking and other important topics. You'll start by playing a simple children's song, Skip to My Lou, to help you learn the basic concepts, and then quickly move on to folk, country and blues standards such as Spike Driver's Blues, Green, Green Rocky Road, Staggerlee, Nine Pound Hammer and Hobo's Lullaby. Each piece brings in new techniques so that by the end of this lesson you are fingerpicking some great tunes at an intermediate level, and will have the tools to play anything you want to hear in this style.
D**G
Four Stars
Fine except there were only six in this package.
D**R
The beginning of a College 101 course on fingerpicking
America is blessed to have one of the most gifted guitar teachers (and performers) at the ready through the magic of DVD. These lessons (when you add in DVDs 2 and 3) represent months and months of a true fingerpicking education from a teacher who is passionate, personable, and gifted. He is not simply a great teacher, but is one who anticipates where the student will struggle; offers encouragment and a true full education on fingerpicking. The songs he picks move in an ascending manner, beginning with the basic "Skip to My Lou" and on to the beautiful "Hobo's Lullaby". Besides an excellent education in some beautiful American folk songs, you will be learning, week by week, how to keep a good alternate bass and pick out the melody.Take your time. take notes and map your progress. Do NOT rush. By the time you are finished with DVD 3, you will have spent months and months of the best guitar lessons money can buy, and will be a guitarist unashamed to play in front of others.With DVDs 1 through 3, it is like an entire college course on fingerpicking. Even after finishing the 3rd DVD, you will find yourself going back to DVD1 and having more fun playing "skip to my lou" than you thought imaginable. (Just listen to the introductory music and you'll know what I mean).You can take the knowledge from this set and move on to acoustic blues, which Homespun offers as well. That set, along with Bag of Blues, and some of the Blues Jamming, are an important part of every guitarist's library.Homespun is the premier music instruction in the country today. enjoy!
D**D
not for early beginning guitar players.
starts out good but is light on showing of the first three chords. for a beginning dvd, it should of taken time to show the finger positions of the chords.
J**N
Outstanding Guitar Teacher
After learning and playing guitar with a pick for over 40 years, I wanted to learn how to play fingerstyle guitar. I wanted to start learning the basic fingerpicking styles and start with easy-to-learn songs that would encourage me to keep practicing. I definitely wanted a DVD so I could see a split screen showing me what the right hand and left hand was playing at the same time. Also, I could repeat the lesson over as many times as I needed. This DVD was exactly what I was looking for and Happy Traum is an excellent guitar teacher. The pace was just right and I am so glad I took my time to see what DVDs were out there and to pick this one. Once I learn all six songs on this DVD, I will be purchasing his other fingerstyle DVDs. I love the quality of the DVD and having my own personal guitar teacher available whenever I want. I wish this technology had been available back in the 1960s when I was first learning to play guitar.
T**N
slow down dude
Ok, not great .. I could live without
F**Y
Well done instruction
I have not completed this instructional DVD at this point, but so far I have found it quite good. Happy Traum is a very likable fellow and his style is easy-going and folksy. He takes things slowly enough so that his instructions are doable. Still, one has to pause the DVD to practice the technique. And speaking of that, no instructional DVD is going to turn you into a good finger-picker in a hurry. It's like the old story of a person asking a New Yorker how to get to Carnegie Hall. The answer is practice, practice, practice!I certainly recommend this product.
G**E
Good teacher.
I am new to fingerpicking style guitar playing, it is something that I always wanted to learn, but just could not get the time to do so, so I purchased this DVD and up to now I am enjoying it and learning to play at my own speed which is just what I always wanted to do. The teacher is great, and best of all I can always go back from the beginning of the DVD to revise what I have learnt already. I highly recommend this DVD to all who desire to learn fingerpicking.
Z**N
Great presentation and good value
An impressive lesson. The audio is fine. In fact, I was amazed at how good it sounded when the DVD began. Happy Traum is a sincere and articulate teacher. There is a lot of material here. It's a good value. You really get a sense of Happy's talent at the end of the disk, when he lets loose and shows what he can really do, after patiently and slowly showing you the basics.
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