Toby Walker's "Blues Fingerpicking Freedom"

[srick]

So I've been working my way through this group of lessons from Toby. I guess I was ready for it, because it just clicked with me. I had known for a long time about movable chords, bar chords and the CAGED system, but this lesson brought it all home and has begun to open up the rest of the guitar neck to me.

It also showed me the common embellishments that you hear all so often in recordings and how to achieve them. Five stars!!!!!

[srick]

Update...having lots of fun tonight playing boogie woodie in G6 tuning! Not ready to join the "Lost Planet Airmen" just yet, though.

[Toby Walker]

Originally Posted by srick

So I've been working my way through this group of lessons from Toby. I guess I was ready for it, because it just clicked with me. I had known for a long time about movable chords, bar chords and the CAGED system, but this lesson brought it all home and has begun to open up the rest of the guitar neck to me.

It also showed me the common embellishments that you hear all so often in recordings and how to achieve them. Five stars!!!!!

I'm REAL happy to hear you're getting a lot out of that DVD amigo! Thanks for the kind words.

[srick]

Tonight, four and a half years after that post, I worked through Blues Fingerpicking Freedom again. I noted several things:

1) This is one of Toby's best videos in terms of content, pace and clarity.
2) I still picked up some subtleties that I had missed before.
3) In four years, my understanding of the fretboard, playing ability and sense of rhythm has improve markedly.
4) And Toby, you were so restrained, almost, nervous?

Looking at my comments from four years ago, I think they're still valid. This is probably one of the most influential sets of lessons I have worked through in my ten years of playing.

best,

Rick

[TBman]

Originally Posted by srick

Tonight, four and a half years after that post, I worked through Blues Fingerpicking Freedom again. I noted several things:

1) This is one of Toby's best videos in terms of content, pace and clarity.
2) I still picked up some subtleties that I had missed before.
3) In four years, my understanding of the fretboard, playing ability and sense of rhythm has improve markedly.
4) And Toby, you were so restrained, almost, nervous?

Looking at my comments from four years ago, I think they're still valid. This is probably one of the most influential sets of lessons I have worked through in my ten years of playing.

best,

Rick

I have a lot of his stuff, including the DVD you have and its sequel. I have a few of his single songs lessons and three of his lesson packs. I also bought his "Band in Your Hand" lesson. Even though technically its easy, more like beginner->intermediate stuff, the theory behind it is good to know and I got a lot of ideas for improvising from it. You can't recommend his lessons enough. He doesn't kill you with long winded explanations either, he is right in that "goldilocks" zone, for me anyway. The problem I have with the Finger Picking Freedom dvds is that I never get through them because I'll start to play along and then go off on tangents improvising using the stuff he's teaching

[Kerbie]

This is all great to read. I also have several of Toby's DVDs and lessons... and I can highly recommend his classes at Swannanoa. Good stuff... thanks Toby!