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  #1  
Old 07-30-2009, 04:41 PM
TaylorGirl2008 TaylorGirl2008 is offline
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Default Good Dvds for fingerstyle?

I have a couple of Pete Huttlinger's DVDs and they're good. I think he goes too fast in some of them but I could be super slow.

I'm especially looking for fingerstyle DVDs that come with tab and any other info, and most especially to learn syncopation. I know that there is a lot of that probably on youtube.com but I live in the boonies with no high speed Internet, so I can't take advantage of youtube or any other online video. I need something that I can put in my portable DVD player.

Anyone have any good DVDs to suggest?
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  #2  
Old 07-30-2009, 09:31 PM
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I have one by John Jackson that I like, from Homespun. It's fingerstyle Piedmont Blues and comes with tabs. It is pretty challenging ...
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  #3  
Old 07-30-2009, 10:36 PM
mmmaak mmmaak is offline
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I don't have them myself, but I've heard that Mark Hanson's DVDs are fantastic:

http://www.accentonmusic.com/
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  #4  
Old 07-30-2009, 10:59 PM
Colbyjack Colbyjack is offline
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Default Mark Hanson...

Mark Hanson is a great teacher.

Look at the website, and then call the office and see if you can speak to him directly. Perhaps he can give you the best possible solution for what you're looking for.
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  #5  
Old 07-31-2009, 05:06 AM
shawlie shawlie is offline
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When you say syncopation, ragtime comes to mind (as it is known for it's wonderful syncopation).

I'm going through a really nice one at the moment - Woody Mann's "Do that Guitar Rag". Six songs that teach syncopation in both the melody and bass (and each song is quite nice). Possibly not exactly beginner's things, but the songs aren't that hard to learn and play slowly - it's getting them a little faster that's tricky (mostly basic chords, it's just the picking style is a challange).

Mississippi John Hurt played with quite a bit of syncopation in the melody, and his stuff is easy enough to understand.
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  #6  
Old 07-31-2009, 07:50 AM
stringbound stringbound is offline
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A good buy are the DVDs by Stefan Grossmans Guitar Workshop. A good start are the DVDs from, with or about Chet Atkins.

The DVDs hosted by the late Buster B Jones are also good: "Fingerstyle from the Ground up" 1 and 2, if you are a "newby" and "Bag of Tricks pocketful of Licks" and "Hot Licks, Rhythms and Grooves" if you are an intermediate to advanced player. He has also a bunch of repertoire DVDs out (got them all, worth every cent).

If you understand french, try "Les Techniques traditionelles du Fingerpicking" and "Les Techniques modernes du Fingerpicking" with Marcel Dadi.

If you're into Country Blues try DVDs hosted by Stefan Grossmans. Highly entertaining and a lot of knowledge.

If your advanced and into Ragtime try Ernie Hawkins series on Rev. Gary Davis.

Regarding Mississippi John Hurt: his playing might sound easy, but it is pretty tricky. I'm not to bad, but I have a hard time trying to play the songs taught on the DVDs by John Miller on MJH.

I work with all these DVDs myself and they improved my playing a lot.

What I can't recommend are the Tommy Emmanuel DVDs. You need to buy the sheetmusic extra. The DVD "Up Close" is more on philosophy than actualy on teaching and "Labour" gives you insight and an in depth study into performing some of his songs. It's more a personality thing than instructional DVDs.
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  #7  
Old 07-31-2009, 08:23 AM
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Brent Hutto Brent Hutto is offline
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I'm not criticizing any particular question or answer but one problem with "fingerstyle" threads is that it covers a whole range of styles. Someone who wants to learn to play like Ed Gerhard does not need a video teaching Mississippi John Hurt licks. And someone who wants to play County Blues guitar won't get a lot from watch Pierre Bensusan.

For instance, I have a DVD of Eddie Adcock teaching what could be (by a stretch) called "fingerstyle guitar" but he's using fingerpicks, a thumb pick and an amalgam of banjo rolls, flatpicking strokes and his own unique licks. I love watching the DVD because he's one of my favorite players but if I wanted to learn to play like that it would mean taking a break from my normal practice and going off to start virtually from scratch on that kind of technique.

One big watershed falls between the whole world of alternating-thumb (or what I call "heavy thumb") styles and the more classically-inspired free hand techniques. Obviously, an accomplished guitarist can be quite adept at styles on both sides of that divide. But there's as much difference between how Etta Baker plays and how Larry Pattis plays as there is between either of them and Tony Rice. If I wanted to learn a bunch of Larry Pattis DADGAD songs it would not be a good use of my time to buy an Etta Baker DVD. I'm just sayin'...
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Old 08-02-2009, 05:14 AM
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I recognize Mark Hanson as a great player, but I think his style is simply too overeducated (too classical and too polished) for some of the type of music he teach (like travis picking).

I prefer some more relaxed players like Fred Sokolow who doesn't make big fuzz about what is the proper way to fingerpick but rather teach how the music should sound.
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Old 08-02-2009, 03:08 PM
Lampens Lampens is offline
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Default stefan grossman

i like the stefan grossman dvd's. he's not boring you with theory. Just shows you how you can play something. And doesn't say this is the way it should be but encourages you to find your own thing. Plus he always has cool footage of the old bluesman in his dvd's.
And I liked the keb mo dvd. When I got that one I already knew most of the stuff he's showing but nonetheless there was still usefull stuff in there and how he plays some of his songs. Picked up some licks from that one.
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Old 08-03-2009, 02:15 PM
carleb carleb is offline
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Also take a look at Richard Gilewitz. He has two DVD's on 'fingerstyle' guitar playing. He has an easy approach to the whole thing.

Keb' Mo is another one that comes to mind. I have two of his DVD's. It's good blues finger pickin'.

Carl
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  #11  
Old 08-03-2009, 06:01 PM
Colbyjack Colbyjack is offline
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Quote:
OC1 wrote:
I recognize Mark Hanson as a great player, but I think his style is simply too overeducated (too classical and too polished) for some of the type of music he teach (like travis picking).

I prefer some more relaxed players like Fred Sokolow who doesn't make big fuzz about what is the proper way to fingerpick but rather teach how the music should sound.
Hi OC1,

Please don't take this as a "pick a fight" or an attack, but I think somehow, some way, you're misunderstanding Mark's teaching style.

I took a few years of classical guitars lessons in the past. I've taken lessons from a few Jazz teachers, I've taken several lessons from a "rock" guitar teacher. I'm currently a student of Mark Hanson's. Mark is the most relaxed, and EASIEST guy to learn from out of the 6+ guitar teachers I've had!!

Speaking from first hand experience, Mark's "style" is FAR FAR from "overeducated". I'm not sure why you say that. He is very un"relaxed." Mark does NOT make a big fuss about "the proper way to fingerpick". He's very flexible in allowing his students to pick as they please. I've heard him say MANY MANY times to me: " you can use x finger, or, x finger, whichever is easiest." Or, "you can use your thumb over the top, or x finger. A classical guitar player would be offended if he saw you use your thumb over the top." An "overeducated" and un"relaxed" teacher would DEMAND certain things. Mark does not. In fact, Mark doesn't FORCE his students to do, or learn anything, including theory (like a few classical teachers normally do).
At the core of Mark's approach is the simple idea of teaching people to play the songs they want, and play guitar in general.
When Mark asks students to do certain things, certain ways, it's still their choice. Regarding the concepts and techniques he seems firm about, they are typically simply good technique that being taught; which will benefit the student both now and in the future.

Have you taken any lessons from Mark? If not, and you're basing what you're saying on his DVDs or audio CDs, keep in mind that when any teacher is explaining something, they need to....be specific. Being specific, and giving a reason for what you're specific about can come across as inflexible.
Mark is far from that. His success as a teacher speaks for itself.

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  #12  
Old 08-05-2009, 01:28 PM
TaylorGirl2008 TaylorGirl2008 is offline
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Default Thanks...

Thanks for all of the great tips, advice, and resources. I'm making a list and keeping the advice handy! I'm a newby but enjoying the journey. I've had a bit of a set back by getting an ear infection with bronchitis recently...for 9 days I haven't been able to hear out of my right ear. On my second antibiotic and prednisone now so hopefully it will clear up soon.

I really appreciate the helpfulness and friendliness of those on this forum!
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  #13  
Old 08-05-2009, 01:47 PM
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Brent Hutto Brent Hutto is offline
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Colbyjack,

I think OC1 is perhaps responding more to Hanson's playing style than to his actual teaching approach. In my limited exposure to his material (couple YouTube clips and one DVD) he does seem a fairly refined/polished and precise player. I think it's a mistake to infer from that general impression some sort of "overeducated" teaching approach, it's just his personal style.

My own (local) guitar teacher spent some time at my last lesson trying to get me to loosen up, when appropriate, in order to get the feel and sound right on bluesier material. His comment was that I'm catching on real fast to how a classically-influenced player will go about arriving at fingerings, note readings and rhythms but I don't have that other gear to shift into when a song needs to be just slapped out there in a more off-the-cuff way with a simplistic approach.

As I say, for my part it has seemed that the "prettier" styles of music I've seen Mark Hanson playing fit his personality and approach more naturally than looser and more raucous stuff. But in person that may not be the case at all. I happen to be most impressed with technical precision and polished sound as long as it delivers a due ration of feeling and "groove" as needed.
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  #14  
Old 08-06-2009, 01:31 PM
BlackHeart BlackHeart is offline
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And record your music to hear how good/bad you are.

There are some good flaminco dvd's out there also, good to try an advanced fingerpicking style to throw in.

I have a Baroque and Renaissance guitar tab/cd album that really helps with basic fingerstyle, and I love the music also.
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