David Hamburger - Fretboard Confidential Review

[Glob]

Where can you get a list of the songs available to date?

[Jdogblues]

You're lucky I'm bored at work. Went through them and typed them out.

Profundo
House of the Rising Sun
You got to move
In the Pines
Ivory Ghost
You're a Mean one Mr grinch
Trouble in Mind
Minor Details
Crow Black Chicken
See See Rider
Muesislippi Ibis
Nine Pound Hammer
Nobodys Fault But mine
Wayfairing Stranger
Midnight Special
Jacksons Cadillac
Motherless Child
Stagolee
St James Infirmary
Ramsey Ave Swell
Trifecta Rag
Sitting on top of the world
Baby Please Dont go
Careless Love
Avalon Dreams
Soulstice
Crow Jane

[srick]

So after several weeks I can say that one of the things that I like\hate about David's lessons is that he plays each riff at regular tempo and then repeats it at a slow tempo.

This isn't just your usual slow tempo, it's ex-cru-ci-at-ing-ly-s-l-o-w, and yet, his timing is impeccable.

In other words, if you really want to play well, you have to play slow. I've heard the advice many times before and I still don't enjoy it one bit . But I really appreciate the concept and the skills it teaches.

I can safely say that until recently, I probably wasn't ready for David's website. I had to get to a point where I realized that playing tasty music was all about the basics, but you really had to know those basics well. And let me re-phrase that. Of course, I knew that it was all about the basics, but my gut and my ears had to demand that level of performance from me!

My Mom, an incredible painter, said something similar about Picasso. Picasso wanted to emulate a child's style of painting - essentially straight from the gut with no filter in the way.

Similarly, I have learned that the technical skills and gyrations that we learn to play a piece are merely tinsel. You always need to drive the piece forward with emotion, groove and timing. Again, I knew that too, but it's not such an easy task on a Monday morning at 8:00am! Plus, being 'cool' and 'in the groove' while playing ex-cru-ci-at-ing-ly-s-l-o-w-l-y is an amazing feat.

So the David Hamburger lessons are holding up well a month into the program.

Rick

[Dudley]

Question for you guys. I picked up the guitar again after a multi decade absence in 2020. I focused on finger style blues but it was all monkey see monkey do. I'd really like to dig in more on theory and have a better understanding. I kind of feel like in a way I'd benefit from starting over to learn better technique and theory. Would his site be suitable for that?

[Bjbny]

Dudley, David Hamburger’s site is excellent for learning “applied” music theory. He does a great job explaining the various music theory concepts applicable to Fingerstyle blues playing. I joined his site over 2 years ago. I found it hard to grasp some of the concepts at first, but David does an excellent job of consistently repeating the basic theory concepts in the context of the new song each month. The monthly repetition (as applied to new songs each month) really allowed me to fully understand and begin to incorporate the concepts into my playing.

[srick]

Dudley -

it’s hard to say whether Dave Hamburger is a good fit because we all have different learning styles. Over the years, I have discovered that I am a visual learner. I have to watch the teacher’s fingerings and then use my ears try to fill in what I am missing. I’m not sure if that makes sense as I am trying to describe the feedback loop that goes on between my eyes, my ears, my brain and my fingers.

David’s teaching style has me listening a lot more closely to the music and the groove. Once again, IMO, that’s one of David’s strengths - he gets you to listen more closely. Obviously, I like David Hamburger’s style a lot. But as stated before, I wasn’t really ready for it in the past. It’s a very methodical method and it’s not oriented towards learning songs. He is great at creating a layered approach: fundamentals first, then embellishments, then vamps, then a shout chorus, then improvisation. I would call his playing style, “cool.”

Several other teachers have resonated with me. For example, Toby Walker has been one of my biggest influences. And my in person lessons from him have been invaluable. I find the more that I can emulate an in-person learning experience (on the internet), the better I do.

Simply, try David’s site for a month and see if it clicks with you.

Best,

Rick

[Dudley]

Thanks guys. I think I'll give it a month to see if its a good fit.

[joelhunn]

After enjoying David’s courses on TrueFire, I signed up for fretboard confidential. Only a week in but i feel like it’s one of the better teaching sites out there. It took a few days to figure out how to approach the site and the livestream recordings are essential to the learning process. In terms of looping, I have a vidami pedal attached to my computer that makes looping pretty easy

[srick]

Originally Posted by joelhunn

After enjoying David’s courses on TrueFire, I signed up for fretboard confidential. Only a week in but i feel like it’s one of the better teaching sites out there. It took a few days to figure out how to approach the site and the livestream recordings are essential to the learning process. In terms of looping, I have a vidami pedal attached to my computer that makes looping pretty easy

I agree with everything you say Joel -well put.

I know that DH has been slowly working on making the site more navigable, but I gather that may take awhile. And I'd love to have native looping and slow down, but interestingly, when I am forced to do things teh old-fashioned way, it may take a little time, but I get there.

I've been interested in the Vidami - does it work only on his Youtube videos, or does it work with the instructional videos too? Do you have the plug in or the Bluetooth model?

Rick

[davidbeinct]

Originally Posted by srick

I agree with everything you say Joel -well put.

I know that DH has been slowly working on making the site more navigable, but I gather that may take awhile. And I'd love to have native looping and slow down, but interestingly, when I am forced to do things teh old-fashioned way, it may take a little time, but I get there.

I've been interested in the Vidami - does it work only on his Youtube videos, or does it work with the instructional videos too? Do you have the plug in or the Bluetooth model?

Rick

https://vidami.com/pages/compatible-platforms

Looks like right now only his YouTube stuff.

[srick]

It’s so tempting Dave, but I already have a small closet full of pedals and gadgets that I really need to sell. I’ve followed Vidami for awhile and the owner has been very proactive about pursuing new platforms to tie into. And darn, if I really listen and concentrate on what I’m doing, I don’t ‘really’ need a Vidami. But I do like my gadgets and toys - it’s been a lifelong problem.

And yes, one answer is sell the gadgets in the closet and get the Vidami. I’m pretty close to doing that as a matter of fact.

[Jdogblues]

Originally Posted by srick

It’s so tempting Dave, but I already have a small closet full of pedals and gadgets that I really need to sell. I’ve followed Vidami for awhile and the owner has been very proactive about pursuing new platforms to tie into. And darn, if I really listen and concentrate on what I’m doing, I don’t ‘really’ need a Vidami. But I do like my gadgets and toys - it’s been a lifelong problem.

And yes, one answer is sell the gadgets in the closet and get the Vidami. I’m pretty close to doing that as a matter of fact.

The Vidami is a game changer. From Lessons to transcribing. I'll never go back to trying to click around with a mouse.

[joelhunn]

Originally Posted by Jdogblues

The Vidami is a game changer. From Lessons to transcribing. I'll never go back to trying to click around with a mouse.

Yes it has been for me. They are constantly adding plugins for different formats. I’ll email them a request to look at David’s non YouTube stuff

[Carey]

Originally Posted by srick

So after several weeks I can say that one of the things that I like\hate about David's lessons is that he plays each riff at regular tempo and then repeats it at a slow tempo.

This isn't just your usual slow tempo, it's ex-cru-ci-at-ing-ly-s-l-o-w, and yet, his timing is impeccable.

In other words, if you really want to play well, you have to play slow. I've heard the advice many times before and I still don't enjoy it one bit . But I really appreciate the concept and the skills it teaches.

I can safely say that until recently, I probably wasn't ready for David's website. I had to get to a point where I realized that playing tasty music was all about the basics, but you really had to know those basics well. And let me re-phrase that. Of course, I knew that it was all about the basics, but my gut and my ears had to demand that level of performance from me!

My Mom, an incredible painter, said something similar about Picasso. Picasso wanted to emulate a child's style of painting - essentially straight from the gut with no filter in the way.

Similarly, I have learned that the technical skills and gyrations that we learn to play a piece are merely tinsel. You always need to drive the piece forward with emotion, groove and timing. Again, I knew that too, but it's not such an easy task on a Monday morning at 8:00am! Plus, being 'cool' and 'in the groove' while playing ex-cru-ci-at-ing-ly-s-l-o-w-l-y is an amazing feat.

So the David Hamburger lessons are holding up well a month into the program.

Rick

Yea, verily! I still work from a cassette tape a very good player-friend made for me of a couple of Fahey and Kaukonen tunes in the late 70s: first at normal speed, then around half-speed, then around quarter-speed, all
with rock-solid rhythm. Great lessons for me- I don't have good innate rhythm. Thanks, Arthur- you da man.

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by Dudley

Question for you guys. I picked up the guitar again after a multi decade absence in 2020. I focused on finger style blues but it was all monkey see monkey do. I'd really like to dig in more on theory and have a better understanding. I kind of feel like in a way I'd benefit from starting over to learn better technique and theory. Would his site be suitable for that?

It depends on whether you're new to music theory or not. DH has some lessons on theory, but he goes through it pretty quick. If you're starting out I'd recommend Justin Sandercoe's (justinguitar.com) website. He gives a much more detailed explanation and, I think, gives a better understanding of how things are connected. And it's very inexpensive ($10 for 6 months).