Famous Rock Guitar Riffs and Solos Signature Licks DVD Review

This is more of a demo of Tom Kolb's guitar skills rather than an intructional DVD for beginners.It only demos 8 riffs/solos.Here's the list:
1. No Particular Place to go (Chuck Berry)
2. Crossroads (Cream)
3. Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix)
4. You Shook me (Led Zeppelin)
5. Iron Man (Black Sabbath)
6. Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple)
7. You Really Got Me (Van Halen)
8. Crossfire (Stevie Ray Vaughan)

This DVD does not show tabs!!I can't believe they show his left hand playing the fretboard and then they waste screen-space by showing his right hand in a PIP box.Whats more inportant, seeing his right hand pick/strum or seeing the tabs?!?!

Its hard to tell exactly where Tom is fretting. Its still a bit of a guess without the tabs.Especially when he's playing fast.Makes trying to learn from this DVD difficult.Tom does a lot of talking to tell you what he's doing, but that doesn't help an inexperienced player.

Overall, I'm being generous with the 2 out of 5 star rating. Would be better with more riffs/solos AND TABS!!!

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Product Description:
Learn the trademark riffs and solos that define rock guitar! In this DVD, Musicians Institute guitar instructor Tom Kolb provides in-depth analysis of eight groundbreaking songs.

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Beginning Bass Guitar Review

I am new play the bass guitar,and this method is old,and the songs arevery slow and easy, that no help to learn how the bass guitar is can be play, and excuse for my english.

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Product Description:
This DVD is designed for the beginner to intermediate level player. A full range of DVD special features have been integrated with DVD special effects to create the most powerful learning system yet produced by SMP. With your DVD remote control, you...

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Ultimate Beginner Jr.: Learn Basic Guitar Review

This instructional video actually teaches guitar through story.The story involves a teenager who dreams of being a great guitarist but can't even tune his guitar.Out of no where, a guy named H.E.L.P. appears in his bedroom and attempts to motivate and teach the boy to play guitar.Instruction covers how to hold a guitar and pick, play a few notes, a few chords, and rests.The kid learns to play a simple rendition of "Ode to Joy".That's about it for the story.The supplemental material is actually decent, the highlight of which is covering how to read basic sheet music.

What I look for in this type of DVD is instruction where I can hear the notes and see how they are played.This DVD instead shows you a few chords and notes and gives the rest of the lessons in text form.If that's all you want, you are better off buying a book.

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Product Description:
UBSJr. is an interactive learning experience designed to introduce the young beginner to the various aspects of playing an instrument, while creating a lasting desire to learn music that will stay with them for a lifetime. Using a "learn at your own pace" approach, UBSJr. teaches the beginning steps of an instrument through the context of an entertaining story that is both enchanting and educational. Special features include bonus educational materials, legendary artist performances, printable reference materials, practice worksheets/puzzles/lessons, and an educational booklet. Covers types of guitars, parts of the guitar, how to hold the guitar, how to tune the guitar, correct playing technique, the meaning of melody, harmony and rhythm, how to find the beat, beginning notes, beginning chords, musical terms, how to practice, accessories, and much much more.

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Learn to Play The Blues Guitar (and Harmonica) of John Hammond Review

I almost passed out when I saw this. There is almost no available video of John Hammond. All I've been able to compile over the years is 2- half hour Austin City Limits shows and an older instructional video he did many years ago. Now there is this and an amazing new Paris concert DVD. I found out about them on the same day and ordered them both immediately. I was not disappointed. John is so humble and gracious when interviewed which contrasts with his power and emotion when playing. His voice and playing are in the best shape of his career and I'm so glad that both have been captured for ever on this (and the Paris) DVD.

Specifics: This is not a DVD that will teach beginners how to play the blues although there is a lot they can still absorb and take away from it. Even non guitar playing fans of John will love this for the stories and the close up playing and as I said because there is so little available video of John. The Tablature that comes with it is very useful but does not always match perfectly what John plays. Only small sections of what John plays shows up in the Tab booklet that comes with it. Although the title mentions harmonica playing there is basically no instruction on harp playing other than a broad discussion of what keys he uses. I have some harp playing experience and wasn't able to add to it from this video. The split screens are nice and the DVD is nice and long at about 2 hours so it doesn't feel rushed.Note, he covers both standard tuned acoustic guitar and open tuned resonator guitar.

I love this DVD but feel it is more about being up close with John while he does his thing than about learning to do what he does. That's why I think it has wider appeal than just guitar players.

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Product Description:
John Hammond's passion and commitment to his music have inspired blues lovers throughout the world for more than forty years. Now guitarists (and harmonica players) can learn, up close, how John plays the songs, licks, grooves and soulful solos that make up his dynamic blues style.
John breaks down nearly a dozen songs from his vast repertoire, showing the scales, chord shapes, licks and turnarounds that define the country blues genre. As he shares his musical ideas and techniques, he discusses his musical mentors and recounts colorful anecdotes that illustrate his long career as a touring blues musician.
You'll learn innumerable ways to improve your own blues playing, including the use of the slide and how to integrate the harp into your songs. The whole lesson is enhanced by John's heartfelt performances of the songs he is teaching, which include Just Your Fool, Phonograph Blues, Hellhound on My Trail, Terraplane Blues, Come On in My Kitchen, Untrue Blues, Honest I Do, Drop Down Mama, Jitterbug Swing, Come to Find Out and Slick Crown Vic.

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Piano and Keyboard Method V2.0 Review

I'm a piano instructor who teaches a once a week high school keyboard class. I've started recommending Emedia to my students as a great at home piano program. As an instructor, I really like the step by step approach to the lessons. The video are very helpful in demonstrating techniques between lessons. Kids that are using the program progress a lot faster than those that don't. This is a fine program either for those that want to learn on their own or that are also taking lessons.

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Product Description:
Over 300 lessons from a former Juilliard instructor. Learn to read music and play songs. Gives specific interactive feedback on your playing.

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Adam Kadmon: The Guitar Grimoire - Progressions and Improvisation (2008) Review

I saw this pop up on Netfl*x a few weeks back. Even though I don't like his Grimoire books (I explain some why below), I was vaguely interested in seeing how this guy played/sounded. I figured anyone who makes these really boring books that print out the same patterns over and over again in every key might surprise me and actually be interesting to check out. Sadly I was wrong about that. All I can say is I want my 45 minutes back!

1) The guy sounds like a bedroom player who can't play. He has no rhythm feel, no dynamics, bends out of tune, and OMG don't even get me started on his "tone"!
2) The production is incredibly poor ---it looks like the cheapest "pro" level production you can get away with before it starts looking like you did it with your cell phone camera.
3) I'm not a religious guy, and I'm a long time metal fan, but the stupid semi-satanic sets were just too corny for words.
4) Why do I get the feeling he's wearing a robe and hiding his face to hide being fat and bald?

The Grimoire series is nothing but a few very simple concepts (and sometimes just some patterns) redundantly printed over and over again in every key in order to waste as much paper as possible -- and to fool an unwitting guitar student into thinking he's getting his money's worth. If you really want to learn your instrument, learn the concept, then apply it yourself to the instrument. Don't look on page 213 for an F# harmonic minor (because you only know it in A). Why give this sucker 20 bucks to show you something you can do yourself by moving your hand down a minor third? It's a bad way to learn. Listen to how he plays if you want to see the results of this method.So why is he selling so many books (and now DVDs)? O right, the books are nicely presented with nice fonts and cool looking charts. Who cares if the content sucks, it looks cool, right? Well this DVD throws the presentation out the window, so you can't even fall back on that. Don't say I didn't warn you.

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Product Description:
At long last, the wizard of the guitar reveals, in person, the mysteries of playing the guitar.This series offers guitar students the opportunity to see and hear Adam Kadmon reveal and demonstrate the techniques and understanding of the underlying struc

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Bossa Nova Guitar Licksamples Review

For several years I've been trying to learn Brazilian guitar on my own, with very mixed results.I've struggled with other books and videos, which I've found overly-complicated or, in the case of chords and chord progressions, frankly misleading.Well, this DVD is different.In slow, deliberate fashion, Brazilian jazz master Romero Lubambo demonstrates a series of ascending and descending chord sequences that, I guarantee, will have newbies slapping their heads and muttering "so that's how it's done."He doesn't solo or demonstrate entire songs, except for a couple of performances with members of his renowned Trio da Paz, and with his vocalist wife Pamela Driggs.So advanced guitarists looking to learn the bossa nova repertoire won't get as much out of this DVD as those simply trying to understand the basics of the genre.And that leads me to my one quibble with the DVD.The accompanying booklet includes helpful transcriptions of the lessons by members of the Japanese team that produced the DVD.But why couldn't they include a CHORD CHART!?!Bossa nova chords are voiced very differently from American jazz chords and it would have been extremely helpful to learn the chords first, before watching the DVD.Oh well, this is still a terrific DVD for guitarists who want to penetrate the mysteries of this beautiful music.Thank you, Mr. Lubambo!

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Product Description:
Romero Lubambo, the world's most in-demand bossa nova guitarist, shows you 33 essential bossa nova guitar patterns - direct from Brazil! This DVD features one-on-one instruction plus lots of performance footage that allows you to see up-close how these bossa nova patterns are used by a master. Includes complete transcriptions with tab reference sheet. 60 minutes.

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DVD-Guitar Chord Magic- Lesson #1 (2005) Review

If you are a beginner or intermediate guitarist and wish to go deeper in the realm of chords, you will greatly benefit from this DVD.If you are simply looking to expand your guitar work, you will be hooked by Artie Traum's incredible love of music.It is impossible not to be taken in by his enthusiasm for even the simplest, but elegant sound.

Artie's instructional DVDs are all 5 STAR productions.Whether it is lead guitar for the acoustic guitar, or the embracing of some new jazz chords, or a desire to venture into alternate tunings, you will love his teaching. Clear and concise, with a light humorous touch, Artie is a skillful teacher.But his most impressive quality is his enthusiasm.It is inspiring.

for the beginning guitarist, see some of Homespun's other DVDs as well, but use this for a solid foundation.

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Product Description:
Artie Traum's unique and powerful method starts with three-note chords, showing how you can easily move them around the fingerboard and substitute them for ordinary major and minor triads. You'll learn how to build chords and develop your ear to choose the right chords for a particular song. Artie illustrates these techniques by teaching several great blues and original songs. If you have been playing blues, country, folk or rock guitar and are hoping to break into new musical territory, this video is an invaluable guide!

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Jimmy Bruno: Inside Outside Jazz Guitar (2007) Review

Jimmy Bruno has perfected his jazz guitar teaching method and offers it on this new DVD. As an aspiring improviser I've been completely trapped by the scales-over-chords concept and have not been able to make any progress.As the changes stream by I struggle to play the correct modes, but things are changing so quickly I can't keep up. I can't make music this way. At best I manage to play fragments of scales.Bruno frees me from all of this and allows me to make real progress in my improvisation.

On this DVD Bruno tells me to forget about scales - yes, just forget about them.Instead I should focus on making melodies - that's the task at hand. And - most important - I need to listen closely to my melodies as I am improvising them.

The guiding musical concept for this is the "Tonal Circle."This is not a scale - it is non-linear! Within each key there are seven notes inside the circle and five notes outside.I should first focus on making melodies using the "inside tones" until I can easily hear what each one sounds like over the different chords of a typical progression like II-V7-I (don't worry about the chords - just listen to your melodies and hear how they sound over the chords.

There are a few things I need to know beyond this as I practice and experiment with creating melodies. First, I need to know where the notes are on the fretboard. Having dispensed with scales, Bruno shows me five contiguous regions on the fretboard and the fingerings for the inside notes, within each region (and the outside notes too). Remember, these are not scales (they do look a lot like the CAGED fingerings).For each region Bruno refers to his nomenclature for the 6 scale fingerings he offered in his first video ("No Nonsense...). Or you could buy his book, "Six Essential Fingerings for Jazz Guitar." It helps to know this terminology - it is not the same as CAGED.

Also, Bruno says that I should learn the fingerings for all of the arpeggios for the inside notes within each region (and some of the outside ones too, eventually).But, I certainly shouldn't worry about "modes" or even, necessarily, play the "correct" arpeggio over a chord. Try 'em all out! Wherever in the progression!

As I practice making melodies I start adding in the outside tones one-by-one and hearing how they sound - in my melodies and over the chords. Bruno has an excellent schedule for doing this note by note.

And.... there's more on the DVD.But just this - the core of his method - gives me freedom to learn to play music. Try it out!

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Product Description:
Jimmy Bruno leads you into more advanced improvisational concepts. Learn about the theory and technique behind his flawless playing. Benefit from his clear, enlightening teaching style as he gives lessons on scales in the five regions of the guitar, how to derive melodies, and how to integrate non-scale or outside notes into your playing to create tension and release.

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The Fingerpicking Blues of Etta Baker Review

I just love Etta Baker and am still sad that she has passed.I'm glad her music lives on.I bought this to help me learn to "play like Etta", in my dreams, of course.It did help, but I am not crazy about the guy that is interviewing her on the DVD.He almost seems a little rude to this fine lady.Maybe it's just me.You can always fast forward past his part to her wonderful playing.

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Product Description:
"One of the signature chords of my guitar vocabulary comes from her version of "Railroad Bill." This was the first guitar picking style that I ever learned." -Taj Mahal
Learn traditional fingerpicking blues from a legendary player! Etta Baker plays, sings and breaks down ten traditional and original tunes, offering a true down-home lesson in Piedmont style blues.
Playing her dreadnaught acoustic and 1950's Gibson Les Paul, Etta's rock solid yet swinging fingerpicking is truly inspiring to watch. You'll see, up close, her alternating-thumb and blues picking techniques, plus left-hand chord shapes, slides, bends and the variety of rhythmic devices that add a personal touch to every song she plays.
Etta performs and discusses some of the best-known songs of her repertoire: The classic fingerpicking of "Carolina Breakdown," "One Dime Blues," "Railroad Bill" and "Bully Of The Town;" the "Spanish" four-finger style of "Dew Drop;" the electric Delta blues style of her original "On The Other Hand Baby;" the rocking "Brown's Boogie;" and two songs in open-D (or "K.C.") tuning-- "Goin' Down The Road Feelin' Bad" and her powerful bottleneck/slide version of "John Henry."

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Essential Rhythm Guitar: Patterns, Progressions and Techniques for All Styles (Private Lessons) [Paperback] Review

If you want to just play rock, or just play blues, then this book will help you out... but if you want to get started in being a great all-around guitar player in any style then this book is the perfect way to get your foot through the door, and open your ear to new possibilities. (Even Acoustic Finger Picking) I think this book is more focused on some genres (Rock, Jazz, Funk) than others however they do give a just amount of each style for you to get a feel and some basic knowledge for each. (Country, Fingerstyle, Blues, Rock, Latin/Brazilian, Jazz & Swing, Funk)

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Product Description:
This book/CD pack is based on the concept that, for most popular music styles, there exist a few basic, fundamental rhythm guitar techniques and a set of appropriate chords and chord voicings that determine the sound of each style. This one-on-one lesson with MI instructor Steve Trovato teaches the rhythm guitar essentials for 7 styles: blues, rock, country, fingerstyle acoustic, Latin/Brazilian, jazz and swing, and funk. The CD features 65 full-band tracks. Includes standard notation and tab.

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DVD-Happy and Artie Traum's Easy Steps to Blues Guitar Jamming (2005) Review

Happy and Artie take a good look at helping you get going right away on jamming the blues.The approach and instruction is easy enough for any guitar player to follow, and will have you jammin in no time.

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Product Description:
There is nothing more fun and exciting for a guitar player than having the skills to improvise in a jam session. The trick is to have your fundamentals down so you can be comfortable when you play with others.
Happy and Artie Traum have designed this DVD lesson so that even a novice will be able to play along, but it's filled with a huge amount of material for players at all levels: detailed instruction, good songs, invaluable advice, and the techniques you'll need to trade riffs, use chord inversions, move around the fingerboard and improvise creative solos.
Happy and Artie give you plenty of opportunity to jam along with them by providing rhythmic backup for each song and technique they teach. You'll learn six blues standards in the keys of E and A, along with the tools to allow you to become a better blues player.
Songs: New Stranger Blues, Key to the Highway, How Long Blues, Trouble in Mind, 2:19 Blues, Move to Kansas City.

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Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar (2008) Review

I bought this dvd and I am very disappointed.I have been playing for a couple of years and this is for very advanced players.The instruction is very limited and there is no menu. If you are beginner or intermediate this is not for you

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Product Description:
If you're expecting some nice safe guitar muzak, then you're in for a real shock! Rick Ruskin's remarkable style captures all the nuances of a band/rhythm-section and transforms the parts into amazing, in-the-pocket fingerstyle grooves like you've never imagined on a single guitar! Split-screen video format covers: Right- and left-hand technique, walking-bass and counterpoint lines, open-voiced triads, simultaneous bass/rhythm/lead parts, pedal-steel effects, double-stop bends, harmonics and more. The techniques are immediately put to use in extraordinary instrumental versions of: Rikki Don't Lose That Number (Steeley Dan), Georgia On My Mind and four originals, each in standard tuning. His meticulous blow-by-blow analysis of each phrase is loaded with variations and insight that show how to transform the essence of any tune into dynamic arrangements of your own.
Musical notation and tab is printable from the disc (DVD-ROM).

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Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues: Guitar Transcriptions and Detailed Lessons for 29 Songs (Guitar School) [Paperback] Review

i bought this book from amazon.ca, and when i got it in the mail, i was very disapointed to find that it was only about 70 pages long and only had a few bars of music for each robert johnson song covered.If you want a book that is very heavy on theory, this is it - but it won't give you the tabs you want, so i would recomend looking into robert johnson the new transcriptions (ISBN: 0793589193).it's a few bucks more, but a way better book.
hayden kee

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Product Description:
Explore the style of the most legendary bluesman of all time with this Guitar School edition written by noted blues expert Dave Rubin. It includes an introduction/biography, a discography, a tuning chart, and detailed analysis of 29 classic blues tunes: Come On in My Kitchen * Cross Road Blues (Crossroads) * Dead Shrimp Blues * Drunken Hearted Man * Hell Hound on My Trail * I Believe I'll Dust My Broom * Kind Hearted Woman Blues * Little Queen of Spades * Love in Vain Blues * Milkcow's Calf Blues * Ramblin' on My Mind * Sweet Home Chicago * Terraplane Blues * They're Red Hot * 32-20 Blues * Walkin' Blues * more.

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Buddy Guy: Teachin' the Blues Review

This kind of thing is one of the really good things about living in this age. I can watch Buddy Guy tell me how he plays the blues any time I want. I even get guitar tabs! I will enjoy this DVD for as long as I play the guitar.

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Product Description:
In this special DVD lesson, Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy passes on what he learned from Jimmy Reed, Guitar Slim, T-Bone Walker and Lightning Hopkins. Learn 9th chord licks, pick versus fingerstyle, turnarounds, special rhythm parts, and more. Hot Licks classic video titles have been made available on DVD, making it even easier to learn with the world's top players...right in your own home! These new transfers make them look better than ever while DVD technology makes navigating each lesson even easier! You'll never miss a note. See the music and the tablature on screen as it's being played. All right and left-hand techniques are shown in close up and with helpful split-screen effects to make learning easy. Slow motion segments with standard pitch sound, artist biographies, selected discographies, suggested listening. Booklet with music examples included. 1 hour, 23 minutes. Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish

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Pumping Nylon Review

Ok, so watching this whole video can get rather boring, but then again, most instructional videos are. I feel the author could have played more songs and examples illustrating the techniques he talks about. Mr Tennant shares with you some "crazy" ideas of how nails should be shapped, I have only seen him with these nails or heard of anybody that shapes them like that, but his nails seem to work for him nicely. He also talks about this wrist/arm positon that although it makes all the sense in the world, it feels like the most akward thing and I just can't feel the advantages or comfort he promises. Let me tell you one thing though, with this video I finally tapped into the mistery of "tremolo" so I finally learned how to do it after much patience and exercise with this, so for that I am truly grateful. Don't forget to get the book which I think is far superior than the video, but the video is a nice complement to the book.

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Product Description:
Born from a daily warm-up and exercise routine, enhanced with previously unavailable technical information and blessed by Scott Tennant (the holy master of classical guitar himself), comes the best-selling series, Pumping Nylon. Learn to turn every note you play into an inspirational musical experience by improving your accuracy, precision, control, synchronization, speed, focus, and stamina. Essential information and a great sense of humor unite in this comprehensive technique guide for the classical guitarist.

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The Guitar Lick¥tionary [Paperback] Review

I buy these books compulsively, and have a library of 3o or more.
this book stands out. dave hill has great technique, if a little bias towards the larry carlton/robbin ford schools. the examples are fun and technically challenging, and run the gamut from relatively easy bb king/double stop blues licks to much harder altered/minor scale stuff that really challenges. and some great pentatonic/"hard" rock riffs, too. the examples are doubled on the cd tracks, two discs would have been better. all in all, probably the best "lick" book I've purchased, which is a little like saying it's the best term paper I've ever bought. highly recommended.

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Product Description:
Learn the essential lines and techniques of the world's greatest guitarists with this super cool book/CD pack from Musicians Institute! Set up like a dictionary, it provides clear, concise instruction and application tips in standard notation and tab for licks in all styles of music, including rock, blues, jazz, country, pop, acoustic and fusion. The accompanying CD features 99 demo tracks so you can hear how each lick should sound.

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Joe Pass: The Blues Side Of Jazz Review

I rented this at NetFlix and liked it so much I went to Amazon and bought it.
If you are an intermediate level guitar player and you are starting to get bored with the same old blues changes, this dvd is for you.Joe shows you those rich sounding jazz/blues chords that will make your music more interesting, for you, and anyone playing with you.The good news is, they sound more complicated to play than they are.It is also interlaced with Joe's dry, tongue in cheek, humor.

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Product Description:
This follow-up to Joe's best-selling Solo Jazz Guitar DVD explores the blues elements of jazz guitar. Joe covers bebop blues, new chord substitutions, pedal tones, jazz/blues improvisation and much more. As usual, Joe brings wit and style to his invaluable guitar lessons, taking you straight to the heart of the blue side of jazz guitar.

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DVD-Boogie Woogie Guitar (2005) Review

Del Ray teaches five songs on this DVD, and also teaches a long exercise featuring different walking basses.The Homespun difficulty rating is Level 4 (advanced intermediate).While the pieces are difficult, a good Level 3 player (intermediate player) would benefit greatly from this DVD. The exercise and first three tunes are in standard tuning, the next in Dropped D, and the last in Open G.All are in Fingerstyle and all are lots of fun.Del Rey's performances of the songs and her instruction are without flaw.Her way of walking basses is unique and clever.If you are interested in Boogie Woogie guitar, you have to have this DVD.If you want to learn to walk basses all the way up the fingerboard without using your thumb, you have to have this DVD.If you want to improve your blues guitar playing, you have to have this DVD.

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Product Description:
Here's an instructional DVD that will thrill, entertain, amaze and challenge you while imparting an array of great songs, licks and guitar arrangements.
Del Rey's powerful guitar skills have been inspired in equal parts by classic blues guitarists and barrelhouse piano players. Her dynamic style combines moving chords, funky grooves, blues riffs and the boogie-woogie bass lines that give this DVD its name.
Del methodically teaches five songs - Nothing in Rambling, Boogie Mysterioso, Straw Broom Boogie, On the Wall and Boogie Woogie Country Girl. After performing each one, she expertly breaks it down, providing musical analyses of her thumb-and-three finger picking, her chord work and the integration of bass lines into the blues arrangement. Working in a variety of keys and tunings (dropped D and open G), she introduces you to the concept of movable chords and walking basses, and the standard boogie bass can be played while picking riffs on the high strings.
This DVD, filled with good humor and exciting playing, will provide you with the tools to add dazzling new dimensions to your guitar playing.

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DVD-Blues/Roots Guitar-Fingerpicking & Slide From Delta to New Orleans (2005) Review

Steve James certainly knows how to play the guitar.He may be one of the best players you never heard of...but don't let that stop you from buying this DVD.The songs he covers here aren't the run-of-the-mill standards, which is a nice change from most videos.

Proof that James is a master of technique is evident immediately as he spices up the first song, Sugar Babe.I've been playing this song for a long time and always thought it needed something more, and James showed me how to make it jump a little more.Granted, it's not exactly how Mance Lipscomb played it.

The material does get more challenging as the video goes on, but James presents some really nice turn arounds, again, not typically seen.I should mention that the manufacturer of this DVD rates this as Level 3, Early Intermediate; you have been playing a while and can play without too much difficulty. The instructor still covers the material in detail, but there are more challenges.That's pretty much right off their website.

With that in mind I want to point out that the last two songs on the DVD are slide guitar songs.This really isn't the best video for learning slide guitar if you are a complete novice.James doesn't say it specifically, but he expects the viewer to know the basics of slide guitar.He just breezes through the basics.

The only criticism I have is that James is often squirming in his seat when talking and not playing.His nervous demeanor is distracting, and at times he is so uncomfortable talking that he strums inanely during his explanation of the part he is about to play.All in all, it is a minor thing.

As the title states, this is all about roots and blues and James can teach you a thing or two.Also, if you get a chance to see him live, don't miss it!

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Product Description:
Steve James is known for his mastery of blues guitar styles, as well as his deep knowledge of the history of the great traditional players, from Piedmont to Delta. On this lesson, he takes five pieces representative of different styles and teaches them in careful detail for the learning student. Using guitars from his extensive collection (a 1936 National Trojan, a Collings C-10 and a National "O" style resophonic), he covers some of his favorite arrangements in different keys and tunings, highlighting techniques, chord theory, licks and other musical insights that will be useful in figuring out any other blues-based songs you'll want to learn.
This lesson starts with Mance Lipscomb's classic version of "Sugar Babe," a basic 8-bar blues arrangement with alternating bass. Steve shows how, by changing bass notes and adding hammers, slides and syncopations, even this fairly simple song takes on a life of its own. "Wet Laundry Blues" moves to the key of A, and is more typical of the Delta style, with rhythmic feels, walking basses and licks used by Scrapper Blackwell, Robert Johnson and others. "Buddy Bolden's Blues," a classic jazz/blues in C, makes use of the "thumb roll" and some funky New Orleans-style chords.
Moving into open G ("the queen of tunings"), Steve gets you started in bottleneck style, showing how to produce a good tone with proper slide technique. His powerful version of "Stack Lee's Blues" (aka Stackolee, Staggerlee, etc.) mixes slide, fretted and open string notes in a powerful instrumental. Finally, "Hot Time on the Old Town Tonight," Steve's show-stopper in open D (Vestapol) tuning, was adapted from the playing of Sam McGee. It includes combinations of slide, pulled-off, fretted and open notes, with variations involving both standard and palm harmonics as well as rhythmic "banging" the strings.

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