Hi, everyone. I wanted to start us off with a comment to get the ball rolling. I would LOVE it if you could leave a short comment introducing yourself to the other members. ο»ΏIβm Dan Thorpe, from Birmingham, UK (not Alabama!). I love fingerpicking – Paul Simon, James Taylor, Tommy Emmanuel and about a gazillion others! My favourite thing about playing guitar is having some quiet time to play for myself (music is a great outlet for everything in life) and to jam with my 4 year old boy, Archie! I used to be terrible at guitar but after years… Read more »
Hey everyone, I would love to know what lessons you would like to learn. More on fingerpicking, Travis picking, chord changes, theory, jamming???… you name it, leave your ideas below!! This is the place to do so.
Hi Dan, I am an intermediate player, but am fascinated about finger style, and very anxious to get started. But i must admit i do struggle a bit with the dreaded Barr Chords, but am improving a bit. I am a Viet Nam vet, who suffers from PTSD, I am very private, so if you don’t hear much from me please understand. Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve, thanks for getting in touch. It`s great to have you here. Barre chords are tough but do make sure you take your time and use good technique with them.
No problem at all regarding being private and I hope you are doing well regarding the PTSD. Just know that the comments section and the mini-forum is there for you when needed. All the best.
Cool, for sure, let us know some more details. What sort of slaps and slides? The crazy stuff or solid on beats 2 and 4 type thing? What sort of guitarists have inspired this? (I ask, so I know I’m on the right path). π
No particular artist comes to mind but I would say on beats 2 and 4 nothing crazy (yet). Slapping all the strings I find okay, it’s the thumb slap I have trouble with on the low E A strings.
I have come across slaps in the odd piece of music, done right sounds amazing. Just something I would like to add to my repertoire.
Ah, okay cool, thanks for letting me know. The slaps on beats 2 and 4 are very cool. The grooves these can add are great. Will get something ready on this. π
If you would like to submit a video, you can add it to your comment by including a video LINK (for example, a YouTube, Vimeo, or Dropbox link). (Email Dan for help if you get stuck uploading a video)
YouTube and Vimeo links are the preferred video format. Make sure that your links are set to unlisted (not private!) and then only we will see it.
Hopefully, you have all noticed the new comments section at the bottom of each page in the DTAA! I would love for you to comment, ask questions and say “hi”!
Hi Everyone. I’m Kathy Black from Carleton Place, Ontario Canada. I started playing guitar for church services in my teens but stopped playing during my working years. I have been playing off and on since I retired a number of years ago. I also play u-bass in a ukulele group. I am hoping the DTAA will help me to practice and play for fun on a regular basis. Through proper planning, I hope to develop a repertoire of fingerpicking songs I can play and improve musicality which is my lowest score for the 5G Accelerator. I am now starting the… Read more »
Hi Kathy, thanks for the comment and welcome aboard. Sounds great about the playing for the church and the ukulele group! Glad you have done the scoring for the 5G Accelerators – that helps to give clarity on what to work on. We will get you there and do let us know if you have any questions. Cheers. π
Hi, my name is Brenda and I am 63 years old. I love playing the guitar even though I am a beginner. My mother plays the guitar and she used to play it at night and sing us to sleep. I have always loved to Guitar. . My older brother and I have decided to both learn how to play the guitar. I have always loved the sound of fingerpicking and itβs just something that I would like to learn. Thank you for having me and Iβm from Oklahoma.
Hi Brenda, thanks for the comment and welcome aboard. Very pleased you love to play guitar. That’s great that you, your mother, and brother are all part of the guitar family. Some exciting family jams to look forward to I hope. Fingerpicking is the best, and I hope you have loads of fun with it. π
Hi folks, I’m Ray, 74 yrs. old, originally from Newfoundland now living in Nova Scotia. I’ve been carrying a guitar around with me since I was 16yrs old, but never did really learn to properly play….something always got in the way. In a sense it has been my constant comfort. I learned about Dan’s 101 via email from the wonderful Jamie Andreas. I was (am) to embarrassed to play in front of people, as I have no confidence in my ability to play. So, now, I’m ready to play some great melodies, only for my own enjoyment but if someone… Read more »
Hi Ray, welcome aboard. Pleased you are here and that Jamie let you know about the course. That is a great honour for me. It’s also nice to know the guitar has been your comfort. I hope you enjoy the course, learn plenty and that we get you confident enough to do all the things you want to on the guitar. Do keep us posted with how you get on. π
Hi everyone! My name is Gary and I live in South Africa. I am 65 years old and I heard about Dan Thorpe and his 101 course via an email from Jamie Andreas, a most amazing teacher of guitar principles. I also play and sing in a casual band of like minded elderly guys. I was attracted to this course by Jamie’s recommendation and the chance to focus on finger picking, which I have always felt I should try out seriously. I started playing at age 50 and singing at age 58, so it has been quite a struggle.
Hi Gary, welcome aboard. Yeah, Jamie is one of my favourite people in the music world and it’s a great honour she mentioned this course. That’s great you play in a band! I hope this course gives you new and fresh ideas and helps you take your playing to the next level. Do let us know how you get on and enjoy! π
That’s a great start, Michael. It is a shame no one really talks about this sort of thing – I do my best to spread the word! I really dislike all that “callouses are a rite of passage” stuff too… but the good news is you are on the right path now. Enjoy and great stuff with the progress you are making! π
Hi Dan, folks, I’m Mike, found Dan’s course via recommendation on Jamie Andreas ‘Guitar Practice course’, and have purchased Dan’s Fingerstyle 101 package. Just completed ‘Breakthrough Beginner’ course which I found very helpful and learnt things no one has covered before, now I’m doing this 7-day Transform course before starting my journey on the Fingerstyle 101 course. I’m 70, retired, grew up in England then migrated to Australia where I still live, children and grandchildren all live here. Started guitar in the 60’s in England like a lot of youngsters of that ‘era’ and over the years stop/start, bought dvd’s/courses/guitars/had… Read more »
Hi! Iβm Kathy and I live in the Carleton Place area in Ontario, Canada. I learned about this course through Jamie Andreas. I have not played my guitar very much in the last few years. My goal is to start playing again on a regular basis and have fun doing it. Looking forward to another new beginning π!
Hi Kathy, thanks for the comment. Very pleasing and a great honour that Jamie recommended the course. I hope this course kickstarts your playing and helps you reach new heights. Do keep us posted with how you get on and enjoy! π
Dan, folks, I’m 70, retired, been a hobby guitarist on/off but never really progressed or stuck with any of the many dvd’s/courses over the years, still basically a 3 chord strummer. SAD but TRUE. I’m determined to learn fingerstyle (start/stop many times over the years) so when googling for correct hand positions, came across Jamie Andreas ‘Principles for Correct Guitar Practice’ which lead me to Dan’s Fingerstyle 101 which I recently purchased. Along with that course came this ‘Breakthrough Beginner’ course. I decided to completely ‘Re-set’ myself and approach learning fingerstyle as a newbie to guitar and take my time… Read more »
Super stuff, thanks for the comment, Michael. Very pleased you have enjoyed the course. It is often a good idea to revisit courses after a month or two of using them – even putting the videos on at a faster speed, to simply recap all the details (consistent reminders are key). Keep at it and great work completing this course. Onwards and upwards! π
Hi, I’m Dave, and I live in Markham, Ontario, Canada. I purchased this course through a link from Jamie Andreas, whose ‘Guitar Principles’ course I purchased four years ago. I began guitar back in 1977 with a Yamaha Classical guitar which I still have. I took lessons for a couple of years but then my girlfriend – now wife -won out over the guitar for my attention. I picked it up sporadically over the years, but never too seriously until I purchased Jamie’s course. I’ve made slow progress. I have a tremor in my left hand, which makes the beginning… Read more »
Hi Dave, thanks for the comment and welcome to the course. It’s an honour that Jamie recommended the course. Really nice to get to know some of your history with the guitar and for sure, never quit – you’ve done so much of the hard work. Now is the time to knuckle down and have a tonne of fun. Do let us know how you get on and have fun! π
Hi Rusty, welcome aboard. No, you are not dumb, often the way the guitar is taught is very confusing. A lot of people make too many assumptions. Stick with it, but be sure to use the Breakthrough Beginner course which you will find in your account. That will really help! Do let us know how you get on and enjoy. π
Just joined. Jamie Andreas (GuitarPrinciples.com) sent me a link and endorsed Dan’s teaching – says she’s going to have her Scales, Chords & Style class members buy the course and she’s going to incorporate it into her own teaching plan. That particular course is a little down the road for me, but I do use her Principles of Correct Practice to play safely and effectively. I am a (senior) adult beginner, with only a few hours on the guitar so far, so I am going to go through Dan’s Breakthrough Beginners course first, then look into the Fingerstyle 101 material.… Read more »
Hi Bruce, welcome aboard. That’s a great honour for me having Jamie recommend my course. I hope you enjoy it and you get plenty from it. Sounds like you are on the right path with your playing for sure! Breakthrough Beginner and Jamie’s course will help – and of course, Fingerstyle 101 will give you plenty of fun! Do let us know how you get on! π
Hi Jenelle, thanks for the comment. Delighted and honoured that Jamie recommended my course. I’m glad you are here and I hope this course and the extras that come with it give you plenty of motivation and inspiration. Keep us posted with how you get on or if you have any questions. π
Hi, I’m Hanna from Santa Cruz and I got this course through Jamie’s notice of the special. I love finger style picking and want to get good at it. I am currently healing a shoulder injury and can’t play for a couple of months. Learning here will keep my hopes up until I can get going again.
Hi Hanna, welcome aboard. Glad to hear it and I’m honoured Jamie recommended my course. Shame about your shoulder injury but I hope it heals well and when you are able to play, you have a blast. Keep us posted with how you get on. π
Don’t be too hard on yourself, Roseby. 19/20 is excellent! Give yourself a big pat on the back and don’t forget you can do these quizzes as many times as you like. Well done. π
Hi folks, email from Dan this morning (day after purchasing Fingerstyle 101) asked me to introduce myself. Purchased Dan’s course from a link from Jamie Andreas ‘Guitar Principles’ course which I also just purchased this week. I’ve started Dan’s ‘Breakthrough Beginner’ course before starting the Fingerstyle 101 course, so I’m starting from a ‘Clean’ slate so to speak. I’m 70, (grew up in England then migrated to Australia) now retired in Australia where my children/grandchildren live. Started guitar in the 60’s while at High School, and over the years just basic 3-chord strummer stuff, never stuck with really learning the… Read more »
Hi Mike, thanks for the comment. Good stuff starting with Breakthrough Beginner – if anyone is in doubt about their playing, it is almost always the best place to start. Yeah, Jamie’s course is excellent and will give you results forever with your playing. I hope you find the combination of using my courses and Jamie’s gives you the results you desire! π
Interesting to hear the various reasons these individuals have chosen DTAA. I most appreciate the personal attention Dan gives to the members. Helps keep me focused on my goals and objectives
Hi, I started playing guitar in the 60’s as a teenager. Then life happened and I’m 76 years old and haven’t played the guitar in ages. I felt it was time to start up again for real.
Bruce
I became anxious and went through this chord progression lesson. Still working on the elementary strumming patterns, but like the idea of adding the Am F C G to the practice routine. No issues with fingerpicking those progressions. Great lesson!
This was so much fun!! It’s a perfect intro to the Blues Box and minor pentatonic scale. Truly less can be more!!! This alone was super helpful to me. It took away the overwhelm. I also loved playing along and would love more backing tracks to play along with. Thanks Dan for this awesome lesson!!! Looking forward to more!!!
Thanks, Krystal. Super pleased to hear this. Yeah, overwhelm can be horrible and as we all know there are countless things we can learn on the guitar. Sometimes stripping things back a little can go a long way. Glad you enjoyed and I will do more for sure. π
I really like the flow of these lessons. The way you ease from one skill to the next level while emphasising the need to remember the basics is brilliant and much appreciated. It is going to take some time to integrate these strumming patterns into my repetoire. But as you stated: Practice, practice, practice. Thanks, Dan.
I am so loving learning Amazing Grace, a song that means so much to me. I was wondering though about whether I should be always picking the high E with my ring finger and B with my middle finger. I find I am sometimes βinter-changingβ fingers when picking those strings. Am I creating a bad habit for myself by doing this? I also use a different finger occasionally than in the video with the fretting hand.It works for me butβ¦. Any advice is very welcome. Loving Danβs teaching.β€οΈ
Great stuff, Joe. Super pleased to hear it. It is a wonderful song for sure. In terms of picking it, ideally I would say alternate your picking fingers between the index and middle for this piece. Using the high E string with the ring finger is ideal when playing fingerpicking patterns but for more melody based stuff, the index and middle fingers are ideal. Cheers and keep enjoying it! π
Found in my travels this winter, people are more interested in hearing strumming than fingerpicking. So I am diving into strumming. My plan is to be able to strum well enough to keep people listening and intersperse fingerpicking songs. Although I still prefer to fingerpick. Glen Campbell’s “Gentle on My Mind” is coming along very well.
It’s interesting you say that. I think it depends on the situation. Strumming is great for outgoing singalong people – strumming songs can really come to the fore then. For more performance pieces I prefer fingerstyle but I digress. Strumming is great too and you have to learn what you like the most for sure. Glad to hear about your progress with it all! π
Took me 11 minutes. 0 errors. I don’t know if that is good, bad or indifferent. But, it is a great exercise in learning the fretboard. Which is what I am working on. Thanks!
I had 15 of 16 correct. I was way off on # 16. E E C# B, to me, sounded like what I heard. Once I read the answers and replayed the notes, I discovered the error of my ways. lol
Thanks for the lesson Dan.
I had never put the Circle of Fifths and chord progressions together. Long ago, I had made a spreadsheet with all the major and minor keys and the notes of each key. Looking at the circle at first, I was confused as, for example, the key of C Major has no sharps or flats. I had to go back and research the Circle of Fifths to discover it is made up of notes a fifth apart which provide the best tonal harmony. Now, 1,5,6,4 in C sounds much better using the Am instead of the A major chord. Thanks Dan!
Very pleased it has helped, John. Yeah, a lot of theory can be confusing for sure but having some clear visual guides can really help. It’s great you studied the circle before and I’m pleased this lesson helped. π
I enjoyed this lesson so much. It’s on my bucket list to learn to play the blues, but so many teachers start with pentatonic scales. It’s a whole lot easier to stick to a couple of notes.
I recognized the chord progression immediately! The intro to John Denver’s “The Eagle and The Hawk”. I had never attempted to learn it and here it is, handed to me on a platter! Thanks for the lesson Dan.
Maybe a temporary glitch. Can you try switching browsers (that can sometimes help with issues like this), or if you use a VPN that can be the cause. Please keep us posted though if it persists.
Never, ever understood this before, or even what it was for. I would run across it, look at it and go βGreekβ – βleave itβ. But itβs so simple and incredibly handy. Thanks!
That’s great. Really pleasing to know this as that was the aim – to take something possibly daunting and make it something you can confidently use. Great stuff, Larry. π
Great tips Dan super duper π
Cheers, Angie. Glad to hear you like the lesson. Keep coming back to it too. π
Hi, everyone. I wanted to start us off with a comment to get the ball rolling. I would LOVE it if you could leave a short comment introducing yourself to the other members. ο»ΏIβm Dan Thorpe, from Birmingham, UK (not Alabama!). I love fingerpicking – Paul Simon, James Taylor, Tommy Emmanuel and about a gazillion others! My favourite thing about playing guitar is having some quiet time to play for myself (music is a great outlet for everything in life) and to jam with my 4 year old boy, Archie! I used to be terrible at guitar but after years… Read more »
Hey everyone, I would love to know what lessons you would like to learn. More on fingerpicking, Travis picking, chord changes, theory, jamming???… you name it, leave your ideas below!! This is the place to do so.
Hi Dan, I am an intermediate player, but am fascinated about finger style, and very anxious to get started. But i must admit i do struggle a bit with the dreaded Barr Chords, but am improving a bit. I am a Viet Nam vet, who suffers from PTSD, I am very private, so if you don’t hear much from me please understand. Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve, thanks for getting in touch. It`s great to have you here. Barre chords are tough but do make sure you take your time and use good technique with them.
No problem at all regarding being private and I hope you are doing well regarding the PTSD. Just know that the comments section and the mini-forum is there for you when needed. All the best.
I would love to see some lessons on guitar slaps and slides please. That is if you possibly find time in your busy schedule.
Cool, for sure, let us know some more details. What sort of slaps and slides? The crazy stuff or solid on beats 2 and 4 type thing? What sort of guitarists have inspired this? (I ask, so I know I’m on the right path). π
No particular artist comes to mind but I would say on beats 2 and 4 nothing crazy (yet). Slapping all the strings I find okay, it’s the thumb slap I have trouble with on the low E A strings.
I have come across slaps in the odd piece of music, done right sounds amazing. Just something I would like to add to my repertoire.
Ah, okay cool, thanks for letting me know. The slaps on beats 2 and 4 are very cool. The grooves these can add are great. Will get something ready on this. π
If you would like to submit a video, you can add it to your comment by including a video LINK (for example, a YouTube, Vimeo, or Dropbox link). (Email Dan for help if you get stuck uploading a video)
YouTube and Vimeo links are the preferred video format. Make sure that your links are set to unlisted (not private!) and then only we will see it.
Post your video below…
Hopefully, you have all noticed the new comments section at the bottom of each page in the DTAA! I would love for you to comment, ask questions and say “hi”!
Hi Everyone. I’m Kathy Black from Carleton Place, Ontario Canada. I started playing guitar for church services in my teens but stopped playing during my working years. I have been playing off and on since I retired a number of years ago. I also play u-bass in a ukulele group. I am hoping the DTAA will help me to practice and play for fun on a regular basis. Through proper planning, I hope to develop a repertoire of fingerpicking songs I can play and improve musicality which is my lowest score for the 5G Accelerator. I am now starting the… Read more »
Hi Kathy, thanks for the comment and welcome aboard. Sounds great about the playing for the church and the ukulele group! Glad you have done the scoring for the 5G Accelerators – that helps to give clarity on what to work on. We will get you there and do let us know if you have any questions. Cheers. π
Hi, my name is Brenda and I am 63 years old. I love playing the guitar even though I am a beginner. My mother plays the guitar and she used to play it at night and sing us to sleep. I have always loved to Guitar. . My older brother and I have decided to both learn how to play the guitar. I have always loved the sound of fingerpicking and itβs just something that I would like to learn. Thank you for having me and Iβm from Oklahoma.
Hi Brenda, thanks for the comment and welcome aboard. Very pleased you love to play guitar. That’s great that you, your mother, and brother are all part of the guitar family. Some exciting family jams to look forward to I hope. Fingerpicking is the best, and I hope you have loads of fun with it. π
A great way to keep learning and pushing to reach for the Stars. Many Thanks Dan.
Cheers, Brian, and well done. Pleased to hear it π
I really liked the opportunity to play the riff along with you! Going to practice now!
Great stuff. Thanks, Tammy, and have fun practicing! π
Hi folks, I’m Ray, 74 yrs. old, originally from Newfoundland now living in Nova Scotia. I’ve been carrying a guitar around with me since I was 16yrs old, but never did really learn to properly play….something always got in the way. In a sense it has been my constant comfort. I learned about Dan’s 101 via email from the wonderful Jamie Andreas. I was (am) to embarrassed to play in front of people, as I have no confidence in my ability to play. So, now, I’m ready to play some great melodies, only for my own enjoyment but if someone… Read more »
Hi Ray, welcome aboard. Pleased you are here and that Jamie let you know about the course. That is a great honour for me. It’s also nice to know the guitar has been your comfort. I hope you enjoy the course, learn plenty and that we get you confident enough to do all the things you want to on the guitar. Do keep us posted with how you get on. π
Love this course Danβ¦such beautiful music.
Thanks, Rich. Delighted to hear it π
Hi everyone! My name is Gary and I live in South Africa. I am 65 years old and I heard about Dan Thorpe and his 101 course via an email from Jamie Andreas, a most amazing teacher of guitar principles. I also play and sing in a casual band of like minded elderly guys. I was attracted to this course by Jamie’s recommendation and the chance to focus on finger picking, which I have always felt I should try out seriously. I started playing at age 50 and singing at age 58, so it has been quite a struggle.
Hi Gary, welcome aboard. Yeah, Jamie is one of my favourite people in the music world and it’s a great honour she mentioned this course. That’s great you play in a band! I hope this course gives you new and fresh ideas and helps you take your playing to the next level. Do let us know how you get on and enjoy! π
om gosh, lol, what an ‘eye opener’ in over 50+ years of stop/start ‘trying’ to play guitar, NO-ONE has ever covered that!
Most of the time, the dialogue is along the lines of ‘it will hurt’ ‘you will build callouses’ ‘press hard’ etc.
As a teenager, ‘callouses’ were a passage of ‘rites’ – ah – ha, you must be practicing well, you’ve got callouses, lol !!!!
Thankyou Dan,
That’s a great start, Michael. It is a shame no one really talks about this sort of thing – I do my best to spread the word! I really dislike all that “callouses are a rite of passage” stuff too… but the good news is you are on the right path now. Enjoy and great stuff with the progress you are making! π
Hi Dan, folks, I’m Mike, found Dan’s course via recommendation on Jamie Andreas ‘Guitar Practice course’, and have purchased Dan’s Fingerstyle 101 package. Just completed ‘Breakthrough Beginner’ course which I found very helpful and learnt things no one has covered before, now I’m doing this 7-day Transform course before starting my journey on the Fingerstyle 101 course. I’m 70, retired, grew up in England then migrated to Australia where I still live, children and grandchildren all live here. Started guitar in the 60’s in England like a lot of youngsters of that ‘era’ and over the years stop/start, bought dvd’s/courses/guitars/had… Read more »
I didn’t have trouble making the shape, but I love the sound of the chords. It is a beautiful progression. Thanks!
Great to hear it, Leslie. Pleased you have done well with it and you are enjoying the progression. It is a good fun one I agree. Cheers π
Hi! Iβm Kathy and I live in the Carleton Place area in Ontario, Canada. I learned about this course through Jamie Andreas. I have not played my guitar very much in the last few years. My goal is to start playing again on a regular basis and have fun doing it. Looking forward to another new beginning π!
Hi Kathy, thanks for the comment. Very pleasing and a great honour that Jamie recommended the course. I hope this course kickstarts your playing and helps you reach new heights. Do keep us posted with how you get on and enjoy! π
Dan, folks, I’m 70, retired, been a hobby guitarist on/off but never really progressed or stuck with any of the many dvd’s/courses over the years, still basically a 3 chord strummer. SAD but TRUE. I’m determined to learn fingerstyle (start/stop many times over the years) so when googling for correct hand positions, came across Jamie Andreas ‘Principles for Correct Guitar Practice’ which lead me to Dan’s Fingerstyle 101 which I recently purchased. Along with that course came this ‘Breakthrough Beginner’ course. I decided to completely ‘Re-set’ myself and approach learning fingerstyle as a newbie to guitar and take my time… Read more »
Super stuff, thanks for the comment, Michael. Very pleased you have enjoyed the course. It is often a good idea to revisit courses after a month or two of using them – even putting the videos on at a faster speed, to simply recap all the details (consistent reminders are key). Keep at it and great work completing this course. Onwards and upwards! π
Hi, I’m Dave, and I live in Markham, Ontario, Canada. I purchased this course through a link from Jamie Andreas, whose ‘Guitar Principles’ course I purchased four years ago. I began guitar back in 1977 with a Yamaha Classical guitar which I still have. I took lessons for a couple of years but then my girlfriend – now wife -won out over the guitar for my attention. I picked it up sporadically over the years, but never too seriously until I purchased Jamie’s course. I’ve made slow progress. I have a tremor in my left hand, which makes the beginning… Read more »
Hi Dave, thanks for the comment and welcome to the course. It’s an honour that Jamie recommended the course. Really nice to get to know some of your history with the guitar and for sure, never quit – you’ve done so much of the hard work. Now is the time to knuckle down and have a tonne of fun. Do let us know how you get on and have fun! π
Howdy
I’m Rusty Allen, I live in NJ, and have been playing for 2.5 years now .
I have not improved much over time, maybe I’m too dumb
Hi Rusty, welcome aboard. No, you are not dumb, often the way the guitar is taught is very confusing. A lot of people make too many assumptions. Stick with it, but be sure to use the Breakthrough Beginner course which you will find in your account. That will really help! Do let us know how you get on and enjoy. π
Hey Dan-I thought I purchased the new blues mini course, but I don’t see it. Maybe the sale didn’t go through?
Hi Denise, I see it in your account but let me know if you have trouble accessing. Enjoy π
Just joined. Jamie Andreas (GuitarPrinciples.com) sent me a link and endorsed Dan’s teaching – says she’s going to have her Scales, Chords & Style class members buy the course and she’s going to incorporate it into her own teaching plan. That particular course is a little down the road for me, but I do use her Principles of Correct Practice to play safely and effectively. I am a (senior) adult beginner, with only a few hours on the guitar so far, so I am going to go through Dan’s Breakthrough Beginners course first, then look into the Fingerstyle 101 material.… Read more »
Hi Bruce, welcome aboard. That’s a great honour for me having Jamie recommend my course. I hope you enjoy it and you get plenty from it. Sounds like you are on the right path with your playing for sure! Breakthrough Beginner and Jamie’s course will help – and of course, Fingerstyle 101 will give you plenty of fun! Do let us know how you get on! π
Hello this is Jenelle from New Orleans. Playing guitar has always been my personal creative practice that I use retune myself.
Iβve been feeling stagnant in my practice and am hoping your classes will give me new tools to play with.
I found you through Jamie Andresβs mailing list which mentioned your course. Excited to learn new tricks and good habits!
Hi Jenelle, thanks for the comment. Delighted and honoured that Jamie recommended my course. I’m glad you are here and I hope this course and the extras that come with it give you plenty of motivation and inspiration. Keep us posted with how you get on or if you have any questions. π
Hi, I’m Hanna from Santa Cruz and I got this course through Jamie’s notice of the special. I love finger style picking and want to get good at it. I am currently healing a shoulder injury and can’t play for a couple of months. Learning here will keep my hopes up until I can get going again.
Hi Hanna, welcome aboard. Glad to hear it and I’m honoured Jamie recommended my course. Shame about your shoulder injury but I hope it heals well and when you are able to play, you have a blast. Keep us posted with how you get on. π
So, off with 19/20. Mixed emotions though, curious to see which one I got wrong.
Don’t be too hard on yourself, Roseby. 19/20 is excellent! Give yourself a big pat on the back and don’t forget you can do these quizzes as many times as you like. Well done. π
Hi folks, email from Dan this morning (day after purchasing Fingerstyle 101) asked me to introduce myself. Purchased Dan’s course from a link from Jamie Andreas ‘Guitar Principles’ course which I also just purchased this week. I’ve started Dan’s ‘Breakthrough Beginner’ course before starting the Fingerstyle 101 course, so I’m starting from a ‘Clean’ slate so to speak. I’m 70, (grew up in England then migrated to Australia) now retired in Australia where my children/grandchildren live. Started guitar in the 60’s while at High School, and over the years just basic 3-chord strummer stuff, never stuck with really learning the… Read more »
Hi Mike, thanks for the comment. Good stuff starting with Breakthrough Beginner – if anyone is in doubt about their playing, it is almost always the best place to start. Yeah, Jamie’s course is excellent and will give you results forever with your playing. I hope you find the combination of using my courses and Jamie’s gives you the results you desire! π
Interesting to hear the various reasons these individuals have chosen DTAA. I most appreciate the personal attention Dan gives to the members. Helps keep me focused on my goals and objectives
Good stuff, and I am glad to hear it. Keep up the excellent practice! π
I did play “The Wedding Song” at a wedding some years back. But after watching Tim Hawkins….lol
Hi, I started playing guitar in the 60’s as a teenager. Then life happened and I’m 76 years old and haven’t played the guitar in ages. I felt it was time to start up again for real.
Bruce
Hi Bruce, welcome to the course. Super pleased you are here and I hope you enjoy it! If you have any questions at any point, do let us know. π
Before I went down the page and found this, I copied a blank tab sheet and worked out “Brown Eyed Girl”. lol
Perfect – that’s what I like to hear. Well done working it out. π
I’ve been playing this on my own for a while, but not as near as well as you teach the melody. Great! Thanks.
Thanks, John. Glad it was helpful. I hope you enjoy many hours of fun with this classic! π
Great lesson, Dan.
Thanks a million, Susan. Glad you are enjoying it. π
I play this with the capo on the 2nd fret (G). Plays much easier for me. Your thoughts?
If it works for you, absolutely go for it. Nice one adapting it to suit you. π
117 BPM is a workout. I have a tendency to slow it down a bit, which works better for adding feeling to the melody.
Yeah, that is one of the cool things about slowing the tempo of a piece down – allows for more expression and feeling! π
I like the Haley Reinhart version. No capo. Fits much better into my vocal range.
That’s cool. Always good to know where your vocal range is and if/where a capo is needed or not needed. π
I became anxious and went through this chord progression lesson. Still working on the elementary strumming patterns, but like the idea of adding the Am F C G to the practice routine. No issues with fingerpicking those progressions. Great lesson!
Good stuff, John. Yeah, a great progression to add to your repertoire. Plenty of good songs that use it! π
This is the best lesson I’ve ever had on the circle of fifths. So helpful. THANKS DAN!!
That’s great to hear. Thanks so much and very happy to know it helped. Keep up the great practice. π
Enjoyed the beautiful sound of these chords. And I like how it builds up. All 3 levels were helpful and nice to play! thanks Dan!!
Thanks. Delighted to hear it. Yeah, I really enjoy playing this too and glad the 3 levels were helpful. π
This was so much fun!! It’s a perfect intro to the Blues Box and minor pentatonic scale. Truly less can be more!!! This alone was super helpful to me. It took away the overwhelm. I also loved playing along and would love more backing tracks to play along with. Thanks Dan for this awesome lesson!!! Looking forward to more!!!
Thanks, Krystal. Super pleased to hear this. Yeah, overwhelm can be horrible and as we all know there are countless things we can learn on the guitar. Sometimes stripping things back a little can go a long way. Glad you enjoyed and I will do more for sure. π
I really like the flow of these lessons. The way you ease from one skill to the next level while emphasising the need to remember the basics is brilliant and much appreciated. It is going to take some time to integrate these strumming patterns into my repetoire. But as you stated: Practice, practice, practice. Thanks, Dan.
Thanks, John. Really appreciate the kind words and very pleased the lessons are helping you! Keep up the top practice. π
I am so loving learning Amazing Grace, a song that means so much to me. I was wondering though about whether I should be always picking the high E with my ring finger and B with my middle finger. I find I am sometimes βinter-changingβ fingers when picking those strings. Am I creating a bad habit for myself by doing this? I also use a different finger occasionally than in the video with the fretting hand.It works for me butβ¦. Any advice is very welcome. Loving Danβs teaching.β€οΈ
Great stuff, Joe. Super pleased to hear it. It is a wonderful song for sure. In terms of picking it, ideally I would say alternate your picking fingers between the index and middle for this piece. Using the high E string with the ring finger is ideal when playing fingerpicking patterns but for more melody based stuff, the index and middle fingers are ideal. Cheers and keep enjoying it! π
Found in my travels this winter, people are more interested in hearing strumming than fingerpicking. So I am diving into strumming. My plan is to be able to strum well enough to keep people listening and intersperse fingerpicking songs. Although I still prefer to fingerpick. Glen Campbell’s “Gentle on My Mind” is coming along very well.
It’s interesting you say that. I think it depends on the situation. Strumming is great for outgoing singalong people – strumming songs can really come to the fore then. For more performance pieces I prefer fingerstyle but I digress. Strumming is great too and you have to learn what you like the most for sure. Glad to hear about your progress with it all! π
Took me 11 minutes. 0 errors. I don’t know if that is good, bad or indifferent. But, it is a great exercise in learning the fretboard. Which is what I am working on. Thanks!
Great stuff, John. Very well done. Zero errors is super! Keep up the great practice. π
I had 15 of 16 correct. I was way off on # 16. E E C# B, to me, sounded like what I heard. Once I read the answers and replayed the notes, I discovered the error of my ways. lol
Thanks for the lesson Dan.
Super stuff, John. Very well done with how well you did and pleasing to know you sorted the reason why with the one wrong. Great stuff. π
Hi Dan. Is there any tabs available for all the Riffs above. Regards Brian
Hi Brian, not for these. There is more explained about this HERE. Let me know if you have any questions on this though. π
I picked up on this pretty quick using a pick, which I am now starting to strum with. Now for seeing if I can perfect this method while fingerpicking.
Good stuff, well worth perfecting it both using a pick and fingers – and the 10x Method will help. Enjoy the process too. π
Just starting to pick up on pentatonic scales and found this lesson fun and informative. Thanks Dan!
Great stuff, cheers, John. Hope you have loads of fun with it. π
I had never put the Circle of Fifths and chord progressions together. Long ago, I had made a spreadsheet with all the major and minor keys and the notes of each key. Looking at the circle at first, I was confused as, for example, the key of C Major has no sharps or flats. I had to go back and research the Circle of Fifths to discover it is made up of notes a fifth apart which provide the best tonal harmony. Now, 1,5,6,4 in C sounds much better using the Am instead of the A major chord. Thanks Dan!
Very pleased it has helped, John. Yeah, a lot of theory can be confusing for sure but having some clear visual guides can really help. It’s great you studied the circle before and I’m pleased this lesson helped. π
I enjoyed this lesson so much. It’s on my bucket list to learn to play the blues, but so many teachers start with pentatonic scales. It’s a whole lot easier to stick to a couple of notes.
Thanks, Leslie. Very pleased to hear it. You are right – fragments of scales can be super powerful… and more fun to learn too. π
Love the idea of more on chords and the minor pentatonic box .
Super, cheers, Martin. Will be a fun lesson creating this. π
I recognized the chord progression immediately! The intro to John Denver’s “The Eagle and The Hawk”. I had never attempted to learn it and here it is, handed to me on a platter! Thanks for the lesson Dan.
My pleasure, John. Glad you recognised it – wasn’t aware the great John Denver played this already! Will have to check this tune out. π
I like it! This is something I will play around with as a jam.
Good stuff, Larry, and glad to hear it. Let us know how you get on π
I can’t see the video. My screen says, “VIDEO DOES NOT EXIST”
Maybe a temporary glitch. Can you try switching browsers (that can sometimes help with issues like this), or if you use a VPN that can be the cause. Please keep us posted though if it persists.
It’s there now! Thank you,
That’s great, temporary glitch by the sound of it. Thanks for letting me know and enjoy. π
FUN FUN FUN!!
Great stuff. π
That is beautiful! Thankyou!
Thanks and pleased to hear it. Always nice to teach/create something that is both technical and musical. Glad you enjoyed it π
Never, ever understood this before, or even what it was for. I would run across it, look at it and go βGreekβ – βleave itβ. But itβs so simple and incredibly handy. Thanks!
That’s great. Really pleasing to know this as that was the aim – to take something possibly daunting and make it something you can confidently use. Great stuff, Larry. π