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. ๏ปฟIโm 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). ๐
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. ๐
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”!
For sure, Rich. Will get some done soon – do let me know if you have any specific things you want to learn (being as specific as possible always helps as there’s so many angles I could take :))
I also just found this page and am very happy to have the blank tab + sheet music. Never thought to look for that online and it will help me so much! I don’t even want to think about my attempts to write tab. For the other style, have been scribbling a kind of wobbly, inconsistent 5-lines-and-clef concept (if really lucky, in the actual notebook I supposedly keep for the guitar), making Beethoven’s music scores look like a model of neat legibility. Not that I have ever in any other way compared myself to Beethoven…! Although some days my hair… Read more »
Glad it was helpful having these. Yeah, don’t worry about it being perfect when writing and notating. My notebooks are full of all sorts of craziness. Haha, I like the hair comment too – sure you look great with the Beethoven style. ๐
Hi John, just checked the page and it looks like it is working okay. It could be a temporary error or it might be worth using another browser (I know Microsoft Edge glitches with videos some times). Please do let us know if there are any issues still. Cheers ๐
Working through these one at a time – getting each one right before I move on to the next. These are so very much fun! Great for working on rhythm and they sound great! Love this!
That’s great. Super pleased you are having fun with them. Love these too! Keep enjoying them and once you have gone through them, don’t forget to vote on your favourite. ๐
Good question. Yes, it’s correct. That is just very much a little optional chord voicing of a diminished chord to create a little tension before the resolve on the very last note. Feel free to play a D instead of D# if you prefer the sound for that note, but also remember the main theme here is the four bar loop. Hope you enjoy that. ๐
Really, really like the Minor King Blues, Dan. Those minor notes bring in so much soul I get goosebumps just trying to verbalize it. I suspect it will take lots of work but even imperfection will still keep most of the soul there.
Glad to hear it, Peter. There is a lot of fun to be had with this. Absolutely, playing with soul is so key, and this style really allows for that. Keep enjoying it. ๐
Wow, I got this a lot faster than I thought I would! And this is the first time I’d ever done anything with no chord fingerstyle. That’s two measures down, and about thirty-some to go. I’d be lucky to have this at performance level by Christmas, as long a time as it takes me to learn things. If not this year, then next.
Great stuff! Well done for going through the lessons, seeing the progress and benefits, and getting started with the No Chord Fingerstyle method. Two measures down – that is great. Remember, there are plenty of repeats in the song too, so once you chip away at some more bars, you’ll be a decent way through it. Enjoy the process. ๐
Looking forward to future videos about spicing up these chord progressions as you mention in the video. These are all very common progressions so learning them well and being able to do some variations on them would go a long way!
Glad to hear it, Mike. Will be fun to create the new lessons on this topic. Lots of enjoyment and creativity to be had using these common chord progressions. ๐
well, I sat and just did them, one and two star tests. Couple questions I had to think about in Star 2 right at the end, verbage mostly. several jotted scribbles in my journal to support a couple questons, help me visualize, but did ok, pretty much a cold sitting. I can find notes on the fretboard, not instantly, more like a kindergardener first learned io read still voicing the words lol. (No shortcut tricks, just note names/interval count fm root. Slower, but less to unlearn. I think.) These tests give me a good idea where I am right now… Read more »
Very pleasing to hear you did well, enjoyed it, and it gave you some feedback on where you are at right now. That’s great. Well done again, and keep up the good practice! ๐
I vote for more jamming ideas, Dan. It’s easy to be blown away by proper guitar players and not be able to realize that they’re often doing relatively simple things…but doing them *extremely* well. It’s very helpful when you bring some of the creative elements down to beginner/intermediate level. Makes the whole guitar thing start to make more sense.
Can’t believe I’m the first to comment, 2x today. It’s just wrong. Not to mention spooky. (Is There Anybody Out There??? ๐)
It’s a good point you mention. Doing simple to a high level is nearly always impressive to anyone listening. Glad you like the way I teach. It’s never easy learning this stuff so to hear your words is always nice. Keep up the great practice. ๐
Hi, Dan. I’ve gotta vote for #4. But several others are not far behind…
These are all going to be fun and motivating. Looking forward to developing all the coordination needed for these, then finding out what you’ve got for the next batch!
Pleased to hear it, Stan. It’s a beautiful song. I was looking at the Gustav Holst museum online earlier located where he was born. I’m looking to go visit that soon as it’s not too far from me. Anyway, super pleased to hear it. Have a wonderful holiday season. ๐
Ah, cool, thanks, it’s not the easiest (far from it) but there are a lot of harmonic flavours in this version that help bring out the power in the song. ๐
I have the Christmas Crackers course. Good King Wenceslas is my favorite in that one.
I like the ending you did on Bleak Midwinter.
Enjoyed your latest email about The Planets.
Glad you like it. It’s a great song for sure and a lot of fun to play. Thanks, glad you are enjoying In The Bleak Midwinter too! I do love adding intros and outros but the songs itself is wonderful. ๐
Congratulations to Teresa Halvorson-Fox (Gold), Rich Augugliaro (Silver), and Denise Gillard (Bronze) for winning the Leaderboard for November 2024! Best comment prize goes to new member Mike McHugh for asking a great, thoughtful question HERE.
Cheers, David. Pleased it was helpful. Definitely worth revisiting in a month or in a few months to get regular reminders of these key lessons. Keep it up. ๐
Partial Chords are very helpful. I basically taught myself using partial chords – very like the no chord fingerstyle songs. I only ever used the stings I needed and used whichever finger was convenient in the song. It meant I didnโt learn chords but could play some nice songs anyway.
Yeah, I love them, pleased you do too. Yeah, it’s a more practical way to play for sure – especially when playing melodies in an elegant fingerstyle manner. ๐
Hello my name is Brian Carnegie from Geelong AUSTRALIA and I am 72 years old.
I have been trying to teach myself guitar for a couple of years now after I bought a Takamine acoustic guitar when I was locked down at home during our States cruel
Covid lockdown…the longest in the world.
I am excited about joining Dan’s lessons and I hope that I will be able to learn and improve and get more enjoyment from my guitar.
Hi Brian, welcome aboard. I’m sorry to hear that about the lockdowns where you were. It’s good the guitar was there for you and a great thing to come out of it for you I hope. Very pleased you’re here and I hope you enjoy the lessons. Do let us know how you get on or if you have any questions. ๐
I love this with all the embellishments, though I’m taking it slow. My hope is to get this piece good enough to upload a video to the Facebook page before the end of the year.
When you are learning something new, like a new chord change or fingerpicking pattern, should you learn it without looking straight off or do you look at your hands until you gan get it looking, and then try to do it without looking once you have it down? I’m finding it better to look first off and play it slow. Then get it up to speed. Then play it slow without looking, and then try to increase speed without looking.
Hi Mike yeah, the approach you mention is exactly how I recommend doing it. At first, you’ll need to look and keep it slow, but then you definitely want to avoid the looking and focus more on feeling and hearing it. Good stuff. ๐
Hi Dan just watched the video about the 5 star and printed the wall chart Iโm now hoping I will get my goals, The 5 star is very good and its way to achieve progress
Hi David, good stuff. Glad to hear it. You will be getting the welcome package very soon too featuring a nicely printed version of this (along with some other cool stuff!) Hope you enjoy it and let’s get you achieving all five stars! ๐
I’m really struggling with example 3. My pinky on my left hand keeps sliding over onto the fret, leaving me with a dead note, and my right hand doesn’t seem to want to cooperate either. It’s taking me a lot longer to get this one down than it did the first two, but I’m trying to keep it slow and use the 10x method to get the progressions down. It’s a beautiful finger pattern, and I know I’ll be glad when I get it.
If you need to, isolate each hand. i.e. work on the picking pattern to get the right hand sorted, and work through the fretting hand movements in silence before putting them together. You can also even use a capo to help reduce the stretch and make it a little easier to play if you like. Keep at it you will nail it I am 100% sure. ๐
Hi Dan As Iโve just joined the course this lesson was great and very informative right through it also helped my pinky to get it working very happy with it and will be looking again at it later on thanks
Listen to it a lot, hum the tune a lot, and slow down the recording (either this one or the original song on YouTube). Those are usually the best tips for really hearing the rhythm. Let us know how you get on. ๐
So I tried the classical position in my practice yesterday. I went through a couple of riffs that I am working on and found that I had a harder time in that position than when I did it the way that I’m used to, i.e. with the guitar on my right knee. One riff I had real trouble with in the classical position but nailed several times in a row in the other. I don’t know if this is due to my just being used to having the guitar on my right knee or what. Should I keep trying the… Read more »
It is quite normal. A lot of it is due to muscle memory. Your hands are in a slightly different position in the classical position than the casual position. You do not have to play in the classical position, and for some the change in position (especially if you’ve played for a long time) can be very hard and possibly not worth it. I’d still say though, don’t dismiss it – you may want to try playing the easiest thing you can play in the classical position and see how that works for you – over time, you may see… Read more »
Yes, Dan. That’s good advice. I won’t totally abandon the classical position, but like you say I’ll stick with the old way for more challenging stiff and try the classical here and there for easier pieces. We’ll see how it goes.
Hi my Name is John Bartlett,
I’m a retired Fire Chief after 48 years. I love music, I have tired to learn how to play the guitar off and on for most of those years. I am now retired, I’ve decided to give it my full attention.
I want to be able to take the guitar down and actually play when someone ask me if I can play.
I hope your your class will get me to that point! I hope you are that guy Dan.
Thanks,
John
Hi John, welcome aboard. That must have been a great career! Now, it’s time for you to love playing the guitar. I am certain, if you stick with the lessons, you will love them and see some big progress. Do let us know if at any point you get stuck as I am happy to help (sometimes it’s just being pointed in the right direction for a certain lesson). Keep us posted and enjoy. Cheers! ๐
Hello everyone my name is David Smith from Wales 84 years old with my aim is play the guitar to my family and friends I just joined Danโs Accadamy course to help me achieve that
Hi David, thanks for the comment and welcome aboard. Delighted you are here. Let’s get you achieving your goals. Do keep us posted with how you get on. ๐
What I really like about this lesson is that you teach us how to practice, not just what to practice. It’s something that, sadly, many teachers don’t cover. I consider the information quite valuable.
Hi Mike, thanks, yeah, sadly there’s so much surface level stuff out there that assumes students can do the basics but as we all know, that is not always the case. Very pleased the lesson was helpful and keep up the great practice. ๐
Well done, that’s superb. A great start. Hope you enjoy the rest of the quizzes (no rush doing them – and I’ll be creating the rest of them soon). ๐
Just revisited this and it was so delightful . There is a lot of good information in this little interactive story and it bears repeating. I hope you will do more of this type of thing just cuz it is a fun way of learning.
Thanks, this was such a joy to create, and although it was a bit “out there”, I’m pleased you enjoyed it and found it useful. Got to flex my story telling muscle so was a blast. Would love to do this again – even thought about turning it into a print book one day and expanding the story. ๐
Hi, All. My name is Mike McHugh. I live in San Antonio, Texas. I’m 67 years old and have been playing guitar for about 10-15 years. I’m basically a solo acoustic musician; i.e., I play guitar and sing as a solo act. The reason I joined the academy is that, while I have basic chords (including barre chords) and strumming down, I have struggled to advance beyond this as far as technique. I have learned some fingerpicking and some basic licks and riffs but I struggle with consistency in these two areas. I still make too many mistakes playing songs… Read more »
Hi Mike, welcome aboard. We hope you love it here. Sounds like you are in the ideal place – the lessons in the In Focus course and 5-star award will help you fill in the blanks and improve the weaker areas – and each month, the new monthly lessons will give you some exciting things to play. Great selection of bands and artists you mention. Enjoy and let us know how you get on. ๐
Correction: there is an โnโ in the name of these strings. Curt Mangen. Darn word substitution! I mention these strings here as it might help someone else. Electric guitar strings come in very light gauges and I didnโt know acoustic strings could be this light.
I have used 10 gauge Elixirs.
Hoping this very light gauge strings will be my ticket to barre chords.
Hi Dan. Barre chords have always been my biggest struggle. Very difficult with small and now weak arthritic hands. I have your barre chords course. I actually found 9 gauge acoustic strings by Curt Magen. Iโm going to try to get someone to help me put them on. The tone on these nine gauge may not be great but no one is going to give me an award for playing with 12โs or even 11โs. Iโm just going to do what works for me. My concentration is still poor but I can play the four chords as barre chords as… Read more »
Hi Roxanne, good stuff. Don’t worry about the lesser tone on lighter strings. I don’t really buy into that when people talk about it. My reasoning is this – if lighter strings help you play noticeably better, you’ll more than make up the 5% or so difference in tone, and likely play with far more enjoyment, which in turn helps you play with more passion, and therefore better tone. Well done making the progress you mention! ๐
I have gotten to the point where I automatically start doing the 10x method on anything I donโt get right away. I havenโt been slowing it down nearly as much as you did here but will start slowing more on harder bits. Also, this has a completely different sound slowed way down – it is a little sadder and more melancholy.
Really glad to hear it. Positive practice habits for sure! Feel free to slow it down only as much as you need to to nail it 10x in a row (it’s usually slower than we naturally want to go though). Yeah, I do love how a tempo change can add more emotion and/or bring out that emotion. ๐
Great tips Dan super duper ๐
Cheers, Angie. Glad to hear you like the lesson. Keep coming back to it too. ๐
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. ๏ปฟIโm 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). ๐
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. ๐
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”!
Dan, I would appreciate more lessons and guidance regarding chord progressionsโฆ.both theory and practical use. Thanks.
For sure, Rich. Will get some done soon – do let me know if you have any specific things you want to learn (being as specific as possible always helps as there’s so many angles I could take :))
Hi Dan, I am enjoying these quite a bitโฆI really like #6 Minor King Blues the best, but also enjoy the simpler ones as well (#1 and #2).
Cheers, Rich. Pleased you’re enjoying them and thanks for voting! Keep enjoying them. ๐
That was very good lesson it definitely will help and strengthen the fingers of my hand thanks Dan
Glad to hear it, David. Good stuff and keep using it – such a powerful exercise this. ๐
I also just found this page and am very happy to have the blank tab + sheet music. Never thought to look for that online and it will help me so much! I don’t even want to think about my attempts to write tab. For the other style, have been scribbling a kind of wobbly, inconsistent 5-lines-and-clef concept (if really lucky, in the actual notebook I supposedly keep for the guitar), making Beethoven’s music scores look like a model of neat legibility. Not that I have ever in any other way compared myself to Beethoven…! Although some days my hair… Read more »
Glad it was helpful having these. Yeah, don’t worry about it being perfect when writing and notating. My notebooks are full of all sorts of craziness. Haha, I like the hair comment too – sure you look great with the Beethoven style. ๐
Sooooo much fun!!!!!
Pleased to hear it. Keep enjoying them! ๐
Hi Dan. It says the first video doesn’t exist?
Hi John, just checked the page and it looks like it is working okay. It could be a temporary error or it might be worth using another browser (I know Microsoft Edge glitches with videos some times). Please do let us know if there are any issues still. Cheers ๐
Working through these one at a time – getting each one right before I move on to the next. These are so very much fun! Great for working on rhythm and they sound great! Love this!
That’s great. Super pleased you are having fun with them. Love these too! Keep enjoying them and once you have gone through them, don’t forget to vote on your favourite. ๐
Is the tablature correct on the first lick? I see a D# and an A in the second to last note, and it just doesn’t sound right to my ear.
Good question. Yes, it’s correct. That is just very much a little optional chord voicing of a diminished chord to create a little tension before the resolve on the very last note. Feel free to play a D instead of D# if you prefer the sound for that note, but also remember the main theme here is the four bar loop. Hope you enjoy that. ๐
Really, really like the Minor King Blues, Dan. Those minor notes bring in so much soul I get goosebumps just trying to verbalize it. I suspect it will take lots of work but even imperfection will still keep most of the soul there.
Glad to hear it, Peter. There is a lot of fun to be had with this. Absolutely, playing with soul is so key, and this style really allows for that. Keep enjoying it. ๐
Wow, I got this a lot faster than I thought I would! And this is the first time I’d ever done anything with no chord fingerstyle. That’s two measures down, and about thirty-some to go. I’d be lucky to have this at performance level by Christmas, as long a time as it takes me to learn things. If not this year, then next.
Great stuff! Well done for going through the lessons, seeing the progress and benefits, and getting started with the No Chord Fingerstyle method. Two measures down – that is great. Remember, there are plenty of repeats in the song too, so once you chip away at some more bars, you’ll be a decent way through it. Enjoy the process. ๐
Looking forward to future videos about spicing up these chord progressions as you mention in the video. These are all very common progressions so learning them well and being able to do some variations on them would go a long way!
Mike
Glad to hear it, Mike. Will be fun to create the new lessons on this topic. Lots of enjoyment and creativity to be had using these common chord progressions. ๐
well, I sat and just did them, one and two star tests. Couple questions I had to think about in Star 2 right at the end, verbage mostly. several jotted scribbles in my journal to support a couple questons, help me visualize, but did ok, pretty much a cold sitting. I can find notes on the fretboard, not instantly, more like a kindergardener first learned io read still voicing the words lol. (No shortcut tricks, just note names/interval count fm root. Slower, but less to unlearn. I think.) These tests give me a good idea where I am right now… Read more »
Very pleasing to hear you did well, enjoyed it, and it gave you some feedback on where you are at right now. That’s great. Well done again, and keep up the good practice! ๐
Hi Dan This lesson was good I was using too much pressure fretting the chords it has helped me and my hand Thanks
Pleased to hear it, David. So many folk use too much pressure. Glad this helped on what is such an important topic. ๐
Hi Dan That was a great lesson it has helped my shoulder as I had large amount of tension developed Thanks Dan
Brilliant. Pleased to hear this lesson helped on what is such an important topic. Well done making the changes needed so far. Keep it up. ๐
One of my favorite James Taylor Christmas songs. Thanks Dan.
Cheers, J.P. What a song and what a musician! ๐
I vote for more jamming ideas, Dan. It’s easy to be blown away by proper guitar players and not be able to realize that they’re often doing relatively simple things…but doing them *extremely* well. It’s very helpful when you bring some of the creative elements down to beginner/intermediate level. Makes the whole guitar thing start to make more sense.
Can’t believe I’m the first to comment, 2x today. It’s just wrong. Not to mention spooky. (Is There Anybody Out There??? ๐)
It’s a good point you mention. Doing simple to a high level is nearly always impressive to anyone listening. Glad you like the way I teach. It’s never easy learning this stuff so to hear your words is always nice. Keep up the great practice. ๐
Hi, Dan. I’ve gotta vote for #4. But several others are not far behind…
These are all going to be fun and motivating. Looking forward to developing all the coordination needed for these, then finding out what you’ve got for the next batch!
Cheers, Dawna. Glad you like them and thanks for voting. The next batch will be heaps of fun too (and with some more variety)! Enjoy. ๐
Dan, My absolute favorite Christmas song. Thanks so much for this lesson–it will make the holidays bright for me!
Pleased to hear it, Stan. It’s a beautiful song. I was looking at the Gustav Holst museum online earlier located where he was born. I’m looking to go visit that soon as it’s not too far from me. Anyway, super pleased to hear it. Have a wonderful holiday season. ๐
20 out of 20. mice.
Really well done, Allan! ๐
20 out of 20, cool!
Superb. Big well done, Allan. ๐
What a wonderful song Dan!!! So glad you put this lesson together… Looks like a challenge.. but one worth taking! Cheers
Cheers, Logan. Glad you like it. Love this tune too and I hope you love playing it. ๐
I love this version of Silent Night you have done. Peaceful. Meditative. Comforting.
Ah, cool, thanks, it’s not the easiest (far from it) but there are a lot of harmonic flavours in this version that help bring out the power in the song. ๐
I have the Christmas Crackers course. Good King Wenceslas is my favorite in that one.
I like the ending you did on Bleak Midwinter.
Enjoyed your latest email about The Planets.
Glad you like it. It’s a great song for sure and a lot of fun to play. Thanks, glad you are enjoying In The Bleak Midwinter too! I do love adding intros and outros but the songs itself is wonderful. ๐
Congratulations to Teresa Halvorson-Fox (Gold), Rich Augugliaro (Silver), and Denise Gillard (Bronze) for winning the Leaderboard for November 2024! Best comment prize goes to new member Mike McHugh for asking a great, thoughtful question HERE.
Hi Dan A really good video with things I didnโt realise that occurred with your hands position thanks Dan
Cheers, David. Pleased it was helpful. Definitely worth revisiting in a month or in a few months to get regular reminders of these key lessons. Keep it up. ๐
Partial Chords are very helpful. I basically taught myself using partial chords – very like the no chord fingerstyle songs. I only ever used the stings I needed and used whichever finger was convenient in the song. It meant I didnโt learn chords but could play some nice songs anyway.
Yeah, I love them, pleased you do too. Yeah, it’s a more practical way to play for sure – especially when playing melodies in an elegant fingerstyle manner. ๐
Hello my name is Brian Carnegie from Geelong AUSTRALIA and I am 72 years old.
I have been trying to teach myself guitar for a couple of years now after I bought a Takamine acoustic guitar when I was locked down at home during our States cruel
Covid lockdown…the longest in the world.
I am excited about joining Dan’s lessons and I hope that I will be able to learn and improve and get more enjoyment from my guitar.
Thanks
Brian
Hi Brian, welcome aboard. I’m sorry to hear that about the lockdowns where you were. It’s good the guitar was there for you and a great thing to come out of it for you I hope. Very pleased you’re here and I hope you enjoy the lessons. Do let us know how you get on or if you have any questions. ๐
I love this with all the embellishments, though I’m taking it slow. My hope is to get this piece good enough to upload a video to the Facebook page before the end of the year.
Brill. Super pleased you are enjoying it. I am confident you will nail it and looking forward to seeing the video. ๐
Hi Dan started getting into the classical position will take time but but Iโm going to keep at good advice Dan Thanks
Good stuff, David. Pleased you are seeing the benefit of it! Great stuff and well done. Keep at it. ๐
I got 16 out of 20 quite happy with that you learn with it and that main thing
Well done. Yeah, that is the main thing, pleased you’re having fun and keep it up ๐
Got 19 out of 20, not too bad for a first try. Missed one of the trivia questions and one about Dan’s teaching technique.
Well done. Great score and not to worry about not nailing them all this time. Really well done! ๐
When you are learning something new, like a new chord change or fingerpicking pattern, should you learn it without looking straight off or do you look at your hands until you gan get it looking, and then try to do it without looking once you have it down? I’m finding it better to look first off and play it slow. Then get it up to speed. Then play it slow without looking, and then try to increase speed without looking.
Is that a good approach?
Hi Mike yeah, the approach you mention is exactly how I recommend doing it. At first, you’ll need to look and keep it slow, but then you definitely want to avoid the looking and focus more on feeling and hearing it. Good stuff. ๐
Great classic riff! Looks easier than it is though.
Yeah, lots of fun. That’s true but a good one to have when you nail it. ๐
HI Dan, I’m looking for the song Sound of Silence, I’ve been looking but I can’t find it.
Thanks
Hi Phillip, it’s on the “stunning songs” section of the website in the fingerpicking part. See HERE. Enjoy! ๐
Hi Dan just watched the video about the 5 star and printed the wall chart Iโm now hoping I will get my goals, The 5 star is very good and its way to achieve progress
Hi David, good stuff. Glad to hear it. You will be getting the welcome package very soon too featuring a nicely printed version of this (along with some other cool stuff!) Hope you enjoy it and let’s get you achieving all five stars! ๐
Hi Dan what great video it was, the advice and content was very good thank you
Hi David, my pleasure, cheers, that’s great to know. Keep up the great practice. ๐
I’m really struggling with example 3. My pinky on my left hand keeps sliding over onto the fret, leaving me with a dead note, and my right hand doesn’t seem to want to cooperate either. It’s taking me a lot longer to get this one down than it did the first two, but I’m trying to keep it slow and use the 10x method to get the progressions down. It’s a beautiful finger pattern, and I know I’ll be glad when I get it.
If you need to, isolate each hand. i.e. work on the picking pattern to get the right hand sorted, and work through the fretting hand movements in silence before putting them together. You can also even use a capo to help reduce the stretch and make it a little easier to play if you like. Keep at it you will nail it I am 100% sure. ๐
Hi Dan As Iโve just joined the course this lesson was great and very informative right through it also helped my pinky to get it working very happy with it and will be looking again at it later on thanks
Cheers, David. Pleased to hear it. Well done applying the lesson already and keep up the great practice ๐
Iโm trying to get the Mr Tambourine man riff. I have all the notes but I am not getting the rhythm right yet. Any suggestions?
Listen to it a lot, hum the tune a lot, and slow down the recording (either this one or the original song on YouTube). Those are usually the best tips for really hearing the rhythm. Let us know how you get on. ๐
So I tried the classical position in my practice yesterday. I went through a couple of riffs that I am working on and found that I had a harder time in that position than when I did it the way that I’m used to, i.e. with the guitar on my right knee. One riff I had real trouble with in the classical position but nailed several times in a row in the other. I don’t know if this is due to my just being used to having the guitar on my right knee or what. Should I keep trying the… Read more »
It is quite normal. A lot of it is due to muscle memory. Your hands are in a slightly different position in the classical position than the casual position. You do not have to play in the classical position, and for some the change in position (especially if you’ve played for a long time) can be very hard and possibly not worth it. I’d still say though, don’t dismiss it – you may want to try playing the easiest thing you can play in the classical position and see how that works for you – over time, you may see… Read more »
Yes, Dan. That’s good advice. I won’t totally abandon the classical position, but like you say I’ll stick with the old way for more challenging stiff and try the classical here and there for easier pieces. We’ll see how it goes.
Good stuff, Mike. That’s a good process that will serve you well. ๐
Hi my Name is John Bartlett,
I’m a retired Fire Chief after 48 years. I love music, I have tired to learn how to play the guitar off and on for most of those years. I am now retired, I’ve decided to give it my full attention.
I want to be able to take the guitar down and actually play when someone ask me if I can play.
I hope your your class will get me to that point! I hope you are that guy Dan.
Thanks,
John
Hi John, welcome aboard. That must have been a great career! Now, it’s time for you to love playing the guitar. I am certain, if you stick with the lessons, you will love them and see some big progress. Do let us know if at any point you get stuck as I am happy to help (sometimes it’s just being pointed in the right direction for a certain lesson). Keep us posted and enjoy. Cheers! ๐
Hello everyone my name is David Smith from Wales 84 years old with my aim is play the guitar to my family and friends I just joined Danโs Accadamy course to help me achieve that
Hi David, thanks for the comment and welcome aboard. Delighted you are here. Let’s get you achieving your goals. Do keep us posted with how you get on. ๐
Hi Dan,
What I really like about this lesson is that you teach us how to practice, not just what to practice. It’s something that, sadly, many teachers don’t cover. I consider the information quite valuable.
Mike
Hi Mike, thanks, yeah, sadly there’s so much surface level stuff out there that assumes students can do the basics but as we all know, that is not always the case. Very pleased the lesson was helpful and keep up the great practice. ๐
This is really good stuff Dan. Great to get the fingers moving and to work on timing and rhythm.
Cheers, Rich, glad you like the lesson. It’s good fun this! Keep enjoying yourself. ๐
20 out of 20, but I have been playing for a while and already knew this stuff. Looking forward to the higher levels!
Well done, that’s superb. A great start. Hope you enjoy the rest of the quizzes (no rush doing them – and I’ll be creating the rest of them soon). ๐
Just revisited this and it was so delightful . There is a lot of good information in this little interactive story and it bears repeating. I hope you will do more of this type of thing just cuz it is a fun way of learning.
Thanks, this was such a joy to create, and although it was a bit “out there”, I’m pleased you enjoyed it and found it useful. Got to flex my story telling muscle so was a blast. Would love to do this again – even thought about turning it into a print book one day and expanding the story. ๐
Hi, All. My name is Mike McHugh. I live in San Antonio, Texas. I’m 67 years old and have been playing guitar for about 10-15 years. I’m basically a solo acoustic musician; i.e., I play guitar and sing as a solo act. The reason I joined the academy is that, while I have basic chords (including barre chords) and strumming down, I have struggled to advance beyond this as far as technique. I have learned some fingerpicking and some basic licks and riffs but I struggle with consistency in these two areas. I still make too many mistakes playing songs… Read more »
Hi Mike, welcome aboard. We hope you love it here. Sounds like you are in the ideal place – the lessons in the In Focus course and 5-star award will help you fill in the blanks and improve the weaker areas – and each month, the new monthly lessons will give you some exciting things to play. Great selection of bands and artists you mention. Enjoy and let us know how you get on. ๐
Correction: there is an โnโ in the name of these strings. Curt Mangen. Darn word substitution! I mention these strings here as it might help someone else. Electric guitar strings come in very light gauges and I didnโt know acoustic strings could be this light.
I have used 10 gauge Elixirs.
Hoping this very light gauge strings will be my ticket to barre chords.
Hi Dan. Barre chords have always been my biggest struggle. Very difficult with small and now weak arthritic hands. I have your barre chords course. I actually found 9 gauge acoustic strings by Curt Magen. Iโm going to try to get someone to help me put them on. The tone on these nine gauge may not be great but no one is going to give me an award for playing with 12โs or even 11โs. Iโm just going to do what works for me. My concentration is still poor but I can play the four chords as barre chords as… Read more »
Hi Roxanne, good stuff. Don’t worry about the lesser tone on lighter strings. I don’t really buy into that when people talk about it. My reasoning is this – if lighter strings help you play noticeably better, you’ll more than make up the 5% or so difference in tone, and likely play with far more enjoyment, which in turn helps you play with more passion, and therefore better tone. Well done making the progress you mention! ๐
I have gotten to the point where I automatically start doing the 10x method on anything I donโt get right away. I havenโt been slowing it down nearly as much as you did here but will start slowing more on harder bits. Also, this has a completely different sound slowed way down – it is a little sadder and more melancholy.
Really glad to hear it. Positive practice habits for sure! Feel free to slow it down only as much as you need to to nail it 10x in a row (it’s usually slower than we naturally want to go though). Yeah, I do love how a tempo change can add more emotion and/or bring out that emotion. ๐