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. I’m 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). 🙂
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. 🙂
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
Im Geoff from West Yorkshire. Im 72 and have messed around with a guitar for the last 6 years without making much progress. Watched several of Dans Utube videos and was impressed by there clarity of teaching. So here I am eager to learn more.
Hi Geoff, thanks for the kind words. Pleased the YouTube lessons have helped and hope you get a lot from this course and the bonus course too! Do let us know how you get on and leave a comment on any page with any questions. Happy to help. 🙂
The “Fretboard” section of the 5-star award resources page HERE and there are some past monthly lessons on this which you may see in the “past lessons” pages (depending on how long you’ve been a member.) I hope that helps. 🙂
This is the perfect follow up to last month’s lesson!! The many fun applications taught here really brings it to life!! This has to be one of my favs!!! Thanks Dan!!
Super stuff and delighted to hear it. Yep, loved creating this lesson as an organised way of sharing all these ideas but having one thing remain consistent (and therefore removing the randomness). Don’t forget to try these ideas with other chord progressions (such as those in the 5-star award). Enjoy 🙂
Outstanding!! I love how you started with a popular progression and applied so many key points to what can be done with the notes and chord. It was so much fun and thorough!! Thanks Dan!!
Thanks, Krystal. For sure, that’s why I love chord progressions – they give us a solid base to explore many techniques and ideas. Remember to try these techniques with other chord progressions (any in the 5-star award will be good). Cheers 🙂
I missed the Fretboard Developer Lesson last month because I was concentrating on the new strumming course (which is fantastic, btw). So when I pulled this up, I had to go back to last month and spend some time working with last month’s Fretboard Developer Lesson. I have to say they are both really giving me something I was looking for but didn’t really know. These lessons are great for fretting, picking and they add in a little theory in action! I love putting theory into practice because it helps it stick. Great lessons!
Glad to hear you are enjoying the Fretboard Developer lessons (and the Superhuman Strumming course too!). Thanks, I really enjoyed putting these together myself – a bit of a logical and organised way of teaching and showing various picking ideas, techniques, etc. Chord progressions make for a great base for organising these things. 🙂
Part 1-5 is not too difficult until I get to the dyads, especially the treble dyads. I had trouble with them in last month’s lesson too. Will have to spend time with the tab to get these down so I can play them up to your tempo.
Yeah, they can be tricky but be patient getting the fingers in just the right spot for these. Also, remember you can have your finger flat across the fretboard for these shapes (no need to be on the finger tips for these). I hope that helps. 🙂
They are awkward, but like I say, well worth trying every day until they click (the power chords that is, not your fingers! :)) Remember, power chords can help with barre chords too! Keep enjoying them. 🙂
They can be tricky at first for sure. The good news is, once you get the position/shape down for one power chord you pretty much have them all sorted. Keep it at 🙂
Good stuff, Larry. Yeah, there is a lot of focus on them in the classical world but not so much for non-classical styles – still, they are super useful and I’m finding I’m using and teaching them more and more. Hope you enjoy practicing them. 🙂
Really love this lesson, Dan!!
It is a good one for incorporation a lot of what you’ve been teaching us.
I’m taking it in little snippets at a time.
First by working solely on the finger picking pattern…
Then adding in the second half of the first bar (using the 10 times method..)
then doing the whole first bar until its solid.
Then rinse and repeat throughout the whole.
Awesome lesson!! Thanks!!!
Cheers, Logan. Pleased to hear it. Yeah, that is the way to do it. Love how you are applying the core aspects and principles from the other lessons to this. Developing a method like that but that suits you is key – keep it up 🙂
Congratulations to Rich Augugliaro (Gold), Sandy Williams (Silver), and Jim Davis (Bronze) for winning the Leaderboard for August 2024. The best comment prize goes to Laura for the comment on this important lesson page HERE. I’ll be in touch with your prizes. Well done and the Leaderboard has now been reset! 🙂
I like the suggestion of making up tunes with the C scale, as well as moving it up and down the fretboard. I’ve also been trying to find different C scales to play. Your explanation is very clear.
Evening Dan and everyone, my name is Lynette from the U.K and live near Bath in Somerset. I was delighted yesterday when your videos Dan popped up on YouTube when I was ironing 😁which were really enjoyable, far too hard for me at the moment but one day, and then was able to subscribe to the 7 day course etc for starters. I am 64 and played the classical guitar at school in the 1960’s/70’s, not particularly well but have always regretted giving up. So a month or so ago I bought myself an acoustic guitar. I am determined to… Read more »
Hi Lynette, you’re from a lovely part of the country for sure. Ha, glad I was a good distraction from the ironing! Super pleased you have come back to the guitar, and now you can make up for lost time (do be patient though and remember to enjoy the journey). Good to learn in bitesize chunks, and keep up the good practice when you’re able to. Enjoy and thanks for the kind words! 🙂
Great tip to get our creative juices flowing and let our fingers be our guide! Digging the scales so much! Would love more creativity tips on the different scales. It’s so helpful with your guidance and suggestions. It helps me to remember the scales by doing exactly what you are showing us here. Thanks, Dan.
Hi All. I’m Larry from Stanthorpe Queensland Australia recently retired and brand new to this guitar thing. Not sure what to expect but willing to give it a go.
Hi Larry, thanks and welcome aboard. Hope you enjoy the course and do check out the Breakthrough Beginner course which is in your account too – that may be extra useful for you right now being brand new to it. Let us know how you get on and enjoy! 🙂
I am really enjoying this song. It is a great acoustic guitar song to listen to…of course all of the chord variations are extremely challenging to pick up (for me at least), but I appreciate the challenge. Thanks.
Greetings, looking forward to learning fingerstyle. I’ve been self teaching through courses like this for about four years and would like to create my own music.
great lesson and lots to process, for certain. I’m looking at the fingering on the Triad for the E and C chords. You use your index,middle and ring. I find it easier to use my index on the B & E strings but it’s not an easy transition (for me). Helpful hint request from Maestro Dan, please. 🙂
Thanks, Susan. Pleased to hear it. In terms of the changes, the “Fake Pivot” technique will likely be the one that can really help a lot here. You can find that lesson in the chord changing jump start course. Do let us know if that helps. 🙂
Just got the class and very excited to get started. Have been a DTAA member for a while, and while my fingerpicking has improved a lot, I still feel like my strumming needs work. It tends to be a bit too harsh with a pick and too flat with my fingers— would like to be able to do both. I also have a tough time intermingling strumming and little melody riffs/fills so hoping to learn how to do that better.
Hi Jeffrey, welcome aboard. Super pleased you are here and excited. I hope you are enjoying the course so far and finding that both your strumming technique and your ability to interplay strumming and melody/riffs is improving. Do let us know how you get on. 🙂
G’day from Oz, I’m Steve and I am totally fed-up with having been a struggling beginner for what must be close to a decade ! I have lost all motivation, along with any sense that I can one day be a semi-decent guitarist, so I am hoping that this will, in fact, bring a “transformation” to my guitar journey and get me back on to the track I was on when I first picked up my new guitar all those years ago. If all I need to do is commit to this course and take a firm hold on what… Read more »
Hi Steve, welcome to the course. Delighted you are here and excited for you. I hope you are enjoying things so far and I 100% promise you can do this. Do keep us posted with how you get on. We are here to help! 🙂
My pleasure, Leslie. Glad it was helpful – do take your time with vibrato – definitely something that is like a fine wine, in that it keeps improving with age. 🙂
Hi there Dan 😊
I love the way you have use this to introduced strumming & melody flowing beautifully together.
is there anywhere else I’ll find similar to grow my understanding & practise?
I am enjoying the course very much Dan
Hi Diane, thanks for the kind words. This is something I have done a bit but usually when combining the chords and melody I do this while playing fingerstyle as it is easier to do that way (because for fingerstyle we only need partial chords thus making it easier when adding the melody). One thing you can do is learn any of my fingerstyle arrangements (you may have to try a few out) and instead of picking the chords, strum them instead, while adding the melody. I hope that makes sense and let me know if that answers your question.… Read more »
Hi, my name is Steve. I am retired earlier this year and started to learn playing guitar. Currently I am living at Bay Area in California. I love blues, rocks, and old pop songs. I am sure that I will have lots of fun in my guitar learning journey.
Hi Steve, welcome aboard. Happy retirement. I hope the guitar (and this course) gives you many hours of joy and happiness. Do let us know how you get on and enjoy. 🙂
I enjoyed this lesson. I’m still trying to process it, but I’m glad you included the extra lesson on how to apply this information. I’ll look forward to that.
I absolutely love this little piece. I’m well into August and still working on perfecting it. Still a little slow on a couple of the chord changes, but I’m getting there. Thanks for writing it.
Hello everyone, my name is Paul. I am 66 and from Somerset, England but now live in Ireland. Fairly new to guitar and really looking forward to seeing what I can achieve.
Holy fretboard, Guitar Man! Yes, please develop this lesson further. John is right, it helps tie things together. Thank you. This is a great lesson. (They all are)
Hello, guitar-loving friends. I’m Laura, in Mérida, Yucatán. I’ve been trying to learn finger style guitar for about a year and a half now, using YouTube. That approach has been a bit too scattered, and hasn’t involved much (if any) focus on technique. Just when it seemed my wrist was doomed to permanent damage, I discovered the Acoustic Academy. I’m super excited to be here, and am confident that these lessons are just what I need to finally get on track.
Oooh, I definitely don’t place my fingers down at the same time. This feels like it will be a hard habit to break. What about anchor fingers during chord changes? Is it okay to leave one finger in place and pivot from there, or is it better to lift and re-place everything? Thanks!
Very common and it does take time to build new habits. You are definitely okay to anchor fingers where appropriate too. Be patient and try to focus on one pair of chord changes at first too. 🙂
Wow, it’s so interesting how easy it is to ignore the connecting parts of our own bodies… My wrist hurts so much playing the guitar, so I focus on wrist stretches and massages and soothing it with heat. It literally never occurred to me that my shoulder (which feels just fine) could possibly be the cause. But sure enough, when I lean forward a tiny bit and push the elbow forward, the pain in my wrist is immediately improved. Brilliant!
Super stuff. Very pleased it made the difference. There’s so many little variables involved that many people miss or never know about. The great thing is you sorted this now. Awesome stuff. 🙂
Hi Dan, Thank you so much for these very clear, easy-to-follow videos! I really appreciate what you said about there being “no easy songs”. I definitely like to jump way ahead in things, which obviously hasn’t worked out. Coming back to the basics, starting slow, doing each part correctly from the jump – this is definitely the way to do it. Thank you!
Hi Laura, my pleasure and glad to hear it. Good stuff and thanks for the kind words. I’m glad the steps mentioned here are helping and keep up the great practice. 🙂
Well done to Teresa Halvorson-Fox, Kathy Black, and Jim Davis for winning Gold, Silver and Bronze for the month of July 2024. (…And well done to Anthony Tumbarello for best comment of the month here too). Prizes on the way. 🙂
Hi all: Wayne Taylor living in Canada; loving all aspects of the course and looking forward to completing the courses and playing with professionalism, etc.
Hi, my name is Anthony Tumbarello. I am 67 years old and have been dabbling with
guitar now for I would say about a year and a half and getting nowhere, have tried about every known online guitar program out there and nothing seems to click with me hoping
Dan’s style will resonate with me, looking through the program so far I like what I see,
need this kind of structure that is available in Dan’s program. I want to learn fingerpicking
songs as I cannot sing and think it is a beautiful way to play.
Hi Anthony, welcome aboard. Delighted you are here and we hope you are enjoying the lessons. Sounds like you are in the right place for sure but any questions do let us know. Enjoy! 🙂
Great tips Dan super duper 😀
Cheers, Angie. Glad to hear you like the lesson. Keep coming back to it too. 🙂
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. I’m 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). 🙂
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. 🙂
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
Im Geoff from West Yorkshire. Im 72 and have messed around with a guitar for the last 6 years without making much progress. Watched several of Dans Utube videos and was impressed by there clarity of teaching. So here I am eager to learn more.
Hi Geoff, thanks for the kind words. Pleased the YouTube lessons have helped and hope you get a lot from this course and the bonus course too! Do let us know how you get on and leave a comment on any page with any questions. Happy to help. 🙂
Are there other lessons that teach notes on strings other than the E string?
The “Fretboard” section of the 5-star award resources page HERE and there are some past monthly lessons on this which you may see in the “past lessons” pages (depending on how long you’ve been a member.) I hope that helps. 🙂
WOW, that’s interesting! Scarecrow’s Dream has rests where a note is played, now I understand. Thanks Dan! 🤣
Great stuff, thanks, Sandy. Hope you enjoy applying these ideas and techniques to that great song! 🙂
This is the perfect follow up to last month’s lesson!! The many fun applications taught here really brings it to life!! This has to be one of my favs!!! Thanks Dan!!
Super stuff and delighted to hear it. Yep, loved creating this lesson as an organised way of sharing all these ideas but having one thing remain consistent (and therefore removing the randomness). Don’t forget to try these ideas with other chord progressions (such as those in the 5-star award). Enjoy 🙂
Outstanding!! I love how you started with a popular progression and applied so many key points to what can be done with the notes and chord. It was so much fun and thorough!! Thanks Dan!!
Thanks, Krystal. For sure, that’s why I love chord progressions – they give us a solid base to explore many techniques and ideas. Remember to try these techniques with other chord progressions (any in the 5-star award will be good). Cheers 🙂
Thanks Dan! great lesson on the difference between the rest stroke and free stroke!!
Cheers, Krystal. Very pleased you have found it helpful, and keep revisiting the lesson when you need to 🙂
I missed the Fretboard Developer Lesson last month because I was concentrating on the new strumming course (which is fantastic, btw). So when I pulled this up, I had to go back to last month and spend some time working with last month’s Fretboard Developer Lesson. I have to say they are both really giving me something I was looking for but didn’t really know. These lessons are great for fretting, picking and they add in a little theory in action! I love putting theory into practice because it helps it stick. Great lessons!
Glad to hear you are enjoying the Fretboard Developer lessons (and the Superhuman Strumming course too!). Thanks, I really enjoyed putting these together myself – a bit of a logical and organised way of teaching and showing various picking ideas, techniques, etc. Chord progressions make for a great base for organising these things. 🙂
Part 1-5 is not too difficult until I get to the dyads, especially the treble dyads. I had trouble with them in last month’s lesson too. Will have to spend time with the tab to get these down so I can play them up to your tempo.
Yeah, they can be tricky but be patient getting the fingers in just the right spot for these. Also, remember you can have your finger flat across the fretboard for these shapes (no need to be on the finger tips for these). I hope that helps. 🙂
110 out of 120. Missed one
Still a great score. Well done! 🙂
I agree w Larry! Look so simple on paper but my fingers (or brain) beg to differ. LOVE IT.
They are awkward, but like I say, well worth trying every day until they click (the power chords that is, not your fingers! :)) Remember, power chords can help with barre chords too! Keep enjoying them. 🙂
Hey there I’m Dennis. I’ve been playing for years, looking forward to taking my playing to a new level
Hi Dennis, welcome aboard. Hope you enjoy the course, you learn a lot, and have loads of fun! Keep us posted on your progress. 🙂
Power chords! Arrgh! Should be so simple, but give me fits! But I’ll work on it.
They can be tricky at first for sure. The good news is, once you get the position/shape down for one power chord you pretty much have them all sorted. Keep it at 🙂
I like it! Or at least I will when I get the rhythm down.
Good stuff. Yeah, take your time, try humming it to help get the rhythm down, and be patient. You’ll enjoy this I think 🙂
I always need help with memory. Thanks for the insight!
Ha, yes, don’t we all. I’ll be sure to do more on this sort of stuff if you all want me to. 🙂
Interesting! Never heard of a rest stroke before. Can hear it clearly though. Will give it a try. 😊
Good stuff, Larry. Yeah, there is a lot of focus on them in the classical world but not so much for non-classical styles – still, they are super useful and I’m finding I’m using and teaching them more and more. Hope you enjoy practicing them. 🙂
Really love this lesson, Dan!!
It is a good one for incorporation a lot of what you’ve been teaching us.
I’m taking it in little snippets at a time.
First by working solely on the finger picking pattern…
Then adding in the second half of the first bar (using the 10 times method..)
then doing the whole first bar until its solid.
Then rinse and repeat throughout the whole.
Awesome lesson!! Thanks!!!
Cheers, Logan. Pleased to hear it. Yeah, that is the way to do it. Love how you are applying the core aspects and principles from the other lessons to this. Developing a method like that but that suits you is key – keep it up 🙂
Congratulations to Rich Augugliaro (Gold), Sandy Williams (Silver), and Jim Davis (Bronze) for winning the Leaderboard for August 2024. The best comment prize goes to Laura for the comment on this important lesson page HERE. I’ll be in touch with your prizes. Well done and the Leaderboard has now been reset! 🙂
I like the suggestion of making up tunes with the C scale, as well as moving it up and down the fretboard. I’ve also been trying to find different C scales to play. Your explanation is very clear.
Thanks, Leslie, glad to hear it. Yeah, keep having fun with this. It’s something you can enjoy forever – especially as you keep developing. Cheers 🙂
Holy cow! CHALLENGING
Oh yeah, this is challenging – big time. Break it all up into small chunks though. Proper advancing stuff this so be patient with it and enjoy 🙂
Evening Dan and everyone, my name is Lynette from the U.K and live near Bath in Somerset. I was delighted yesterday when your videos Dan popped up on YouTube when I was ironing 😁which were really enjoyable, far too hard for me at the moment but one day, and then was able to subscribe to the 7 day course etc for starters. I am 64 and played the classical guitar at school in the 1960’s/70’s, not particularly well but have always regretted giving up. So a month or so ago I bought myself an acoustic guitar. I am determined to… Read more »
Hi Lynette, you’re from a lovely part of the country for sure. Ha, glad I was a good distraction from the ironing! Super pleased you have come back to the guitar, and now you can make up for lost time (do be patient though and remember to enjoy the journey). Good to learn in bitesize chunks, and keep up the good practice when you’re able to. Enjoy and thanks for the kind words! 🙂
I’ve just received the course, and can’t wait to get started. Thank you Dan.
Glad to hear it, Bob. I hope you enjoy it! Do let us know how you get on! 🙂
Useful stuff, Dan. Thanks!
Cheers, Sharon. Glad you like it and many thanks 🙂
Great tip to get our creative juices flowing and let our fingers be our guide! Digging the scales so much! Would love more creativity tips on the different scales. It’s so helpful with your guidance and suggestions. It helps me to remember the scales by doing exactly what you are showing us here. Thanks, Dan.
Thanks, Susan. Great to know you enjoyed this. I will do more on this sort of thing for sure. Cheers, as always, for your insightful comments. 🙂
Hi All. I’m Larry from Stanthorpe Queensland Australia recently retired and brand new to this guitar thing. Not sure what to expect but willing to give it a go.
Hi Larry, thanks and welcome aboard. Hope you enjoy the course and do check out the Breakthrough Beginner course which is in your account too – that may be extra useful for you right now being brand new to it. Let us know how you get on and enjoy! 🙂
I am really enjoying this song. It is a great acoustic guitar song to listen to…of course all of the chord variations are extremely challenging to pick up (for me at least), but I appreciate the challenge. Thanks.
Good stuff, yeah I love this song and band too! Glad you are enjoying the challenge and keep having fun! 🙂
Greetings, looking forward to learning fingerstyle. I’ve been self teaching through courses like this for about four years and would like to create my own music.
Hi Gerardo, welcome to the course. Pleased you are here and I hope you love it. Do let us know how you get on or if you have any questions. Enjoy! 🙂
great lesson and lots to process, for certain. I’m looking at the fingering on the Triad for the E and C chords. You use your index,middle and ring. I find it easier to use my index on the B & E strings but it’s not an easy transition (for me). Helpful hint request from Maestro Dan, please. 🙂
Thanks, Susan. Pleased to hear it. In terms of the changes, the “Fake Pivot” technique will likely be the one that can really help a lot here. You can find that lesson in the chord changing jump start course. Do let us know if that helps. 🙂
Just got the class and very excited to get started. Have been a DTAA member for a while, and while my fingerpicking has improved a lot, I still feel like my strumming needs work. It tends to be a bit too harsh with a pick and too flat with my fingers— would like to be able to do both. I also have a tough time intermingling strumming and little melody riffs/fills so hoping to learn how to do that better.
Hi Jeffrey, welcome aboard. Super pleased you are here and excited. I hope you are enjoying the course so far and finding that both your strumming technique and your ability to interplay strumming and melody/riffs is improving. Do let us know how you get on. 🙂
G’day from Oz, I’m Steve and I am totally fed-up with having been a struggling beginner for what must be close to a decade ! I have lost all motivation, along with any sense that I can one day be a semi-decent guitarist, so I am hoping that this will, in fact, bring a “transformation” to my guitar journey and get me back on to the track I was on when I first picked up my new guitar all those years ago. If all I need to do is commit to this course and take a firm hold on what… Read more »
Hi Steve, welcome to the course. Delighted you are here and excited for you. I hope you are enjoying things so far and I 100% promise you can do this. Do keep us posted with how you get on. We are here to help! 🙂
I’m glad that you showed us a three-step process to improve vibrato. This is something that I really struggle with.
My pleasure, Leslie. Glad it was helpful – do take your time with vibrato – definitely something that is like a fine wine, in that it keeps improving with age. 🙂
Hi there Dan 😊
I love the way you have use this to introduced strumming & melody flowing beautifully together.
is there anywhere else I’ll find similar to grow my understanding & practise?
I am enjoying the course very much Dan
Hi Diane, thanks for the kind words. This is something I have done a bit but usually when combining the chords and melody I do this while playing fingerstyle as it is easier to do that way (because for fingerstyle we only need partial chords thus making it easier when adding the melody). One thing you can do is learn any of my fingerstyle arrangements (you may have to try a few out) and instead of picking the chords, strum them instead, while adding the melody. I hope that makes sense and let me know if that answers your question.… Read more »
Hi, my name is Steve. I am retired earlier this year and started to learn playing guitar. Currently I am living at Bay Area in California. I love blues, rocks, and old pop songs. I am sure that I will have lots of fun in my guitar learning journey.
Hi Steve, welcome aboard. Happy retirement. I hope the guitar (and this course) gives you many hours of joy and happiness. Do let us know how you get on and enjoy. 🙂
I enjoyed this lesson. I’m still trying to process it, but I’m glad you included the extra lesson on how to apply this information. I’ll look forward to that.
Great stuff, thanks, Leslie. Pleased to hear it and I hope this lesson gives you lots of fun uses over the months and years 🙂
Ah, well., you know what they say about not succeeding the first time. But 17 out of 20 ain’t bad. Thanks, Dan
Good stuff, Josh. Yeah for sure, keep at it and well done! Very good score 🙂
I absolutely love this little piece. I’m well into August and still working on perfecting it. Still a little slow on a couple of the chord changes, but I’m getting there. Thanks for writing it.
Pleased to hear it, Leslie. Thanks and my pleasure! Great that you are enjoying it and keep at it. 🙂
Hello everyone, my name is Paul. I am 66 and from Somerset, England but now live in Ireland. Fairly new to guitar and really looking forward to seeing what I can achieve.
Hi Paul, welcome aboard. I hope you enjoy the course and do let us know how you get on. Have fun and keep in touch. 🙂
Oh, I LOVE this! I’m definitely not here, yet, but this is definitely goals for me!
Brill, super pleased to hear it. There’s no rush learning it but I hope you enjoy it when you do. 🙂
Great lesson. Love the progression through starting with a single finger and working up. Very helpful!
Great stuff. Thanks. Super pleased you like it 🙂
Great exercise. Love this lesson!
Cheers, Danimal. Glad you like it 🙂
Holy fretboard, Guitar Man! Yes, please develop this lesson further. John is right, it helps tie things together. Thank you. This is a great lesson. (They all are)
Ha, very pleased to hear it. For sure, happy to do more on developing this. Keep enjoying yourself and the lessons and I’ll get that done. 🙂
Hello, guitar-loving friends. I’m Laura, in Mérida, Yucatán. I’ve been trying to learn finger style guitar for about a year and a half now, using YouTube. That approach has been a bit too scattered, and hasn’t involved much (if any) focus on technique. Just when it seemed my wrist was doomed to permanent damage, I discovered the Acoustic Academy. I’m super excited to be here, and am confident that these lessons are just what I need to finally get on track.
Oooh, I definitely don’t place my fingers down at the same time. This feels like it will be a hard habit to break. What about anchor fingers during chord changes? Is it okay to leave one finger in place and pivot from there, or is it better to lift and re-place everything? Thanks!
Very common and it does take time to build new habits. You are definitely okay to anchor fingers where appropriate too. Be patient and try to focus on one pair of chord changes at first too. 🙂
Wow, it’s so interesting how easy it is to ignore the connecting parts of our own bodies… My wrist hurts so much playing the guitar, so I focus on wrist stretches and massages and soothing it with heat. It literally never occurred to me that my shoulder (which feels just fine) could possibly be the cause. But sure enough, when I lean forward a tiny bit and push the elbow forward, the pain in my wrist is immediately improved. Brilliant!
Super stuff. Very pleased it made the difference. There’s so many little variables involved that many people miss or never know about. The great thing is you sorted this now. Awesome stuff. 🙂
really neat lessson, ties a lot of things together, really enjoyed this one
Cheers, John. That’s the idea, so pleased it hit the mark. Keep up the good practice. 🙂
That is very pretty – I think this month’s lessons are going to be a lot of fun!
Thanks, I hope you have loads of fun with this and the other new lessons. 🙂
Denise! You’re so impressive and very inspiring. Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Dan, Thank you so much for these very clear, easy-to-follow videos! I really appreciate what you said about there being “no easy songs”. I definitely like to jump way ahead in things, which obviously hasn’t worked out. Coming back to the basics, starting slow, doing each part correctly from the jump – this is definitely the way to do it. Thank you!
Hi Laura, my pleasure and glad to hear it. Good stuff and thanks for the kind words. I’m glad the steps mentioned here are helping and keep up the great practice. 🙂
Well done to Teresa Halvorson-Fox, Kathy Black, and Jim Davis for winning Gold, Silver and Bronze for the month of July 2024. (…And well done to Anthony Tumbarello for best comment of the month here too). Prizes on the way. 🙂
Hi all: Wayne Taylor living in Canada; loving all aspects of the course and looking forward to completing the courses and playing with professionalism, etc.
Welcome aboard, Wayne. Thanks and very pleased to hear it. Keep up the great practice. 🙂
Hi, my name is Anthony Tumbarello. I am 67 years old and have been dabbling with
guitar now for I would say about a year and a half and getting nowhere, have tried about every known online guitar program out there and nothing seems to click with me hoping
Dan’s style will resonate with me, looking through the program so far I like what I see,
need this kind of structure that is available in Dan’s program. I want to learn fingerpicking
songs as I cannot sing and think it is a beautiful way to play.
Hi Anthony, welcome aboard. Delighted you are here and we hope you are enjoying the lessons. Sounds like you are in the right place for sure but any questions do let us know. Enjoy! 🙂