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”!
These dyads are really beautiful but I’m wondering which fingers to use on the fretting hand. I start with my index on fret 1 of the G string then slide my index and middle fingers-index on the G string and middle on the high E string up to frets 2 and 4. But switching to the major chords – frets 5/6 and 7/8 are a little tricky for me. I’ve been switching -putting my index on the high E and middle on the G. Is this the right way to do it?
Thanks Dan
You give such variety in the lessons…. And challenges too.
no 2 & no 5 probably faves but to Travis pick with a bluesy sound is also fun. Doing these has made me realise just how much fun it is the play blues. I’ve been pretty captivated by these this month.
That’s great, thanks, Diane. Very pleased you are enjoying the variety on offer. There are so many elements and parts of the blues it’s a joy to keep exploring them and sharing them. Happy you like it. 🙂
I agree with everyone that this is just a beautiful sound, such an interesting mix of chord progressions & as you say “ voicings”. Also perfect for just being able to pick up the guitar & play it over & over. Great for the x10 practice. Another thing I like about this Dan is the gentle training of fretting hand.You’re a clever teacher. 👍
Pleased you like it, Diane. Yeah, that is one of the great things about the guitar and being a musician, just picking up and playing and letting everything wash over you. It’s great you find this piece useful with the 10x method. Ha, thanks for the kind words too. 🙂
Ace. Pleased to hear it and can’t complain at that – love Cat Stevens. His music is super melodic and I see what you mean. Yeah, descending slides can be tricky for sure – but that on its own is a good little technical thing to work on. 🙂
That’s a great lesson Dan. Just playing them sounds a lot brighter. Learning the slide will fit it all together. Thank you very much for that great sound and easy transition up and down the neck.
Love this lesson, look forward to working on it. Funny, as I was going to ask you about the best practice path to playing up and down the fretboard like I see so many examples of lately. I think this will be a great start to being able to do that.
That’s great. Pleased you like it and for sure, this will certainly help you move around the fretboard melodically and with confidence. Keep enjoying it and any questions let us know. 🙂
I love the sound of this exercise. The chords are so beautiful, and it’s fun to play. I worked on it the whole month to get it “right,” and I play to continue to use it as a warm-up as I work my way through Fingerpicking 101.
I LOVE these types of lessons Dan… I love it when you teach a pretty melody that works on different techniques!!! What a fun and satisfying way to learn!!!
Thanks so much!
Cheers
Cheers, Logan. Pleased you like it and this type of lesson. They are lots of fun to create but more importantly, they’re great for sharing the ideas that will allow you to have even more fun on the guitar. Have fun and let us know how you get on. 🙂
Congratulations to Teresa Halvorson-Fox (Gold), David Smith, (Silver), and Peter Yuca (Bronze) for winning the Leaderboard for January 2025! Best comment prize goes to Diane Bourne for what she said on this page HERE. Well done everyone!
Hello, my friends. My name is Tom Herder, an old Marine and marine biologist living in coastal Alabama. I’ve been playing guitar for almost 60 years without much commitment until 2017. For all these years, the guitar would sit, unplayed, for months, only to be picked up and put back down after three days. In 2017, the orthopods shut down running due to a bad back (with 57,500 mi on the odometer), and the back also curtailed my surfing, too. So… …I became commited to the guitar and have since been playing with and improving. I met Dan online a… Read more »
Welcome aboard, Tom. Wow, how interesting your life has been so far what with the Marines, biologist, surfing, etc (learnt something new about you today!). Pleased the Fingerstyle 101 lessons helped. There is plenty in the Academy to enjoy and learn but remember not to try to learn it all at once. The In Focus course will guide you, and the monthly lessons will give you lots of fun, but if you have any questions, do let us know. 🙂
Watched the video found it very good but I was quite surprised to find out that you had move your hand using three fingers to make the Vibrato I will be doing a little every day thanks Dan I also have seen the hammer on video but couldn’t put on a comment it didn’t have the way to make it unless I’ve done something wrong hope don’t mind me telling you like this Cheers
Hi David. Yes, the more fingers we use the easier it can be with vibrato but especially with string bending. There are no hard and fast rules but hopefully this gave you some good advice. 🙂
I just watched this lesson on Vibrato. It is certainly a useful tool to have. Expecially if your interested in doing a lot of fingerprinting. It gives the tune an extra depth and rings out longer. You taught that really well Dan. Thankyou for that.
Thanks, Dennis. Yeah, it’s a wonderfully expressive technique that is great to use on melodies or single notes where there is time to let it ring out. Keep enjoying it. 🙂
I totally remember trying these hen I first signed up for the DTAA and it was so hard. I wasn’t used to using chords and I had never learned to strum at all. Revisiting the strumming lessons now after I have worked really hard on chord changes and finally learned some strumming patterns is so useful. I am happy to find I can do these excercises – some really well, others not perfectly but better than a year ago. You always say to revisit the old lessons and until a month or so ago I didn’t really get how useful… Read more »
This is very pleasing to read on many levels. Revisiting lessons is so powerful for the reasons you mentioned. Great stuff and well done with the progress. Happy strumming! 🙂
Wow that was really hard at first but I am so glad I kept at it cuz now I can do it. I see songs that change chords definitely in the middle of a measure, sometimes twice in a measure. This might help me get there.
The distal joint of my fretting index finger does not bend back at all. I’m having a hard time getting all the notes to sound good when I’m trying to barre more than the higher three strings. I’ve tried tilting my finger toward the guitar head but it doesn’t seem to help. I’m thinking that I’ll need to use a lot of pressure to get all the strings to sound good, but when I do too much of that my index finger hurts. I really want to master this technique but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to physically… Read more »
It is a tricky one without seeing you do this in action. Feel free to send me a little video (close up) and I can advise better. I know I say it a lot in this course but position is everything. Start on the fret that is most comfortable (e.g. fret 5) and see how close you can get to the fret with the index (it’s usually closer than most people get). After that, use the ‘weighted arm’ to add more power – that is better than force. Also, do be patient, it can sometimes take 100 attempts over days… Read more »
Hi, Jane from New Zealand, 63 years old. I have been trying to learn guitar for a few years, with books and online courses, not having much success. Hopyfully this course will head me in the right direstion for success.
Hi Jane, welcome aboard and thanks for your comment. You are not the only one – many students find it hard out there trying to learn guitar, but stick with the course. If you need to check out the Breakthrough Beginner course for the basics – it will stand you in really good stead as it has for many others. Enjoy and do let us know how you get on 🙂
What a good video Dan and the way it shows how to do the excerise am hoping that my pinkie will improve now I will be doing it often a fantastic lesson Thank you Dan
Before I started the quiz, from memory made a note of all the strings notes and frets numbers did not check them and carried on to do the quiz from that found that I had them all right answers found it was a very good way of learning the fretboard and notes positions Thanks Dan
Glad to hear it, David. Yeah, learning anything in a variety of ways is useful – a bit of memory and a bit of test based learning combined is powerful. Well done. 🙂
Just started doing these daily workouts. They’re a great warm up & short focused practice for so many important aspects to improve skills.
For me practising the light touch MPR is so beneficial as is not looking back & forth. These are two little treasures that will help me enormously as I practice & apply.
thanks Dan 😊
Glad to hear it, Diane. Definitely well worth doing on a regular basis. The amount you can do in a short space of time like this is surprising (but fun too I hope). Pleased the two mini lessons within it helped too. Cheers 🙂
This is fantastic thanks Dan. I’m just starting with hammer ons & pull offs & feel very confident to know that I’m learning the correct technique for these. So much fun. Lots of practice ahead for sure!
And what an exciting journey this is.
Hi Guys,
Mark here from Germany. Long time acoustic player/ beginner 😀
I was a member here some years ago, but left as it wasn’t exactly what I wanted at the time. Just enrolled on the 7 day beginner course to reconcile on some issues and find New Motivation.
Hi Mark, welcome aboard. Glad you are back and I hope you enjoy this! Do take your time with it, and let us know how you get on. Cheers and all the best! 🙂
Listening to you play, l love the sound of #s 3, 4 and 5. Playing through them, those are not the easiest ones to play (at least not 4 &5). I still think number 4 from December (Pick Strumming Pentatonics) is my favorite but that may change as I play these a bit more. Also, for my own ease of use time stamps are 1 – 0:58, 2 – 4:15, 3 – 9:44, 4 – 13:08, 5 – 16:44, 6 – 20:41. I have to say that I would enjoy almost all of these expanded into 12 Bar Blues songs.… Read more »
Thanks, Teresa. Pleased you enjoyed them. Yeah, there’s so much to enjoy with the blues. I certainly would love to turn them all into 12 bar blues pieces. It’s the sort of thing that would give me great pleasure to do and I know many of you would enjoy. I’ll have a think how best to do that. Keep enjoying them and thanks for the time stamps too. 🙂
Hi Dan I’ve watched part two of the course twice and found it very good and instructive session going to start on Air changes and the using the Click changes bit by bit Thanks
Good stuff, David. Watching multiple times is a great idea for sure. Glad it was helpful and keep using the methods – regular and patient practice will go a really long way. 🙂
Hi Dan I’ve chosen to do plan 1 The Two Things Plan I have written down 6 items the two items I want to do is learn California Blue song strumming and start Fingerpicking hope this is right Thanks Dan
Good stuff, David. Sounds good to me. There is no right or wrong with planning – only what is best for you. If this is a plan you feel you can stick with, then that is great. 🙂
Hi Dan, I really enjoyed that lesson. I only joined your Academy last month so I have been looking at the song Amazing Grace which is only played on the B and high E. It’s a simple melody but alternating between two fingers will give it more depth. Thank you. Dennis.
I vote for #5 (Double Stops) – with #2 a close runner up. Cool to have this variety of sounds and principles, Dan! They whet the appetite: they’re challenging but not discouraging.
Plus they’re perfect for tucking in elements of technique that we need to know about. Kind of like slipping veggies into sweet treats!
Great stuff, thanks. Glad you like them and you find them an encouraging challenge! I like the veggie comparison – like broccoli for the guitar (but tastier I hope). Yeah, the percussive strumming is only easy for me because I’ve done it for so long – do take your time with that at first. It’s a different technique in many ways. 🙂
Well done to December 2024 Leaderboard winners which were Gold – Teresa Halvorson-Fox, Silver – Rich Augugliaro, and Bronze – Pat Worters. (Plus, the best comment prize goes to Dawna who left a great comment on this page HERE). Prizes on the way! 🙂
These are all fabulous . Love these blues lessons
No #3 shuffle with licks is my pitch , probably because of the skill level match.
i love the way you weave new & interesting challenges into these lessons Dan .
thank you and Happy new yea!
Hi Lyle, a big warm welcome to you. We hope you love it here and if you have any questions at any point, do let us know. Wishing you a happy 2025 on the guitar and in life! 🙂
You’re not the only one, Rich. For many, it’s just getting into the habit of tapping the foot. Will come in more and more handy as you develop more – especially when varying rhythms. 🙂
I’ve viewed the TEST videos from it I noted several important issues which I wrote down so that I’m able to see them at glance and my first thing to set out a plan in 2025 Thanks Dan
Good stuff, David. Thanks and pleased to hear it. It’s always handy being able to spot issues – certainly makes fixing them easier. Wishing you a happy 2025! 🙂
Great help. These specifics are amazingly helpful!
Over a few years of struggling with playing I had developed quite a shoulder problem & actual damage but am on the right track now and these teachings on pain pressure position ect are so very helpful.
Thank you
Thanks, Diane. It’s common sadly. Rarely does the topic of posture ever get mentioned by many in the guitar world, but that’s the way it is unfortunately. I’m just very pleased you are fixing those habits now. Onwards and upwards. 🙂
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”!
These dyads are really beautiful but I’m wondering which fingers to use on the fretting hand. I start with my index on fret 1 of the G string then slide my index and middle fingers-index on the G string and middle on the high E string up to frets 2 and 4. But switching to the major chords – frets 5/6 and 7/8 are a little tricky for me. I’ve been switching -putting my index on the high E and middle on the G. Is this the right way to do it?
Thanks Dan
You give such variety in the lessons…. And challenges too.
no 2 & no 5 probably faves but to Travis pick with a bluesy sound is also fun. Doing these has made me realise just how much fun it is the play blues. I’ve been pretty captivated by these this month.
That’s great, thanks, Diane. Very pleased you are enjoying the variety on offer. There are so many elements and parts of the blues it’s a joy to keep exploring them and sharing them. Happy you like it. 🙂
I agree with everyone that this is just a beautiful sound, such an interesting mix of chord progressions & as you say “ voicings”. Also perfect for just being able to pick up the guitar & play it over & over. Great for the x10 practice. Another thing I like about this Dan is the gentle training of fretting hand.You’re a clever teacher. 👍
Pleased you like it, Diane. Yeah, that is one of the great things about the guitar and being a musician, just picking up and playing and letting everything wash over you. It’s great you find this piece useful with the 10x method. Ha, thanks for the kind words too. 🙂
Love the sound! Hearing some Cat Stevens in there too. This is gonna be a fun one! That first reverse slide is a doozy, but I’ll work on it,
Ace. Pleased to hear it and can’t complain at that – love Cat Stevens. His music is super melodic and I see what you mean. Yeah, descending slides can be tricky for sure – but that on its own is a good little technical thing to work on. 🙂
That’s a great lesson Dan. Just playing them sounds a lot brighter. Learning the slide will fit it all together. Thank you very much for that great sound and easy transition up and down the neck.
Glad you’re enjoying it, Dennis. Yeah, the slides tie them together nicely. Thanks for the comment and happy you like it. 🙂
Love this lesson, look forward to working on it. Funny, as I was going to ask you about the best practice path to playing up and down the fretboard like I see so many examples of lately. I think this will be a great start to being able to do that.
That’s great. Pleased you like it and for sure, this will certainly help you move around the fretboard melodically and with confidence. Keep enjoying it and any questions let us know. 🙂
I love the sound of this exercise. The chords are so beautiful, and it’s fun to play. I worked on it the whole month to get it “right,” and I play to continue to use it as a warm-up as I work my way through Fingerpicking 101.
That’s great. Pleased you enjoyed them. Lots of fun to play. Keep enjoying this and I hope it gives you ideas for your own creations. 🙂
Fun and interesting! Tried plucking the open B string in between each of the twisted diads up and down. Sounded pretty good.
Pleased to hear you like it. Yeah, that’s a nice addition to the sound – good stuff taking the ideas here and developing them yourself. 🙂
I viewed the video and the way it was presented will help me in my strumming and especially my fingerpicking thanks Dan
Good stuff, David. Pleased to hear it. Keep at it and keep enjoying the journey! 🙂
I LOVE these types of lessons Dan… I love it when you teach a pretty melody that works on different techniques!!! What a fun and satisfying way to learn!!!
Thanks so much!
Cheers
Cheers, Logan. Pleased you like it and this type of lesson. They are lots of fun to create but more importantly, they’re great for sharing the ideas that will allow you to have even more fun on the guitar. Have fun and let us know how you get on. 🙂
19 of 20. Guessed on some. Maybe should head to Las Vegas .. I seem to be on a roll…. 😉
Good stuff, and haha, sounds like a plan! Maybe sub-consciously you knew them 🙂
Congratulations to Teresa Halvorson-Fox (Gold), David Smith, (Silver), and Peter Yuca (Bronze) for winning the Leaderboard for January 2025! Best comment prize goes to Diane Bourne for what she said on this page HERE. Well done everyone!
Hello, my friends. My name is Tom Herder, an old Marine and marine biologist living in coastal Alabama. I’ve been playing guitar for almost 60 years without much commitment until 2017. For all these years, the guitar would sit, unplayed, for months, only to be picked up and put back down after three days. In 2017, the orthopods shut down running due to a bad back (with 57,500 mi on the odometer), and the back also curtailed my surfing, too. So… …I became commited to the guitar and have since been playing with and improving. I met Dan online a… Read more »
Welcome aboard, Tom. Wow, how interesting your life has been so far what with the Marines, biologist, surfing, etc (learnt something new about you today!). Pleased the Fingerstyle 101 lessons helped. There is plenty in the Academy to enjoy and learn but remember not to try to learn it all at once. The In Focus course will guide you, and the monthly lessons will give you lots of fun, but if you have any questions, do let us know. 🙂
This is a good excercise…it is always good to be reminded to be creative!
Glad to hear it. Yeah, it’s a great skill and can help cement many ideas – plus being creative is fun. 🙂
This is something that isn’t easy but it is totally worth working on.
Glad to hear you see the benefits of it. Keep at it 🙂
Watched the video found it very good but I was quite surprised to find out that you had move your hand using three fingers to make the Vibrato I will be doing a little every day thanks Dan I also have seen the hammer on video but couldn’t put on a comment it didn’t have the way to make it unless I’ve done something wrong hope don’t mind me telling you like this Cheers
Hi David. Yes, the more fingers we use the easier it can be with vibrato but especially with string bending. There are no hard and fast rules but hopefully this gave you some good advice. 🙂
I just watched this lesson on Vibrato. It is certainly a useful tool to have. Expecially if your interested in doing a lot of fingerprinting. It gives the tune an extra depth and rings out longer. You taught that really well Dan. Thankyou for that.
Sorry was meant to say. A lot of fingerpickin̈g.
Thanks, Dennis. Yeah, it’s a wonderfully expressive technique that is great to use on melodies or single notes where there is time to let it ring out. Keep enjoying it. 🙂
I totally remember trying these hen I first signed up for the DTAA and it was so hard. I wasn’t used to using chords and I had never learned to strum at all. Revisiting the strumming lessons now after I have worked really hard on chord changes and finally learned some strumming patterns is so useful. I am happy to find I can do these excercises – some really well, others not perfectly but better than a year ago. You always say to revisit the old lessons and until a month or so ago I didn’t really get how useful… Read more »
This is very pleasing to read on many levels. Revisiting lessons is so powerful for the reasons you mentioned. Great stuff and well done with the progress. Happy strumming! 🙂
Wow that was really hard at first but I am so glad I kept at it cuz now I can do it. I see songs that change chords definitely in the middle of a measure, sometimes twice in a measure. This might help me get there.
Ooh! This is a super fun way to practice chord changes too! Very effective.
Yes, hard at first for sure, but great stuff putting it into practice and keeping at it. Love to hear progress like this. 🙂
Watched the video and found it very interesting I’m going to start on the pull offs procedures hope to do little at time thank you Dan
Glad to hear it, David. Great stuff. Keep up the top practice 🙂
I agree with Dawna, 5 & 2. They are all so great for developing techniques. Thanks for the challenge!
Glad to hear you are enjoying them, Tammy and thanks for the votes 🙂
The distal joint of my fretting index finger does not bend back at all. I’m having a hard time getting all the notes to sound good when I’m trying to barre more than the higher three strings. I’ve tried tilting my finger toward the guitar head but it doesn’t seem to help. I’m thinking that I’ll need to use a lot of pressure to get all the strings to sound good, but when I do too much of that my index finger hurts. I really want to master this technique but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to physically… Read more »
It is a tricky one without seeing you do this in action. Feel free to send me a little video (close up) and I can advise better. I know I say it a lot in this course but position is everything. Start on the fret that is most comfortable (e.g. fret 5) and see how close you can get to the fret with the index (it’s usually closer than most people get). After that, use the ‘weighted arm’ to add more power – that is better than force. Also, do be patient, it can sometimes take 100 attempts over days… Read more »
Hi, Jane from New Zealand, 63 years old. I have been trying to learn guitar for a few years, with books and online courses, not having much success. Hopyfully this course will head me in the right direstion for success.
Hi Jane, welcome aboard and thanks for your comment. You are not the only one – many students find it hard out there trying to learn guitar, but stick with the course. If you need to check out the Breakthrough Beginner course for the basics – it will stand you in really good stead as it has for many others. Enjoy and do let us know how you get on 🙂
16 out of 20 and happy enough with that – got the technical questions right.
Great stuff, hope you enjoyed it and well done getting the technical questions (the most important) correct. 🙂
What a good video Dan and the way it shows how to do the excerise am hoping that my pinkie will improve now I will be doing it often a fantastic lesson Thank you Dan
Thanks, David, pleased you like it. Keep it up and your pinkie will thank you for it for sure. 🙂
Before I started the quiz, from memory made a note of all the strings notes and frets numbers did not check them and carried on to do the quiz from that found that I had them all right answers found it was a very good way of learning the fretboard and notes positions Thanks Dan
Glad to hear it, David. Yeah, learning anything in a variety of ways is useful – a bit of memory and a bit of test based learning combined is powerful. Well done. 🙂
I watched the video twice found it good to do a practice chord changes
and I’ll be using this way to to do them from now great lesson Thanks Dan
Great stuff, David. Glad to hear it. Keep at it and keep being patient – the techniques will work for sure but patience is key. 🙂
Just started doing these daily workouts. They’re a great warm up & short focused practice for so many important aspects to improve skills.
For me practising the light touch MPR is so beneficial as is not looking back & forth. These are two little treasures that will help me enormously as I practice & apply.
thanks Dan 😊
Glad to hear it, Diane. Definitely well worth doing on a regular basis. The amount you can do in a short space of time like this is surprising (but fun too I hope). Pleased the two mini lessons within it helped too. Cheers 🙂
I watched the video and liked the way it was showing us what to do a good way of learning a chord progression of a new song Thanks Dan
Cheers, David. Pleased you like it. Keep up the good practice. 🙂
This is fantastic thanks Dan. I’m just starting with hammer ons & pull offs & feel very confident to know that I’m learning the correct technique for these. So much fun. Lots of practice ahead for sure!
And what an exciting journey this is.
Cheers, Diane. Pleased it was helpful. An exciting journey indeed – keep having fun on the way! 🙂
very pretty and fun to play!
Pleased to hear it, cheers, Denise. Keep having fun with it! 🙂
I’ve watched the above videos they are important to use and remember them Thanks Dan
Good stuff, David. Keep enjoying your playing and keep applying the lessons. Well done with the progress you have made so far. 🙂
Hi Guys,
Mark here from Germany. Long time acoustic player/ beginner 😀
I was a member here some years ago, but left as it wasn’t exactly what I wanted at the time. Just enrolled on the 7 day beginner course to reconcile on some issues and find New Motivation.
Hi Mark, welcome aboard. Glad you are back and I hope you enjoy this! Do take your time with it, and let us know how you get on. Cheers and all the best! 🙂
Found the videos lessons here very informative they will really help me in my in Fingerpicking they also gave me confidence to go on Thanks Dan
Good stuff. Cheers, David. Pleased to hear it. Keep building your confidence and onwards and upwards! 🙂
Listening to you play, l love the sound of #s 3, 4 and 5. Playing through them, those are not the easiest ones to play (at least not 4 &5). I still think number 4 from December (Pick Strumming Pentatonics) is my favorite but that may change as I play these a bit more. Also, for my own ease of use time stamps are 1 – 0:58, 2 – 4:15, 3 – 9:44, 4 – 13:08, 5 – 16:44, 6 – 20:41. I have to say that I would enjoy almost all of these expanded into 12 Bar Blues songs.… Read more »
Thanks, Teresa. Pleased you enjoyed them. Yeah, there’s so much to enjoy with the blues. I certainly would love to turn them all into 12 bar blues pieces. It’s the sort of thing that would give me great pleasure to do and I know many of you would enjoy. I’ll have a think how best to do that. Keep enjoying them and thanks for the time stamps too. 🙂
Hi Dan I’ve watched part two of the course twice and found it very good and instructive session going to start on Air changes and the using the Click changes bit by bit Thanks
Good stuff, David. Watching multiple times is a great idea for sure. Glad it was helpful and keep using the methods – regular and patient practice will go a really long way. 🙂
This is very nice…it also forced me to research how to convert a major into an add9 and a M6.
That’s great, Rich. Glad it got you inspired to dig deeper on these topics. Keep enjoying it. 🙂
Hi Dan I’ve chosen to do plan 1 The Two Things Plan I have written down 6 items the two items I want to do is learn California Blue song strumming and start Fingerpicking hope this is right Thanks Dan
Good stuff, David. Sounds good to me. There is no right or wrong with planning – only what is best for you. If this is a plan you feel you can stick with, then that is great. 🙂
Sorry about the typo Dawna. Sometimes these auto-corrections are embarrassing and inappropriate.
very nice
Pleased you like it. Enjoy jamming it and hopefully it will give you inspiration for ideas of your own. 🙂
I’m with Donna on #5. Like the feel of it for incorporating different riffs.
Cool, thanks, and glad you like it! 🙂
Hi Dan, I really enjoyed that lesson. I only joined your Academy last month so I have been looking at the song Amazing Grace which is only played on the B and high E. It’s a simple melody but alternating between two fingers will give it more depth. Thank you. Dennis.
Good stuff, Dennis. Thanks for letting us know. Very pleased you are enjoying it and keep up the excellent practice! 🙂
I vote for #5 (Double Stops) – with #2 a close runner up. Cool to have this variety of sounds and principles, Dan! They whet the appetite: they’re challenging but not discouraging.
Plus they’re perfect for tucking in elements of technique that we need to know about. Kind of like slipping veggies into sweet treats!
You make that percussive muting look so easy…!
Great stuff, thanks. Glad you like them and you find them an encouraging challenge! I like the veggie comparison – like broccoli for the guitar (but tastier I hope). Yeah, the percussive strumming is only easy for me because I’ve done it for so long – do take your time with that at first. It’s a different technique in many ways. 🙂
Pretty stuff, Dan. Thanks.
Cheers, Sharon. Glad you are enjoying it. 🙂
Well done to December 2024 Leaderboard winners which were Gold – Teresa Halvorson-Fox, Silver – Rich Augugliaro, and Bronze – Pat Worters. (Plus, the best comment prize goes to Dawna who left a great comment on this page HERE). Prizes on the way! 🙂
These are all fabulous . Love these blues lessons
No #3 shuffle with licks is my pitch , probably because of the skill level match.
i love the way you weave new & interesting challenges into these lessons Dan .
thank you and Happy new yea!
Glad to hear it and thanks for voting! Cheers for the kind words too. Pleased to hear it. Happy new year and keep enjoying the playing! 🙂
Hi Lyle here , just joined ready to learn blues and learn how to play the guitar!
Hi Lyle, a big warm welcome to you. We hope you love it here and if you have any questions at any point, do let us know. Wishing you a happy 2025 on the guitar and in life! 🙂
This is a good one for me…after 5+ years of playing I still struggle with foot tapping.
You’re not the only one, Rich. For many, it’s just getting into the habit of tapping the foot. Will come in more and more handy as you develop more – especially when varying rhythms. 🙂
I’ve viewed the TEST videos from it I noted several important issues which I wrote down so that I’m able to see them at glance and my first thing to set out a plan in 2025 Thanks Dan
Good stuff, David. Thanks and pleased to hear it. It’s always handy being able to spot issues – certainly makes fixing them easier. Wishing you a happy 2025! 🙂
Great help. These specifics are amazingly helpful!
Over a few years of struggling with playing I had developed quite a shoulder problem & actual damage but am on the right track now and these teachings on pain pressure position ect are so very helpful.
Thank you
Thanks, Diane. It’s common sadly. Rarely does the topic of posture ever get mentioned by many in the guitar world, but that’s the way it is unfortunately. I’m just very pleased you are fixing those habits now. Onwards and upwards. 🙂