Learn & Master Fingerstyle Guitar

This is a review of "Learn & Master Fingerstyle Guitar" with Steve Krenz. This DVD-based training program is produced by the same folks (Legacy Learning) who publish the popular "Learn & Master Guitar" course. Both courses feature Steve Krenz. He is a very effective guitar teacher; he obviously has many years of experience teaching students of all ages, interests, and abilities. See the Legacy Learn & Master Guitar website for more details about their various courses. With guitar lessons from a guitar teacher costing between 40 and 120 dollars per hour, this course is quite a bargain. Many years ago, I once spent a year with a guitar teacher going through Mel Bay Guitar Melody Chord Playing System . That year of instruction cost 1,500 dollars (not adjusting for inflation). While I felt the cost was worth it, I am very happy that much cheaper DVD courses are now available as an alternative. "Fingerstyle" is a technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to the fingers, as opposed to "flatpicking" which involves plucking the guitar strings with a single pick. When playing "fingerstyle," the thumb typically maintains a rhythm (usually playing alternating bass notes on the lower three strings) while the remaining fingers pick out the remaining chord notes (or a melody) on the higher strings. "Learn & Master Fingerstyle Guitar" with Steve Krenz would probably be best for someone who is new to "fingerstyle" guitar. Even if you are not a beginner, you might benefit from this course; completing the lessons (including the "advanced workshops") could potentially fill in gaps in your prior education and experience. Also, if you are a guitar teacher, going through this course might give you ideas that could improve your instruction of this material. Actually, I am a little disappointed that they did not add three more lessons (DVDs) to this course to raise the level of instruction (and playing) just a little. This is a thoroughly professional product: the training is well designed, the video and audio are outstanding. You don't need to know how to read sheet music to use this course. This course is not for the absolute beginning guitarist; I suggest that you first finish any one of the following before starting this course: (1) Six to twelve months of lessons with a guitar teacher (2) At least lessons 1 through 10 of Gibson's Learn & Master Guitar (3) Fender Presents Getting Started on Electric Guitar - DVD or Fender Presents Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar - DVD (4) The Rock House Method: Learn Rock Guitar - Beginner Program This course will work best if you can already play open chords and barre chords, with no hesitation between chord changes. Having said that, lots of folks have learned chords and fingerstyle simultaneously: it's challenging, maybe even aggravating, but it can be done. The "Fingerstyle Guitar" course includes the following: - 9 instructional DVDs - 1 CD with a PDF file of the course booklet and MP3 files of the "jam-along" tracks - Fingerstyle arrangements of over 20 songs - Beginner and advanced workshops for each session - "Lessons with the Masters" featuring Phil Keaggy, Thom Bresh, and Pierre Bensusan The course does not come with a pre-printed course booklet. Instead, the 137 page course book is included as a PDF file on the included CD. You can either print out the whole booklet at once, or you can just print out the page(s) you are working on. The course also comes with "jam-along" tracks as MP3 files on the included CD. "Jam-along" tracks allow you to play the guitar parts over pre-recorded bass and drum tracks. I play such tracks through my guitar amp via an iPod. (I used an acoustic-electric guitar while going through this course.) Here is an overview of the content: Lesson 1: Fingerstyle technique; fingerstyle technique exercises; nails; fingerstyle guitar tips; fingerstyle resources - guitars. Lesson 2: Adding notes; alternating bass notes; syncopation; metronomes. Lesson 3: Intervals (3rds, 6ths, 10ths); working with intervals; strings. Lesson 4: Arranging for fingerstyle; finding melody notes; "Danny Boy"; finding your own melody; footstools. Lesson 5: Classical technique; Giuliani studies; hybrid classical picking; study in A minor; "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"; nylon strings. Lesson 6: Slides; hammer-ons; pull-offs; creating open position runs; hammer on tricks; harmonics. Lesson 7: Jazz chord families; adding color tones; adding a bass line; repeating diminished chords; fingerstyle resources - The Real Book. Lesson 8: Pop fingerstyle; Merle Travis technique; advanced fingerstyle technique; pull-offs to open strings; capos. Lesson 9: Lessons with the Masters - Phil Keaggy, Thom Bresh, Pierre Bensusan. Lessons 1 through 8 are all followed by a "Beginning Workshop" and an "Advanced Workshop," which also include many song arrangements. The lessons are roughly 40 to 45 minutes in duration. Each workshop is roughly 30 minutes long. As with all DVD courses like this, it is great to be able to replay portions of the lessons and workshops as many times as necessary to master the material. In summary, this is another excellent at-home guitar training program from Steve Krenz. It is ideal for the beginning guitarist who has at least learned basic chords. Intermediate and advanced players may also benefit from the course; but there may be some who feel that the course is too basic for them (i.e., they might end up disappointed that they spent their money on the course). I am glad I went through this course: it helped me to correct some bad habits, it taught me new theory and techniques, and it is helping me to regain some long-neglected skills. The "workshop" exercises from this course will now become part of my daily guitar workout. Please note, there are some pretty great fingerstyle videos on a popular video website. For intermediate players who want to learn from a master, check out DVD-Jorma Kaukonen's Fingerpicking Guitar Method . For you young folks out there (who don't know what you missed), Jorma Kaukonen was the lead guitarist for the Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. While he is known to many as a rock guitarist, Jorma loves fingerpicking, and he is a great instructor.

This is Steve Krenz's tried and proven method of mastering finger style guitar. There are ten DVDs and eight sessions. Each session(or DVD) has a Beginner and Advanced part to it. A ninth DVD has the lesson and jam-a-long songs and the tenth DVD has one lesson with the masters. He teaches you how to arrange songs. He gives you finger stretching exercises for flexibility and healthy hands and finger exercises for developing technique. I am on lesson 4 ( on Oct 15 2017) I learned so much and Steve Krenz is a great teacher. I am developing my skill and learning technique and I just recently learned to play The Beatles ,"Blackbird" Ode to Joy, Joy to the World, and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. The arrangements are nice and intricate. He encourages you to make simple arrangements adding bass notes I did that and was able to make a simple arrangement using what I now know.He teaches music theory that gives you knowledge> It is well worth the money. If you play and or have some knowledge of music it's good though may not be required. I also went through the Learn and Master Guitar course by Steve and that helped me to read and learn music theory. Also the lesson PDF pages that I print out show music in tab and notation.

Awesome

This is an awesome course with an amazing amount of depth to it. It’s totally accessible to a complete beginner fingerstyle player and is designed to take you from not being a fingerstyle player into being well on your way to being a good one. The lessons are very helpful in terms of explaining technique, and the course book (electronic version) is really great too. Watch the lessons, go off to work on the material with your book, come back for more when you’re ready. Steve Krenz is the best guitar instructor I know of and he’s produced huge results in my playing. Definitely get this course!

Definitely for the more advanced. Moves along quickly. Not alot of his playing shown before you're assigned tasks that require alot of practice time and if you're of average ability; you will spend alot of time on your own drilling before you can advance to the next task. Would be helpful to show more of his playing showing some of the common errors players of average and above ability make while learning without realizing it. Sw

This series really got me raring to go on playing fingerstyle guitar. There is so many different techniques available to use, and Steve Krenz is probably the best modern instructor of guitar out there. He has no pretense, and is super friendly in the videos so it makes for an enjoyable watch, like having a supportive, knowledgable teacher. I don't think I'd recommend it for brand new guitarists, but if your guitar chops are limited, you can still do very well with this series. It was through this series that I developed a deep love for classical style after that section in the videos, and here after a year or so I'm playing Bach and Beethoven when I used to play Dylan and Hendrix

Order was received. None of the dvd's will play on my computer. Additionally the lesson book was not included and the product was used and not new. Save your money. What you get will not be what you expect.

There was supposed to be a CD with the printable set of the lessons. There was not. The lessons jump immediately into Barr chords and other chords that a beginner would not know. This course would probably be great for an intermediate, or advanced player, but for such a player there might be other courses that would be as good or better.

Die DVDs der Learn and Master-Serie überzeugen mich musikpädagogisch jedes mal. Hier handelt es sich um 8 DVDs mit Unterricht im Fingerpicken an der Gitarre, plus eine DVD mit Vorführungen von Gitarrenmusik und einer DVD Play-Alongs zum mitspielen und dem Lehrbuch als PDF. Ich persönlich bin kein Freund von Digitalen Büchern, weil ich sie lieber auf dem Notenständer liegen habe, auch während des DVD-Unterrichts. Diese Unterricht -DVDs sind immer in zwei Abteilungen aufgeteilt, eine für Anfänger und eine für Fortgeschrittene. Die 8 DVDs behandeln jeweils einen Aspekt des Themas: Grundübungen, Handbeweglichkeit, Spiel in Intervallen, arrangieren von Picking-Melodien, Beispiele klassischer Gitarrenmusik, Picking-Techniken im Folk, Picking von Jazz-Akkorden, Fortgeschrittenentechnik. Bedingt ist der Unterricht zum Selbststudium geeignet. Der Schüler muss aber bereits Gitarre nach Noten spielen können und sollte die Gitarre natürlich stimmen können. Auch sollte er in der Lage sein, Schlüsse vom gerade erlernten Detail auf die Gitarrenmusik im Allgemeinen zu ziehen, um die gezeigte Technik auch in anderen Fällen umzusetzen. Und natürlich wird die nötige Ausdauer, der Fleiß und die Sprachkenntnisse der englischen Musikbegriffe vorausgesetzt, denn gucken allein genügt nicht. Der Lehrer wechselt außerdem von der Nylonsaitengitarre im Laufe der Zeit zur Stahlsaitengitarre und zur elektrischen Gitarre. Also von 52 mm Sattelbreite bis runter zu 43mm Sattelbreite.

Awesome Product........ Highly recommended for any aspiring guitarist...Best for country/Blues players ..... I ta takes you through all the different Patterns one by one..

The earlier reviewer who complained that the needed a laptop to view the course materials was wrong. You can print them off. That's what I did, and I had the pages spiral bound so that the stay open on a music stand. I loved the course. I am a 'graduate' of Steve Krentz's original Learn and Master Guitar course and was already comfortable with his teaching style before starting the fingerstyle course. You do not need to be an accomplished guitarist to follow the lessons, but it is not designed for total beginners. It is probably best suited to those who have some experience on a guitar but want to improve their finger coordination - both right and left hand - or even for good flatpickers who want to branch out and try something different. Steve comes across as patient and experienced, although i do sympathise with those who say his apple-pie-and-motherhood smile can irritate them. My wife ways she wants to slap his face every time she sees it on my screen to stop him smiling, but she accepts that I am now a fairly competent guitarist after just over two years of his DVD lessons (the last six months on this course). The early lessons in this course are pretty general and teach both basic technique and items of important musical theory, such as 3rds, 6ths and 10ths,. This combination means that you will learn to play the coursework but will also and learn the skills to work on your own arrangements, should you wish to. The later lessons focus more on styles, and everybody will have their favourite. I spent over two months on the classical guitar section and keep going back to it - there are a couple of beautiful Spanish pieces which make me sound like a much better player than I am. Then I really skimmed over the jazz lesson in about two weeks. - this does not do it justice, but the style simply does not float my boat. Nevertheless, I'm glad I spent some time on the jazz section if only to appreciate more the nuances of this - to me -surprisingly complicated genre. And the major 7th chord forms do sound pretty and work in other genres. I really cannot compliment Steve Krenz enough for the two courses I have followed so far. He clearly loves what he does and is a gifted teacher. If you are new to guitar, try the mainstream course - Learn and Master Guitar - and do not be put off by the fact he introduces aspects of musical theory into each lesson. You will be really grateful for it later on as it makes the more advanced lessons so much easier to follow. I'm about to start the Blues course and cannot wait.

I have had this collection of DVD tutorials since Christmas Day and today 16th Jan 2014 have had the first chance to work with them. Mr Krenz is the most competent and compassionate DVD tutorial teacher I have ever come across. Believe me I have more DVDs on Guitar than Imelda Marcos has Shoes. I don't consider myself to be a beginner but do realise that Mr Krenz's approach is accessible to those who know the basics of the fret board. I take my Hat off to Mr Krenz for compiling a very decent and very concise Guitar Tutorial again.

Ich dachte immer ich sei doch etwas fortgeschritten aber wie schnell hier schwierige Jazz-Akkorde u.a. demonstriert werden ohne Grifftabelle o.ä. einfach zum Kotzen! Mühsam versucht dann im Netz über hobby-hour.com die Griffe zu finden, aber Fatdad greift immer irgendwie anders...und die Noten nützen da nichts! Und von Musikpädagogik ist hier nichts zu merken, und ob er sich selbst meint wenn er immer "great job" am Ende sagt? Ich werde mich weiter durchquälen, aber motivierend ist anders!