![]() |
|
| Superior fingerpicking
is the common strength that all acoustic pros share whatever their style
- country, blues, folk, rock, or classical. Time to build
up all those little muscles in your right hand - they've probably been getting
fat and lazy working only a pick. that pick. Some of the finest pluckers
in the biz, including Chet Atkins and Happy Traum, drop by to help get your
right-hand in great shape in this workout of a semester. Module 1: Travels with Travis |
special attention with these useful techniques.
|
![]() |
|
| This semester focuses on how important a contribution
the guitar makes in the crafting and performance of great songs. Getting your rhythm in the pocket; avoiding clichés; arranging
a part that sits right in the mix….this is how you put your playing to work.
we look first at playing solid rhythm parts. Then we examine what pros
like Bob Dylan and Neil Young have baked into their tunes and suggest some
tasty elements you might use, right up to African-inspired split-brain polymeters.
Yeah, we said it — split-brain polymeters. Module 1: Rhythming -
For songwriters and accompanists, |
Module 2: Song Building
- Learn the fine art of
tweaking various elements, including those Split-Brain Polymeters
to help turn an idea into a song, from folk-rock thumps to exotic rhythmic
cadences. |
![]() |
|
| Now it's time to hone in on two critical
techniques to put that razor's edge on your song crafting. First
up is flatpicking, and we’ve tapped virtuosos like Dan Crary and Mark Hanson
to show you why practicing this precise art is essential for both building
your solo-guitar repertoire as well as spinning heads playing country, folk,
bluegrass and pop songs. Then we’re on to open tunings, where we learn that
tuner-twirling is not just for slide players and fingerstylists. Take it
from Joni Mitchell, Ry Cooder or Keith Richards: these open tunings can
be a real can opener for both creativity and composition.
Module 1: Flatpick Precision - Eleven lessons of dazzling plectrum work. |
Module 2: Open Wide - Open tuning is the secret ingredient of many of our favorite tunes. And it's easier to learn than you might think. Best of all, your sound and composition skills will explode with new possibilities. Put standard tuning to the side for a bit, start twisting those pegs and take a walk out into the open. |
![]() |
|
| Get ready
for a bone-shakin’ stove-pipe
rattlin’ po boy’s down-home fingerstyle blues jubilee. Blues
and the guitar are deeply rooted to each other. Our instrument of choice
reflects the soul and emotion of this timeless style. And there are few
things in life sweeter and more satisfying to play than fingerstyle blues.
So kick back and lets have some fun this semester. We cover a bit of technical
stuff, tweak your bottleneck skills and then stoke up your repertoire. Dig
in.
Module 1: Fingers to the Bone
- |
Module 2: Doggone Slide - The truly blue notes come with the bang, rattle and moan of bottleneck playing. A workout for purists. Module 3: Repertoire - Now that you’ve got some chops, here’s some fingerstyle blues you can work into your performances. |
![]() |
|
| Now it's time to explore the art and personality
of fingerstyle guitar. The elegance of fingerstyle really shines
in solo settings where the instrument alone is responsible for melody, harmony
and rhythm. This semester guides your learning of techniques that players
like Leo Kottke, Davy Graham, and Adrian Legg have mastered to drop jaws
for decades. You'll travel from fundamentals to fingerstyle fury with instruction
from the top cats in their respective fields.
Module 1: Ambidexterity - More so than any other guitar technique, fingerstyle demands precision coordination between the left and right hands. Here's the low-down on the technique along with a few finger tricks to accelerate your learning. Module 2: Broader Thinking - Expand the margins of your fingerstyle by employing open tunings and imitating other instruments. |
Module 3: Legg Up - Adrian Legg reinvented
fingerstyle with technique that you gotta see to believe and a musical vision
that crosses over all styles and flavors. Legg is a genius picker and your
solo instructor for this entire module.
|
![]() |
|
| Jazzers may plug in today more often than
not, but jazz guitar is all about acoustic techniques, feel and sound.
The polished craftsmanship of Django, Joe Pass, Pat Metheny and dozens
of other top jazz players is based in the acoustic arts. The lessons selected
for this semester, many taught on electric hollow-bodies, reveal new dimensions
for acoustic players whatever their preferred style. Learn these techniques,
licks and fretboard acrobatics to start hearing new colors and a new found
confidence in your playing.
Module 1: Chords’n Melodies - Jazz giant Joe Pass leads the charge with his fingerstyle approach to improvisation. Also includes indispensable tips for arranging chord melodies. |
Module 2: Gypsy Voodoo
- Do the Django tango with these lessons on the gypsy master along with
a few tasty exotic modes for your jazzy acoustic bag of tricks.
Module 3: Comps and Leads - Think like
a pianist, think like a bassist…think like John Coltrane. Now put your head
and hands to work with this set of rhythms and lead lessons.
|
![]() |
|
| If you want that something special to radiate
from your playing, don't even think about skipping out on this semester.
These modules are not about teaching you classical guitar. We'd highly recommend
Julliard for that. Rather, these lessons will embed essential techniques
and a "classical" voice in your playing. And if you think about it for a
minute, it all dates back to classical guitar. So here's a shortcut course
that will open up a whole new palette of colors to choose from.
Module 1: Chop Shop - Let's head straight for the woodshed. These four lessons kick things off with some majorly wicked chops-busters. Module 2: The Finer Things - Mastering trills, triads and tone control will take your playing to higher ground. |
We'll also cover proper posture and nail maintenance — musts for any acoustic player. Module 3: You Call That Legit? - Let's have some fun. These four lessons are guaranteed to give you a good time and get you kicked right back out of Julliard. |
![]() |
|
| Arrribahhh! Time to reward yourself with
a well-deserved vacation in the sun. The influences of Spanish
guitar are heard far and wide, crossing paths with other genres to create
bossanova, bolero, flamenco and of course, classical guitar. And then these
traditional styles gave birth to modern variations across rock, jazz, fusion
and pop. This semester examines the style's undeniable acoustic roots. So,
lets dance the wild fandango, rock the rumba, and discover a dozen new ways
to challenge our rhythmic sensibilities.
Module 1: The Forbidden Fandango - Romantic and proud, the fandango’s heart-quickening pulse is still felt some 600 years after it was first played. Having trouble getting a date? Nail this stuff. |
Module 2: South
of the Border Salsa, bolero, bossanova, flamenco, rumba — bite into these hot peppers from all over the Spanish-speaking world. Module 3: Hawaiian Holiday - Side trip! We’re borrowing this semester’s border-crossing theme for two outstanding lessons covering the steely, slippery, slack-key guitars of the Hawaiian islands. |
| PICK
UP ACOUSTIC
U NOW
- FAST UK
DELIVERY GUARANTEED
Pick up the entire 8-CD ACOUSTIC U course for just £44.99 including P+P. Get these 8 Semester CDs with 25 Modules and 141 individual lessons now. Fast delivery from the UK guaranteed. The entire course includes over 16 hours of audio instruction, 320-480 hours of practice material, interactive manuals and MP3 (audio), PDF (tab) and Power Tab files for all Modules and lessons. A free full version of Power Tab for Windows is also included.
Payment Methods: We accept a wide range of cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Switch. Checks and Money Orders also accepted. System Requirements: Semesters are packaged on CDs and formatted in MP3 (audio), PDF (tab notation) and Power Tab. Any computer with sound and a printer will work just fine. No big system demands - this is very friendly stuff. Power Tab is only available for Windows but all other components work fine on Mac. |