Recommended Lesson Order?
I'm working my way through the lessons and was curious if there was any recommendations for an order that would make sense to progress through them. I'm happy to just wander around and grab ones that seem interesting, but would love to have an idea for a way to build on previous lessons in some kind of loose framework. Thanks for any suggestions.
Comments
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Thanks
Maybe the lessons I mentioned can work for you (or a suggestion from a forum member) and meanwhile I'll think about if I can construct a lesson that is worthwhile and musical-as opposed to a bunch of non sequitur licks...
Anyway, thanks for asking, I appreciate the inquiry - Jim
There is a passage in the TAO TE CHING that reads, “Thirty spokes converge on a single hub, but it is in the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the cart lies.” That is the value and joy I find in Jims’ lessons.
I wrote to Jim four years ago inquiring about lessons. I thought the lessons were for professional musicians only. I told Jim I was by no means an experienced player but I loved the guitar, his music and Stella (Lipton Tea) was one of my favorites compositions of his. With very few words he reassured me that I would be fine and I started my first lesson. My children are grown and I’m in my 50’s and have plenty of time to practice. I was committed – ready for serious woodshedding. I wanted to learn about music, different styles, technique and understanding how to play over changes. I did not want to just memorize finger positions.
I mention the TOE TE CHING passage because it is in the space between the song instructions that I have learned so much. Here are some examples from Jim: “you always want to play with your fingertips, you want all your fingers close to the fret board so they don’t have far to travel, chords are just thirds stacked on top of each other, cords do not have to have a root note, the same cord can have many names, you want to use all available fingers when bending.” and the relationship between two notes: a major 3rd, 6th, diminished 5th. I never thought of two notes in the context of a chord before!
In my opinion the “B flat blues concept lesson”, “All Blues” and the newest “Playing the Blues” are three great examples of the point I am trying to make. In my opinion those three lessons contain enough instruction and insight that your could spend several years on those three alone.
I emailed Jim once when ordering a new lesson and wrote that I had a problem playing fast and he recommended the arpeggio lesson. Like most of what Jim does he presented a complicated concept and idea simply. He unlocked all the arpeggio doors with one sheet of paper. That lesson became one of the most profound I have ever taken. I could see the cord in single notes and hear the relationship between two notes and my speed really increased. All the instructions about “upcoming 3rds and Flat fives and sharp 9’s “ I finally understood. I followed that lesson with “Sugerfoot Rag”, “Panhandle Rag”, “Four Wheel Drive” and my fingering ability took me to a place I never imagined. I can now play “Twister”. Playing twister is so rewarding- its fun, funky, country, filled with tons of licks and you can play it as fast as you want! As some one once said “It’s like changing the fan belt with the motor running.” All the lessons I just mentioned made me want to grow more as a player.
I tackled “Over the Rainbow” and I never thought I would get it down. Once I did it opened the floodgates to “All The Things You Are”, “ My Funny Valentine”, “Beautiful Dreamer”, “When You Wish Upon a Star” and the new “Stardust”. Jims’ explanation and example of playing over the changes in the Stardust lesson is extraordinary in its insight. Not only does he instruct on how to play the cord tones over changer he introduces another way of thinking about playing over changes.
How could I possibly find a local teacher that could give all of this and a “Steel Guitar” lesson like Jim? - Or the fingering lessons of “Chets Song”, “Travis” and “Working Man Blues”. If you like string bending lessons my opinion “Crazy” is one of the best. A lesson that has a little of everything: different cord inversions, steel guitar voicings, double stops, big slides and string bending is “Wishful Thinking”. “To Far Gone “ has some tone knob instruction that very few lessons do. I have grown so much as a guitar player from Jims’ lessons and in these five years and I have never had to email him once with a question. All the answers are in the lessons. You may have to listen a lot but they are all there. Very Zen like…. as Jim often says in the lessons, “ keep it simple…just play the melody like Louie Armstrong.” I hope some of what I wrote is helpful to everyone taking lessons or thinking about it.
As for me, four years of lessons have given me the ability to make my guitar sound bluesy, steel guitar, country or Jazz like. I can make it fit my mood or the New England weather I live in. I can put a rhythm track in my boomerang and play over changes. I can hear Jim Hall or Bill Frisell play a cluster cord and good old Stella (Lipton Tea) is still my favorite. Now I understand all those two note chords in Stella are minor 2nds, major 2nds, major 3rds and prefect 4ths. All of which was way beyond my comprehension four years ago. I always look forward to the new lessons and practicing every day. Over the last four years, in a very quiet way, Jim has made a great impact on my life. From a grateful student to a great teacher- thank you.
NealT