Beginner learning material

[Matt Smith]

I thought it might be useful to share any learning material that you've found helpfull with other beginners. I has Steve Kaufmans Complete Flatpicking DVD course and it worth it's weight in gold. It doesn't cover alot of rhythm, but it will last you a long time.

[Charlie Merriman]

Steve also has a good DVD course on rhythm guitar, check out his web site. Also Orrin Star has a very good DVD which you can purchase at Flatpicking Mercantile. I purchased both of these and can recommend both.

[Matt Smith]

Orin actually only lives about an hour from me. I really need to take a couple of lessons from him.

[Ron Carnihan]

Does the DVD give you much in the area of theory or is it Steve showing you how to pick certain tunes in slow and standard tempo? I purchased a couple of Steve's DVD's. but found it lacking in "theory' the strategy (if any) for pickin' your way through the melody and the fretboard...

NC Picker

[Tommy Reilly]

Anybody ever try the lessons over at bluegrasscollege.com? Just found the site the other day via Tyler Grant's website. I've really enjoyed using http://www.kimandmikeontheroad.com/music.htm for practice. The loop and increment speed feature of TefViewer makes for great way to practice.

[Making Sawdust]

Not sure what you mean by: but it will last you a long time. ?

I would not want a course that lasted a long time, I want one that I can complete and move on.

I have tried a few and my props go to Dan Miller....(cheering crowd) Flatpicking Essentials has me believing I can really pick.....

However, if you are talking about having never played a guitar before and then jumping into the DVD books etc....I think that is a big mistake.

There is no instant formula, or secret method. Practice, Practice, Practice, chords, scales, etc.
and learn to read notes and music. Hence, lessons from a good teacher. Mel Bay books beginner books.
You also need to use medium strings to build up those callus on you fingers. and stretch that pinky.

[Making Sawdust]

Not sure where we disagree, by ear, or reading music, I believe you need a teacher, tutor, mentor to get started, and you really want to play. I have known folks who give up cause their fingers hurt! Just buying videos or books etc, will not get you playing if you don't have the basics down. So I did not know if the original poster was talking about knowing how to play, and wanted material to advance his play, or was a complete beginner, never having played before. There are so many things that we take for granted, even tuning the guitar and changing strings that a beginner needs to learn and some videos, DVD's don't cover any of that, or should I say, can't see if the student is doing it properly. We all seem to hit plateaus that I think are mainly because we skipped a few things, and didn't have some one telling us, no this way.
I also believe you need to play, jam with other folks. Bluegrass is not a solo type kind of music like folk. Old time music is having a big come back, if indeed it ever left and a great opportunity to play with others. So thank you and I agree with you.

[Jeremy Copeland]

I started playing about 20 years ago. I'm a southpaw playing right handed; not too many left handed guitars around when I was a kid. I avoided strumming and flatpicking due to some very poor right arm and wrist coordination, and focused on fingerstyle exclusively. I never learned to read music, but relied on tabs to play. Thats all I did...memorize a song, play it, memorize a new one. After about 10 years, I hit a plateau I could not break and quit playing. I cant say whether it was a technical plateau, or if the root involved the inability to simply play music. My wife, who has the unique ability to knock you to the floor with the truth, helped me realize my true love in music is Bluegrass. It has been since I was a child. After quite a long search, I found this website and Flatpicking Essentials Volume 1, which I ordered. Absolutely loved the entire book. It is a rare gift to understand the efficiency of progressive learning. But I want to share the epiphany I had while learning the material. About halfway through the book is two pages of G-runs. While playing through these, I heard something. I ran to the internet and listened to Led Zeppelin- Hey Hey What Can I Do. Bells started going off, lights starting flashing....Led Zeppelin stARTS THIS SONG WITH A G-RUN!!! I GET IT!!! I GET ALL OF IT!!!. Within a few days I was playing all these songs by ear. Everything clicked. I get it. Thank You Dan Miller. =)

[Edward Berry]

Several years back, when I was toying with the idea of learning guitar, I bought a couple books/CD's from Jay Buckey. in fact I have a few different books laying around that i picked up for my journey. Flatpicking, Bluegrass, finger picking......I have at least one book of each subject. Why? I dont know really.........I wasnt sure what avenue I wanted to head down and had money to burn at the time.
This year I got myself yet another guitar.....(Ive owned and sold about 5 in the past 6 years) and this time I made my mind up to actually go for it. I signed up for a coarse offered thru the local collage that will be 1 day a week for about 4 months......Im not sure what to expect from the coarse or where I will go when it ends, buts its a structured commitment on my part and it fit into the budget. I am hopefull that I will also run across an instructor that maybe I can hook up with for more formal one on one training but there are not to many in this area, so I will be reading this thread and others that contain insight for other training methods for me to persue.

[ramon candido]

Hello, before flatpicking I studied classical guitar way back 1985 for 2 years, then I stop completely, it was in 2010 that I started to learn again the instrument. So here are the books I have on my shelves before going to flatpicking: Hal Leonard Guitar methods book 1 to 3, it teaches you how to read notes. William Leavitt Modern Method for Guitar, it uses the flatpick all thru out. Theory for the contemporary Guitarist, this is all about scales, modes, chords, inversions better have a pencil to answer the worksheets. Finally the bible for the beginning flatpicker Dan Miller Essentials Flatpicking volume 1 to 8. It cost me a lot of paper and inks to have this PDF lessons place on the music stand instead of viewing it on the computer. I also have Homespun instant access for steve kaufmans lessons. Now my problem is time management and focus. My wife gets angry if I'm always holding the guitar instead taking care of my 2 grandsons.   

[Ed Ball]

If I were to recommend a beginners material, like several in this thread I would have to say, hands down, it'd be FP Essentials series. Does an excellent job of explaining the theory as well as "why?". Plus it explores and highlights runs and various styles by some of the flatpickn greats!

 

When using the metronome you're not only working on the rhythm, but as Dan Miller would say "you should be able to play this repeating pattern over and over with fluidity, accuracy, confidence, and eventually, speed." I feel I'm getting what I paid for and then some.  Through repetition your ear becomes accustomed to hearing various runs in some of your favorite tunes, and the fingers instinctively go through the fretboard.