Customer Reviews

Beginning Blues Guitar [VHS]

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was my first tutorial DVD and it was excellent. The visual is a split screen of both hands in action. The lighting is very good with Paul dressed in black to contrast the instrument. He takes his time during instruction and misses nothing. I was playing along about five minutes into it. I recommend this to those guitarists that have the hand coordination at the intermediate level. He does not play fast, but there is plenty of movement on the neck.

I am about 3 months into guitar lessons; notes, chords, scales etc. This DVD gets you playing the music you took lessons for in the first place. No theory, no fluff, just what you need to know in an easy to understand format. I am a happy customer and will likely purchase more Lidel videos.

Unlike Beginning Rock Guitar, in which Paul Lidel takes the time to go through each riff very slowly, with on-screen tablature, and fully describes the techniques he is using, this video is strictly a demo that lets you watch as Lidel plays the blues for you. It is impossible to follow along as he plays each 12-bar rhythm or solo at full speed, without any on screen tablature, and without note-by-note instruction. Your best bet is to review the two-sided 11" x 14" insert that accompanies the DVD in order to learn the song, and then watch Lidel play it to see how it is supposed to sound. Unfortunately the tablature doesn't match 100% with what he's playing. Before a segment, he might pause to slowly play the scale from which a solo is drawn, but then launches directly into a full speed demo after which he says, "Now you try it." You can see that he's using alternate picking in the solos, but doesn't bother to explain this technique. This is a very disappointing video because it purports to be targeted at beginners, but definitely seems more intermediate, and lacks any real attempt to instruct.

This is great for someone that is experienced (intermediate and above). I'm a beginner, and I struggled trying to follow him. I did learn from watching this DVD, but my pause and slow motion button is wore out.

The split screen and progression from fairly simple to more complex was very good. It is a beginning blues guitar. You will struggle a bit to keep up if you are a beginning guitarist and never heard of the pentatonic scale etc. Work through the chapters in Guitar for Dummies and you'll be fine. Would have liked a little more explanation in parts, but since it's a DVD and you can rewind often as you like, it's OK. He does a nice job explaining some blues techniques, then getting right down to some practice w/o excessive theory. Highly recommended. Looking forward to some of his other products.

I was extremely impressed with Paul Lidel's "Beginning Blues Guitar" DVD. I have a large stack of instructional videos at home, and I'd have to put this one on top of them all. He has a deceptively simple lesson plan that takes the student from the Point A basics to some very sophisticated -- and pleasing to the ear -- licks. I was really amazed. I was impressed with the professionally shot instructional footage, too, with its split-screen technique, allowing me to study his fretwork and strumming all at once.
This one is a keeper, and I hope to see his other videos soon.

After several years of setting aside my guitar, I decided that the creative side of my life would be my mid-life crisis. I was floundering around with chord books & I came across this DVD. It was UNBELIEVABLE how much it helped me. The chords, 12 bar progressions & everything else Paul went thru was great in helping me restart my guitar playing. I don't know what was up with the two bad reviews on this excellent DVD! They must have been written by disgruntled competitors?

I have played jazz badly for years and decided to learn blues guitar. This video is fantastic. You don't need to be more accomplished than intermediate at fingering to start playing almost instantly. You don't have to know how to read music either, just very basic tablature. All music how-to videos should take their lead from this. If ya wanna learn blues, buy it.

Very thin on content, not much here to work with. Thin on presentation. If this was a first project by sixth-graders there would be some explanation. There are good DVDs and there are not-so-good ones. This is far from one of the better ones.

There is so little material presented on this DVD you will be better off finding another one out there. Besides, the sound is like crap. You would think a music-oriented video would focus on sound. Paul, if that is what your amp really sounds like it is definitely time to go shopping

I would give it NO STARS but it is not an option!!!