Customer Reviews

DVD-Classical Guitar Technique and Musicianship

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just picked up the guitar again after 20 or so years of not playing. My husband thought I was nuts because he never new I could play. This video can teach you to bring out the beautiful sound of the guitar even if you are virtually a beginner. You don't need to be able to read music either. I recommend this to anyone. The songs are hauntingly beautiful.

In this program (a generous 75 minutes) Fred Hand takes us through proper approach, techniques and performance of classical guitar. He moves at a leisurly, comfortable pace and emphasizes the goal is to make music, not just to play guitar.

Fred does not play fast, speedy lines and he takes time to explain each piece as well as why and how he works out his parts. If your an advanced classical player there may be too little/too late learning for your interest. This is a perfect lesson for someone like myself, a long time rock and roller who needs a proper approach to classical guitar.

A fine lesson that covers many bases and is excellent for playes of many levels.

I plan on getting his second title also "Seven pieces for classical guitar".

This is the next best thing to studying with a classical guitar instructor. Hand gives the viewer a crash course in classical technique, offering tips on everything from posture to fingernails to vibrato. The audio and video are first rate, although I was a bit distracted by the blue light effect that made Hand's hair look like a bad wig.

Frederic Hand's resume is impressive. Having studied under the renowned guitarist Julian Bream he has since performed, composed, and recorded for 30 years working with the likes of Luciano Pavoratti, Placido Domingo, and Zubin Mehta. He puts his expertise to work for the viewer in this video covering pieces like John Dowland's Lady Hunnsdon's Puffe and a dance by Gaspar Sanz, as well as Hand's own compositions, A Celtic Tale, Heartsong and Lesley's Song with accompanying sheet music for all. Highly recommended.

I would have liked to have seen more closeups of his playing as I didn't like having to refer back to the booklet (that's why I purchased a dvd). Outside of that, this is a well done dvd with great tips on getting started from position to nails to muscle and finger tension. I was able to quickly correct poor habits I had developed learning from books on my own. Definitely worth the money. (for the reviewer who asked about spanish language and subtitles this dvd has neither)

This is a great DVD to own for the self-taught classical guitarist or to just supplement your other teaching sources. Hand's demeanor is so relaxing and mello that it is hard not to play more relaxed when watching him. He offers so much valuable information, that it cannot be listed here. I highly recommend this DVD.

Don't get the idea that this course will teach you how to play guitar. It will teach you how to play better.

With that in mind, it does the job well.

In this video the host goes over techniques suited for the beginner like right hand finger playing techniques, finger nail maintenance, hand positioning, guitar position, left hand postioning, some left hand techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs, and some more esoteric ideas about musicianship like "playing music and not the guitar" and "connecting with the music." In between discussions of techniques, Hand demonstrates his virtuosity by playing songs at a professional level but there is little to take away as a beginner/intermediate player other than the aspiration to play like him. Obviously you can't learn classical guitar in a 75 minute video...but I was a little disappointed as an intermediate beginner not to learn more exercises or any actual music. I was hoping to be able to learn some simple music. Not a single chord/progression/interlude is taught in the video (though some sheet music with tab is included - it's the difficult songs he plays in the video). Techniques are important and this is good info but be aware that you're getting a lesson on techniques and you won't have any music to show off after watching this.

It's a good video, but it has to have subtitles in other languages. The quality of the subject is clear.

This is a 75 minute DVD which aims to describe in a slow easy pace how to play the classical guitar, starting with how to feel at ease when playing the guitar, how to hold the guitar, how to use the right and left hands correctly, how to apply some of the more basic techniques of classical guitar playing, such as the free stroke and rest stoke. The DVD also shows how to pluck the strings, strike chords, play arpeggios, scales, vibrato, trills and cross-string trills, etc., which it does through direct demonstrations first, then through the performance of actual songs.

The DVD comes with a booklet which includes a left hand warm-up exercise, slurring exercises, free stroke chords, free stroke arpeggios and speed bursts, as well as songs such as A Celtic Tale, Lesley's Song, Heart's Song, La Caballeria de Napoles con Dos Clarines, My Lady Hunnsdon's Puffe.

Mr. Hand is no doubt an excellent guitar player and a good communicator, but the package that he has prepared is far from perfect. He may want keep these comments in mind when planning a next edition.

Mr. Hand teaches about classical guitar, but says nothing about the guitar itself. What makes it a classical guitar, where to purchase a classical guitar, what kind of classical guitar should one buy, when is it time to upgrade to a better guitar. Is a made in China classical guitar appropriate for a beginner, or should a serious player - no matter how inexperienced - ever bother with such an instrument. Information about the actual guitar seems like a legitimate expectation, if we keep in mind that Mr. Hand spends time talking about the file necessary to keep the nails appropriately trimmed, and even suggests where to buy such file (kind of unnecessary, he recommends any good drugstore and most of us already know that nail files are purchased at drugstores). Also, the guitar that he plays is not the best looking guitar I have ever seen. It is true, he may not be aware that he is not using a very photogenic guitar. But the two string ends sticking out of the bridge give an impression of carelessness. My guitars - and all the ones that I have seen - always have their strings neatly tucked in.

Mr. Hand also may want to keep in mind - when revising the booklet - that the letters p, i, m, a, indicating the right had fingering are not from the Spanish, pulgar, indicio, medio, anular, they are from the Italian pollice, indice, medio and anulare (since when we use Spanish in the musical score!?!?!?!). Indicio is not the index finger in Spanish, it is a sign. The index finger is called indice, same as in Italian (although it is pronounced differently). Caballeria (if it is the Spanish word that he is using) is spelt with a b not with a v. There may be more inaccuracies, I have only looked at the booklet very superficially. All of this gives again an impression of carelessness, in addition to lacking respect towards the foreign language that he is trying to use. Why does the man provide the information, when he does not seem to have such information for himself.

Some of the advice - for example, a happy tune should be played in a happy mood, a sad tune in a sad mood - seems redundant.

Classical Guitar - Technique and Musicianship provides much useful information, as well as practical assistance and is ideal for the self taught who do not want to bother with a teacher: these people are often unaware of many mistakes and failings until it is too late to eliminate them. But the DVD and attachments need a more professional presentation.

(...)the package is overpriced.