Customer Reviews

Eric Johnson: Total Electric Guitar

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you're reading this review and have checked out the DVD details you no doubtedly know who Eric Johnson is and know that he is simply the most amazing guitarist living or dead.

Good news and bad news about this instructional video. Good news: this is the entire VHS copy (with an awesome transfer of video and audio) plus they broke out the lessons in normal and 1/2 speed which you can set (with the DVD menus) to repeat over and over until you figure it out and play it smoothly. Eric also does a great job explaining in detail what he wants to teach you while showing it.

Bad news: after attempting to play what Eric Johnson plays so effortlessly you may soon realize that you're not as good as you once thought you were! May make you want to quit and take up something like origami. Or, this DVD could make you want to practice twice as much and pick up the signature Eric Johnson Strat and try to achieve his clean, pure tone and playing style.

This DVD will show you his playing styles, how he gets his tone, lots of lessons on many styles of playing, we get to watch and listen to a couple of complete original songs (not found anywhere else), and watch Eric show lots of techniques he used on Ah Via Musicom (which hadn't been released when the tape was made) and Tones.

Eric is simply friggin' amazing and for the first time, you get to sit with him and have him explain the stuff that makes him unique. I highly suggest it to people who want to improve at playing guitar (all styles) as well as Eric Johnson fans who just appreciate his ability and want to see him in a private setting with just him solo with he strat.

Every time I see Eric Johnson play, I realize how much I have yet to learn. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes out with an instructional piano video as well after seeing his live acoustic tour a couple years ago.

Thanks Eric... you are amazing. And this video shows that.

I've had a VHS copy of this for years. I've been playing guitar for almost 20 years, and I STILL reference it! Eric goes through a ton of info and techniques. This is a truly must have if you want to become not only a better guitarist, but also musician. He does a great job of explaining every nuance and doing it in slow and fast motion. It is amazing for him to go from Chet Atkins to Jeff Beck to Shred in a blink of an eye...and make it all make sense. Eric is a truly versatile guitarist with deep roots tht allow him to be unique. This is not ony a great intro disc for beginners but also a must have for seasoned pros. Now quit reading this and order your own copy!!!

I never bought the VHS tape, but when I was notified this would be coming out on DVD, I ordered it. While I'm not an amateur, I am a professional, Eric is a guitarist's guitarist. Anyone who thinks he don't need learnin' is a fool and only famous in his own little world, small as it may be. I'm not that arrogant.

As Danny Gatton was known as the Humbler, Eric Johnson could rightly be called the Inspiration. What he does is not so much difficult as it is the epitome of finesse and transparency of technique. After viewing this, you will understand what I mean.

I already know much of what Eric teaches in this session, for that is what it is, a private session (much like you might get at GIT), with a master at the top of his craft. But there is always something to learn even after repeated viewings. I even scanned in the booklet that comes with this so I can break the lessons down and blow up the individual charts for more easy reading.

If you are serious about improving as a player, and if you're looking to be a real professional, you need to get this, if only to see what true professionalism looks and sounds like. The lessons are clear and focused. And with the booklet and the new ability to slow down the examples, you really can learn to play these things. But don't expect to sound like Eric (just as those who tried to, but could never sound like Jimi Hendrix).

You are different and so will always sound different, and that's a plus. But the techniques and all that are included here are part of a "must learn" program you need to create and follow if you want to at least make a good living playing music.

Learn from a master of melody and technique, where technique doesn't get in the way of the melody, but lives in service to the song -- the way it should be.

I teach, too. And I recommend to any student who wants to grow that they should get this DVD. If you get no other, this would serve whatever style you choose to pursue, ultimately, because there is so much here that can be applied to virtually any style, whether it is Jazz, Country, Blues, Rock or even acoustic (which I wish he would have included a segment on that, my only kvetch).

Eric's video is structured as a master class type of lesson.
If you are a beginner then this is NOT a DVD for you but
for more advanced guitarist that is a good chance to fine-tune
your technique, experiment with new technical and tonal ideas
and learn 30+ good quality runs. Eric is not a professional
instructor but his delivery is natural and inspiring - which is
good because you WILL feel at times rather frustrated watching
the speed and ease with which he delivers. Most of the examples
(30+) are numbered, printed in standard notation and tabs in the
attached booklet and present in slow-down version with same
pitch in the Special Features part of DVD. The intention is for
you to learn them and then experiment with technical/tonal
ideas that Eric discusses. In that that DVD succeeds brilliantly.
I also found that even after first watching it affected my
"touch" on the guitar - you just cannot help mimicking Eric
and you play cleaner and more relaxed passages and pick faster.
I highly recommend it to any intermediate guitarist.

I've been using this dvd for a few months and I can feel a huge improvement in my playing. He explains all his techniques, his influences and his approach to chords and lead in great detail. He explains his "bounce" technique. circle picking, dampening, finger - picking, wes montgomery style, hybrid picking and his approach left hand fingering. Because of this, my tone and technique have greatly improved. He plays leads and rhythm in the style of players like Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed and explains how they influenced his own style. In the end he shows different types of harmonics. There are some great solo performances through the dvd as well. If you want to get more into his style I suggest that you also get The Fine Art of the Guitar. I highly recommend this dvd.

as a long time guitarist, I find myself bogged down in repetitiveness. Well, this DVD bogged me right out of that! This DVD has really got my fingers flying again, not just trying to keep up with Eric's awesome chops, but by finding some deeper passion and satisfaction with my own compositions which I had heretofore felt lacking in some ways. Thanks, Eric!

I want to emphasize that this is not for beginners except for those who may be inspired by seeing and hearing a wide variety of possible techniques.

With that said, it really seems to be geared toward the guitarist who has at least an intermediate skill level and is looking to explore new techniques or sharpen their playing.

After a brief tune-up, Eric begins explaining and illustrating techniques of some of the guitarist who have inspired him (Hendrix, Clapton, Chet Atkins, Chuck Berry, .. etc). Eventually, he goes over his own techniques much of which are combinations of other techniqes and scales. He also includes GREAT and very detailed instruction on picking techniques.

On most instruction, the picking hand and fretting hand are shown separately on a split screen and are easy to see. The DVD also has a number of exercises that can be played at normal or half speed with the ability to loop.

While he really does a great job of describing and demonstrating the styles and techniques, he does not spend a whole lot of time going over them. He also breezes over certain parts rather quickly. Though this part will probably frustrate many beginners and players who want more time spent in that area, it is absolutely necessary to cover such a great amount of material. I also feel that this is one of the strong aspects as it allows intermediate and advanced players to quickly pick and play with new techniques without being bogged down by numbing repetition.

What I love about this DVD is that it is so densely packed such a wide variety of techniques and absolutely beautiful playing. If you have the aptitude, don't need every detail defined, can pickup guitar visually and are interested in exploring techniques in rock, jazz and a little country - get it!

Eric Johnson is an excelent guitar player and a very good teacher also. I love this video, especially now with all the improvements and new features.

If you are a medium level guitar player and you want to go a step forward in your performance, I believe you just found the right tool!.

It's pretty hilarious reading the one star reviews posted here. Basic material? I was a music student in college and not once did I run into a guitarist that had the virtuosity and picking perfection of Eric Johnson. If you pay a little attention to these lessons you will find worlds of detail in his technique, touch and phrasing that may help you delineate the difference between just being good and being great. A true virtuoso lifts an instrument so far beyond shredding that it's hard to compare what they do with players that think speed is the only dimension to technique. Eric Johnson is the epitome of a virtuoso.

Eric Johnson really seems to have mastered a variety of styles. This video is light on music theory, but heavy on useful tips and tricks. His exploration of Hendrix, Richards, Reed, Atkins, and others makes this video an interesting look into the styles of several guitarists, and complete with examples of how to play in their styles. He also demonstrates many interesting harmonic uses and talks a lot about picking and fingering (which isn't that relevant for the advance player, but there are still things one can pick up and incorporate). This is DVD has little fundamental music education (doesn't dive into scale theory much) but many tips on how to get interesting sounds and melodic lines, as well as some nice tips on chord voicings.