Customer Reviews

House of Blues Beginner, Blues Guitar Level 2

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I could start my own blues guitar instructional business with all of the videos, dvds, and books that I have bought trying to learn blues guitar. I'm a very methodical learner and need the big picture first and then information organized into digestible chunks of data--and then repetition. This is the first time that everything came together in a complete lesson series. The teaching pedagogy of this Blues Guitar Level 1 is outstanding--well organized and comprehensive. I bought Level 1 & 2 but will spend the next 4-6 months being happy with just Level 1. I didn't even take the shrink wrap off of Level 2 after previewing Level 1. I'm also an educator and recognize and deeply appreciate the time, learning techniques and excellent navigation that went into making this dvd. To take a basic (and old) folk guitarist like myself and have me understand how to play blues lead guitar within 90 minutes is a real testament to the quality of this instructional dvd. I have months of practice to do now, but at least this dvd puts in front of me clearly what I'm reaching for and how to get there. When I'm ready, I'll be able to go to an outstanding private teacher I know to refine my technique. For $19.99 you will not have wasted a dime of your money buying this Blues Guitar Level 1. Hats off to John McCarthy and the instructional team that put this dvd together.

I was very impressed with the information and how it was presented. I have been playing guitar for 25 years and I picked up some things I didn't know. This is not for the complete beginner, but maybe for someone who has a few chords and songs under their belt and wants to learn to play some leads. The instructor makes if very fun to learn, with slow close-ups of what he is doing.

The backing tracks are great to jam along with (you can download then from the Website too) and the DVD has chord charts that give the fingerings and play the notes. I wish I had this when I first started out, so if you want to learn the blues and begin to understand how to improvise solos, this is a great place to start.

I've been learning guitar for about 10 months now, but my learning has lacked focus and jumped from one method to the next, and one genre to the next, trying to find something that "clicked". Like another reviewer, I also have a stack of "Learn to Play Guitar" books about a foot high. But, this is the one the finally "clicked".

It not only comes with a CD, but also a DVD, which really makes a difference in my learning - being able to see as well as hear is really important. Also, not only is the method structured, with previous lessons being drawn upon for subsequent lessons, but right from the first few lessons you can actually improvising blues lead lines. (I'm sure it'll take a bit longer for someone that's just starting out - you need to have some level of left-hand coordination.) But basically, it's just the right mix of theory and "jump-in-get-your-hands-dirty" for me.

If you think blues or blues-rock are what you want to play, you can't go wrong with this book/cd/dvd combo. I'm learning so much so fast with level 1 that I can't wait until I can finish it and go on to the level 2 book. It feels as if I'll be able to jam with the best of them in no time!! (Well, maybe the "pretty-damn-good of them" at first...)

This is well paced and the instructional materials are well organized. The instructor on this video does a good job demonstrating and the filming of the demos makes it easy to understand what you are expected to do to get the same result. The chapters on this instructional dvd allow easy review so you can get to exactly what you want to practice or hear again to confirm your practice results or refine them. There's enough on this instruction volume to make it well worth the price but there is also a site at House of Blues where you can register your dvd and get session tracks to go with the materials for practice. These downloads are ok - don't get me wrong, it's a nice touch and I was impressed they had a support site for the instuctional series, but to REALLY pump up your practice and move along more effortlessly, get the "I Am The... Blues Lead Guitarist" blues session dvd WITH this HOB's dvd. You'll have the 5 blues scales pressented in this dvd memorized in no time practicing them against a variety of blues style session tracks, without any of the tedium of trying to do it through self disiplined metronome sessions, or the juggling of downloaded mp3's and so forth. This is a great series.

Do not make the same mistake as I did. I bought the "Learn to Play Blues Guitar Level 1" DVD. It was great; so I decided to buy the Level 2 DVD. When I went back to Amazon to order the Level 2 course, I discovered that I could have bought the COMBINED course (Level 1 and Level 2) for the price of the Level 1 DVD by itself. The combined course is sold as "House Of Blues Presents: Blues Guitar Course." (Although it is marketed as "House of Blues," it is really another Rock House product with John McCarthy) That product comes with a full-size booklet, the Level 1 DVD, the Level 2 DVD, and two backing track CDs (so you can learn by playing along with drums and bass). As I said, you can buy the Level 1 DVD (the one you are looking at now) or the ENTIRE course (Level 1 and Level 2 combined) for the same price.

A few words about the course. I have many Rock House guitar instruction products (such as Rock House Learn Rock Guitar - beginner, intermediate, advanced). As with all of their DVDs, the production values are very high. As with all courses I have seen with instructor John McCarthy, the instruction is very well designed (building from simple to more complex knowledge and skill) and instruction is very effective. While this DVD is a stand-alone course, it is probably best to have finished another beginner course before taking this blues course (such as the Rock House DVD or Fender's "Getting Started on Electric Guitar").

Here are some examples of what is in Level 1: Tuning; chords for blues progression in the key of A (both open chord and barre chord versions); fingering patterns for pentatonic scale in the key of A minor (teaches the 5 basic patterns which can be moved up and down the fretboard for any key); picking; techniques such as bending, hammer on, pull off, slides, and vibrato; blues lead; 12 bar blues progression; example blues riff.

Level 2 (which you will need to buy separately or as part of the "House Of Blues Presents: Blues Guitar Course") covers the following additional subjects: Blues in the keys of E and C, pentatonic scales in the keys of E and C, advanced bending techniques, jazz chords, jazz-blues fusion, lead techniques, advanced blues rifts, combining major and minor scales, sixteenth note lead patterns, circle of fourths.

I only have one criticism of this course: John does not spend enough time teaching vibrato. He basically just demonstrates a vibrato, and then tells you to practice until you can do it. A popular free video website has much better instruction on vibrato. I think this professionally-produced DVD should have provided instruction at least as good as those amateur videos.

This is a great course. Highly recommended. Also consider supplementing this course with the booklet "Blues You Can Use" by John Ganapes. For considerably more money, try "Learn & Master Blues Guitar" (by the same folks who make the great "Learn & Master Guitar" course).

This method is not very well organized and is not something a person trying to learn the blues with something that can help them grow along the way. There are a few things of use but not much for the price. The flashy dvd guitar playing is over done and not necessary. People buy this stuff so that they can learn and not something to watch someone else show them how good they are after years of playing. I would not recommend this to anyone but would advise them to look for something with better instruction and not just bits and pieces. Try something with a book/cd like the book by John Ganapes...Blues You Can Use. It is put together as a real teaching method.

I have been playing guitar since 1983. For many years, I have been looking for an instructional device that will help me get to another level. Once I got past the firt couple of chapters that did not teach me anything new, the whole rest of it was EXACTLY what I have been looking for. For a beginner, the entire DVD is going to be a must. McCarthy is an excellent guitarist, who plays with a pleasant variety and doesn't sound at all generic. The overall architecture of these lessons has been so well planned, that the end-user is taken on an easy and enjoyable learning path. It's not exactly "the blues," but it IS the BEST instructions for learning rock guitar, which is founded from the blues anyway. Definitely buy this series, it's well worth every penny!

These house of Blues, & Rock House Method's are the best on the market, Instructor John McCarthy, is the best, with the follow along DVD's & enclosed booklets, along with access to backing tracks which include rythem, bass, drums backing, which can be downloaded onto a CD, & you can play along at your own speed & ability. I have tried many instruction methods over the years, & just gave up, along with classroom instruction , which also didn't work. This is the next best thing to private guitar instruction.

Like others have said, I have had DVD's to learn blues guitar and they are now all sitting on a shelf. The detail that this has is far superior to all the others. The Keith Wyatt DVD was good but when I got this one, it put that to shame. I got it for my husband who has been playing for a few months and was making great progress. This has helped him so much to learn more and it was easier for him to pick up quickly because the hand placements are shown from two angles and are easier to copy. It's so good that I'm going out this week to pick up a guitar for myself so that we don't have to fight over who gets to do the lessons. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn to play. I got courses I and II but there is so much in the first one that it will be a long time befor we get to the second one. You won't be sorry if you choose this course.

Like many of the other reviewers of this product, I have many "Learn to Play" guitar books, and I have used many of the online resources for basic instruction with mixed results. I was intrigued by this book, but was initially off-put with the price being a bit higher than similar books on the market. After working with it for a few weeks, I am totally sold on it's presentation, and my results. I carry the book with me all the time; if I have downtime during my commute or during a coffee break, I will re-read sections I have already worked on. Any guitar book that I can learn from without having a guitar in my hands is an impressive feat. In addition, the online resources are helpful, as are the downloadable backing tracks. I also discovered that their customer service is top-rate. The included DVD was damaged- I had gotten tape residue on the disc from the CD sleeve in the back of the book. I couldn't get it cleaned off sufficiently and I thought for sure that I would need to repurchase the product, as the DVD is the most important aspect of the whole program. I contacted them to inquire about just the disc, and they sent me the entire product as a replacement free of charge. I didn't even need to ask, they just sent it immediately. I will most definitely be purchasing their other products and also recommend them to any guitarist.