Customer Reviews

Pete Huttlinger Teaches The Songs Of Gordon Lightfoot-Guitar Arrangements For Eight Classics

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Huttlinger is obviously a first-class award winning guitarist; and his DVDs has shown that he is a good guitar teacher. Easy going, nice demeanor, humble, and with a good sense of humor, his DVDs are priceless lessons with a master. However, something about this DVD is a bit different than the others.

Here, Pete slows down, take his time, and like a truly gifted teacher, he seems to now anticipate students' mistakes, or in the least, students' stumbling points. His arrangements are now done with the student in mind, more than just the excellence of the music.

Pete has grown as a teacher, which is obvious to those of us who collect his DVDs and train by them. One can only hope that he will continue his career, not simply as a player, but, in time, more and more as a teacher. He is terrific.

What a great DVD series that could come from Pete coupled with Happy Traum.

Pete does a good job of breaking down Gord's songs. I would have made a few
different choices of songs, but with such a vast catalog, one can't quibble.

This is a gift for those guitarists who, like me, have played Gordon Lightfoot for years but never quite "got it right". Lightfoot always sounded so simple yet Pete shows it is a little more complex than that.

Pete's style is very casual, easy going yet you can tell he has almost a reverence for the music. But as you might guess from his list of awards he is a very, very good instrumentalist. It's no wonder John Denver sounded so good with this guy backing him up! Pete displays absolutely no ego whatsoever which is impressive from a guitarist this talented. No fancy riffs to show you who's boss and that are so common on many instructional videos. He makes you feel like you could actually play these songs well with a little practice.

As is typical of Homespun Productions, the technical aspects of this DVD are great. Multiple camera angles, close-ups, fades give this disc an unhurried feel. Sure you have to go back again and again but Happy Traum got the pace exactly right. It felt like he did this disc for me.

Take the advice from others that this is not a beginner's disc. Some of the chord shapes (A-form barre for instance) are a little tricky for new players but certainly give advanced beginners and particularly intermediates something to work with. I really enjoyed learning some of the solos that I will incorporate into my playing.

Seriously, if you enjoy folk music and Gordon Lightfoot as I do this is a great value. I will be buying Pete's other DVD's soon.

I'm 58, took a class in "Beginning Folk Guitar" in high school which got me started playing guitar. Since then, I have always loved "Steel Rail Blues" and have always wondered how to pick it like GL does. Sure, I've seen it in song books with the basic chords but I am not a music major, I have a tin ear, and am not like my brother in law who can listen to a song one time and play it quite close to the original.

This DVD gives you a really great look at how both hands play his style for each of the songs, and the enclosed booklet has the notes and tabs. I recommend sneaking into the office copy machine and enlarging the book, though, because the print is rather small, at least for my eyes.

I bought this just for that song, but the others are good, too. I highly recommend this if you like GL.

I bought this because Circle of Steel was the first song I learned to play on the guitar. I learned just a little bit from my instructor and we moved on. I have loved that song from the first time I heard it and when I saw it was on this DVD I jumped at it. It was worth the money for just that, but I enjoy all the other songs as well.

This is a very helpful lesson and Pete Huttlinger is a great teacher. If you are serious about practice and learning then this video is for you. Especially if you like Gordon Lightfoot.