by Buddy Guy is an amazing, old school, Blues guitar teacher. He stars in “Buddy Guy Teachin’ The Blues” as part of Arlen Roth’s excellent Hot Licks DVD series.
The DVD is excellent and the included, printed, guitar TAB is excellent, if not a bit overwhelming because of its extreme, tenacious, complexity.
Here is Buddy in action:
The mesmerizing thing about Buddy Guy is his relaxed demeanor as a teacher. You’re sitting right at his knee and he gently runs you through some outstanding Blues licks.
Some people don’t think this DVD is appropriate for new Blues players, but I disagree. Sometimes the best way to learn something is to just let the experience wash over you even though you might not be able to follow everything all at once.
Buddy’s teaching style is enchanting and real and if you watch the split-screen demonstrations, you can pick up a lot of advanced technique. You don’t need Buddy Guy to hold your hand. Just watch. Just listen. Just learn.
That sounds great, David. I love the idea of taking someone who is that amazing and learning just from listening and watching.
I think listening something complex as a beginner sharpens one’s ear as well as the expectation level at an early stage, which can be reflected later. Nothing is wasted in a learning process, everything comes back in time – it’s the exposure that counts.
He’s definitely a talented teacher, Gordon. He has a really approachable style.
That’s true. I can in no way play what Buddy was teaching, but sitting and watching how he moves from chord to chord is great exposure. His ability to do a slide without using a slide is also fascinating. If you want to learn from a master like Buddy, you have to meet the master on his level and not expect him to come down to yours.