DVDs and Software Discs

Jump Start - Acoustic Guitar: Study Guide for Beginners

Jump Start Acoustic Guitar is a quick start, hands-on study guide for beginners who want to learn acoustic guitar. Richard Gilewitz has developed an easy-to-follow lesson plan that covers virtually all aspects of the acoustic guitar. The beginning player will learn the basics such as the anatomy of a guitar, proper hand positions, the 12 most common chords, how to strum, and helpful rhythm patterns - plus how to apply these newly developed playing skills to simple popular tunes. This 88 minute video and 39 lesson interactive DATA-DVD sets up a solid foundation for the beginning player to build upon as more techniques and playing skills are developed.

TrueFire's interactive video software accelerates the learning process with handy controls like zooming, looping, tab, notation, Power Tab files, integrated tuner, metronome, rhythm tracks and direct links to the TrueFire forum and Support Center.

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Video Introduction

Click below for a sample video from the course

Jump Start - Fingerstyle Guitar: Study Guide for Beginner Fingerpickers

Jump Start Fingerstyle Guitar is a comprehensive hands-on study guide for beginners to quick start their journey into the world of fingerstyle guitar. With 120 minutes of videos and 61 lesson plans, Richard Gilewitz introduces topics from the very basics such as parts of the guitar, how to properly tune your guitar, to chord shapes and his most popular fingerpicking patterns. Beginning players will be comfortable with Richard's easy-going instructional style and will quickly be on their way to playing tunes using fingerstyle techniques. Jump Start Fingerstyle Guitar's focus on fingerstyle techniques is the perfect companion DATA-DVD to Jump Start Acoustic Guitar.

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Video Introduction

Fingerstyle Narratives: Intermediate-Advanced

Richard Gilewitz brings plenty of inspiration to the table with Fingerstyle Narratives in the form of fresh technique, novel harmonic approaches, creative arranging and a bookshelf full of insight for finger-painting stories with your guitar.

Richard walks you note-by-note through five of his original compositions, detailing his own compositional process while demonstrating all of the right- and left-hand fingerings and techniques.

Fingerstyle Narratives has much to offer players whether you're just learning fingerstyle or already composing, arranging and performing fingerstyle music. All in all, you'll add five new show-stoppers to your repertoire, pick up dozens of fresh fingerstyle moves, and learn the secrets of writing mini-soundtracks for the stories you want to tell.

You'll start with Bilingual Fantasy, learning how to establish the main motif of the piece. Richard walks you through all the hand positions, which are based on common chord shapes. You'll learn how to apply his "power attack" by adding another right-hand finger to the mix, along with other techniques such as vibrato, hammer-ons and pull-offs, all of which are used for expressive purposes.

Rainbow at Night is next, a happy tune with variations, plus a contrasting middle section. Here Richard shows his style of varying a tune, even at the return of the theme to close, all for the effect of the narrative story. Effects used in this one include brush strokes, staccato, and palm muting to help create the 'sound of penguins.'

In it's opening theme, Wazamataz demonstrates an approach for avoiding predictability in a tune. During the demonstration and breakdown, Richard shows you how to create a blues feel by adding subtle bass note bends, and how to use feel and technique to keep each section clearly identifiable for the listener. even when varied.

Sarah Natasha serves up a priceless lesson on the use of harmonics for effect. Richard provides both advanced and intermediate instruction in this set of lessons. The song contains a unique type of call and response in the melody that helps to shape its narrative. Richard uses moveable shapes to get new chords by moving common shapes up the neck, often adding open strings to them, or pulling off to open strings.

For the last piece, Richard presents Gypsy Minor as an introduction to Dirt to Dust. You'll acquire some 12-string chops in open G minor tuning and learn how to use a slide for optimal effect. Additional techniques include slapping strings for effect, tapping, elaborating motifs, and Richard's own "punch strum" technique. The tapping techniques will create harmonics and rhythmic qualities to help set the mood. You'll learn how to create a dirty blues feel with an artificial harmonic sound, and how to use delay, reverb, and/or boost pedals to enhance the performance of the tune

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Video Introduction

Click below for a sample video from the course

Slide Guide: Intermediate-Advanced

"Slide Guide" opens up the wonderful and exhilarating world of slide guitar playing with step by step guidance from Richard Gilewitz who covers a plethora of elements that will add a whole new dimension to your repertoire.

You'll become skilled at the basics of deciphering the difference between 1/8th note and grace note slide movements and multiple combinations of basic fingerpicking patterns peppered with more complex timing considerations such as triplets and 16th notes.

Beginners will learn the proper way to hold a slide, the basics of vibrato, simple slide motions, and the art of dampening for smoother, richer tones. Intermediate players will benefit with exercises introducing shimmer and rattle techniques and an introduction to more advanced picking patterns while using the slide. Advanced players will be challenged to utilize the many exercises as inspirations for their own original compositions.

Open D, G, and C tunings are explored in "Slide Guide" along with explanations and exercises specifically designed for the 12-string guitarist. Electric guitar players will benefit as well from the same palette of slide techniques presented in this video.

"Slide Guide" will prove to be an exciting addition to any players' life-long library.

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Video Introduction

Guitar Foundations: Beginners - Intermediate

Richard set out to create a modular course of study focused on building solid foundations for playing, practicing and performing acoustic guitar. Guitar Foundations is an innovative course of study optimized for beginner to advanced players and features 157 minutes of interactive video instruction across 27 video lesson segments. Additional learning materials include text commentary, tab, notation and charts.as it serves multiple purposes for multiple levels of play.

Beginners will learn the fundamentals from the ground-up with a simple building block approach that unlocks the mystery of music theory, explains chord types, and the design of different keys. Intermediate players can select slabs of discussion about suspended and 9th chords, plus inversions, and how to build upon existing picking patterns to create new sounds utilizing triplets and 16th notes. Even advanced players will benefit from revisiting and perhaps even retooling their techniques. All levels will enjoy tackling a spruced up 12 bar blues with restoration of chord and scale shapes along with rhythm patterns.

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Video Introduction

Fingerscapes: Intermediate

A cerebral course of study for guitarists across all styles. For the left brain; a palette of tools and techniques for rousing creativity. For the right brain; an “imaginarium” to stimulate invention. Fingerscapes is also chock-full of paradoxes. You’ll learn fingerstyle moves, but this is not necessarily a fingerstyle course – flatpickers are more than welcome. You’ll work with open tunings, but this is not an open tuning course. You’ll learn how to compose original tunes, but no harmony and theory here. The entire curriculum is presented on acoustic guitar, but feel free to plug-in the electric, pump up the volume and wail away.

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Video Introduction

Richard Gilewitz, Live at Charlotte's Web

$24.95
Available from Mel Bay
(MB21640DVD)

A 66-minute DVD, filmed and recorded live at the Mendelssohn Club in Rockford, Illinois. This long awaited Charlotte's Web performance concert captures the essence of Richard Gilewitz skipping along the magical journey of the various musical genres of acoustic guitar. For those who have only heard Richard's playing on his CD's or the radio, the live DVD will be an eye opening experience as his fingerstyle gymnastics - along with his home spun yarns too unbelievable not to be true - are brought to life during this performance. Known as one of the strangest men in acoustic music today, Richard Gilewitz fascinates his audiences with his ability to make one guitar sound like an entire orchestra, creating his own signature sound that is now available on DVD. It is his live shows that bring out the best in this man who follows a distinct cadence that creates a glow that continually grows a little brighter with each tune.

This Charlotte's Web concert performance includes the following tunes performed by Richard Gilewitz:

• Available Space by Ry Cooder
• Daughter of Pete's Feet*
• Echoing Gilewitz*
• Embryonic Journey by Jorma Kaukonen
• Gove's Tune by Gove Scrivenor
• Have You Ever Seen a Rainbow at Night?*
• Minuet for the Backroads by Gove Scrivenor
• Pete's Feet*
• Prelude No.1 by David Walbert
• Prelude No.2 by David Walbert
• I Am Eaten By Sharks by David Walbert
• Spanish Two Step by John Fahey
• St. Louis Blues by William C. Handy
• Synapse Collapse *
• The Last Steam Engine Train by John Fahey
• Thumbsing *
• Wazamataz *

* by Richard Gilewitz

All-Time Favorite Fingerpicking Guitar Tunes, Volume One

$19.95
Available from Mel Bay
(MB21326DVD)

Contains six popular tunes demonstrated and taught by rote method. Recorded at the Renaissance Arts Center in Tampa, FL, this 102 minute DVD contains an array of tunes personally selected by Richard for their common nature involving folk, blues, or ragtime themes.

Set in a relaxed "living room chat" atmosphere, with Richard often adding extra comments while playing, this completely live DVD is made up of some of Richard's favorite selections that he has accumulated, arranged, and learned over the past 31 years that he has been playing fingerstyle acoustic guitar.

Now it's your turn to learn to play:

• "Freight Train" by Elizabeth Cotton
• "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie
• "In Christ Their is No East or West" by Wm. Dunkerley and A. Reinagle
• "Scarborough Fair" a Traditional Tune
• "The Last Steam Engine Train" by John Fahey
• "St. Louis Blues" by William C. Handy

All Star Guitar Night

$24.99
Available from Mel Bay

10th Anniversary Concert All Star Guitar Night Tribute To Chet Atkins DVD. Recorded live at the Historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Tennessee, July 2002. This 70-minute DVD features outstanding tributes from a number of artists, live interviews, and artist lessons.
Tracks include:

1. Mr. Bojangles - Muriel Anderson
2. County Down - Phil Keaggy
3. Sir Duke - Ben Lacy
4. Wazamataz - Richard Gilewitz
5. Two Shores - Muriel Anderson & Phil Keaggy
6. Happy Again - Thom Bresh
7. Washington Post March - The 2nd Nashville Guitar Quartet
8. Honeysuckle Rose - Richard Smith, John Pell, Dave Pomeroy
9. Mister Sandman - Suzy Bogguss, Muriel Anderson, Jenai
10. A Baker's Dozen - Muriel Anderson
11. Deep Gap - Alison Brown with Muriel Anderson and Vassar Clements
12. My Favorite Marsha - Alison Brown
13. That's Alright Mama - Johnny Hiland
14. Seymour's Blues - Seymour Duncan
15. Baby's Coming Home - Brent Mason
16. Alabama Jubilee - Nokie Edwards
17. Reminiscence - Victor Wooten
18. Mountains Of Illinois - Pat Bergeson