DVD Songs - Difficulty levels

[Nico3641]

Hello Tim / Dave,

I'm a beginner, and would you guys be able to list the difficulty level for the DVD songs from easy to difficult. I'm guessing some are easier to learn than others?

you guys rock, thanks.

Nico

[ez-one]

I am pretty sure that they are working on doing that, Last Kiss is probably the easiest one right now, it would be considered a solid beginners DVD the lessons would probably be most of the stuff a newer player is working on with tips and pointers, as for the others, I guess for right now the best thing to do would be to listen to the songs and you should be able to tell how difficult the guitar work is. Hopefully they will be listing them with a beginner, intermedate, advanced rating in the future, the hard thing with that is that depending on a persons skill some beginners can work on and learn intermedate stuff the same goes for intermeadate players learning from advanced lessons.

[NickTGS]

This will be a matter of objectivity, given that certain people have practiced certain techniques longer than others, but here's how I would generally rate the songs (from easiest to hardest):

Last Kiss
Have You Ever Seen the Rain
Hey Joe
Santeria
More Than Words

Know that Have You Ever Seen the Rain and More than Words are both acoustic songs, whereas Hey Joe/Santeria are electric songs. Last Kiss is technically an electric song, but sounds just fine on an acoustic.

I'd start with Last Kiss, it's got a lot of pretty cool stuff on there to add a lot of color and energy to your playing (spicing it up, as Dave calls it). Also, once you throw in all those little embellishments and tricks, a four chord song turns into a really cool, fun song. Even if you hated hearing the Pearl Jam version on the radio, it's still a blast to play.

[david taub]

Hi - I would say Nick nailed down the rating of the songs well. Last Kiss is a great beginner song. Have you ever seen the rain I would also clasify as a beginner song, but you have to play an F chord in it, as well as to really embellish you will want to learn the open and bar chord chucking and walking bass lines as I teach on the DVD - so its a great song to push you to the next level. Hey Joe and Santeria have lead guitar partsin them so you will want to learn lead techniques like pull offs, hammer ons, vibrato, string bending, etc. Santeria also has arpeggiation in certain patterns. More than words is the hardest as it is all fingerpickd and there is a percussive rhythmic slap that you need to get down in order to catch the feel of the song - so that will be a challenge - but YOU CAN DO IT - more songs to come as we are working on more now as well as more site lesson content.
rock on!
David Taub

[KCMike]

Last Kiss
Have You Ever Seen the Rain
Hey Joe
Santeria
More Than Words


I only have the middle three songs on DVD but would agree with the list. I do ok on "Have You Seen The Rain" (got the chuck down pretty good ... and never thought I would ... thanks Dave!!), and average on Hey Joe. I've yet to try Santeria, but always thought the song sounded more complex than usual.

[funkymunky]

Hey I'm planning on getting the video lesson 4 pack bundle but the thing is i only have an acoustic guitar, would hey joe and santeria sound fine on acoustic?

[ez-one]

Personally I think that Hey Joe would be pretty cool if you could learn to play it on an accoustic, or what I would try is to figure out the chords to it and then insert some of the lead stuff in different places as imbleshments.

[funkymunky]

Thats all i needed to hear. I'm gonna order them first thing tmrw morning :) cant wait. Maybe i'll post some vids after i learn each song although santeria and more than words might take a while to learn hehehe

[ez-one]

I also remmeber when "unplugged" was a big thing on MTV where bands came on and did a set or two of their songs using accoustics

[funkymunky]

Hey ez i just ordered the dvds, any idea how long they take to ship? thx.

[NickTGS]

Mine shipped about 5 minutes after I ordered them. Of course, that's probably not typical, but everything I've bought from them shipped out within one day.

Add some time for customs and you'll probably have them within 10 - 12 days.

[oldSAP]

Last Kiss
Have You Ever Seen the Rain
Hey Joe
Santeria
More Than Words


are these songs included in the DVD lessons? i'm planning on purchasing some of the DVD collections but i'm confused because there are quite a few to choose from. I'm a beginner btw.
@David, thank you for the strumming and chord changing lessons, now i can play (partially) Last Kiss :)

[funkymunky]

If you want the songs then get the 4 pack video song set.

[oldSAP]

If you want the songs then get the 4 pack video song set.

This one?
http://www.nextlevelguitar.com/offers/offer6/offerfinal.html

[ez-one]

Hey ez i just ordered the dvds, any idea how long they take to ship? thx.

the Guys have been really good about shipping out promptly, so its really up to the post office and where they are going.

[KCMike]

I also remmeber when "unplugged" was a big thing on MTV where bands came on and did a set or two of their songs using accoustics

Oh ya!! Nirvana & Alice In Chains (both from MTV's "Unplugged") are two of the most played CDs on my Zune.

[ez-one]

I remember the nirvana, it was really good

[taichidad]

Hi David & Tim,
I'm loving the online lessons and have been at it for about a month. I'm a rank beginner but so far I CAN DO IT!

If this hasn't been updated somewhere else, I'd really appreciate knowing at least roughly how the currently available song dvd's compare to each other in difficulty. I've listed the dvd's that are currently available with comments made previously and will update it with anything you or others have to add. (Beginner, Easy, Medium, Hard, Very Hard, or 1-10?)

Thanks,
Dave


Baracuda
Beginner Blues Rhythm Guitar
Black Magic Woman
Carry on Wayward Son
Detroit Rock City
Dust in the Wind
Free Bird

Have You Ever Seen the Rain
-Great beginner song, but you have to play an F chord in it, as well as to really embellish you will want to learn the open and bar chord chucking and walking bass lines as I teach on the DVD - so its a great song to push you to the next level.

Hey Joe
- Has lead guitar parts … so you will want to learn lead techniques like pull offs, hammer ons, vibrato, string bending, etc.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot
House of the Rising Sun
La Grange
Last Kiss
- Best beginner song.

Living After Midnight
More Than Words
- hardest as it is all fingerpickd and there is a percussive rhythmic slap that you need to get down in order to catch the feel of the song - so that will be a challenge

One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer
Santeria
- Has lead guitar parts … so you will want to learn lead techniques like pull offs, hammer ons, vibrato, string bending, etc., also has arpeggiation in certain patterns

Smoke on the Water
Sweet Home Alabama
The Sky is Crying
Twist & Shout
You Really Got Me
You Shook Me

[NickTGS]

I don't have all the DVDs, but from what I can tell here's some ballpark estimates:

The Sky is Crying - Hard
Carry on Wayward Son - Hard
Free Bird - Hard (has some slide in it, and of course the solos go bananas)
Sweet Home Alabama - Medium (solo is a little bit difficult)
House of the Rising Son - Easy (I don't know how it's taught, but the song can be fingerpicked...not a terribly hard song, though)
One Bourbon - Easy
Smoke on the Water - Famous riff is easy, solo is difficult
Twist and Shout - Easy
You Really Got Me - Hard
La Grange - Medium to Hard

[david taub]

Hi everyone - thanks so much for the kind words - most appreciated. We try and have the fastest shippinmg possible as we know that guitarists are anxious to get started with their new stuff so we pride ourselves on some of the best customer service and shipping in the industry.

Regarding song dvd difficulty - we try and put out dvds for all levels - a good mix - from the posts above and what I posted previously sounds like you have a good idea of the level of many of the dvds.

The more beginner dvds would be last kiss, twist and shout, house of the rising sun - as those are mainly played with open chords - then if you get the F chord you can go for Have you ever seen the rain
Some of the dvds you can use power and fifth chords - so many of the rhythms are easier, but the solos would take more work - songs like detroit rock city, hit me with your best shot, living after midnight, and smoke on the water are examples of this.

A beginner to medium level fingerpicked song would be dust in the wind, and one a little harder due to the added rhythmic slapping would be more than words.

Songs with more difficult or longer lead lines that would take a little more work would be songs like freebird, hey joe, santeria, you really got me, la grange, black magic woman, sky is crying.

Let us know if you have any other questions.
take care and rock on!
David Taub