Hello Good People – David Taub here from Next Level Guitar. Tim and I are really stoked to bring our unique teaching techniques to you in Full Screen DVD format. We break down popular songs and make them simple and fun. With a little practice you can be playing the hits you love just like on the radio. Amaze your family and friends, join a band, have fun, and ROCK ON!

In this two-hour DVD I break down and explain in our easy to digest format the BLUES classic THE SKY IS CRYING. This is the full on song lesson and when we say “full song lesson” we mean it. We teach ALL the song parts – chords, verses, verse licks, rhythms, outro, strumming, embellishments, full guitar solo, and more. You learn the techniques as well as the song, so then you can blast them all across all your playing and practicing. Plus we teach you all the tricks and tips on how to cop the feel of the song. This song is a feast for the lead guitar player - you will learn all the verse licks and full on complete guitar solo – all the soulful and bluesy bends, strong vibrato, hammer-ons, pull-offs and more. You will also learn what scales are used so you can also practice and improvise on your own.

The whole song, rhythms, licks, and solo are all broken down and explained and demonstrated at slow speed and regular speed. We break each section into digestible parts and we get you playing and rocking out in the fastest and most efficient manner. If you are familiar with our teaching methods you know that we take songs sections one at a time and break them down into smaller sections, explaining every piece as we go along. Then we show you how to tie everything together. We also have on screen text, multiple camera angles, and close ups of the fret hand and pick hand to make the learning process even easier.

Keep in mind that this DVD is way more than just a song lesson. Below is the complete DVD menu and synopsis of all the lessons on this DVD – feel free to email us any questions and rock on!
-David Taub

DVD Introduction – In this introduction David discusses the lesson format, the structure for the coming lessons, the DVD menu sections, and how to piece the song together in the fastest and most efficient manner. David also discusses the tuning used for the song and why at times you will want to tune your guitar differently. He also discusses the techniques needed and rhythmic feel needed to cop the feel of the song. David discusses the gear used in the DVD and how he gets the needed tones as far as guitar, pickups, amps, and effects. He also discusses how string gauge affects tone and playability and how to improve your tone. He also discusses tube amps and getting a good tube tone, EQ adjustments, pickup and amp settings, and gain/distortion levels used throughout this DVD.

Rhythm & Chords – this section of the DVD is broken into four sub-menus:

1. Chord Library – In this section David takes you in on a very tight shot on the neck and goes over each chord that you will need to play in the song. You will also see the chord names and fret numbers flash on the screen with our on-screen text. David also teaches you chord playing techniques with the chords so you get them sounding their absolute best as well as some chord embellishments. David also teaches string-muting techniques that will help to clean up your playing and cancel any unwanted string noise. David sprinkles in a little music theory to tie it all together.

2. Rhythm – In this section you will learn the 12-bar rhythm structure of the song. David takes you through the chords and the progression while explaining the 12-bar structure and teaching how many bars you are playing each chord. On screen text ties it all together and makes learning fast and easy. David breaks everything down and shows you how to connect the pieces together. He also goes over strum patterns and how to orchestrate the song based on how many instruments will be playing the piece. He also teaches the turn-around chords and how to get back to the start of the progression. David also teaches how to break up a chord while strumming to create interest and tension. All along David gives other tips and tricks to make your playing easier.

3. Whole Song Practice Jam Track – In this section you get a great practice exercise of David playing the entire song the whole way through. This is a great practice tool as you only hear the guitar and David plays the rhythms in the whole song at record speed with on screen text marking all the parts and chords. Here you can tie everything together rhythmically that you have learned to this point. You can use this rhythm track as a jam track to practice the rhythms, to practice your soloing and improvisation, and to practice the solo and licks for the song – what an invaluable practice tool!

4. Chord Embellishments – In this section David teaches some easy ways to embellish the chords in this song and jazz them up a bit. He goes over and demonstrates the half step rule with dominant chords and how to incorporate these embellishments into your playing. He also teaches how to jazz up ninth chords to add even more interest and color. These embellishments and pick-up notes really add interest, character, and texture to your playing.

Verse Licks and Outro – this section of the DVD is broken into two sub-menus:

1. Slap Notes Technique – In this section David teaches the technique of using your pick hand to pull a given string off the fretboard and let it slap back on the fretboard thus creating a very cool sound. This technique is used often in blues soloing so you will want to get it proficient. David takes you in on a tight shot of the pick hand so you can see the technique demonstrated up close and personal. David teaches you this finger picking/slapping technique and how to combine with using the pick to get many different sounds and tones.

2. Verse Licks and Outro – In these three Verse Lick sections David takes you through all the licks played in all three verses as well as the licks and chords played in the outro. All licks are broken down one at a time and played and explained at slow and regular speeds. You see it all up close and personal with a tight shot of the neck. David also teaches the techniques needed to cop the feel of the licks. On screen text keeps all the licks organized and all along David gives playing tips on which fingers to use for playing fluidity and how to cop the feel of the licks. In these three sections you will learn ALL the verse licks and outro licks!

Guitar Solo – this section of the DVD is broken into two sub-menus:

1. Solo Theory – In this section David discusses the theory behind the solo and what scales the licks are mainly taken from. You will learn the scales and all the extra notes thrown into the solo and on screen text ties it all together. He also teaches what you can play over the chords if you want to improvise a solo when playing with your band or friends – so you can trade off licks and leads and know what will sound great over this song’s chord changes. So he gives you other solo options to try and get creative with.

2. Full Guitar Solo – In this section you will learn the complete 24 bar guitar solo. David goes over in easily understandable pieces each and every lick. Each lick is broken down and played at slow and regular speeds as well as demonstrated and explained with a tight shot of the neck. David teaches what fingerings work best for fluidity, and how to piece the entire solo together – you will learn it all up close and personal with a tight shot of the neck. He explains all the techniques that make this solo cool – the heavy string bending, heavy vibrato, hammer-ons and pull-offs, slides, and more. This is a phenomenal piece of guitar and you will be playing it just like the CD in no time. This solo is a real feast for the lead guitar player.