Video Guitar Lesson #2
Hey guys (and gals)… what’s happening!?
Couple of weeks ago I created a video lesson on playing
blues guitar. I asked for feedback on this lesson just to make
sure that I’m on track with what you want to learn.
And all I can say is, “WOW!”
I had HUNDREDS of emails pouring in. And the response
was VERY positive. People really dig these video lessons
and everyone seems to want more!
Sooooo…
I put together a new lesson for you. 
Check it out!
(You can get the guitar tab for this lesson here.)
Here’s part II of this lesson…
Funny thing, I got lots of questions on the 12-bar blues.
It seems there’s a lot of confusion about exactly how it’s
played and what chords are included, and how long you play
each chord, etc.
So, in this lesson, I give you all those details and hopefully
you’ll be playing the 12-bar blues as well as Buddy Guy
by the end of the day.
Hope you enjoy the lesson. Please let me know what you
think by leaving your comments below!
Cheers!
Dan Denley
November 9th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
The question which always comes to mind is what notes in the pentatonic scale do you play first when beginning a solo and which you end on on. Also, as we change from the 1, 4 and 5 do you change your soloing method. What about timing? How do you place those notes? For exmaple, do you to start on the downbeat and end on the last downbeat.
Thanks,
Eric
November 10th, 2006 at 1:00 am
Can see the video, but have no sound!!
November 11th, 2006 at 1:05 am
WOW! All i can say is,,, this stuff is absouloutly amazing! to a 14yro guitar maniac, (who cant buy things off the internet… to get this stuff for free just is really incredible! well done dan! keep em blues lessons cumin!
p.s keep it all coming!
whhhooohhhoooo
November 17th, 2006 at 8:16 pm
This stuff is great. Those closeups help so much. Thankyou.
November 20th, 2006 at 7:44 am
Just watched your 2nd lesson. It’s awesome. I do have your course. I ordered it a couple of months ago. But, I’ve been in Alaska fishing and will open the box tomorrow. Keep up the videos.
November 26th, 2006 at 9:54 pm
thanks dan, your instruction are very clear
and when i get an hour or so i will
practice them. is this your new guitar
secrets? because i already have the on with
cords book and progression book.
paul
December 8th, 2006 at 9:10 am
Thanks so much, Dan for the lessons. You have really fired me up to get back to playing again and learning what I never knew. Up till now my background has been 50’s/60’s R & R. Flat wound heavy guage strings. Glad those days are behind me. Video lesson 3 has a flovor of the theme song from the old tv series “Peter Gunn” (you are too young to remember). Thanks again, Dan this is really great stuff.
December 14th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
DAN CANNOT GET THROUGH ON YOUR LINK TO ORDER THE COURSE. IS IT MY END OR YOURS?
December 14th, 2006 at 10:18 pm
Hey Dan really like your new course I’m impressed. I’m sure you probably already heard that,I would really like to purchase your coursebut it is so close to christmas I can’t be selfish I got gifts to get for otheers .If you still got one after christmas I can surely get one. Thanks Ilove the Blues
December 18th, 2006 at 8:59 pm
Dan, You are a very good teacher, not that I have known many, I just wish I had the money to buy your course. I really appreciate the freebies. Thank You very much. Felix
December 28th, 2006 at 1:48 pm
Great job as always Dan !!!
I appreciate the way you simplify the lessons and love your course.
I only have one question that I am confused about.. Why do you call them the 1, 4 and 5 chords ?
Please keep them coming!
December 28th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
Dan,
Nice work. I enjoyed your lesson. I will practice it. After the holidays it is hard for me to dish out money to buy your lessons because I spent a fortune.
Keep up the good work and when I save I will get to you! Cheers and happy new year!
December 28th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
great lesson Happy Newyear all from the Neteherlands
Best regards
December 28th, 2006 at 7:28 pm
Dan, have enjoyed your lessons, and is starting to come togather for me. I hope to be able to get the Blues package, after I recover from Christmas. Best wishes.
December 28th, 2006 at 7:40 pm
Hello Dan,
As always the lessons are very good. I got one of the Gold Editions of the Blues before they sold out. I already had your first course. The Blues Mastery course cuts through to the heart of the blues. Both courses are great. I’ve got your courses as well as Andrew Koblick’s and Will Landrum’s. My wife thinks I’m outta control! I started playing 50 years ago and I’ve had some good face to face teachers. When you consider the cost versus the content, yall’s courses are worth every penny. They are also convenient. You guys are always on call whenever I’m able to practice. Jam tracks are cool too! Keep it up.
Thanks,
Don
December 29th, 2006 at 11:36 pm
Man,I cannot get my fingers to stretch up the fretboard like that! What’s a good stretching exercise?
January 12th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
nothing from you lately dan, whats up??
January 20th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
enjoying your lessons cant wait for my order
January 23rd, 2007 at 6:39 pm
I would really like to sign up for all this stuff (buy it)however, I am 66 years old and I do have the prerequisit arthritis in my hands and fingers. Not massive but I’m not sure I can stretch the fingers out over none or ten frets. Ask Willie??? Or what do you think?
January 24th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
Step 2 - still easy to understand what’s going on. Hit it
January 25th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
ANY CHANCE OF ENLARGING YOUR VIDEO CLIPS PLZ.
January 25th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I dont know whats wrong,but neither lesson one or two will play on my computer.I get nothing when i push buttons to play………Mel
January 26th, 2007 at 12:17 am
I have the same problem as Mel is there somthing I need to down load to play the vidios….Norman
January 26th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
These videos are great. Not too much info to take and apply. I just spent $’s buying my gear, and I am not that good of a salesman to sell the wife I need to spend more. BUT, if I take what I am learning here and she hears whats learned, it helps make my sale for your whole course. Thanks for the lessons!
January 26th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
why are there so many oops and in the video beginners really can’t play bar chords let alone stretch out there pinky like that also what fet re you placing the bar on???
thanks
January 26th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Hi Dan. I’m a huge Eric Clapton fan (the early years i.e., Yardbirds and Cream. Love his style of guitar playing.
Am interested to know if you cover the way he lays down solos on songs like Crossroads (live) and Sittin’ on top of the World. He does some different things when he solos that don’t seem to strictly follow the pentatonic minor scale. Can you help by explaining what notes he plays and why?
Love your video lessons.
Scott
January 26th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
I enjoy listening to your videos, but this is not for beginners. I found a beginner thingie with different things to click on where you explained the beat and told how to make the chords. That is more my speed, however I can’t find it now.
January 27th, 2007 at 2:20 am
I can’t wait to try this on my electric guitar
January 28th, 2007 at 12:34 am
hey, dan i’m really confused i really don’t understand anything here? could ya help
January 28th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
wow!im gonna try it
January 28th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
its a bit difficult
January 28th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
Dan, love the interactive lesson but the twelve bar blues is tough to stretch the little finger down the fret.please help! You make it look so easy. thank you.
January 28th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
My little finger wont strech that far!! Otherwise good stuff!
January 29th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Hey Dan, thats a very good piece of 12 bar blues.
However I am a beginner and I have almost completed my Acoustic Guitar course but the main problem for me is that I cannot shift/extend my fingers upto 5 frets. I am good at the Barre Chords but yet, as I am thirteen, my hands are too small to extend upto a level of 5 frets and that too with a Barre!
Please give me some options so as to improve upon this skill.
January 29th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
I agree with the others that my fingers won’t strech 5 frets playing a barre chord. Any suggestions to practice steching would be welcomed.
January 30th, 2007 at 7:09 am
Dan
enjoying your lessons, I want to buy your blues package, am in australia - do you ship to here?
January 31st, 2007 at 7:05 pm
can`t stretch my pinkie that far.
February 1st, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Hey Dan,
that guitar lesson is really new for me. It sounds so coool.
I enjoy this lesson and also I am looking forward to learn more. My fingers are hurting.Even though it doesn’t matter then, my ears long after that sound.Therfore I am Practicing 3-5 hours every day.
Thank you again.
Glorya
February 1st, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Unfortunately none of the videos work on my computer !
February 2nd, 2007 at 1:06 am
Hi Dan.
Schweet! In the first video of lesson two you tell me you are going to count out the 12 bar measures… you got side tracked!
1-2-3-4, 2-2-3-4, 3-2-3-4, 4-2-3-4…
Next should be 5-2-3-4, 6-2-3-4, 7-2-3-4, 8-2-3-4, 9-2-3-4, 10-2-3-4, 11-2-3-4 and 12-2-3-4 to illustrate the cycle. Took me a bit to work it out!
February 2nd, 2007 at 3:29 pm
only a word. excelent, but i`ve a question, i`m living in venezuela. i`d like to buy your courses, do you ship to here, or i can study through internet. please send me an answer as soon as you can.
February 2nd, 2007 at 6:23 pm
This is impossible - definately not for my level of guitarists! I cannot stretch my fingers that far - not even close. I have been playing for a year now and wouldn’t call myself a complete beginner but this is not working at all for me. Very discouraging!
February 3rd, 2007 at 6:28 pm
Thankyou this is really helpful and interesting. I have just started playing from scratch and I found this a bonus :o)
Claire
Malta
February 4th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
excellent input. thank you
February 6th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Thanks for making things clear and easy to understand!!!!!
February 10th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Always enjoy your lessons. Simple, fun, and unpretentious as dirt. Please never take out the little misses or “mistakes.” They lend a basic, human, do-able-ness to the music that encourages us perfectionists to let it alone. That’s the blues. That’s the lesson. Thanks.
March 7th, 2007 at 12:08 am
Great keep it coming
March 18th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Hi Dan. I am trying osme 12 bar blues but strugling to get the pinky stretched far enough. I have been practising the fingure exercises, but any other tips.
Cheers
alun
March 18th, 2007 at 5:32 pm
love it. I have a question. I’ve heard it said that if you hit a bad note you are only one fret away from a good note. Do you under stand this? If so, can you explain it? Thanks Tom
March 21st, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Hi Dan
Thanks for the lesson it was great ut I do find it difficulf to spread my left hand fingers on the frets, is there a way to train them to spread so far?
kind regards
Peter
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:08 am
Thanks,Learning everytime I view your lessons.
March 25th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
I requested your sample lessons, and just briefly viewed two of them where you make, opppseee in both video’s. I thought it was pretty funny in the first and a very polite mistake response, though it makes me wonder how much of your course is like this? would make it hard to follow.
Sincerely, no offense!
Bad impression
Michael
March 26th, 2007 at 7:27 am
lezione ben fatta semplice e chiara
ottimo inizio per il blues
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:36 pm
hey dan i think that was great i was trying to do that already but was playing it wrong now ican play it right
April 4th, 2007 at 2:15 am
After playing only for a year I’m finally kicking ass with your course. It’s easy too learn with the videos and someone actually explaining what and how. You rock!!!Now I do too!!My pinky makes it just fine!
April 8th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Hi Dan
Thank you for the 12 bar blues lesson. It was a good stretch to get to those chords. I think the real problem was my undisiplined pinky. Loved it.
Willys
April 26th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Wow that’s a nice lessons, I really enjoyed it. Thanks Dan!
April 30th, 2007 at 5:29 am
I think it’s a great lesson thanks.
May 3rd, 2007 at 3:58 pm
..my god dan i love this one pls teach me more..i really love ur site u know how to teach people so easy..did u know that i wanna learn this blues for a very long time?..thank you so much for helping..i am just a beginner in guitar glad u always help me..tcgb alwayas…
May 4th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Well Dan, I must say, these are very good lessons. You don’t overpower us with a lot of technical jargon and your method of teaching is very easy to understand. Thanks
May 6th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Interesting for people with long fingers but for us with little fat fingers… might not be able do it so easy….
I have been playing for a long time but just getting into blues and might stop if long fingers are the only requirement
May 9th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Hi Dan , Great job so keep up the good work for all of us !!!! Thank You James
May 26th, 2007 at 10:54 am
I love to play the blues and want to learn new riffs but your lessons seem to “basic” for me to purchase.
May 26th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Hi DAN,I watched your free lessons for first time [thought they were great]can`t wait to save up to buy the full course. Have been stuck for quite a while and thought of giveing up but have now found new intrest after you sent me the pentatonic scales book [GREAT]well done. All the best from U.K
May 26th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Dear Dan,
I agree with Mike. If you are aiming at beginners, don’t use the barre chords. The long finger stretches are too much, also. As you know, I’m sure, this progression can be played entirely with chords in the nut position. There are other ways to play the bar chords that are easier, too. Most people use their first and third fingers for barring chords, for example.
Please, edit the oopsies out ! I know.. whattaya want for nothin’ ! LOL
Dan, sorry, I couldn’t say some more positive stuff, but, I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, just trying to help you do what you are already trying to do; teach guitar !
Your Christian musician friend,
Don
PS Check out the band ApologetiX for some great music with a message !
May 26th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
thanks for this its really easyim only 12 years old and thanks to youi can play it in about 15 minutes!!!
thanks again
May 26th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
How about some turn arounds in various different keys
May 27th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Sorry but both videos I get is broken up I kind of think it`s in my laptop I,ll try it again at a latter date—thanks
May 27th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Great videos Dan very helpful one of my ambitions is to learn the blues, I am a beginner with limited playing ability so your course will help immensely. I have a Zakk Wylde les paul custom and would love to be able to play rock and the blues with.
May 28th, 2007 at 5:35 am
Hi Dan, thanks for the second lesson will have fun learning it …Regards jenny form Down Under
May 28th, 2007 at 7:33 am
Thanks Dan,
I am in the same position as some of the above. I love guitar and your lessons, but I do not have the money to buy the course. Please continue with the free videos!
Thanks heaps.
May 28th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Hi Dan, Great stuff again! All I know about guitar playing I learned from good newsletters and fee stuff coming from you and your colleages. Andrew, Ben etc. Now I’m getting a bit hooked to grab anything I can and I’m in danger to get confused, because there is no logicak order in what I’m learning. No structure, so 6to speak. I need a good start lesson system now. Please advise me! All the best, gert
May 28th, 2007 at 11:34 am
By the way, I read a lot about stretching fingers problems. I learned a lot fom Andrew regarding exercises and dicsipline regarding the way you keep your hand. Maybe you could tell us also a bit about that.
May 28th, 2007 at 11:42 am
And another thing: Please folks, do not get disencouraged too fast. I’m 59 years old, not native english speaker and started 1 year ago learning by English language sites to play guitar and had to struggle with the language and old rusty fingers. I’m still not playing like SRV, but I’m playing and have fun!
May 28th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
Hi Dan, just received 2nd lesson. Tnx Stx. Reading the guys comments on stretching fingers. Just wait guys- i broke my left wrist and it only comes out of fixation middle of june.Then we get to stretching!
May 28th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Hi Dan,
OUCH!, I tried stretching my litle finger as far as you did in the video, couldn’t do it. I had to drop all the way down to the 10th fret “D” just to be able to catch the last note. Good video.
May 29th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Hi Dan 2nd lesson was Great, but having
trouble cos only have short stbby fingers. But thanks any-way
Many Thanks
Tony
May 30th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
Hey there Dan..
This one was a bit harder for me.. However, I will try to get your system as soon as I can.. This is great stuff.. Keep up the great work…
June 2nd, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Your course is amazing hope youll continue. Good job Dan youre helping alot of poor 13yro guitarist like me!!! Cheers!
June 4th, 2007 at 6:10 am
Watchya Dan..
Thank you very much for all the free stuff. I really like the way your measured approach to teaching allows time for the penny to drop in my tired old brain.
Unfortunately, with a crazy three year old biting my ankles, havent got the funds or time for your full course…but maybe some day soon.
respect from Nottingham,England
June 4th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
amazing lesson keep it coming
June 7th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
your lessons are great!
June 10th, 2007 at 8:13 am
hi Dan, having a great time playing along with your videos. you make it easy enough for a novice like me to get results, thank you so much.
regards
Mark
Sydney, Australia
June 16th, 2007 at 12:21 am
hilo dan. thank u you again for sendig me the lesson. and it’s also helpful to my finger stretching. thanks again.
June 18th, 2007 at 6:05 am
Great stuff! Got a few things straight and stimulated. I think from now on my guitar won’t gather much dust! Cheers, Dan!
June 19th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Thanks for #2. Just as much fun. Looking forward to the next one.
June 22nd, 2007 at 11:39 am
Hi Dan, love the lessons, short sweet and keeps me practising with inspiration..but I don’t have guitar shredder’s hands, I have little squat hands and fingers, not alien length fingers so how do I do lesson two, have been practising heaps, still in pain and still can’t reach…! HElp!!
June 23rd, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Hey,
This is really cool! My only problem is that my hands ae a bit small, so it’s hard to stretch my fingers so far.
:^P
June 27th, 2007 at 3:29 am
Good stuff Dan. Thank you…
June 27th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Thanx Dan!!! It sure helps! My fingers are flipping sore though:P
July 11th, 2007 at 5:03 am
Hai mr Dan,
Well, all good n positive compliment
has been spoken out, leave nothing to me
to say……but thaaaaaaaaanks a lot for
this helpfull yet free lesson to a beginner dreaming plays the blues likes me