Jimmy Bruno: No Nonsense Jazz GuitarManufacturer: Hot Licks
Release Date: 2005-11-15
Actor&Actress: Jimmy Bruno
Director: Arlen Roth
Brand: HotLicks
Sales Rank: 13900
Customer Review Summary (Average Rating : 4.5 / 5.0)
・Awesome stuff...
・Bruno absolutely owns the guitar
・Great Fretboard Method
・Just as the title implies
・There is so much more than this DVD Jimmy can offer you
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$15.25Editorial Review
Jimmy Bruno has played guitar with some of the all time greats, including Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand and Elvis Presley. He makes even the most daunting techniques accessible to anyone who wants to learn. Jimmy covers II/V/I progressions, changing chord colors, training hands and ears to work together, natural picking techniques, adding bass lines to chords and much more. No nonsense-just great jazz guitar! Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Customer ReviewsAwesome stuff...5 / 5.0
I rented this from Netflix as I like to check out various styles of guitar playing. Within 15 minutes of viewing I knew I had to own this disc (and do)! The way Jimmy explains his approach to jazz is easy to understand for those who have some playing under their belt. Putting it into action will require some practice, but the method is there for you if you want to put in the time.
I also thought he was a pretty entertaining guy as well as a good instructor. I've seen a few other of the "Hot Licks" DVDs and there are some that may be great players, but they are NOT good teachers!! And a few others that have just plain deadpan personalities...
Bruno absolutely owns the guitar5 / 5.0
I will try my hardest to concentrate on this video and on what Jimmy is trying to teach me, and I just end up laughing at most parts because he's playing so ridiculously well. That's not to say it's not informative, it's the best instructional guitar video I've ever seen, but I would have bought it just to see him play. The man swings TOO hard. Highly recommended.
Great Fretboard Method5 / 5.0
Thank you Jimmy! I wish I knew this method years ago.
For those of you guitar players who would like an easy method to learn the fretboard--this is it! Jimmy Bruno has simplified the fingering of the guitar, so you will know what sound you will get before you sound the note.
He always envied sax players because the notes are always in the same place. As you know this is not so on the polytonal guitar. His method uses only six patterns of the major scale with "symmetry." That is, your second and fourth fingers always land on the tonic. In this way, you can learn what a note will sound like, by feel, in terms of a progression.
He uses the ii-V-I progression, which is heard a lot in jazz, to illustrate how to improvise around the moving chords of a song. He doesn't over-analyze like some, and try to think of playing, for example, a melodic minor a tritone above for a dominant seventh chord. That type of thinking would be too complicated and analytical. Some jazz artists can use the analytical method, but Jimmy Bruno would rather think of a nice melody to go along with the chord changes.
This is the method that I have been looking for. I always wanted to play what I think musically. Jimmy's method is a great way to simplify guitar playing so you can play anything that you can imagine musically--by feel, like the horn players do.
Warning: this DVD is not for someone just starting the guitar. You should know musical notation and how to find all the notes, say B-flat, on the guitar fretboard. Jimmy uses standard tuning E-A-D-G-B-E.
Just as the title implies5 / 5.0
I've been playing a long time and I wish I'd had this years ago. Jimmy makes a very compelling case for his method and it works. Trusting your ear first and then explaining it with theory is a good thing. Exploring Jimmy's ideas will help you inject life into your soloing and comping. It's helped me increase my enjoyment of the instrument substantially.
There are several things that I like about his approach on this video.
1. His recommendations at the end on how to practice and what he'd have you do if you were a student are great. If you work them, you'll get benefit. Of course, you need to consider your goals and how much time you can invest, but the ideas are sound.
2. His lessons on shaping chords and comping are great! Again, if you work the method, you'll see connections on the fretboard and feel comfortable enough to toss away that book of chords that's been gathering dust on your shelf and has kept you locked into the old way of doing things.
3. Following his method will help you learn the fretboard. That's the biggest thing that it helped me do. I knew a lot of theory before, but he helped me unlock the thinking that had me feeling a bit wrapped up, constrained and my playing a bit stale and unimaginative.
4. Regardless of whether you get one DVD or both, even though much of what he plays is transcribed, don't think that you need to learn all his licks or memorize the passages. Follow his advice and follow your ear. Learn the best bits from the passages and use it to up your technique.
With this and his follow on DVD, you'll get some great ideas on how to develop your chops and become a serious player. Additionally, his Mel Bay book on his scales is good. It's thin and to the point. Well documented and a nice companion to the DVDs.
There is so much more than this DVD Jimmy can offer you5 / 5.0
This DVD is a tremendous help. I found my guitar playing got better after watching it just half way though and going in the other room to play before it even finish.
Jimmy Bruno does not teach conventional music theory like what you would get from a university, college or music theory book. He has a much simpler approach to guitar than all the teaching things out there that I have found personally. In this DVD you will have exposure to the 5 shapes. Once you know these 5 shapes you will find yourself playing better because you will see guitar differently.
The audio on this DVD is great. The voice speech is not way lower than the guitar playing like a lot of teaching DVD's are.
If you made it this far in the review I am going to tell you to save your money and not bother getting this DVD. Jimmy Bruno has opened an online private lesson website. [...] if you are not sure about signing up then get this DVD and set your mind at ease.
I have personally been playing in bands for over 7 years and my playing only broke through to the next level after taking a few lessons from this man, Jimmy Bruno.
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