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This lesson is all about playing. Jim will start you off playing a song. You will have the opportunity to play along with him.
Taught by Jim Deeming in Basic Guitar with Jim seriesLength: 20:10Difficulty: 1.5 of 5
Fingerstyle master Jim Deeming teaches you the basics of guitar playing. With over 30 years of experience teaching and playing, Jim will definitely start you in the right direction. This is a great series for beginners and guitarists looking to refresh their knowledge.
Lesson 1
In this short lesson, Jim Deeming will introduce himself and talk about his upcoming lessons.
Length: 6:12 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 2
Jim gives his thoughts on purchasing your first guitar.
Length: 7:09 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 3
Jim discusses the importance of setting goals. He provides some tips that will help steer your practicing in the right direction.
Length: 11:00 Difficulty: 0.5 FREELesson 4
Jim Deeming walks you through the process of changing your strings. He gives some excellent tips on this important process.
Length: 41:09 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 5
Jim introduces proper playing technique. Then, he explains how to play your first chord.
Length: 52:24 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 6
Jim teaches you the 3 primary chords in G major. He also explains how chords relate to specific keys. A great lesson!
Length: 39:15 Difficulty: 1.0 Members OnlyLesson 7
Jim discusses a plethora of right hand techniques that are essential to guitar playing.
Length: 35:19 Difficulty: 1.0 Members OnlyLesson 8
This lesson provides additional information about chords and keys.
Length: 19:08 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 9
This lesson is all about playing. Jim will start you off playing a song. You will have the opportunity to play along with him.
Length: 20:10 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 10
Jim teaches you a few more commonly used chords. Then, he discusses a technique known as the alternating bass line.
Length: 40:54 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 11
Jim covers all possible fingering options pertaining to the basic open A chord shape.
Length: 17:42 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 12
Jim talks about the future of his Phase 1 guitar series and where to go from here.
Length: 4:18 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 13
Jim delves into basic music theory. He starts from square one in this lesson.
Length: 29:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 14
Jim Deeming invites you to a veritable chord fiesta. He demonstrates common dominant and minor chord shapes.
Length: 43:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 15
This lesson is all about movable chords. Learn the importance of barre chords and other movable shapes.
Length: 40:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 16
Jim Deeming explains how to create a productive practice routine. Make sure you aren't wasting needless time!
Length: 30:00 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 17
Many guitarists use their pinky as an anchor. Jim explains the pros and cons of this technique.
Length: 9:00 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 18
Jim discusses an important technique--palm muting. He explains how palm muting is used by flatpickers and fingerstyle players.
Length: 7:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 19
Jim Deeming covers the basics of reading guitar tablature. Knowledge of tablature will help with JamPlay lessons as well as learning your favorite songs.
Length: 21:12 Difficulty: 1.0 Members OnlyLesson 20
Jim explains various tuning methods. He provides useful tips and tricks that will ensure that your guitar is sounding its best.
Length: 31:45 Difficulty: 1.0 Members OnlyLesson 21
Jim is back with another "let's play" style lesson. He teaches the classic song "Red River Valley" and encourages you to play along.
Length: 52:38 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 22
Jim Deeming introduces drop D tuning. Drop D is a popular alternate tuning used in many styles of music including rock, fingerstyle and blues.
Length: 25:25 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 23
Jim Deeming breaks down the song sections to the classic tune "Wayfaring Stranger".
Length: 29:20 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 24
Jim Deeming takes another, more focused look at drop D tuning.
Length: 6:27 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 25
Jim Deeming discusses how to use a metronome for practice, skill building, and speed building.
Length: 24:02 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
About Jim Deeming
View Full Biography
Jim Deeming got his first guitar when he was only six years old. His Dad was taking fingerpicking lessons, and Jim wanted to be just like him. The Mel Bay books didn't last very long before he strapped on a thumb pick and added the Chet part to Red River Valley so it sounded better.
Most of Jim's early learning was by ear. With unlimited access to his Dad's collection of Chet Atkins albums, he spent countless hours decoding his favorite songs. They were never "right" until they sounded just like Chet. Around the age of 12, Jim heard Jerry Reed for the first time and just knew he had to be able to make that "Alabama Wild Man" sound. The styles of Chet & Jerry always have been a big influence on his playing.
More recently he has pursued arrangements by Tommy Emmanuel and Doyle Dykes, in addition to creating some of his own and writing originals.
Jim has performed in front of a variety of audiences, including concerts, competitions, weddings and the like, but playing at church has always been a mainstay. Whether playing in worship bands or guitar solos, gospel music is deep in his roots and is also the driving theme behind his debut CD release, titled "First Fruits".
Jim has been playing for about 38 years. He also has taught private lessons in the past but believes JamPlay.com is an exciting and better venue with many advantages over the traditional method of weekly 30 minute sessions.
Jim lives in Berthoud, Colorado with his wife, Linda, and their four children. Although he still has a "day job", he is actively performing and is already back in the studio working on the next CD. If you wonder how he finds time, look no further than the back seat of his truck where he keeps a "travel guitar" to take advantage of any practice or song-writing opportunities he can get.
The opening song you hear in Jim's introductory JamPlay video is called, "A Pick In My Pocket". It's an original tune, written in memory of Jim's father who told him early on he should always keep a pick in his pocket in case he ever met Chet Atkins and got the chance to play for him. That song is slated to be the title track for his next CD, which will feature several more originals plus some of his favorite covers of Chet and Jerry arrangements.
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Mike H.
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I'm a fifty eight year old newbie who owns a guitar which has been sitting untouched in a corner for about seven years now. Last weekend I got inspired to pick it up and finally learn how to play after watching an amazing Spanish guitarist on TV. So, here I am. I'm starting at the beginning with Steve Eulberg and I couldn't be happier (except for the sore fingers :) Some day I'm going to play like Steve! I'm self employed with a hectic schedule. With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace, rewinding and replaying the videos until I get it. This is a very enjoyable diversion from my work yet I still feel like I'm accomplishing something worthwhile. Thanks a lot, Greg
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.I'm good with all my transitions except G to C. I've tried the fingering that Jim teaches, but I have problems with the reach between the first and sixth strings. I was also taught a 4 finger version of the G which includes fretting the 2nd string, as well as the first and sixth, on the third fret. (The 5th string is down on the second fret, as usual.) This fingering makes transitioning to a D chord A LOT easier, but I guess complicates the C/G transition. I certainly understand the value of being able to use a variety of fingerings for chords, but as a beginner, I feel like I'm doing well to nail the ones I've learned. It can be very discouraging, especially when Jim thinks he's playing slow and it's all I can do to keep up with that! Heavy sigh!
Hi Jim, just finished lesson 9 and the simplicity of your key explanation blew me away. Loving every minute of your teaching! Cheers
I have a question about the finger placement for G. Is it ok to use index/middle/pinkie as I find that much more comfortable or is it best to stick to middle/ring/pinkie for switching between different chords later?
Like it.
In addition the tabulation does not show up strokes and down strokes.
I'm working on Lesson 9. Why doesn't the tabulation in the Supplemental section show where the 1/8 notes as syncopation appear? That would really help.
Great Jim ,I kept up with you on slow version of D,G,A.
I can hear Jim's voice for the lets play section but I cannot see him (I can only see black). This does certainly add to the challenge -jet I would really appreciate being able to see his hands and fingers!
Chord transitions, chord transitions - going to have this tattooed to my forehead! As the saying goes, you have to walk before you can run, and I have to have these transitions in both mind and muscle memory first. Great lesson. Thanks!
Jim, love the style and method you're teaching.
I think I will next use the metronome along with the supplementary sheet music. That should help quite a bit with the chord changes. Slow first till I am comfortable with it, then speed up a bit.. etc etc,, I think
Having a blast here! Man I like your style of teaching!!! For real!!!
Hi Jim, any chance you could provide the fingerpicking patterns for the melody you play. Really nice
What a great lesson.. although i am still stumbling along.. too fast for me. i seem to forget everything once i try to go faster.. Should i push myself even though i miss some cords??
jim hasnt replyed since 2008 ????????
Probably the forum is the best place.
i look at the responses but jim doesnt seem to be involved anymore.... how old are these lessons.
me too where is jim when you need to have help........... never a response to our questions...
hi Jim why did you add melody notes while teaching? i am getting lost because my sound lot different then you.
That was fun.
I get it now A is 2,3and4 fingers.
Hi Jim I sometimes go to play the A with 2and3 fingers ,is this wrong? Im really enjoying your lessons ,thank you.
I think I'll come back to this lesson every now and then. It's a great measuring stick to gauge my improvement. After pushing ahead through a few more lessons, I came back to this one and I could tell the difference by how well I can now keep up with you! Thank you for a great lesson.
This lesson a bit too fast for me too. My fingers just don't make the G chord shape or transitions to the G that quickly. I like this lesson though if I can pull it off eventually.
Way too fast, way too soon. Otherwise it would be a good lesson.
Jim thanks. I knew I had some bad habits with timing. I needed to go back to basics.
Jim thanks I have some bad habits. I knew this. I needed to get back to the basics.
felt like I was making progress on chord transitions until I started this lesson. I got frustrated really quickly. I am going to get a metronome today and work on the transitions for a few days before attempting the lesson. I think the transitions have to me much better before I can make any real progress
After several days of practice with a metronome, I was able to follow along fairly well in the key of A. Now a few more days for the other keys and the right hand technique. This is turning into a 2 week lesson, but I sense that this lesson is an important foundation for everything else that we will do
Teaher Deeming I think you are forgetting that i am a beginner... :(
Is there a way to create a loop so that we can play a segment over and over and over without having to stop and mess with the mouse?
Yes, there is. Simply use the "A" and "B" tabs to create a beginning and end point, and the program will loop automatically until you press either tab again.
could you please teach this fingerpicking song to us maybe in the phase 2 fingerpicking section? i love this tune that you wrote and would love to learn it but it is just too fast for me to catch on to by looking at it.
i see exercises for this lesson but no tabs for the song itself...
I may actually master the darn thumb pick thanks to this lesson. Thank you so very much. I've been playing for three years and am trying to incorporate a thumb pick which is like trying to teach a cat to swim.
Jim, really enjoying the lessons. Your method dovetails with my ability to understand and apply. Thank you!
WILL THERE BE A LESSON TEACHING THE WHOLE SONG? YOU ARE A GREAT TEACHER JIM--THANKS --ORVIN
JAMPLAY SUGGESTION: How about adding a tab next to "Metronome" for "Tuner" so we can tune up before each lesson... (quicker than going to all the other links for finding the tuner)
Fingerpicking to this song?
Where can we find the tabs for this lesson. I love the fingerpicking.
I still feel this is too fast for me....I had too many breaks in practice due to Eczema so i'm struggling with transitions speed still...I'm working on it though, but fingers are still very sensitive....so must build up callouses again...arghhh
I'll have to practice practice practice for this one...eczema on my fingers makes me have to take a lot of breaks from practice...my fingers get raw for months at a time...i'm back now though....so callouses not formed yet...hopefully I won't have to stop again.
hi Jim. in lesson 9.how the right hand picking patten. thanks.you are great teacher.
The metrenome advice really has improved my transistions and trying to play perfectly with the metrenome becomes adictive after a whiile. Tough lesson but it has definetly resulted in a big leap in my playing.
I also like the lesson, but I cant see what is happening in the strum, is it pinching all the strings or strumming ? I wish I could see the melody notes also.
Oh and i really appreciate the way u teach the lets play lesson. Makes it feel like your actually here helpin me along as i learn to play these songs.
Hi Jim. I've had actually been playin for almost a year trying various online lessons and stuff. This lesson addressed a problem ive had for a while. I always asked in forums and such for a teacher to address ways to improve transitions and your the first person who has actually made it make since to me. Thanks.
hi Jim i am an oud player i started last week to try the guitar i did learn allot i really enjoyed and under stand some of the trick thanks i’ll keep up
Hi Jim, I'm really enjoying the lessons but I am getting confused on A7 vs. A Major . . . which goes with which key? Key of D is A7 I think and and Key of A is A Major. Thx!
do you rekomend to do the g with your pinky, ring and longfinger for finger style? or is it alright if you do it with the point finger
I recommend learning both. Then use whichever one is most suitable for the situation. By default I use the pinkie-version most, but neither is right or wrong.
I've done a bunch of other lessons and keep coming back to this one. It's really challenging and rewarding. I agree I'd like to see more like this.
There's another one on the way :)
very good lesson learning to play with someone else can be hard thanks for the lesson jim
What happened to just using a pick? Now we have to learn how to finger the strings? Too much!
If you could post the tab for the JamPlay song. The one from the intro.
Like I said before, I've been play for quite a while... But I haven't taken the time to "learn" the guitar properly. What I'm have trouble with, is correcting my bad habits that I've developed over the years. Like playing the D chord using my index finger as a bar. Or playing my G with my index and middle finger on the low notes. Or just plain cheating and playing a sloppy A chord with a single index bar. All of those are slowing my transitions. And just not letting my chords ring as clean as they could. I have some work to do!!!
Jim: This is one of my favorite lessons. Could you please do more like this one? :o) S
I love getting away from the drills and actually playing something. At the moment I'm stumbling along with the right hand but am having trouble consistently hitting the base note. Great lesson 1
Hi Jim thanks for this great lesson. Got me frustrated a couple of times but after a few hours, when i was finally able to do these chord transitions flawless, wow that felt good! Really felt like my chord transitions (for these chords) have improved an incredible lot. thx again!
I would like to see the fingering of the picking.
I like this lession, but it seems so fast with right hand, so i can't catch up
Jim this was another great lesson! I'm learning a lot about timing, and I think I'll be spending a while on this one.