Taught by Don Ross in Building Finger Independence seriesLength: 7:07Difficulty: 2.5 of 5
This series is all about fostering the ability for your fingers to play independent of each other. Mastering this skill will give your playing a living, organic feel and open up previously unimaginable doors.
Lesson 1
Don Ross introduces the series, and talks about exactly what you will learn. He also demonstrates two songs that will be taught in this series, so it's informative and inspirational.
Length: 6:25 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 2
In this lesson Don Ross introduces the concept of polyrhythms, or playing two different rhythms at once. This technique can add depth and flexibility to your playing, but be warned, it is challenging!
Length: 7:07 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 3
Don Ross introduces a 3 against 2 polyrhythm. He starts off by demonstrating how to get the rhythm "in your bones" by tapping it out with your hands, and then goes on to demonstrate how it can be applied...
Length: 14:40 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 4
It's time to take the 3 against 2 polyrhtyhm one step further. In the previous lesson Don showed how this could be applied on two strings; this time around he breaks that barrier.
Length: 8:34 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 5
Don Ross ups the complexity of the 3 against 2 polyrhythm he has been teaching. The fun is just starting!
Length: 6:11 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 6
These polyrhythm exercises are really starting to get interesting. Don complicates the bass line further in this lesson, giving us an alluring mix of a 3 against 2 polyrhythm, arpeggiated chords and a...
Length: 11:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 7
It's time to graduate to a new polyrythmic pattern: 4 against 3. Think of this as 3 against 2's big brother; it's more complex, it's a little harder, but it also packs a bigger musical punch.
Length: 18:21 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 8
It's practice time! Get your guitar out and follow along to learn how to apply the 4 against 3 polyrhythm with a more complex pattern. This will astound and impress your friends.
Length: 5:08 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 9
Don once again returns to the mesmerizing world of 4 against 3 polyrhythms. This time he teaches a more complex variation with an alternating bassline. These exercises may seem challenging, but remember:...
Length: 7:18 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 10
Head up! We are almost there! This is the last exercise in the 4 against 3 polyrhythm section. This time Don makes the bassline more difficult. Remember, once you have these techniques down, you will unlock...
Length: 14:25 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 11
In this quick yet powerful lesson, Don demonstrates how polyrhythm can be used in musical compositions. Apply these tips to your own playing and watch as your friends and family gasp in awe.
Length: 13:29 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 12
Now that you have a basic understanding of polyrhythm, it's time to move on to a song. In this lesson Don demonstrates his song "Stop Driving ,Start Playing," and talks about it's history and gets you...
Length: 18:27 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 13
Don Ross teaches the first 8 bars of his original song "Stop Driving, Start Playing."
Length: 22:35 Difficulty: 4.0 Members OnlyLesson 14
Don Ross teaches the second 8 bars of his song "Stop Driving, Start Playing."
Length: 32:18 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 15
Don Ross moves on and starts teaching the B section of his hit song, "Stop Driving, Start Playing."
Length: 14:18 Difficulty: 4.0 Members OnlyLesson 16
Don Ross moves on and teaches the rest of the B section of his song "Stop Driving, Start Playing."
Length: 22:10 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 17
In this lesson Don Ross talks about the concept of relative major and relative minor. This gives you an easy way to transition between two related keys and expand your musical prowess to previously unimaginable...
Length: 14:21 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 18
In this lesson Don Ross takes the concept of the relative minor and major keys and demonstrates how it can be utilized in standard tuning.
Length: 11:29 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 19
Don will discuss how the relative minor and major keys can be used with alternate tunings. In specific, he will look at the Open F, or FACFCF tuning.
Length: 10:01 Difficulty: 3.0 Members OnlyLesson 20
Don Ross reviews the ultra-cool technique commonly known as "The Ripple Effect." This will impress your friends and family without a doubt, and will be necessary for upcoming lessons in this series.
Length: 8:47 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 21
It's time to start learning the song "Cup of Pop," as it is an excellent way to reinforce all of the skills taught in this series, and sounds amazing to boot. In this first lesson we will look at the tuning...
Length: 10:12 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 22
Before we can learn the song "Cup of Pop" we need to make sure we can play "The Ripple Effect" in this stunning tuning.
Length: 3:05 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 23
"The Ripple Effect" is insanely cool on it's own, but insanely cool isn't good enough for Don Ross. In this lesson we learn his modification of the technique which he calls "The Ripple and Tap." It's even...
Length: 8:14 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 24
Don Ross takes the "Ripple and Tap" technique from the last lesson and demonstrates how it can be used in double-time.
Length: 4:31 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 25
Don Ross teaches the first section of his hit tune, "Cup of Pop." Limber up your hands, because this will be a challenge!
Length: 44:03 Difficulty: 3.5 Members OnlyLesson 26
Don Ross launches into the B section of his illustrious and highly difficult song, "Cup of Pop."
Length: 18:58 Difficulty: 4.0 Members OnlyLesson 27
In this lesson Don Ross takes a look at one of the signature moments from "Cup of Pop," an on-the-fly re-tuning of the guitar.
Length: 9:07 Difficulty: 4.5 Members OnlyLesson 28
Don Ross returns to the song "Cup of Pop" to teach the venerated D section. This comes after the re-tuning, and acts as a bridge in the relative minor key.
Length: 7:31 Difficulty: 4.0 Members OnlyLesson 29
It's time to return to the original tuning for the song. Don discusses the E section in which this phenomon occurs.
Length: 5:57 Difficulty: 4.5 Members OnlyLesson 30
"All good things must end" may sound rather cliche, yet at the end of this fabulous song the words ring true. Join Don as he wraps the song up.
Length: 10:52 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
About Don Ross
View Full Biography
Don has toured regularly since 1989, across Canada, the USA, a dozen European countries, Japan, Taiwan, China, Australia, Russia and India. He has played with symphony orchestras in Canada and Germany, and collaborated live and on recording with Andy McKee, Canadian singer/guitarist Brooke Miller, & Toronto bassist Jordan O’Connor. He also composes scores for television, radio and film, and does production and recording engineering for a variety of other musicians. In addition to acoustic guitar, Don also plays electric guitar, slide dobro and lapsteel guitar, voice, piano, keyboards, bass guitar and drums.
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
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