I recommend this David Bowie lesson! For beginners too with no qualms. Well, maybe one qualm. There is no pamphlet! So get your pad and pencil out. In this case its worth the effort.
Or, like me, you may already have a David Bowie song book which followed you home. And with it in hand, and this DVD lesson, you could go far towards getting it jolly well right on guitars. That's right guitars!
Because all of these lessons teach us both the acoustic guitar and electric guitars parts. I am recommending these as songs that every beginner of whatever generation should know. Songs within the reach of beginners - some more than others obviously.
If you like the collaboration of David Bowie and Mick Ronson that is. If you are unfamiliar with David's first few LP's with Mick Ronson you are missing out. I've got them all. Some incredible guitars on Diamond Dogs, The Man who Sold the World, Pin Ups, Ziggy Stardust and of course Aladdin Sane and Hunky Dory also with the late and missed Mick Ronson.
Michael Casswell is a great guitar payer and a pretty darn good teacher too. Of course he has guitar toys: digital delays, Les Pauls, Marshall amps, which if you don't have is partially made up for by the acoustic guitar parts of the lesson. You'll need to have both kinds of guitars to make the most of this lesson. Many a David Bowie song has been played well on an acoustic guitar however. There are no open tunings, everything is flat picked practically speaking.
If you know these songs and like to sing then this, in my opinion, is a nice place to start to learn to accompany yourself on guitar. Of course David has 'the voice' we know and love. Still everyone of these songs, which incidentally, are taught to us in exacting detail, is an original world class rock and roll composition! Guitar driven. Serious Bar Chord pinky rock required when you get to Suffragette City. Its a work out! The chorus reminds me of Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo by Rick Derringer.
Some of you are Young Americans and only familiar with Davids' later career perhaps and for educational reasons need to expose yourselves to his back catalog of serious rock and roll Ziggy/Rono style.
If they like rock or acoustic rock this, and a separate David Bowie song book, might make a really clever combo gift to your favorite aspiring axe murderer. Allowing them to work smart rather than flounder around.
Of course kids today might just want to shred. We got that too! The songs below are divided into parts, each part has a length which when added together give us well over 2 hours of lesson time from both guitar DVDs combined. Great Songs!
“You've got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.” ― Charlie Parker