HOMESPUN DVD CATEGORIES

Homespun Video Practice & Technique

Accordion

Autoharp

Banjo

Bass

Bluegrass

Bouzouki

Concertina

Dobro

Drums

Dulcimer

Fiddle

Flute

Guitar - Bluegrass

Guitar - Blues

Guitar - Fingerstyle

Guitar - Flatpicking

Guitar - General

Harmonica

Harp

In Concert

Klezmer

Mandolin

Organ

Pennywhistle

Piano

Practice & Technique

Recording

Song Repertoire

Tinwhistle

Ukulele

Violin

Vocals

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The Homespun series is one of the largest music lesson video, DVD and CD offering available anywhere. Homespun lessons help students at all levels, from complete beginners (including children) to experienced players -- and all levels in betwen.

Homespun is widely recognized for the high quality of their production and the strength of their instructors - typically top musicians who are well known in the music world and enjoy sharing their years of experience with other players.

The Homespun series covers a wide variety of instruments with lessons that are informal, easy to use and most of all, fun! It’s like having a top musician give you a private lesson in your own home. Instructors break down their playing technique into understandable and teachable segments that the student can practice and absorb.

Whatever your musical aspirations, from casual picker to professional players, there are lessons in the Homespun series that will challenge you and help take your playing to the next level.

The Homespun series is graded by level to give you guidance on which items will be best for you, and minimize questions on the ease or difficulty of a given lesson. Of course there will be different perceptions on what is "easy," "challenging," "intermediate," so the grades should be interpreted based on your personal level of ability. Some parts of a lesson may be at different levels than another part.

This guide is to help give you some overall guidance, and we suggest keeping the following in mind. You may benefit by working with a lesson that is a little more advanced than your current level, as a way to challenge you into areas that you may not have attempted otherwise. For others a "back to basics" approach may be best.

Beginning lessons are great for showing things that may have been missed along the way, particularly if you are a self-taught player. Or you may be very proficient in one style (blues guitar for example) but want to learn a technique (such as fingerstyle) that you have never played before. So even if you are not a beginner overall, you may want to use a basic lesson to develop the new style correctly. Only you can decide what is best for you - a solid foundation will give you much more playing satisfaction in the future.

How to Use Homespun Videos

The Homespun lessons are designed to be straightforward and build in a step-by-step manner. If you find a lesson to be difficult at first, keep working and you’ll eventually get it. Sometimes it works best to try very focused but very short (5-10 minute) attempts at new material or techniques, done several times a day, rather than sitting down for hours. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t play like your instructor – he or she has been playing at a professional level for many years.

Be sure to notice and take satisfaction in the progress you make. Keep your expectations realistic, and recognize that you’re probably learning more than you can hear at first. Enjoy the small steps that you take day to day, and one day you'll probably find that you made a giant leap "overnight."

Homespun Grade Levels

Novice – requires no prior experience on your instrument, and the instructor assumes that this is your first lesson.
Near-Beginner – assumes that you have not been playing for a long time, but that you do know the basics. The material is at a very easy level, but not all elementary things will be explained.
Early Intermediate – at this level the instructor covers the learning material in detail, but the material is at a more challenging level. This is the right level if you have been playing for some time and can comfortably play some songs without much difficulty. This level will help you move into specific new styles, increase your repertoire and build your technique.
Intermediate – for players with good technique and a general working knowledge of their instrument, but need to break out of old patterns and move on to more advanced material. Lessons at this level help push you into new areas and develop your confidence through a deeper musical understanding, creating a foundation to learn to improvise.
Advanced Intermediate – at this level the instructor provides less detail, but covers material that will take you to an advanced, professional level. Important musical concepts are still covered, and more demanding material is presented for anyone looking for a real challenge.
All - no specific level applies to this lesson, so it is appropriate for anyone who wants to give it a try.

Top » Practice & Technique

A Beginner's Guide to Chord Positions (Book W/CD) - Find chords in the upper reaches of the fingerboard, and learn the basic concepts of music theory for guitar. Starting with the easiest three-string movable chord positions, Happy explains wit ...

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Chops & Grooves (DVD) - Learn how you can create infectious, driving rhythms and syncopations in a wide variety of musical styles. The percussive bowing techniques taught produce exciting grooves that can be used to accompany genres from bluegr ...

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Dr. B's Rhythmic Training (Book W/CD) - Famed jazz musician, composer and arranger Karl Berger (winner of six Down Beat Critics Poll awards!) has devised a unique system that will sharpen any player's rhythmic approach to classical, jazz, pop, ...

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Keith Tuner Technique (CD) - A complete lesson in the use of tuning devices that are indispensible to achieving a real bluegrass sound. Includes their use in various tunings, setting them up and how to play a variety of traditional banjo solos. ...

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Learn to Play Waltzes (DVD) - For easy intermediate to advanced level players. Steve Kaufman teaches his arrangements to some of the most beautiful instrumentals in the guitar repertory, showing how to play them flatpick style: When I Grow Too ...

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Making and Playing Homemade Instruments (DVD) - Kids and parents of all ages will be delighted with this fun-filled musical experience. They'll learn to make - and really play - an oatmeal box banjo, a mouth bow, a washtub bass, maracas and sha ...

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Picking Up Speed (DVD) - Every bluegrass flatpicker wants to play faster while maintaining good tone and timing. Steve Kaufman's powerful advice and well-thought out exercises help get a player's mechanics working correctly. Using well-known fi ...

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Practice Techniques for All Musicians (Book W/CD) - LEVEL ALL • INCLUDES MUSIC Famed pianist Daniel Abrams teaches how to practice to achieve the best results in the shortest time. Includes breathing exercises to reduce tension, as well as ...

$17.95

Practicing & Performing (DVD) - Practice for results and perform with confidence! Daniel Abrams shows how to get maximum results from minimum time spent at the keyboard. Relaxation, inspiration, attitude, and interpretation, plus more tradition ...

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Rhythm in Your Riffs (DVD) - Bob Brozman has made a fascinating lesson that will help acoustic players look at their guitar in a whole new way. Bob explores many aspects of rhythm guitar, and investigates the elements of meter, and what makes a ...

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The Instrumentalist's Guide to Fitness, Health and Musi - With the help of professional musicians and a physical fitness trainer, Julie presents relaxation, healing and centering exercises, breathing and stretching techniques, self-massage and ...

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Tom Rush - How I Play (Some of) My Favorite Songs (DVD) - Tom Rush teaches nine of the songs that made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. He includes originals (No Regrets, Rockport Sunday, River Song), traditional blue ...

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Understanding the Language of Music (Softcover with CD) - In a lively and humorous way, a renowned concert pianist delves into the theory and history of Western music to teach how to listen with a new ear and play with deeper understanding. Inc ...

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