Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

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Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby keener » Mon Aug 08, 2011 2:30 pm

I just finished a live video lesson from Richard Smith, via Skype, and thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from it. Richard knows everything about the guitar and helped me with three licks that I either had no clue how to get or that I have struggled struggled with. A one-hour session is $60, which I think is a Great price for a live lesson from one of the top guitarists on the planet.

I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to notch-up. Tabs and pre-recorded videos are great, but they just can't compete with live training. I personally hope to take at least one lesson per month.
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Re: Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby PhilHunt » Mon Aug 08, 2011 3:11 pm

Bruce,
Someone had given me the idea of doing this. How did it work for you? Is there any delay in the communicating back and forth? Was it easy to see what Richard was doing? I had the idea of doing a Reed teaching dvd but too many publishing rights makes it a pain to deal with.
Skype lessons online are the gonna be the next greatest thing to come folks....just watch and see. And $60 is a pretty darn good deal. I heard one guy was charging $100...and he wasn't that well known.
Phil
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Re: Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby keener » Mon Aug 08, 2011 3:17 pm

Phil,

It worked great for me. I have a high-speed connection (12MBps), and Richard apparently has a high speed, too, so it was just like Richard setting in my house. I had no trouble seeing what he was doing. And he does good at explaining, too.

I personally thought the $60 for an hour was money very well spent, and I think Richard could easily command a higher price if the market weren't so crappy. I know I'd pay higher.

This was my first experience with Skype and it went well, thanks to Richard.

Bruce
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Re: Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby Doug_H » Tue Aug 09, 2011 10:21 am

That's pretty cool, Bruce. And that's not a bad price, really. Lenny Breau was charging $30 a half hour back in '77. That's Zero inflation, imho. ;)
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Re: Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby keener » Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 pm

Neat point, Doug.

And, as with Lenny, the Quality of the lesson is superb. I asked Richard about a long, really complicated riff that Jerry did on one tune, and we listened to it together and he made a stab at it, and we listened again, and he nuked it. I've never seen anyone do something so complicated from ear so quickly. And, as he showed me how to work through it, he emphasized Principles to keep in mind and to work on. It was really a great lesson!
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Re: Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby David Elliott » Tue Aug 09, 2011 5:18 pm

Bruce,

I'm sure there'll be some disagreement about this, but personally, I consider Richard Smith to be the greatest fingerstyle guitarist in the world today!

David
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Re: Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby keener » Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:25 pm

David,

I personally tend to agree with you, because Richard can play anything Chet and Jerry did just like them, and he is also a master of so many other fingerstyle styles, and straight-picking styles.

But does that mean he is the best classical guitarist in the world? Not to me ... I would pick Christopher Parkening.
Is he the best Travis picker in the world? I would pick Eddie Pennington or Thom Bresh.
Is he the best Gospel picker in the world? I'd go with Doyle Dykes, who can get right inside of you with his gospel renderings.
Does he get the best sweet-Chet-sound on slow tunes. I'd go with Richard Hudson and Paul Yandell.

And then of course there's the amazing Tommy Emmanuel.

It's complicated, man. It's complicated.

Bruce
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Re: Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby RandeDager » Tue Aug 09, 2011 9:12 pm

Hey Bruce and David!

I actually agree with both of you and here's why: Bruce, If I look narrowly at a specific facet of fingerstyle, then the individual artists that you mentioned are probably the best in their specific area. David, if I stand back and throw it
all together into one "human package", then I have to agree with you. It's amazing to me how one individual can do so much with the guitar! I've watched Richard play basically anything I've ever seen Chet do and I've also watched him play Jerry's music almost better than I' ve seen Chet play it. I've also watched Richard play Jerry Donahue's version of "The Claw" on a Telecaster. I've also watched him play the banjo part (on the banjo) of Jerry's "Bluegrass with Guts". I've also seen him play classical guitar. He also simultaneously won the grand prize at Winfield in 2006 in both the fingerstyle and the flatpicking categories! But yet if you take each one of those examples of who he was emulating, then Jerry Reed probably did the best in his category, Jerry Donahue did the best in his, etc.. etc.

Personally, I wouldn't mind at all rating a #8 or #9 on a scale of 1 to 10 in so many categories at once!

I hope that didn't sound too confusing. I agree with both of you, depending upon the perspective.
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Re: Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby keener » Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:36 am

Well said, Rande, except that I'd put him at 10 in many categories, personally. Unfortunately these types of discussions always wind up omitting many great players ... one example: I listened to a Mark Hill tune this morning and it blew me away it was so good. Another example: The incredible John Knowles, who has been an inspiration and tutor to most of the great pickers.

It's just really, really hard, given all the fine talent, to say such-and-such is the best, but, regardless, the bottom line is any of us can learn a lot of Richard and I just wanted to make sure fellow pickers were aware of his Skype lessons.

Bruce
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Re: Richard Smith Lessons via Skype

Postby RandeDager » Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:43 am

Bruce, I enjoy the thorough and detailed way that you express yourself. Others in that category would be Norm,
David Elliot, Randy Finney, and the never forgotten Mike Joyce. I'm sure I left out a few. We all get a "feeling" that influences the posts we want to target. If also effects the credibility and I don't mean to offend anyone I left out. I just mentioned people whose writing I've developed a great respect for over time and many posts.

I agree about John Knowles, though my attraction to his music is his "thinking" and the type of creativity that
goes into his arranging. Others might have a flashier physical technique, but the thought behind it all demonstrates
the individuality and personality.
Rande
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