HOMESPUNLearning to Play Well with Others
Taught By Pat Donohue, Mike Dowling.
Level 4
115 minute DVD, includes music and tab
It’s great fun to take out your guitar and pick with a friend. The trick is to play interesting and distinct lead and rhythm parts that are musical and tasteful – without getting in the other player’s way.
In a lively, “jam-packed” display of ideas and musicianship, Mike Dowling (with the expert help of Pat Donohue) teaches the necessary strategies that enable two guitarists to make good music regardless of the song or style - even if you’ve never played a particular tune before.
The two pros demonstrate a wide variety of essential skills, taking the mystery out of the use of the capo, using harmonizing chords up the neck, improvising 2nd guitar parts, trading solos and accompaniment, and much more.
You’ll learn how to jam on the fingerpicking classic Freight Train, Mike’s
lyrical original Wild Rose, up-tempo rags Salty Dog and Gee Whiz, blues tunes
Trouble in Mind, Blues City and a terrific two-guitar boogie-woogie. Along the
way, you’ll get sage advice on important topics that will help you in all of
your guitar explorations.
From swing to jazz to bottleneck blues to folk, Pat Donohue
plays it all with a flourish of guitar artistry and melodic inspiration. Chet
Atkins called Pat one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today; Leo
Kottke called his playing “haunting.” Pat is certainly one of the most listened to finger pickers in the world. As the guitarist for the Guys All-Star Shoe Band of Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, Pat gets to show off his savvy licks and distinctive original songs to millions of listeners each week.
Besides the weekly radio broadcasts, Pat plays about 30 concerts a year nationwide and teaches at such popular music camps as Augusta Heritage Center and Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp.
Honors include several Minnesota Music Awards and the title of “1983 National
Finger Picking Guitar Champion.” His original tunes have been recorded by Chet
Atkins, Suzy Bogguss and Kenny Rogers. Pat has also been a featured performer
at major music festivals including the Newport, Telluride and Philadelphia Folk
Festivals.
Mike Dowling has been teaching guitar for almost as long
as he's been playing, and during a professional career that has spanned four
decades he's received international acclaim for his tasty and unique interpretations
of old blues, swing, ragtime and original tunes. A guitarist of amazing versatility,
Mike worked and recorded with such musical legends as jazz great Joe Venuti,
mandolinist Jethro Burns and master fiddler Vassar Clements before embarking
on a solo career. Clements calls him simply, "One of the finest guitar players
there is, anywhere." After ten years in Nashville, Mike moved to northwestern
Wyoming where he's opened Wind River Guitar, a unique live-in guitar school he
operates from his mountain home.