FAQs

We always welcome your questions, and have put many of the most useful, along with our answers, in our FAQ section. This will provide some important information and hopefully help you choose the lessons that are right for you. We will be adding to this list as we get more of these, so keep checking back to this section -- or send in a question of your own. 

ANSWERS

Q: How do I know how much it will cost to ship my order?

A: Place the items that interest you in the shopping cart. As you move through the check out process the shipping options and costs will show. You can look them over before you finalize your order.

Q: Is it better to use the muscles in your forefinger and thumb to move the pick, or do you get better results by keeping these more or less rigid, and using your wrist?

A: Every player has a somewhat different right hand technique, and I think you'll find that the answer to your question is "yes" to both things. That is, most pickers use a combination of the two, leaning one way or the other depending on the individual. Most keep some flexibility in the wrist, although Doc Watson keeps his wrist and forearm fairly straight and moves more from his elbow. Dan Crary seems to play a little more from his wrist, but then he holds the pick differently, too. It also depends on whether you are playing rhythm or lead. Normal Blake refers to the motion of his hand and wrist when playing rhythm to shaking off water, which is a pretty graphic description of his hand motion.

Q: I am just beginning fingerpicking. I am having problems making my fingers do what I say. Are there any exercises for limbering up and strengthening my hands? Also for developing better independent finger coordination? I know this is kind of a weird question, but I've never heard anyone talk about it or it being mentioned in any articles I've read.

A: I have never personally used any limbering or strengthening exercises for my right hand. There are plenty for the fretting hand, but the right hand just needs to be as relaxed as possible. As for better finger coordination, this comes with time and practice. I have several good exercises for this in my recent "Easy Steps to Guitar Fingerpicking" DVD, in which I show you how to take it one step at a time to develop independence of motion. This starts you off with the most basic thumb/fingers coordination, and seems to have helped many starting players. You might want to check these out.

Q: I have a basic question regarding the Dobro lessons: Can I play Dobro style on a regular steel string acoustic?

A: "Dobro" and "Dobro style" are two very different things. The word Dobro is a registered trademark and it's owned by the Gibson Guitar company. Like Kleenex, Xerox and other brands that become generically known, the word Dobro has become synonymous with the instrument -- a resonator guitar played horizontally with a steel bar, usually in bluegrass or country music genres.

That said, the answer to your question is yes, you can play this style on a regular guitar, providing you alter the nut so the strings are raised up off the fingerboard. You won't get that distinctive resonator sound originally developed by the Dopera Brothers (hence the name DoBro), but you can play some pretty neat stuff. Kelly Joe Phelps teaches his bluesy songs in this style on a straight guitar (VD-KJP-GT01), and Cindy Cashdollar's second video (VD-CYN-DB02) has a hot rockabilly instrumental played on a "normal" guitar.

Q: There is no doubt that I can continue learning tunes by mimicking what I see on video, but that leaves me just knowing the tunes I learned. I'm wondering if you might be aware of a video that incorporates the "theory" behind the music. There are clearly things that have "clicked" in the heads of those I jam with that can hear a tune for the first time and go off on a break and make it sound good. Do you have any recommendations?

A: What you are talking about comes largely from experience, as well as educating yourself about the basics of music theory as it applies to guitar flatpicking. This eventually comes clear as you explore different aspects of playing, apart from just learning fiddle tunes note-for-note. For an in-depth look at the notes, scales and intervals on the guitar neck, I highly recommend Russ Barenberg's CD series "Exploring the Fingerboard."

If you like Steve Kaufman's approach to teaching, you'll find his "Parking Lot Pickers" audio CD series very helpful. Steve takes each tune and teaches its basic melody, then builds it up step-by-step so you can see what elements make a complete solo. Many students have gone through these tapes and have learned a great deal from them about building a guitar break.

David Grier's "Building Powerful Solos" (VD-GRR-GT01) is excellent in terms of seeing how he takes a tune and develops it using a variety of techniques. It may be a little advanced, but there's lots of great information on how the elements such as cross picking, slides, hammer-ons, etc. come together to create a complete piece.

Another approach, although even more advanced, is Pat Flynn's "Techniques for Soloing and Improvisation," (VD-FLY-GT01) which does not deal in tunes but rather how to find notes up and down the neck based on the "chord centers" to allow you to eventually improvise freely. It's the kind of lesson you can keep coming back to for a long time and find new things each time.

Finally, in your exploration of the guitar, don't stick only to one genre of music (e.g. bluegrass). The more you branch out into other areas (rock, jazz, blues, etc.) the better acquainted with your instrument you'll become, and it will reflect on your chosen field in a very positive way. Just look at all the styles Doc Watson or Tony Rice can play in and you'll see what I mean.

Q: I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to play the 12-string in a trio with drums and bass. On your video you mention that the 12 string is great for booming bass lines, but with a bass player in the trio, is this overkill? What would be a good way to use the 12 string in this setup?

A: It will take some work to keep your bass notes out of the way of the bass player's notes, so you'll have to work together and be sensitive to what each other is doing. Sometimes it's very effective to double the bass notes, but you have to get it exactly right or it will sound muddy. Don't overdo it either, but every now and then it can really add to the arrangement. Suggestion: Listen carefully to what Roger McGuinn plays with the Byrds for an idea of good 12-string playing in a band situation.

Q: How does one go about fingering an F chord on an acoustic guitar? On the chord charts it pictures either a barred chord or one in which the thumb depresses the low "E" string from the opposite direction. Either way I find it impossible. Any hints would be appreciated.

A: The F chord is the most troublesome one for new players, but it will also be one of the most important as your playing progresses. Start with the "small" F on the four high strings, until you can do it easily. Be sure that the first and second strings are not being muffled when you make that small 2-string barre. The placement of your thumb on the back of the neck will help you get the pressure you need. Also, be sure not to strum or pick the open 6th string (E) or it will sound really bad.

Q: When I fingerpick I use my thumb, index, middle and ring finger, whereas Happy Traum, in his videos, is just using the thumb, index and middle. I personally prefer my way, and was wondering if I will find it difficult to stick to my technique and still learn from his videos?

A: As far as I am concerned, you can use three fingers and thumb when you play in this style if that suits you. The only thing you need to be aware of is to keep your thumb in a steady rhythm as I demonstrate on the video. How you use your other fingers is less important, although sometimes your first finger might get in the way of your thumb when it comes down to pick the 3rd string. Usually, the thumb and three-finger technique is used more in classical or folksong style, and not traditionally done in country blues or fingerpicking. Again, though, use whatever works for YOU. You actually may end up adjusting your picking technique later on when you've gotten more experience.

Q: Do you have a distributor in the UK?

A: Yes, our UK distributor is Music Sales Limited in Bury St Edmonds. They sell our videos into music shops throughout the UK and Europe. Please email inquiries to marketing@musicsales.co.uk

Q: My DVD is not working properly. What could be the problem?

A: DVD's are very susceptible to dust and fingerprints. Make sure you handle the disk by holding it by the outside edges. Never put your fingers on the bottom of the disk. Sometimes dust particles are so small that they are very hard to detect, and you should try cleaning the disk. To clean your DVD, either get a CD/DVD cleaning cloth from your local music or electronics store, or use a very soft cloth. When cleaning the disk, always move the cloth from the inside out to the edge. Do not go around in a circle like we used to do on our old LP's!

In very rare occasions there might be a defect with the disk itself. Before you give us a call, try this cleaning procedure and see what happens. Remember,never put your fingers on the bottom of the disk, which is where the laser in your DVD player reads the information.

Happy Learning!!!

Q: I'm interested in Cindy Cashdollar's beginner Western swing video. One place in the site specifies for 8 or 6 string, but the detailed description says 8 string. Mine has 6 string. Should I go with a Dobro video instead?

A: Cindy's video is primarily for 8 string steel, but she addresses the way you can use her techniques with a 6 string model as well. Some people have found this works fine, but others expressed some difficulty dealing with what she teaches on their 6 string steel. There is so much great information on this video that I would suggest you give it a try.

Q: Is the Homespun site secure?

A: Absolutely! As soon as you begin the check our process you will see in your URL that the http becomes https, which is your assurance of security.

Q: How do I order the picks used by Happy in the Easy Steps to Guitar Fingerpicking?

A: Gord Acri designed and makes these brass picks, which fit over the entire first joint of your finger making them more comfortable than smaller picks. Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate a current source for these, so we can't supply them. Check with www.acripicks.com in case there are updates.

Q: What's the difference between the terms "fingerstyle" and "fingerpicking?"

A: "Fingerpicking" (also called "thumb picking" or "alternating bass") is a term that is used to describe both a style and a type of music. It falls under the "fingerstyle" heading because it is played by the fingers, but it's generally used to play a specific type of folk, country-jazz and/or blues music. In this technique, the thumb maintains a steady rhythm on the low strings while the index, or index and middle fingers pick out melody and fill-in notes on the high strings. Originally developed by African American blues guitarists throughout the south imitating the bass and treble of piano rags, it was later adapted by white musicians - most notably Ike Everly, Merle Travis and Chet Atkins - who have created a blues/jazz/country hybrid that is extremely popular. Although usually played on acoustic guitars, Travis himself often played on hollow-body electrics, as do many other players.

Q: When shopping on the Homespun website, I click to order an item but when I go to check out the site says that my shopping cart is empty.

A: When you have this problem you need to enable the "cookies" on your computer's web browser. This is usually found  within the browser's preferences menu.

Q: Are your DVDs compatible with overseas DVD players?

A: Yes, our DVDs are encoded to be played on any NTSC or multi-format DVD player. If you have a PAL only player, our DVDs may not be compatible.

Q: If I don't want to use a credit card, can I send a check or money order?

A: Yes, we're happy to accept checks or money orders in US dollars. Please mail your order to Homespun Tapes, PO Box 340, Woodstock, NY 12498.

Q: How can I order on your website using a gift certificate?

A: At this point, the only way to complete an order on our shopping cart is by entering a valid credit card number. If you have a gift certificate, we'll have the number on file. You can enter the gift certificate number in the Comments section of your web order and we'll only charge your card if the amount exceeds the gift certificate amount. If you have any concerns about this, please give us a call at 1-800-338-2737.

Q: Do you have a program for updating VHS format to DVD and casssette to CD?

A: Yes, we do as long as you originally purchased your lesson directly from us so that we have a record of it. We offer a 40% discount for the upgrade. Please mention to the operator if you phone in your order or write 40% UPGRADE in the Comments section of your web order. We'll take care of it even though you won't see the discount on your email confirmation.