Single Song Downloads
These "mini-lessons" feature a single song, instrumental or technique that our Homespun instructors felt would be valuable for you to learn. Each one will give you plenty to work on and will give you a valuable additon to your repertoire.
Exploring the House of the Rising Sun - Two Video Set
Happy Traum
Learn to Play An American Classic
Lesson One:
Here’s one of America’s best-known and most powerful folk/blues songs, a classic that every aspiring guitarist will want to learn. Happy Traum breaks down the iconic arrangement he learned from the great Dave Van Ronk, with it’s unique descending bass line and ear-catching chord progression. He then develops variations that will teach early-intermediate players much about the ...
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$14.95
Exploring the House of the Rising Sun - Video One
Happy Traum
Learn to Play An American Classic
Here’s one of America’s best-known and most powerful folk/blues songs, a classic that every aspiring guitarist will want to learn. Happy Traum breaks down the iconic arrangement he learned from the great Dave Van Ronk, with it’s unique descending bass line and ear-catching chord progression. He then develops variations that will teach early-intermediate players much about the guitar fingerboard ...
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$7.95
Exploring the House of the Rising Sun - Video Two
Happy Traum
Learn to Play An American Classic Continued
Taking this great song to the next level, Happy shows how you can develop a more improvisational approach to building an arrangement. First, you’ll learn to find the melody notes in the first-position chords, using hammer-ons, slides and passing tones - as well as right hand picking variations - to give your playing more depth and style.
You’ll then use movable ...
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$7.95
Exploring "The Sloop John B."
Happy Traum
Learn a Classic Caribbean Folksong
The old Bahamian folk song, “The Sloop John B.” (also known as “John B. Sails”), was one of the most popular and widely-sung songs of the folk revival. It was in virtually everyone’s setlist and was recorded by dozens of artists, from the Weavers to the Beach Boys. It can be played as an engaging sing-along or as a ...
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$9.95
Fishin' Blues and Carroll County Blues Single Download
Mike Seeger
Old Time Guitar Fingerpicking
There was no one more knowledgeable about old-time American music than Mike Seeger. He played it all his life and spread it around the world. In his complete DVD, Seeger put together an amazing survey of traditional guitar styles from the rural South including “Fishing Blues” in a Mississippi John Hurt style and “Carroll County Blues” in a fiddle tune ...
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$7.95
"Guitar Rag"
Al Petteway
A Fingerpicking Instrumental for DADGAD Guitar
Al originally heard this great old-time guitar piece as “Steel Guitar Rag,” made famous in the thirties by Bob Wills’ legendary steel player, Leon McAuliffe. However, the tune had originally been recorded as a bottleneck instrumental by New York blues artist Sylvester Weaver back in 1927. It has since become one of the classics of Western Swing steel guitar ...
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$7.95
Happy Traum Teaches "Ashokan Farewell"
Happy Traum
A Fingerstyle Arrangement of a Timeless Tune
Learn to play a much-beloved tune, best known as the theme from Ken Burns’ award-winning PBS series, The Civil War. Happy Traum teaches an easily accessible, dropped D arrangement of Ashokan Farewell for solo fingerstyle guitar, great for aspiring players at all levels.
Starting with an unadorned melody on the lower frets, Happy builds the arrangement step-by-step, showing ...
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$12.95
How and Why to Use a Capo
Happy Traum
A Basic Guide for Acoustic Guitarists
The capo is an essential tool for all acoustic guitarists, with a variety of important uses. Happy’s primer covers all aspects of six-string capo technique. You’ll get great information about how, why and when to use it, practical playing tips, play-along opportunities, and a complete understanding of how to get the most out of this wonderful little device.
The topics ...
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$9.95
How Long Blues
Happy Traum
Building a Solid Arrangement in A
Leroy Carr’s How Long Blues is one of the most famous songs in the tradition, a go-to number in just about every blues artist’s repertoire. It has been covered by musical luminaries as varied as Big Bill Broonzy, Ray Charles, T-Bone Walker, Ella Fitzgerald, Eric Clapton, Doc Watson, and hundreds more.
Happy shows early-intermediate guitarists some great ideas on ...
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$9.95
How To Improvise Great Blues Solos With Just a Few Notes
Toby Walker
Homespun Single Song Lesson
“You don’t have to play a bazillion notes to sound really good. B. B. King could tear the house down with two or three notes.” - Toby Walker Every guitarist wants to be able to improvise an ear-catching solo in a blues jam and really say something. This lesson is as good a place to start as you’ll find anywhere ...
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$7.95
"In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down" - A Blues Classic
Happy Traum
Single Song Lesson, includes music and tab
This classic blues song, originally played on piano and sung by the great Leroy Carr, has been recorded by everyone from Ray Charles to Nina Simone. There's even a wonderful version on banjo by Pete Seeger. It’s one of the most evocative and beautiful blues tunes ever written. Happy Traum’s version is based on both Big Bill Broonzy’s amazing late ...
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$9.95
Italian Christmas Carol
Happy Traum
Twas On A Night Like This
This beautiful Christmas song was adapted from a traditional Italian carol by Pete Seeger back in the 1950s. Happy made this compelling dropped D fingerstyle arrangement, incorporating guitar picking patterns, bass runs and harmonized melody lines. It's a wonderful song for the holidays, but it also teaches you arranging techniques that can be used in lots of other songs ...
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$7.95