Chris Buono - Host of 50 Rock Licks You Must Know

Produced by Guitar Lab and distributed by eMedia, the 50 Guitar Licks You Must Know DVD series brings together a collection of well-known guitar teachers with diverse playing backgrounds, offering the viewer the chance to learn from the pros.

Complete with backing tracks, tab, and notation, the 50 licks series is a great way for beginning guitarists to quickly get some chops under their belts and integrate them into their playing.

Here’s a quick review of each of the five DVD’s in the series:

Rock Guitar

Hosted by Chris Buono, the 50 Rock Guitar Licks You Must Know DVD is jam-packed with great stuff. Rock, metal, fusion, and blues licks are all covered here, including hammer-ons and pull-offs, slides, bends, pedal tones, and legato playing.

You’re going to get a lot out of this DVD; Chris does a great job of explaining what he’s doing and how to execute each lick correctly. What I like most about the DVD is the wide variety of information Chris has assembled. He’s definitely done his homework and presented a well-rounded group of licks for aspiring rock players to learn.

Blues Guitar

Bluesman Jeff McErlain has assembled some very nice material in the 50 Blues Guitar Licks You Must Know DVD. As with Chris Buono, Jeff presents the material very well and does a great job of explaining what he’s doing.

There is just a little bit of crossover with the Rock Guitar DVD. I could see some of these licks actually being on the rock DVD and vice-versa, so kudos to Guitar Lab for being cognizant of what’s in each one and not repeating themselves.

This is perhaps my second favorite DVD in the series, as “traditional” blues isn’t really my strong suit and I wouldn’t mind having a few of these licks in my arsenal. They aren’t difficult, but I believe they are essential.

Jazz Guitar

The consummate jazz educator, Frank Vignola has produced yet another important instructional DVD for the beginning jazz guitarist. 50 Jazz Guitar Licks You Must Know is an interesting look at some very simple yet effective runs that can be quickly incorporated and used in your improvisation.

The narrative left just a little to be desired and could have stood a bit more creativity. Although it was just a tad tiring to listen to all of Frank’s quips about how important each lick is, don’t overlook the importance of the material he’s teaching.

This is, perhaps, the most basic instruction of all of the DVD series, so if you are just starting out in learning jazz guitar, this is a perfect place to start.

Country Guitar

Country legend Joe Dalton hosts the 50 Country Guitar Licks You Must Know DVD, and it is my favorite in the group. Country guitar is absolutely a weak point in my playing, but I’m completely fascinated by country players and wish I was better at it. Luckily, Joe Dalton’s DVD came along and I have at the very least a jump-off point.

Great instruction, broken down very well, and lots of variety in the material presented. The only flaw I found in this DVD was a production flub in the recording that should have been edited out but wasn’t. It doesn’t detract from the DVD at all in terms of quality, but it is just a tad bit unprofessional for an otherwise great series.

I suspect this DVD will be played a lot in my house as I try to nail that chickin’ pickin’!

Acoustic Guitar

I’m sorry to say it, but 50 Acoustic Guitar Licks You Must Know is my least favorite of the group. Although guitarist Rich Maloof seems to be a great player and does an excellent job of teaching the licks he chose for the DVD, the content itself seems to lend itself more to learning riffs that you can’t really use. They seem more like material that one would write in a song rather than licks you can steal and inject into your own playing.

Don’t get me wrong; the licks are cool and some of the material would make for excellent song ideas, but overall I just don’t see how some of the stuff can be used in an improvisation context. If you are looking for inspiration, this DVD is ideal. If you are looking for stuff to use for your next bluegrass head-cutting session, I’m not sure this will help you.

The Verdict?

A screen shot of the 50 guitar licks DVD

Overall, I’m very impressed with the amount of material and quality of instruction that is presented. Beginner guitar students should definitely consider picking these titles up; Intermediate guitarists will probably find a few things worth grabbing.

I hope the Guitar Lab folks expand this product line to include a few more DVDs, maybe keeping with the same genres but expanding them into more intermediate and advanced concepts. Perhaps a “50 Jazz Guitar Comping Licks” DVD would be cool!

Just a thought…