Acoustic BGU useful even after BGU

[JohnHyland]

Hello everyone,

Has anyone done both ABGU and BGU? I am about finished with BGU and simply cannot belive how much I have improved in this short of time. But I am wondering, since I play mostly acoustic, if ABGU is simply the same information ad BGU - maybe with some additional tips but nothing major - or if it is worth doing ABGU as well. The free sample videos do not appear to have any significantly different theory or lessons as BGU.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jalapeno]

BGU is generally "Chicago/Memphis" style mainly geared for playing with a band or jam tracks. ABGU is generally Delta/Piedmont style mainly geared for playing solo acoustic. There will be a fair bit of redundancy at the beginning because of the similarities between electric and acoustic styles but once the basics are covered then ABGU gets into mainly finger style blues, which isn't covered at all in BGU, though its been a number of years since I've complete those courses.

If cost is a concern and you only want to learn the acoustic blues without going through the fretboard basics again check out David Hamburger's courses on Truefire.com or Happy Traum's on homespun tapes.

Personally I think having both BGU and ABGU was worth the cost.

Eric

 

[mountain man]

They will both be beneficial for you. I've done them both and need to rotate back to them. Just an FYI, Acoustic BGU is a much thicker book so it would obviously have more things covered in the book. I too play my acoustic quite a bit as well. I add practicing some of my electric licks on my acoustic with 12's strings. It helps keep my fingers in shape on days I don't practice as much as I'd like. It also requires that I play the notes very deliberate and accurate (more than my long time bad habits allow).

 

[jmin]

I finished BGU in 2016 and bought ABGU in 2017. After so many years of playing electric, I really wanted to try the acoustic thing. I hadn't owned an acoustic since my first $10 K-Mart guitar of the 1960's (which I sold for $5).
I'm on ABGU Lesson 34 and hope to be finished with the course this year (my goal). The course is good, but loooong! I think it got me what I was looking for, but my finger picking (and general finger strength!) really need a lot more work.
John, It sounds like you're already very familiar with the acoustic and have the necessary finger skills to go through the course pretty quickly. I'm not sure it would provide you with any new skills, but the songs are pretty fun and you might enjoy those! Good luck!

 

[Silicon Valley Tom]

It has been a few years since I completed the ABGU course, but I started it after I completed BGU. I have been playing classical and flamenco (and other styles) since 1952, and have learned several different fingerstyles in the process. What I love about ABGU, is that you do not need a backing track, or other guitarist to play the music - you just sit down with your guitar and play.

Eric and I completed the Gibson courses before we started Griff's. I would rate the Gibson courses at the 10% mark, compared to Griff's. Gibson gets you started, but Griff's material is more complete, and much more rewarding. I do think that the Gibson courses have merit, and you will learn valuable information, if you carry out the execution of the material provided. It does have value, and allows you to get your feet wet. As I am retired, I thought that I would enjoy the Gibson material, and did so. If I knew about Griff's material sooner, then I would have saved time and money by not choosing the Gibson courses.

Something that I truly enjoy about acoustic guitar is that I do not need an amplifier, or pedals, to create music. There is no concern for the type of pick ups I am using. And think of all the electricity I save in the process!

By the way, I did get my feet wet in 1960-61, while I was in the Air Force, stationed in Orlando, Florida. A Sargent from Mississippi and I would play Mississippi Delta Blues together, and that was a blast!

Tom

 

[Jalapeno]

I would rate the Gibson courses at the 10% mark, compared to Griff's

To be fair to the Gibson course, I started as a beginner on guitar so the first half was awesome to me as it got me playing guitar and reading music. I can see how an experienced guitarist might not get much from the first half. I agree about the second half of the course though, not as good as the first half and not nearly as good as Griff's. But again to be fair to Steve Krenz, the second half isn't really a complete guitar course but more of a smorgasbord to whet a students appetite to the possibilities of the guitar styles and I think even he said that it should be supplemented and not used stand alone.

Eric