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Press: Fingerstyle Christmas, Volume I with Rick Ruskin |
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| Victory
Review My first brush with Rick occurred in 1970, when I interrupted a class in the back room at McCabes guitar store in Santa Monica to hear the two guys who were playing Gary Davis tunes, only to discover it was Rick playing by himself! We are fortunate to have him up here in Seattle, and also fortunate to have this video so WE can sound like two guys playing at once. He plays and then dissects 4 carols: "O Come All Ye Faithful," "We Three Kings," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Joy To The World." Each tune features a standard presentation for the less initiated followed by a more advanced version for the more adventurous picker. Rick plays each tune through first, and then he uses a split-screen close-up technique to simultaneously show what each hand is doing. He stops along the way to explain variations and licks that can be inserted at that point. The licks and pointers are applicable not only to the song in question but to other, non-seasonal tunes. Rick's low-key approach to the material is non-intimidating while remaining clear and instructive. Learning these tunes will help the picker at any level increase his ability. |
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Victory Review (J. Aldrich)
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