Toby Walker Lessons

The E Pack:

I bought this pack while it was on sale after a discussion with Toby. I specifically wanted to learn to improvise fingerstyle blues, not just improve techniques, I discussed the fact that I'm a fairly accomplished guitarist, can improvise freely on electric and this is what he suggested I start with. It cost me $10.95, or about £7 in our money. That probably wouldn't even get you 15 minutes tuition with a local guy, let alone someone of Tobys' caliber. Here is a link to the packs on his website:

www.littletobywalker.com/the-packs.html

...More to follow...

Hmm. Interesting, very interesting. Gonna have a look and a real think about this.

CANNOT do any harm!

Thanks for posting.

Alasdair.

Great post clydesllde,
I will follow this with interest. I have the `C Pack` by Toby Walker, i found it to be really useful. What i like about the lessons in the pack, is the variations within each song that you learn. The different licks and phrases, along with the emphasis on using your own ideas as well. Most lessons just teach a song without the extras that Toby gives you. They must be the best value lessons out there.

Yeah, I was glad I got it at that price. To be fair I would have paid the $30 and I've already had $30 worth from it and I'm only on the first example.


E Pack Continued
So I realised I can't edit my first post, I'll add updates with a nice big heading so they will be easy to find.

A little more background. If you give me a tab, chances are I could play most things, but my technique is rooted in classical/folk guitar playing. This is important as you will see...

The first lesson starts off with Toby discussing the caged system, then specifically the e-box, how it works and an example 12 bar blues.

He does not discuss independent thumb technique in this lesson (so far) and this is the underpinning of country/fingerstyle blues. I believe it is in his earlier lessons if you need help with it. I am playing through the first lesson and will continue doing it until I don't have to think about my thumb as this is a very strange technique to me. I was aware I would have to do this and become comfortable with it but I think it is worth highlighting.

Toby has already started discussing improvising and tells you to try and come up with your own licks around the blues he gives you. This is what I wanted from the lessons so I'm very happy this has begun early.

Toby is a very good teacher, he's clear and slow when discussing things and pointing out what you should be doing. So far I feel I've already got my moneys worth and would have even if I'd payed $30, but this may be because I'm starting from pretty much the beginning with this style and having a simple blues which sounds good and is explained is really helping me get my thumb working. One thing he doesn't really explain is notes he is using that aren't in the box shape. He says he is using them and why but it's not clear why they work if you don't know your scales. I suppose in the end it doesn't matter, as long as you know what works and what doesn't, but it would be helpful.



As a guide there are 14 tabs in this lesson (some relate to the same piece but different sections) and two and a half hours of video which you can obviously watch several times. This is a much larger amount of material than I was expecting.

I've been working through Toby's lesson on MJH's "got the blues can't be satisfied" and really enjoying it
Will have to check his pack lessons out.

Hi Toby - and welcome to the Forum!

Keith