Just wanted to introduce myself - I just received my PT package in the mail and I'm thrilled with it. I've been playing guitar off and on for about 15 years. A friend of mine showed me basic chords just after high school, and I started trying to figure out what I was doing by listening to music and by reading (really awful) guitar instruction books. I could play things that I had acquired tabs for (Stairway, anyone? Wink ), but I was always horrible at soloing. People would tell me that I just needed to learn to feel the music, but other than that vague bit of advice and some scales, I had nothing else to go by. So I would content myself to playing rhythm. I tried getting books on scales and soloing, but I always thought to myself, "There's NO WAY that Robert Johnson and Lightning Hopkins were thinking in modes and scales," so I could never bring myself to take it seriously.

Fast forward to two years ago, when I broke down and took lessons from a great classical guitar player. I learned Giuliani, Mertz, and others, but 1) I still had no understanding of why I was playing the notes I was playing, and 2) my real love in music was always the blues, and this was about as far from that as I could get.

I stumbled on to PT when I was searching for info on how to play slide in standard tuning, and this is exactly what I needed. I wish I could go back in time and slap myself in the face with the book when I first picked up a guitar at 18.

Hi Kirk

Just wanted to write and say a big thanks for Planetalk. I ordered it a few weeks ago and have now finally had a chance to sit down and read/watch/begin to absorb it. For years I've been fruitlessly searching for a way to link together the little pockets of guitar knowledge that I've been plugging away at - and you have provided that link through Planetalk. I am now using the whole neck of the guitar when playing, and it's beginning to look like a familiar map (rather than a dense forest of random notes). Yesterday I had my first "Aha!" moment and was happily playing along to CDs all up and down the neck of the fretboard! I was grinning like a kid!

So thanks again, and hats off to you!

Hi Kirk, Received the Plain talk package last week. Read it once, listened and enjoyed the dvd and the CD. And started rightaway with practising... I have a problem though, this genious book of yours keeps on following me everywhere around the place. I take it with me to work, before I go to sleep I have to have a quick look into it, I even take it with me to the toilet...

It is a simple marvel...after a weeks practise, I'm already feeling a lot more confident halfway up the guitarneck. I reckon there will be more orders coming from Belgium... Keep up the good work mate,

Marc

Hi Kirk,

I received your Plane Talk book, dvd and slide rule. After watching the dvd and using the slide rule, the guitar fretboard is finally making sense to me! ... I have never heard anyone explain the fretboard like you do in this course. It really makes understanding the fretboard easy.

Thanks very much!

I just wanted to complement you on your usefulness practicality of plane talk. Having played guitar for a good while..ive been through the modes/scales and various caged minicourses..I should have found yours first...cuts to the meat of the matter...your slide rule will stay in my guitar case.....you need to make a permanent version (hard plastic) as I will wear this out!

Ok, I' have had PT for a week or two now and read the book and watched the DVD a couple of times. Now to be honest with everyone I'm one of those beginners that Kirk says PT wasn't really designed for. Ok, I know a few barre chords and a few minor pentatonic patterns but apart from that I'm a total beginner.

After going through PlaneTalk a couple of times I am quite frankly amazed at how simple it makes things. It does not teach you to play guitar as such BUT it EMPOWERS you to learn (with hard work), to teach yourself play any kind of music you like. It breaks all music down to its simplest form, the lowest common denominator; which to me is the way to solve any problem.

I honestly believe that I'll never have to spend any more money on guitar instructional material again (I'm not a big fan of having lessons) because anything I want to learn how to do is right there in front of me, plain to see. Now all I need to do is practice.

Thanks Kirk. Smiley

Hi Kirk

I have had one read through already and had loads of those "WOW!" moments, it makes perfect sense and I could honestly kick myself for never realising the concept before.

Many thanks, the book is worth its weight in gold and I know that this will take me to the next level.

Many thanks from an appreciative customer. you're a star!

Kirk,

First of all: AMAZING. That word sums it up!!! I've been playing for 20 years and even though I play well it has never made any real sense (all of my compositions have come out almost "accidentally" and they all seemed like scales on steroids!!!). Now, it's like writing lyrics, I know the letters AND how to use them to write words. Obviously it takes time and practice to get the hang of it (it wouldn't work if it didn't!!!!) but after two reads and watching the DVD I understand the potential. WOW!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!

A quick thanks for the amazing plane talk system, I have improved greatly, thank you!

Kirk,

I came home from a weekend in the Pennsylvania mountains to find the PT items at my door. Here are a few observations and comments:

1) I went to college for jazz studies as a guitar major. Too bad they had not taken the time to develop a system of learning such as PT. Or at least found one and implemented it.

2) A huge BRAVO on demystifying music theory 101. While I now how a sound understanding of the diatonic system, you have really simplified it in PT.

3) In my "minds ear", my improvisations are generally triad based, with a splattering of histrionics from having heard so much music over the years. This makes your system especially apropos.

4) I have had 6 teachers in 20 years. Only 1 could succinctly convey guitar instruction. PT is the most essential and useful instruction material I have ever seen.

5) After 1 good long look, I had a very inspiring practice session. I found a new dialect. Very exciting!

I sincerely appreciate all of your time and effort that went into developing PT. It is a very thoughtful approach! I definitely have my work cut out for me.