Allan Holdsworth

This video makes it clear why there's only one Allan Holdsworth, and there will never be another.First of all, his music is complex and sometimes dissonant in ways that will captivate some listeners while deterring others. So be it, this isn't meant to be pop music. Fortunately, enough people like it to have enabled Allan to make a career of creating this music.In terms of *how* he creates this music, the video makes it clear that Allan operates on an incredibly advanced level. He's done a lot of intellectually demanding work to thoroughly explore the theoretical side of music - that takes a lot of intelligence and also a lot of motivation. The result is that he's mapped out 10 key scales, many which are rather atypical. He's able to see these scales at once on the entire fingerboard, over which he flows freely, sometimes with wide intervals, in order to creatively construct unique chords and chord sequences, melodies, and improvisational solos in a way that can never really be taught. As if that wasn't enough, his technical prowess and control of tone are stunning.I've been a fan of Allan for three decades, and have seen him live numerous times. I believe that he's genuinely modest and sometimes self-critical, but whether he can fathom it or not, he's a true genius of fusion guitar, and entirely deserving of his many accolades.While this video may not help you much in playing like Allan, it can be inspiring and hints at some general tips which can help anyone make progress (not just as a guitarist). Moreover, it provides the opportunity to glimpse into the mind of a virtuoso musician and composer, and that makes it a precious gift for all of us.Addendum: I wrote the above review while Allan was still with us, and I was deeply saddened to hear of his passing. Over the course of more than three decades, his music became woven into my soul and made me a different and better person. As both an artist and guitarist, Allan was a gift to us all, the likes of which we'll never see again. RIP dear Allan.

I wouldn't say you can learn much of anything from this video. Allan gives some fairly brief explanations about his use of scales and stands next to some diagrams professor style, talking about how useful they are.The reason to watch this video is for the large amount of footage of Allan while he is playing. Most of which with his band. If you're a fan of his music, then this DVD will go a long way in decoding his chops. I am, on a good day, an intermediate to advanced player so I can watch him and I can actually understand what he's doing. Sort of. The problem is, is that Holdsworth's chops are so far beyond most guitarists, his approach to music is so "outside the box" and that he seems to have no idea of how advanced he actually is. For a healthy part of his solos, his index finger stays close to the 10th fret and his pinky stays around 17-19 and they more-or-less just dance around, creating a dizzying array of wide intervallic melodies that go screaming by. He seems to think that this is normal, that anyone who plays guitar can do this, and that his abilities hardly warrant having an instructional video. So there's a lot going on in his brain that just doesn't seem to occur to him to share or even bother to articulate. So, if you're the kind of guitarist who can learn a lot just by watching someone play, this video is awesome. If you're the kind who needs an explanation beyond some British mumbling about preferring to not have "licks" then there are probably better videos for you. I bought it because I'm a big fan of Holdsworth and I just wanted some good footage of him playing. I got that out of it and I consider anything else a bonus.

Another real outstanding DVD of Allan Holdsworth. It shows a complete insight view of the 10 more used scales by middleage Holdsworth (their favorites), as well as its relationship with his enigmatic chord voicings; combining all this visual material with an interesting warmth chat, plus a fantastic live performance in the studio with Chad Wackerman on Drums, Skuli Sverrissen on Bass and his old friend Steve Hunt on Keyboards; here, you can listen and watch full close-up shots of Allan Holdsworth's amazing left hand technique. The performed songs in this little studio jam are:1. Zone, 2. Proto Cosmos, 3. Funnels, 4. Tell Me, 5. The Things You See, 6. Looking Glass, And 7. House Full Of Mirrors.Between songs, Allan Holdsworth explains the meaning of each song, why he composed it; and sometimes how to play it. though he clearly explains that he doesn't see himself as a kind of a teacher to talk about all these material, and highly recommends to explore and try to develop a style...This DVD is a reissue of an 1992 REH Video collection, and shows middleage Holdsworth and his band at their best. Don't miss the opportunity to see this "guitarist of guitarists" at his full musical potential. With this DVD the revolutionary Allan Holdsworth proves again why he is one of the most unique and respected guitarists around. Really out of this world!... Good Luck!

In my opinion, this is a great insite into the musical mind of the master. Great video of Allan in the studio with his band, including lottsa closeups on Allan's hands in action. As with most true greats, his humbleness shows during his explanations of how he thinks of chords and scale composition which, for me, is opening doors in how I rethink the guitar. The only downside of this DVD is that not all of the video material is transcribed in the attached .pdf file. Also, the page layout is such that there are only two stalves per sheet, making printing out the solos an arduous task. I would recommend purchasing Allan's 'Just for the Curious' to obtain more transcriptions (with some duplication) for more songs from this DVD. Allan Holdsworth

This is a re issue of the old REH video from 1992. The original VHS release was very expensive, but this is very well priced indeed. Its taken a long time for this to get to DVD but here it is at last. Unlike a lot of instructional vids this has a 45 minute studio concert containing 7 tracks - Funnels, Proto Cosmos, Looking Glass, The Things u See, Tell Me, Zones, and House Of Mirrors. The 4tet featured consists of Steve Hunt on keyboards, Skulli Sverrison on Bass and Chad Wackerman on drums. The "live" tracks are excellent and the sound is very good. The instructional parts are interesting to watch and there's lots of info about his approach to playing which is very enlightening. The live parts are interspersed with the instructional. There is also the option to just play the live tracks or just the instructional if you wish. The sound is much improved over the original vhs version. If you're into holdsworth this is a must but there again you probably aren't here reading this by accident. There's also the option to print out pdf files on your pc which comprises tablature for some of the songs featured and the 10 most useful scales he features. This does not contain any new Holdsworth bonus material only a reissue of the original VHS onto DVD. Recommended

Although this is for the most part simply 'Allan and his band playing', it really does give you an insight into how he does what he does. All the tunes are tabbed out on the accompanying .pdf file, and in the brief 'teaching' sections you do get a sense of how Holdsworth approaches his unique style.He is candidly doubtful as to the value of 'his method' for anyone else, but it certainly gave me much food for thought to improve my own playing, even on a first viewing. In my experience, that's the best thing a teaching DVD can do, once you've got past the 'learn a few licks' mentality.Holdsworth is the most musical fusion player I know, never concentrating on technique over musical content, and although the results are a little esoteric it is a world I love to visit on occasion. This DVD helped me find the door.Neil Browning

Anything that Allan Holdsworth plays on... audio OR video, is GOLD. This DVD does not disappoint !!!

Fantastic!

やっぱり、６９歳になっても、彼は恐ろしく偉大なギタリストである。彼がいまだに日本での評価も認知度もRUSH並みに低いのは、まだ生きてて、現役だからだろう。彼の理論をマスターするのは、ジャズの人たちでも大変だが、ある程度理解すれば、少しはカバーできるが、ここまでの転調とタイミング、曲の発想は並みの人間がなせる業ではない！おなじ時代に生きられた事に感謝している。