Jerry Donahue: Country Tech: Guitar DVD

This DVD captures Donahue's techniques with clarity and detail that transcends typical instructional videos. The combination of close-up camera work, on-screen graphics, and performances by guest artists like Albert Lee and Steve Morse creates an unusually rich learning environment for guitarists who are ready to study advanced technique at the highest level.

Watching Donahue play is witnessing virtuosity that feels both precise and soulful. His techniques are never mere displays of speed or difficulty; they serve the music, creating bends and articulations that carry emotional weight and expressive possibility that transform what the electric guitar can convey.

Advanced guitarists seeking to expand their technical vocabulary, particularly those interested in country, rock, and fusion styles. This DVD is designed for players who already have solid fundamentals and want to study the specialized bending, picking, and vibrato techniques that characterize Donahue's distinctive approach to the instrument.

• Slow the video playback to half-speed or quarter-speed when learning the bending and vibrato techniques. Donahue's execution happens at performance tempo, and breaking it into smaller visual increments reveals the subtle finger movements that make each technique distinctive.
• Isolate the pedal-steel style bends and behind-the-nut bends separately before combining them into the licks shown. Building these techniques individually gives your hands time to develop the muscle memory and intonation control these approaches demand.
• Study the note-for-note transcription of "The Break" alongside the video performance. Following along with written music while watching Donahue execute the piece helps you internalize both the technical demands and the musical phrasing that make the performance compelling.
• Pay special attention to the hybrid picking segments and how Donahue uses both pick and fingers in rapid succession. This coordination is foundational to his style and requires deliberate, patient practice separate from the full passages.

Use this as a resource for advanced students pursuing independent study in electric guitar technique, or as supplemental material for guitarists preparing for college auditions in contemporary music programs. The bonus performances by Steve Morse and Albert Lee also provide valuable reference material for understanding how different master players approach similar technical challenges.

• Pedal-steel style bending and intonation control
• Hybrid picking (simultaneous pick and finger articulation)
• Behind-the-nut bends and extended range techniques
• Advanced vibrato control and expression
• Double stops and glissando execution
• Integration of multiple techniques into flowing musical passages