(Homespun Tapes). Richard Thompson is one of the most brilliant and innovative guitarists of our time. A superb electric and acoustic player as well as a powerful singer and songwriter, he has been blending traditional Celtic and English music with American rock 'n' roll since the mid-1960s when he helped found the seminal British folk-rock band Fairport Convention. In this terrific instructional package, he teaches the intricacies of his unique guitar style through the analysis and breakdown of traditional English, Scottish and Irish instrumentals. You'll learn to play his arrangements of eight superb dance tunes, chosen from his vast repertoire and covering a variety of rhythmic and tonal styles. The techniques and pieces that Richard teaches will enhance your fingerpicking and flatpicking while providing you with new ideas and approaches to traditional and contemporary music. Richard's unusual tunings, right-hand rhythms and stylistic innovations will help you get the maximum musical expression from your instrument as you build your repertoire of solo arrangements. Each piece is broken down, variations are developed, and the guitar techniques explained in detail. The audio is accessed online using the unique code inside each book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.