WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
I have known Dan Shields for many years and we have worked on hundreds of recording sessions together. We first met working on a project I was engineering in the late 90’s – Dan was a studio musician. From the start I was impressed with his knowledge, technique and skills. Since that time, he has been my number one recommendation to clients who need an outstanding session guitar player. He has helped produce many projects with his innovative musical ideas and versatility. Dan is a master of the guitar and I highly recommend his guitar workout systems.
– Jay Dudt, 5 time Grammy Award winning producer (Dave Matthews, Pat Metheny, Ariana Grande, Spyro Gyra, Johnny A., Jackie Evancho, John Scofield, The Count Basie Orchestra, LL Cool J)
Dan has been blessed with guitar playing talent few can imagine. His ability to play effortlessly at the highest level through all genres is every guitar player’s dream.
He is a player’s player, teacher and virtuoso. Dan plays at the highest of levels and does so effortlessly with heart, passion and joy. Dan can play anything, anytime, with anyone. He is flat out the top guitar talent in Pittsburgh or anywhere for that matter.
– Tim Kaiser, Producer of Seinfeld, Will and Grace, and Two Broke Girls. Winner of 3 Emmy Awards
I’ve been a professional drummer for over 50 years . I’ve played live concerts and in the studio with many great musicians and popular artists such as Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip, Edgar Winter, Michael McDonald, Bobby Caldwell, Donna Summer, Peter Cetera, Reba McEntire, and Little Richard just to name a few.
Here in Pittsburgh I’ve also worked with some great players as well . One of my faves is guitarist Dan Shields, who to me is Pittsburgh’s Larry Carlton. We’ve played live & done many sessions together and Dan is a consummate professional. He has always delivered the goods. Recently, Dan has put his vast musical knowledge and playing experience into helping guitar players break down the barriers that may be holding them back by creating a new guitar system he calls “The Guitar Daily Workout”.
As a drummer, or any musician for that matter, building a good, solid, technical foundation is essential to building confidence in your playing and enabling you to advance and play at your highest level possible, no matter what level you’re currently at. Knowing Dan as I do, the GDW is something every guitar player should be checking out to help them break down the walls!
– George Perilli (Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Chaka Kahn, Reba McEntire, Peter Cetera, Dion Warwick, Donna Summer, Boz Scaggs)
As both a gigging musician and as a full-time recording engineer and producer for over 30 years, I’ve worked with countless musicians. I’ve had the good fortune to work with Dan on a great many sessions for over 25 years now. An incredibly solid player, Dan calmly comes up with great idea after great idea, and then delivers on those ideas with a mastery that never fails to impress.
Danny knows what he’s talking about. The guitar is an extension of his heart (inspiriation) that passes through his head (language/theory) and then is manifested through his hands (technique). That’s a winning combination! His book can do that for you too!
– Hollis Greathouse, 4 time Grammy Award winning producer (One Republic, Marcus Miller, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Marcus Miller, Ariana Grande, Ray Brown, Kim Burrell, Leslie Odom Jr., Jackie Evancho.)
Dan is one in a million. Not only is he a stellar guitarist but he’s got a passion to see others succeed. I have included him on every recording project that I have done so far. He walks in with an incredible level of excellence and creativity. I’m blown away at his ability to adapt style, vibe, and play off of other musicians. When he’s laying a guitar track, he comes up with three or four different layers of pure gold. It’s hard to even edit out any of it because it’s so good. I love trusting his creativity and level of excellence to push me to new levels. Anyone with a guitar should learn from him.
– Adam Brock, Finalist on American Idol Season 11
Technique is the foundation for music making. Great technique allows a musician to freely express themselves and not be bound by execution concerns. It is always a joy and blessing for me to make music with Dan Shields. His technical security and dexterity enables us to explore colors so the music can shine. It is an honor to endorse this series on technique that gives musicians of all ages the tools to improve their music making ability.
– Christopher Wu, First violinist, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Adjunct professor of violin, Carnegie Mellon University. (Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Emanuel Ax, Yuga Wang, and the Muir String Quartet.)
Dan Shields is one of the finest musicians and people I have ever had the honor of working with. His book is a must have for developing your technique and becoming a complete musician!
– Ryan Joseph, Grammy Nominated violinist, Country Music Hall of Fame. (Alan Jackson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jimmy Buffett, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Bonnie Raitt, Lee Ann Womack, Zac Brown, Dierks Bentley, Chris Cagle, Marty Stuart, and Carrie Underwood.)
I have been playing professionally for over 50 years. A majority of that time I have been self taught learning mostly by ear, books and reference videos.
I have known, respected and have been inspired by the playing of Dan Shields for over 3 decades. I watch how effortlessly Dan solos over material covering multiple genres over complex chord changes and wondered how he could do that so freely while I struggle with concepts of improvisation and playing over changes and “connecting the dots”.
The Guitar Daily Workout has been the most informative, beneficial and practical approach that I have come across. The Workout gives me great exercises to warm up with as well as a daily practice routine which has helped to fuse together my past lessons on theory and has helped in making sense and good use of common and popular scale patterns and applications. It’s by far the most comprehensive and intuitive teaching approach that I have found.
If you have ever struggled with “connecting the dots” like I have then you need to invest the time in this course. You won’t be disappointed.
– Danny Gochnour (Bruce Springsteen, Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers)
I’ve had the blessing of working with Dan Shields on many studio sessions. Dan is an amazing and creative musician who possesses a vast knowledge of many guitar genres and styles. It was always a joy to watch him work his magic in the studio. But as a producer, I was especially thankful when the artists I was producing appreciated what he added to their project.
I recently had Dan play on several projects including the album “Blind Faith,” by six time Grammy winner, Jimmy Carter of The Blind Boys of Alabama. Jimmy has worked with many great guitarists, such as Prince, Billy Gibbons , and Vince Gill, just to name a few. As soon as he heard the rough track, he asked, ‘Who is that on the guitar. He’s great!’ I also had him play on Lenny Zakatek’s (the voice of Alan Parsons Project) newest project. Lenny asked the same thing-‘Who is that on guitar, he sounds awesome!’ As a producer comments like that make you glad that you hired that musician!
– Ron Pullman, Song writer and producer (6 Time Grammy Award Winner Jimmy Carter and Lenny Zakatek of The Alan Parsons Project.)
There aren’t many people I know that love the guitar more than Dan Shields. I had the privilege of working with Dan for over 5 years and his office was right next to mine. Almost every morning i walked past his office I would see him doing the same thing – playing through scales, arpeggios, and other exercises. Though he is a seasoned pro, he has remained a student of the instrument – never loosing sight of the importance of mastering the fundamentals. Though nobody was paying him to do it, Dan spent over a decade and countless hours crafting this series. If that isn’t a testament to his love for the guitar, I don’t know what is! This series WILL take your guitar playing to the next level and there’s no teacher better equipped to guide you than Dan Shields!
– Chris Jamison, Finalist The Voice Season 7
Dan has been one of my favorite guitarists since the 1990’s, when we were both in college. He’s a great player, he’s versatile, and he always plays from the heart. He’s also an incredible communicator and great person. The Guitar Daily Workout is a clear and well organized system designed to give you all the tools you need to master the guitar. He’s giving you the keys to the castle!!
– Paul Thompson (Maynard Ferguson, Stanley Turrentine, Hubert Laws, Geri Allen, Bob James, John Pizzarelli, Phil Woods, Billy Porter)
I am a professional bassist & guitarist, having Bachelors & Masters degree in music performance, and am a college bass instructor. I have worked with Dan live and in the studio for many years- he is a consummate guitarist! Dan’s Guitar Daily Workout System clearly addresses the challenge that many intermediate guitarists face- how to understand the geometry of the fingerboard in an organized fashion. Dan’s method is progressive in its approach to this and well thought out. Each lesson presents a specific scale form and arpeggio, along with isolating the respective roots within the position. As one progresses weekly, the forms will become more clear, leading the guitarist to a more advanced understanding of how the forms connect, and eventually anticipating what shape/fingering occurs before or after. Included in the weekly assignment of scales and arpeggios are ‘fingerboard gymnastics’- exercises that promote the coordination of left and right hand. This is the method to get if you’re ready to take your guitar playing to the next level!
– George Elliott
Dan Shields is a complete musician who is fluent stylistically as a player. An experienced musical director, he is also a thoughtful and creative leader with many years of practical experience in a variety of contexts. Dan’s new instructional series brings these elements together in a way that is accessible to players at all levels. The depth and breadth of the curriculum, combined with Dan’s personable approach make this a program every guitar player should consider.
– Steve Young, Director of Commercial Music, Concordia University Irvine, CA
The Guitar Daily Workout not only keeps the player’s fingers warm, but also guarantees precision fretboard knowledge. It is a comprehensive approach to exploring scales and arpeggios on the guitar. For the intermediate player, this method will give you the knowledge to unlock all the scales and arpeggios you will ever need. This system will ignite the desire to practice! As a former student of the author, Dan’s method will take your playing ability to a new level. I have known Dan for over 30 years; he is truly an amazing player and is an extremely gifted teacher.
– Brady Novotny, Instrumental Artist (Passions Collide #3 on the iTunes Rock Charts)
I met Dan Shields in the late 1990’s when he was guitarist in my convention band. He was an excellent player and technician on electric guitar, and he could play whatever groove or lick that was needed to make a tune soar! I would recommend his method for anyone who was looking for a systematic process for guitar technique.
– James Ward, singer-songwriter, recording artist, worship leader
Dan is one of the best guitarists in Pittsburgh hands down. He played on my 2nd album and brought so much to the table. Not only did he play everything we imagined for the songs but he continued adding his own guitar ideas that lifted the arrangements to another level. He is a top notch musician, engineer and producer who goes above and beyond to get it right!”
– Carla Bianco, Broadway Star of Rent, Sony artist, #1 on Billboard Charts (Jellybean, Duncan Sheik, Arthur Laurents)
I’ve know Dan for many years and have done many recording sessions with him. His guitar playing and session playing has always amazed me. His knowledge of many styles of music and incredible technique makes him indispensable.
The ultimate professional!
– Ralph Guzzi, Composer/Arranger, University of Pittsburgh faculty. Jazz ensemble director/jazz arranging instructor. Music director PBS “My Music” series.
I have been teaching guitar for 25 years. I specialize in classical guitar. I find that playing the music we want to play requires that we take our technique to the next level. I have a specific system for teaching technique on classical guitar. I also teach rock and popular guitar, and it is hard to find a well-organized system for teaching technique for rock and jazz. This is where Dan’s workouts are so useful. They have helped my students make meaningful progress in taking their guitar technique to the next level.
– Sean Beavers, Associate Dean in the Liberty University School of Music
Dan is one of the finest guitarists that I know. He is an extremely talented and proficient musician, and great band leader and a tremendous guitar soloist.
As you no doubt know, Dan has been the recipient of many prestigious awards and accolades. He is worthy of every award and honor presented to him.
Dan’s latest music adventure is truly groundbreaking. The Guitar Daily Workout is an important part of any guitarist’s routine to improve on every level. His systematic approach will afford the performer keys to important growth from young students to professionals. Students and teachers alike have found Dan’s approach to be both informative and inspirational.– Curtis Johnson: Nominated for 2 Grammy Awards. Yamaha Artist/Clinician. Professor of Music at West Virginia University and Carnegie Mellon University. (Christian McBride, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Benny Golson, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Charles, Little Anthony, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Chubby Checker, Chuck Berry, Isaac Hayes, Lou Rawls, The Spinners, The Four Tops, Dionne Warwick, Martha Reeves, Cheryl Lynn)
I have played with a lot of big names over the years, people like Tony Bennett, Philip Bailey, Bobby Caldwell, Liberty DeVitto, Nancy Wilson, Franki Valli, and a host of others. And I have also had the unique pleasure of working with Dan Shields many times throughout those years. He is one of those guys that leads by example. When you’re around him, you feel a sense of calm assuredness, knowing everything is going to be right. His musicianship is of the highest quality, grounded in flawless technique, but emanating from the heart. If I were a guitarist, he would be the guy I’d be begging for lessons. Simply put, he’s the best! Get Guitar Daily Workout, you’ll be glad you did.
– Dan Heasley (Tony Bennett, Barry Manilow, Nancy Wilson, Frankie Valli, Phillip Bailey (lead vocalist of Earth, Wind, and Fire), Todd Rundgren, Hubert Laws, Johnny Mathis, Sheena Easton, Jeffrey Osborne, Deneice Williams, Billy Ocean, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Little Anthony, Marie Osmond)