Celtic Airs, Jigs, Reels & Hornpipes: Taught By Duck Baker; Celtic Melodies & Open Tunings: Taught By John Renbourn; Folk, Blues & Beyond: Taught By John Renbourn; Guitar Aerobics: Taught By Duck Baker

The Magic Fingers are back--not the quarter-eating massagers in hotel beds, but the acoustical brilliance of John Renbourn and Duck Baker, guitar players extraordinaire. All four programs feature a heap of lovely (but hard) tunes to learn and use a split screen so that viewers can follow the movements of both hands. As an additional aid, the players walk the viewer through the rough spots and play the song once slowly before returning to the traditional warp speed. On Celtic Melodies and Open Tunings, Renbourn shares some of his finest versions of such greats as "I Saw Three Ships," "Mist Covered Mountains of Home, ""The Orphan," and five others. And on Folk, Blues & Beyond, he adds "White House Blues," "Anji," "Lord Franklin," "Abide With Me," and four others. Not the most loquacious of teachers, Renbourn does not seem to be entirely comfortable while offering verbal instruction. But there's no problem with the fingering, which just brings tears to your eyes (especially if you try it yourself). Duck Baker is a more talkative instructor (although some of the stuff is fairly peripheral, but funny). On Celtic Airs, Jigs, Reels, & Hornpipes, he teaches viewers how to play "Elsie Marley," "The Duke of Fife's Welcome to Deeside," "The Greenfields of America," "Temperance Reel," and "Sheebeg an Sheemore." Baker's other tape, Guitar Aerobics is a bit different, concentrating on various right hand and left hand exercises for the advanced contemporary and traditional fingerpicking guitarist. Viewers also learn a couple of Baker originals: "Holding Pattern," and "The Rakes of Waterloo." Serious guitarists will benefit from all of the videos, but the tapes by Baker are better taught. Celtic Melodies & Open Tunings and Folk, Blues & Beyond are recommended. Celtic Airs, Jigs, Reels, & Hornpipes and Guitar Aerobics are highly recommended and Guitar Aerobics is an Editor's Choice. (Available from: Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, P.O. Box 802, Sparta, NJ 07871; (201) 729-4240.)