Learn to parry. Get comfortable with the engine and you'l be able to press LT at just the right time. A certain sound effect will pop up and that's when you press RB and do really good damage. Basically any humanoid enemy can be parried. When mastered, even the black knights are nothing to be afraid of.

Level up. In this game, normal enemies never run out of respawns. Since the currency you get from killing enemies is used to level up and make your character more pwerful, you can always just grind enemies until you're powerful enough to gewt through a difficult area. It's not the most skillful tactic, but hey. You get to play however you

Farm humanity. This item is GOD. It gives you a full heal and can be used to upgrade your estus. One is used to make yourself human, and then you can kindle the bonfire. You can kindle a bonfire up to three times after you kill the boss pinwheel. Until then the most estus you can have is 10 (unless the bonfire in the area you're in is kindled online by another player, that grants you 1 extra estus). You can get humanity from rats, which are plentiful in the depths. The item is extra easy to find in the last area of the dlc.

Learn to dodge. The dodge button is everything. What kind of dodge you do depends on your armor and your equip load. The best dodge is when you have little armor on. Dodging allows you to go through most enemy attacks, and then you can follow up your dodge with a special dodge attack. It's great. When an attack just can't be blocked or you just can't tank it, dodge it.

Magic. If you're having an extra hard time in the game, give a sorcery build a try. Sorceries do really high damage and are relatively easy to come across, just find the NPCs. Again, it's not very skilled, but again you get to play the way you want. Pyromancies and miracles are also very good, but they have some drawbacks.

Learn the game's tricks and mechanics. Dark souls is a tricky game. Each area gives you a new way to be difficult. Don't be afraid to look up online for help. The game throws things you won't expect at you, so stay on your guard and be careful.