Hi guys!
Another session flew by. No clue where the time went. It just zips past when you're having fun making music with your friends.
Speaking of which, we've all got gigs this week so I'll get to the rundown straight away--after reminding you that my own band Vamplifier (loud rock and roll, for which I play bass and write songs) is playing this Friday the 19th at the Red Line Tap in Rogers Park. Come up to my neighborhood, have dinner at the Heartland Cafe, and stick around for some music. We play at 10pm and the cover is $5.
On Thursday, Guitar 4Ever will tackle a MEDLEY! It'll be some verses of Don't Think Twice, a transition TBD--hopefully covered by harmonica (Ken, hope you're reading this!)--and then There is a Light by The Smiths. Both tunes are capoed at 4 so there's no switching necessary. Those of you that missed The Smiths lesson, never fear. It's easy enough. Just play a quarternote strum on the one, and then eighth notes for beats two, three, and four. (Down, down-up down-up down-up)
When you have split measures, continue that rhythm, transitioning chord shapes on the "and" of two and the "and" of four so that your fretting hand lands on the new chord in time for the ones and threes. There's a fiddly bit you can ignore if you're worried about prepping it in time for the gig. It's not hard, but we don't need everyone playing it. The intro rhythm is:
| One Two and Four | One and Two and and Four |
You're on Dm for the first measure, F for the first two beats of the second measure, and G for the last "and four." You'll likely want to play that G as a barre chord shape you just slide up to from the F for the sake of speed.
That's all there is to it. Sing your sad, sad hearts out and we'll have a winner!
Saturday's Guitar 1 Rep class worked on some festive holiday tunes, just for fun. No real explanations needed on those. Just feel 'em, and share 'em with family next week. For our upcoming show, we narrowed it down to either REM's "The One I Love," or "Time is On My Side" by The Rolling Stones. For the former, concentrate on the riff and the dramatic rakes. For the latter, keep the strumming from speeding up, while maintaining that nice texture--long deliberate strums on the ones and fours, lighter chuck-a chuck-as on the other beats. Perhaps Bill will grace us with a spoken-word bridge if we select that one for the stage? Remember, show will start at noon so tell your guests to grab seats in the concert hall at 11:45am. We'll work together in the classroom until then and head down as a group.
And Sunday in Guitar 4 we worked up The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want." It's in 6/8 time. Don't think of it like 3/4.
It's more like 2/4. Emphasize the first and 4th beats. There's a
strumming pattern shown on the songmap but you'll have to double it to
make up a full, single measure of 6/8 strumming. There are a few new
chords we talked about, most notably G major 7, which can be written as
either Gmaj7 or GM7. Capital letter means major, lower case means minor!
You play that one by modifying a regular G chord on the 1st string so
that you're playing the note on the 2nd fret (F#) instead of on the 3rd
fret like you normally would. It's only a half-step different than a
regular G chord, but it gets a little finger-tangly so be patient with
yourself.
As for fiddly bits on the second page, you only need to be
responsible for either the top line OR the bottom line of printed
tableture. You and your partner playing your parts in unison will form
the chords. Remember I mentioned that that sequence is written as 4
measures, but it's really only two. The rhythm is:
One-and-two-and-three-and four five six (which you do twice). That slots in over the two measures of Bm. The second bit of fiddly business--the handwritten one--should be relatively straightforward and fits over the GM7 between verses. Here's an awesome video of the song set to a montage of the "it's-just-too-hard-to-do-things-WITHOUT-this-wonder-product" moments from infomercials. Could anything be more perfect?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U3Rh9mxcoU
For our grad gig, it was a unanimous vote for "Alison," which I'm very excited about. Be mindful of the timing on the intro (see summary a few posts back), and don't rush through the quick change split measures. Savor those! If we do that, and hit the "stop!" chord crisply, I think we'll bring the house down. Our show will start at 12:45pm for any guests you're inviting, but we'll meet at noon as per usual.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Session 6, Week 6 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hello folk friends!
First off let me say that I am so incredibly grateful to have each and every one of you as my students. The last couple of weeks have been a trial in my non-musical life. As many of you know, I put in my notice at The Field Museum. I thought it was going to be a 30 year career, but the universe had other plans for me and who am I to argue with the universe? Next session, I'll be reporting on my new post at the Skokie Public Library! I hope to have far fewer "Sorry, I'm really stressed about my day job" excuses for late-updates, and far more "Sorry, my day job is just so awesome I got distracted!" ones.
You've all been very patient and supportive of your absent-minded professor as I've been dealing with all of this, and you have my thanks. One of the biggest perks of the new job is the 6 hours per week LESS that I'll have to spend on CTA. Which means 6 hours per week MORE to play music!
In Thursday's Guitar 4ever class, we played some folk music (imagine that!), kept up our chops on Don't Think Twice, and knocked out 99 Red Balloons. Here's the German-language version I didn't get a chance to play in class. http://youtu.be/qfPTC7-wCL8 The first and last verse are sparse and quiet. One strum per measure. Play big, beautiful open/barre chords there. The rest of the verses? Rock out with your, um, wurst out. Power chords, down strums, and rockin' eighthnotes. The riffy stuff I think is fairly self-explanatory. Play each of the lines in the first box twice when prompted. The second box should sound like the vocal melody. Listen to the synth in the video. That's what we're mimicking in those bits. Don't forget the dramatic flourish at the very end. Ausgezeichnet!
On Saturday, Guitar 1Rep polished up the Flaming Lips tune a bit more (see last week's recap for details). Then we tackled the Calypso strum, which you can apply to Bobby Darin's Dream Lover. On the first beat, pluck the root note of the chord all by itself (just like we did on Evangeline). The root note is going to be located on the first string your pick makes contact with when you're strumming a chord, so sometimes it'll be an open string and sometimes it'll be a string with a finger on it as part of a chord shape. Then on beat two, you'll D-R-A-G out your strumming motion just a little bit to give it a more deliberate sound. Finally, to really polish it up, add a mute to the third beat where you aren't strumming anything. So it looks like this all together: Root Drag-Up (mute)-Up Down-Up.
As if that wasn't enough, we also talked about 6/8 time and how Time Is On My Side. Remember that you emphasize beats one and four, so it almost takes on a 2/4 feel. DOWN (down-up down-up) DOWN (down-up down-up). Those little strums are just that--little. Don't worry about snagging the full chord. Just get a few low strings on the way down, and a few high strings on the way up. You'll figure it out in time (time time time...)
And on Sunday in Guitar 4--guys, thanks for your patience and support. Those of you who didn't know Mike Mann probably felt a bit uncomfortable watching me break down when we sang Worried Man Blues. Music HEALS, but so does the patience of students. I really appreciate all of the love in that room, and later at Second Half. Old Town School is a home and a safe haven, and it's there for you when you need it. I'm certainly grateful to have experienced that love firsthand on Sunday. Whenever you strum that tune, think of Mike!
We also worked up Rainbow Connection. For now, it's fine to just stick to playing a waltz rhythm with your pick--pluck the root note on the 1, and strum the chords on 2&3. I did this video lesson for some students last summer with all the banjo-fingers detail work. Note that it's capo'd but I'm much better at singing it (arguably) without so let's not and say we did. http://youtu.be/LmhHTn1kKkY
First off let me say that I am so incredibly grateful to have each and every one of you as my students. The last couple of weeks have been a trial in my non-musical life. As many of you know, I put in my notice at The Field Museum. I thought it was going to be a 30 year career, but the universe had other plans for me and who am I to argue with the universe? Next session, I'll be reporting on my new post at the Skokie Public Library! I hope to have far fewer "Sorry, I'm really stressed about my day job" excuses for late-updates, and far more "Sorry, my day job is just so awesome I got distracted!" ones.
You've all been very patient and supportive of your absent-minded professor as I've been dealing with all of this, and you have my thanks. One of the biggest perks of the new job is the 6 hours per week LESS that I'll have to spend on CTA. Which means 6 hours per week MORE to play music!
In Thursday's Guitar 4ever class, we played some folk music (imagine that!), kept up our chops on Don't Think Twice, and knocked out 99 Red Balloons. Here's the German-language version I didn't get a chance to play in class. http://youtu.be/qfPTC7-wCL8 The first and last verse are sparse and quiet. One strum per measure. Play big, beautiful open/barre chords there. The rest of the verses? Rock out with your, um, wurst out. Power chords, down strums, and rockin' eighthnotes. The riffy stuff I think is fairly self-explanatory. Play each of the lines in the first box twice when prompted. The second box should sound like the vocal melody. Listen to the synth in the video. That's what we're mimicking in those bits. Don't forget the dramatic flourish at the very end. Ausgezeichnet!
On Saturday, Guitar 1Rep polished up the Flaming Lips tune a bit more (see last week's recap for details). Then we tackled the Calypso strum, which you can apply to Bobby Darin's Dream Lover. On the first beat, pluck the root note of the chord all by itself (just like we did on Evangeline). The root note is going to be located on the first string your pick makes contact with when you're strumming a chord, so sometimes it'll be an open string and sometimes it'll be a string with a finger on it as part of a chord shape. Then on beat two, you'll D-R-A-G out your strumming motion just a little bit to give it a more deliberate sound. Finally, to really polish it up, add a mute to the third beat where you aren't strumming anything. So it looks like this all together: Root Drag-Up (mute)-Up Down-Up.
As if that wasn't enough, we also talked about 6/8 time and how Time Is On My Side. Remember that you emphasize beats one and four, so it almost takes on a 2/4 feel. DOWN (down-up down-up) DOWN (down-up down-up). Those little strums are just that--little. Don't worry about snagging the full chord. Just get a few low strings on the way down, and a few high strings on the way up. You'll figure it out in time (time time time...)
And on Sunday in Guitar 4--guys, thanks for your patience and support. Those of you who didn't know Mike Mann probably felt a bit uncomfortable watching me break down when we sang Worried Man Blues. Music HEALS, but so does the patience of students. I really appreciate all of the love in that room, and later at Second Half. Old Town School is a home and a safe haven, and it's there for you when you need it. I'm certainly grateful to have experienced that love firsthand on Sunday. Whenever you strum that tune, think of Mike!
We also worked up Rainbow Connection. For now, it's fine to just stick to playing a waltz rhythm with your pick--pluck the root note on the 1, and strum the chords on 2&3. I did this video lesson for some students last summer with all the banjo-fingers detail work. Note that it's capo'd but I'm much better at singing it (arguably) without so let's not and say we did. http://youtu.be/LmhHTn1kKkY
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Important Announcement! Plus, Session 6, Week 5 recap -- ALL CLASSES!
Hello folks! I hope everyone is recovering from their butter and flour hangovers. I for one renewed my gym membership, and the nagging ache in my bad knee that comes along with jogging. Yay?
It's also been an over-the-top week at the day job, so I'm a bit behind in my update, with sincere apologies.
Ok first things first. DISCOUNT! It's that time again when you're invited to save $15 on your next group class when you use the promo code JINGLE15 when you register. It's only good this week, so don't let it blow away on the blustery winter wind.
Thursday's class did not meet because turkey. But I hope you invited Travis to your holiday and practiced picking!
On Saturday in Guitar 1 Rep, we played I Am A Pilgrim out of the songbook. I like that one because I like to sorta shout the "oh god!" part. It's good for golden strumming. We also tackled She Don't Use Jelly by the Flaming Lips. http://youtu.be/cvfxKbpoxRE The chart needed a little triage, so we penciled in a few things. First of all, we'll do the intro part 4x instead of 2, each time it appears in the song. So that's three updates you'll need to make. Also, we need to add an additional set of the split measure/ whole measure chord sequence to the end of each verse. Finally, you can cross out one of the "magazine"s. We'll just say it 4x instead of 5. For She Don't Use Jelly, the keyword is "dynamics," which is music-speak for volume. Play the intro and the instrumental sections loudly (where the split measures are), and play the verses quiet and gently. In the split measures, strum ALL the eighth ones. But on the verses, strum the chord just once on the one, and let it ring until the 4th beat where you'll hit it again to lead into the next measure. On the measure of A, do a crescendo--which means start softly and get louder--while you downstrum all the eighth notes. I tabbed out the solo for you on the board. You can play it along with the video!
And on Sunday in Guitar 4, we finished the timing of the intro on Alison and put that one all together with sparkling results. Remember, in the intro, measures 1, 3, and 4 all go like this: One....and three...
You play the first chord on one, then switch to the second chord on the and of two and stay on it for beat three. That second measure is counted: OneAnd...And...And. Sorta hiccupy.
We also put all the pieces of Pretty in Pink together and I thought it sounded great! If you haven't worked on the riff parts yet, I humbly suggest you give them a try (and vice versa if you're eschewing the chords). You can always follow the dashes if you aren't sure of the counting. There's one for every eightnote. We change chords on the and of two in the split measures, so that's a little different. But it's still the Golden Strum. And in the chorus---POWER CHORDS! Play the root, and the 5th which is located one string over and two frets up. Works anywhere on the low strings! You can add the octave right next to the 5th on the adjacent string at the same fret. Play rock and roll down strums, only snagging those bass strings that you're fretting. http://youtu.be/pqmTMiIMG74
Did anyone else think that her dress at the end of the movie was sort of...anti-climactic?
It's also been an over-the-top week at the day job, so I'm a bit behind in my update, with sincere apologies.
Ok first things first. DISCOUNT! It's that time again when you're invited to save $15 on your next group class when you use the promo code JINGLE15 when you register. It's only good this week, so don't let it blow away on the blustery winter wind.
Thursday's class did not meet because turkey. But I hope you invited Travis to your holiday and practiced picking!
On Saturday in Guitar 1 Rep, we played I Am A Pilgrim out of the songbook. I like that one because I like to sorta shout the "oh god!" part. It's good for golden strumming. We also tackled She Don't Use Jelly by the Flaming Lips. http://youtu.be/cvfxKbpoxRE The chart needed a little triage, so we penciled in a few things. First of all, we'll do the intro part 4x instead of 2, each time it appears in the song. So that's three updates you'll need to make. Also, we need to add an additional set of the split measure/ whole measure chord sequence to the end of each verse. Finally, you can cross out one of the "magazine"s. We'll just say it 4x instead of 5. For She Don't Use Jelly, the keyword is "dynamics," which is music-speak for volume. Play the intro and the instrumental sections loudly (where the split measures are), and play the verses quiet and gently. In the split measures, strum ALL the eighth ones. But on the verses, strum the chord just once on the one, and let it ring until the 4th beat where you'll hit it again to lead into the next measure. On the measure of A, do a crescendo--which means start softly and get louder--while you downstrum all the eighth notes. I tabbed out the solo for you on the board. You can play it along with the video!
And on Sunday in Guitar 4, we finished the timing of the intro on Alison and put that one all together with sparkling results. Remember, in the intro, measures 1, 3, and 4 all go like this: One....and three...
You play the first chord on one, then switch to the second chord on the and of two and stay on it for beat three. That second measure is counted: OneAnd...And...And. Sorta hiccupy.
We also put all the pieces of Pretty in Pink together and I thought it sounded great! If you haven't worked on the riff parts yet, I humbly suggest you give them a try (and vice versa if you're eschewing the chords). You can always follow the dashes if you aren't sure of the counting. There's one for every eightnote. We change chords on the and of two in the split measures, so that's a little different. But it's still the Golden Strum. And in the chorus---POWER CHORDS! Play the root, and the 5th which is located one string over and two frets up. Works anywhere on the low strings! You can add the octave right next to the 5th on the adjacent string at the same fret. Play rock and roll down strums, only snagging those bass strings that you're fretting. http://youtu.be/pqmTMiIMG74
Did anyone else think that her dress at the end of the movie was sort of...anti-climactic?
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Session 6, Week 4 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hey gang!
Sorry for the late update. I took a whole week off at the day job (MUCH needed), and I planned to stay away from technology so I didn't bring my laptop home, but that almost meant missing out on a blog update. I'm borrowing one from a house guest now (a perfect excuse to take a break from the pre-turkey cleaning I've spent all day doing!).
I hope you all have a very happy holiday and get to play some music for and with the ones you love. Or alternately, I hope music is a way to escape from and drown out all the holiday nonsense if it's not your cup of tea! I'm truly thankful for each and every one of you. Getting to play music with you every week is a real privilege.
I think the early registration discount code is getting sent out on Monday. CYBER MONDAY! Don't miss it in the midst of the inbox onslaught.
On Thursday night in Guitar 4ever, we kept up with Don't Think Twice It's Alright, adding in the Am/G walk down (just grab the note on the 6th string, 3rd fret by extending your middle finger across), and the G6 to G7 move. G6 is just a finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, and G7 is a finger on the 4th fret of the 5th string. Don't worry about freting anything on strings 4-1 because your picking fingers are only playing open strings anyway! And remember to correct the misprint in that section. The split measure is actually from G to G6, and the full measure is of G7. So it should read: | G G6 | G7
We also got started on Time Won't Let Me by the Outsiders. It's a song that's very close to my heart because it's the tune the go go gals danced to the first night I ever came to their class--and boy was I hooked! Apologies again for the brief brain fart about reading my own tableture (that was a major catalyst for me taking this whole week off at the Museum! OOOF.) Your patience and good nature about your absent-minded professor is always gratefully appreciated. The good news is that the tab is correct! Yay! I can't explain the sets or props in this clip, but it's great. http://youtu.be/Qv8vBwt8zw8
On Saturday in Guitar 1 Rep, we discovered that Sloop John B in the songbook is a perfect Thanksgiving song. And also a great platform for practicing the golden strum! And speaking of strumming, we got our reggae on (sorta) by playing ONLY the upstrums on Three Little Birds. It feels like the hiccups--which makes it great practice for learning to count on the off beats. You can add a downstrum on the ones if you want/ need to to help keep things grounded. But remember to lean back, relax, and sink into the vibe! We also tackled Evangeline. It's in 3/4 time, which is a waltz. You're subdividing the measure into thirds instead of quarters, and giving the first beat a little more emphasis. ONE two three. You'll wanna use all downstrums or you'll get tangled up. For added fun and complexity to the sound, pick the root note all by itself on the first beat. The root note is (usually) the lowest note in the chord, so just figure out which string your pick comes into contact with first when strumming the chord. For E, it's the open E string. For A, it's the open A string, and for D it's--well YOU figure it out. :) Here's beautiful Emmilou and The Band. And some unfortunate fog machine: http://youtu.be/hqDqzGG8ba0
And on Sunday in Guitar 4, we finished the walking mania of the Radiohead tune (see last week's update for more). We also started on Alison. Don't worry about the timing of the intro. That's for our next meeting. The main thing you have to worry about are the unconventional split measures. Follow the exclamation points. Sometimes the first chord gets 2 beats, and the second chord only gets one, followed by a third chord that gets one. In the chorus, you have that one crazy measure where you change chords on every beat! But at least 3 out of 4 of them use the same barre position: F#m, F#7, and Bm. Throw in that little stop chord when the lyric says "stop!" for added showmanship!
Keep fresh on Man Who Sold the World so that you'll be ready to revisit it this weekend.
http://youtu.be/C9GlC9GyF4Y
Sorry for the late update. I took a whole week off at the day job (MUCH needed), and I planned to stay away from technology so I didn't bring my laptop home, but that almost meant missing out on a blog update. I'm borrowing one from a house guest now (a perfect excuse to take a break from the pre-turkey cleaning I've spent all day doing!).
I hope you all have a very happy holiday and get to play some music for and with the ones you love. Or alternately, I hope music is a way to escape from and drown out all the holiday nonsense if it's not your cup of tea! I'm truly thankful for each and every one of you. Getting to play music with you every week is a real privilege.
I think the early registration discount code is getting sent out on Monday. CYBER MONDAY! Don't miss it in the midst of the inbox onslaught.
On Thursday night in Guitar 4ever, we kept up with Don't Think Twice It's Alright, adding in the Am/G walk down (just grab the note on the 6th string, 3rd fret by extending your middle finger across), and the G6 to G7 move. G6 is just a finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, and G7 is a finger on the 4th fret of the 5th string. Don't worry about freting anything on strings 4-1 because your picking fingers are only playing open strings anyway! And remember to correct the misprint in that section. The split measure is actually from G to G6, and the full measure is of G7. So it should read: | G G6 | G7
We also got started on Time Won't Let Me by the Outsiders. It's a song that's very close to my heart because it's the tune the go go gals danced to the first night I ever came to their class--and boy was I hooked! Apologies again for the brief brain fart about reading my own tableture (that was a major catalyst for me taking this whole week off at the Museum! OOOF.) Your patience and good nature about your absent-minded professor is always gratefully appreciated. The good news is that the tab is correct! Yay! I can't explain the sets or props in this clip, but it's great. http://youtu.be/Qv8vBwt8zw8
On Saturday in Guitar 1 Rep, we discovered that Sloop John B in the songbook is a perfect Thanksgiving song. And also a great platform for practicing the golden strum! And speaking of strumming, we got our reggae on (sorta) by playing ONLY the upstrums on Three Little Birds. It feels like the hiccups--which makes it great practice for learning to count on the off beats. You can add a downstrum on the ones if you want/ need to to help keep things grounded. But remember to lean back, relax, and sink into the vibe! We also tackled Evangeline. It's in 3/4 time, which is a waltz. You're subdividing the measure into thirds instead of quarters, and giving the first beat a little more emphasis. ONE two three. You'll wanna use all downstrums or you'll get tangled up. For added fun and complexity to the sound, pick the root note all by itself on the first beat. The root note is (usually) the lowest note in the chord, so just figure out which string your pick comes into contact with first when strumming the chord. For E, it's the open E string. For A, it's the open A string, and for D it's--well YOU figure it out. :) Here's beautiful Emmilou and The Band. And some unfortunate fog machine: http://youtu.be/hqDqzGG8ba0
And on Sunday in Guitar 4, we finished the walking mania of the Radiohead tune (see last week's update for more). We also started on Alison. Don't worry about the timing of the intro. That's for our next meeting. The main thing you have to worry about are the unconventional split measures. Follow the exclamation points. Sometimes the first chord gets 2 beats, and the second chord only gets one, followed by a third chord that gets one. In the chorus, you have that one crazy measure where you change chords on every beat! But at least 3 out of 4 of them use the same barre position: F#m, F#7, and Bm. Throw in that little stop chord when the lyric says "stop!" for added showmanship!
Keep fresh on Man Who Sold the World so that you'll be ready to revisit it this weekend.
http://youtu.be/C9GlC9GyF4Y
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Session 6, Week 3 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hello my folkie friends!
I hope you're keeping your strumming fingers warm now that the weather has turned frightful. Remember to have a humidity plan for your instrument before it's too late! Pop into Different Strummer any time and ask for advice if you're not sure what to do.
And special thanks to those of you that who nice e-mails this week about Patti Smith, movie tunes, and other fun things. It's always great to hear from you all. Hanging out with you guys is the best part of my week, so it's great to get some bonus time.
Now onto the recaps!
Guitar 4Ever on Thursday has a very short recap--in video form!--because it was all about the Travis picking. Take a look at this pleasant young Canadian fellow's tutorial, which is more or less exactly what I presented in class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFh-C6upvh8
We didn't get to the slight changes/ fancy filigree stuff he mentions for the intro so don't worry if that's not familiar. Also, he doesn't break down the strumming pattern in as granular a way as I did, so my advice is to always go home to the thumb. Make sure you know where your thumb is going, and make sure it's doing its work on the beats. You've gotta get that down before you add in any other fingers. If you only get as far as the thumb on the quarter notes, you're in GREAT shape! Little bit by little bit the rest will come together. Or, as a wise bard once said, don't think twice it's alright!
On Saturday, Guitar 1 Rep continued to perfect the "Golden Strum." See last week's recap for some more detail on that if you're still struggling a little. That's also where you'll find the clip of Mahalia Jackson singing "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" that I mentioned in class. Golden Strum is where you'll want to be for the new R.E.M. tune this week. Remember to read the riff at the bottom of the page like this: top number = string number, bottom number = fret number. If the bottom number is 0, that means you play the string open (so you could also think of that as an "O" for "open!")
The timing of the riff is: One...and three and. You let the first note ring for a beat and a half. Throw that riff in instead of the first measure of Em in the "FIRE!" section. And don't forget to add drama to other measures of Em by doing a dramatic upstrum or "rake!"
And Guitar 4 on Sunday made some more progress on Man Who Sold the World. We didn't really introduce any new information into the tune, so see last week's post for the details. Guys, this one is going to take time. I know it's a struggle, but it's great training for your hands and brain. Be patient with yourself and with the process. And when it gets too frustrating...stop! (so long as you start up again after you've taken a break). I gave you the whirlwind overview of Karma Police. Don't despair if it didn't sink in. We'll spend more time on it next week. Just remember to use "little" F# and "little" G so that you can do the arpeggios in the chorus part--down on the G, up on the F#. Two strums per measure on everything else because the tune is in 2/4, and mind the split measure in the chord progression. Check out the way-cool music video for the tune: http://youtu.be/9Ay699qcSb4
See you all soon!
I hope you're keeping your strumming fingers warm now that the weather has turned frightful. Remember to have a humidity plan for your instrument before it's too late! Pop into Different Strummer any time and ask for advice if you're not sure what to do.
And special thanks to those of you that who nice e-mails this week about Patti Smith, movie tunes, and other fun things. It's always great to hear from you all. Hanging out with you guys is the best part of my week, so it's great to get some bonus time.
Now onto the recaps!
Guitar 4Ever on Thursday has a very short recap--in video form!--because it was all about the Travis picking. Take a look at this pleasant young Canadian fellow's tutorial, which is more or less exactly what I presented in class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFh-C6upvh8
We didn't get to the slight changes/ fancy filigree stuff he mentions for the intro so don't worry if that's not familiar. Also, he doesn't break down the strumming pattern in as granular a way as I did, so my advice is to always go home to the thumb. Make sure you know where your thumb is going, and make sure it's doing its work on the beats. You've gotta get that down before you add in any other fingers. If you only get as far as the thumb on the quarter notes, you're in GREAT shape! Little bit by little bit the rest will come together. Or, as a wise bard once said, don't think twice it's alright!
On Saturday, Guitar 1 Rep continued to perfect the "Golden Strum." See last week's recap for some more detail on that if you're still struggling a little. That's also where you'll find the clip of Mahalia Jackson singing "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" that I mentioned in class. Golden Strum is where you'll want to be for the new R.E.M. tune this week. Remember to read the riff at the bottom of the page like this: top number = string number, bottom number = fret number. If the bottom number is 0, that means you play the string open (so you could also think of that as an "O" for "open!")
The timing of the riff is: One...and three and. You let the first note ring for a beat and a half. Throw that riff in instead of the first measure of Em in the "FIRE!" section. And don't forget to add drama to other measures of Em by doing a dramatic upstrum or "rake!"
And Guitar 4 on Sunday made some more progress on Man Who Sold the World. We didn't really introduce any new information into the tune, so see last week's post for the details. Guys, this one is going to take time. I know it's a struggle, but it's great training for your hands and brain. Be patient with yourself and with the process. And when it gets too frustrating...stop! (so long as you start up again after you've taken a break). I gave you the whirlwind overview of Karma Police. Don't despair if it didn't sink in. We'll spend more time on it next week. Just remember to use "little" F# and "little" G so that you can do the arpeggios in the chorus part--down on the G, up on the F#. Two strums per measure on everything else because the tune is in 2/4, and mind the split measure in the chord progression. Check out the way-cool music video for the tune: http://youtu.be/9Ay699qcSb4
See you all soon!
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Session 6, Week 2 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
I think maybe one of our Songs of the Session has something to do with it. If we haven't played "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho" in class yet, we will because I am OBSESSED with it. I've had Mahalia's soaring voice in my head for 2 weeks.
In Guitar 4Ever, we played one of my all-time favorite rock songs (finally!). Here's the boys playing it in Chicago last year during Riot Fest. http://youtu.be/UtlO5qtKYbo I like this clip because you can see J Mascis (another of my rock and roll heroes--the brains behind Dinosaur Jr.) standing in the wings nodding along. He's the guy in the glasses with the long grey hair and the ballcap.
Layer that riff in just about anywhere you please that isn't an A or a G/B chord! Mind the timing on the "Hurry Up! Hurry Up!" bit. You punch those D chords on the 2s and 4s only. And mind the stop chords. Silences are what make songs sometimes. This is one of those times.
This week we're going to work on Travis picking through the Dylan tune. I recommended doing an alternate bass strumming pattern this week (a la Johnny Cash and Guitar 2) to prepare. If you can also start trying to memorize the chord progression, it'll help you A LOT when you have 25 other things to learn once we get into the fingerstyle.
On Saturday, Guitar 1Rep spent some more time working on emphasizing different syllables. We started off with our old friends A, D, and E. Those three chords are often found hanging out together, because they're what's known as the I, IV, V chords in the key of A. (those are Roman numerals, not letters there folks!) We'll talk more about musical keys and what the heck I mean with my fancy numerals in the coming weeks.
We played the Everly Brother's When Will I Be Loved? https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rI0ll5SexV0 (look at baby Dick
Clark in that video!) and added in the timing for the opening bass riff. You'll put those notes on the "and four and one," which means it technically straddles two measures. Continue the rest of the measure with strums on a full A chord, and continue strumming into a second measure, but add the riff when you get to the and of 3. That's how it all loops together. Play the loop 4x at the top of the song, then flow into the verse instead of looping around another time. See if you can find other logical places in the tune to throw the riff in as a transition!
We also broke out a trusty Wilco tune, California Stars. It has a great, simple chord structure that just repeats and repeats and repeats, so you can stop thinking about your left hand altogether. It goes AAEEDDAA. That's it! After a few times through, your fretting hand should start to know what to do automatically and you can focus on strumming instead. For that, we talked about "The Golden Strum," aka the Tequila Sunrise strum, aka the folk strum. It'll become an old friend soon enough!
We broke it down into a couple of steps. For starters, we down-strummed just once on beat one (a quarter note), and then down-up down-up down-up (eighth notes) on beats 2 & 3 & 4. You can stay at that stage if that's where you're comfortable, but when you're ready, try dropping the downstrum on beat three. You'll still play the upstrum on the "and" of three. It feels pretty funny at first to skip a main beat like that, but the secret it to keep your hand moving as if you were still strumming, just don't make contact with the strings. Written with arrows, it looks like this:
V V^ ^ V^
You could also think of it like this:
D DU U DU
Here's Bob Seger doing a nice little cover of the tune at a recent concert. He's using different chord shapes than we are because he's got a little device called a capo on the neck of his guitar. We'll talk more about that later.
(it won't let me embed this one for some reason, but click here for the goods:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOUbxsRlkO8
When you get bored with Wilco, use the Golden Strum on Under the Boardwalk instead! Just remember to break out of it on the "board! walk! board! walk!" part, and play those chords along with the lyrics as single, punchy downstrums.
We also broke out a trusty Wilco tune, California Stars. It has a great, simple chord structure that just repeats and repeats and repeats, so you can stop thinking about your left hand altogether. It goes AAEEDDAA. That's it! After a few times through, your fretting hand should start to know what to do automatically and you can focus on strumming instead. For that, we talked about "The Golden Strum," aka the Tequila Sunrise strum, aka the folk strum. It'll become an old friend soon enough!
We broke it down into a couple of steps. For starters, we down-strummed just once on beat one (a quarter note), and then down-up down-up down-up (eighth notes) on beats 2 & 3 & 4. You can stay at that stage if that's where you're comfortable, but when you're ready, try dropping the downstrum on beat three. You'll still play the upstrum on the "and" of three. It feels pretty funny at first to skip a main beat like that, but the secret it to keep your hand moving as if you were still strumming, just don't make contact with the strings. Written with arrows, it looks like this:
V V^ ^ V^
You could also think of it like this:
D DU U DU
Here's Bob Seger doing a nice little cover of the tune at a recent concert. He's using different chord shapes than we are because he's got a little device called a capo on the neck of his guitar. We'll talk more about that later.
(it won't let me embed this one for some reason, but click here for the goods:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOUbxsRlkO8
When you get bored with Wilco, use the Golden Strum on Under the Boardwalk instead! Just remember to break out of it on the "board! walk! board! walk!" part, and play those chords along with the lyrics as single, punchy downstrums.
Finally, Sunday's Guitar 4 class tackled Man Who Sold the World. Or made a start, at least. I had you correct one note on the tab (it's a 3 instead of a 4 at the end of the C progression), and suggested that you could also play the C progression using open strings if you so chose. Experiment with both ways and see which feels more comfortable to your hand. You'll use the progressions at the bottom to replace the corresponding measures of chords written in the chorus (plus the preceding two measures of C at the end of the verse). Remember the timing of the Db progression is: one and-three four.
The intro can be accomplished with either a bend, a hammer-on/ pull-off, or a slide (which we didn't discuss but it's a solid option). The Nirvana version is a GREAT learning tool: http://youtu.be/fregObNcHC8 He's using more of a "golden strum" pattern than we are (we're playing down-up...up-down-up...up-down-up...with mutes in-between, which is more Bowie-esque), but it's still a great acoustic take on the tune. Plus how funny does Dave Grohl look in a turtle neck?!
I know this is hard, brainy stuff but do have some bits of advice. Bit #1: Look for patterns. Your fingers make certain shapes multiple times when you play scales. Look for those and learn to love them. Repetitive motions make life a lot simpler and there are really only like 3 maneuvers you have to make in that tune. Once you've isolated those motions, you repeat them on different string combos, and there you have it. Bit #2: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. The only way to take this from confounding to competency is to do it. A lot. Muscle memory is a real thing and your fingers will start to act on their own in the correct way but you've got to train them first and that takes time and repetition. You can't play it once, skip the next 3 days, and expect it to have gotten better. Be consistent and watch yourself improve like magic! I'm making you do the "project" songs early so we've got the whole session to perfect them. Be patient and stick with it.
See you soon!
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Session 6, Week 1 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hey Gang!
Ahhhh that new session smell. For those of you here for the first time (and your returners too!)--welcome! I try my best to update this page once a week on Tuesdays or Wednesday.
I can't believe it's the last session of 2014 already. How in the heck did THAT happen?
I hope you all voted today and sang songs about America on the way to the polls. I know I did.
Onto the recaps!
In Guitar 4Ever we did the Time Warp again. Well, for the first time actually. It was a spooky Halloween one-off with a pragmatic twist. It gave us a chance to revisit the "boogie woogie" oscillations you can do on open E, A, and D chords. It was also a good lesson in listening and following the singer--since some of the changes don't take place on exact counts and you just have to follow the lyrics in whatever time they're delivered. We also took a superfast, top level look at Can't Hardly Wait, but more on that this week. I mentioned that there are two versions of the tune out there, should you choose to listen in advance. The studio album version (off of Pleased to Meet Me) is the one we'll be working with. That's this one: http://youtu.be/Wigclcg3stc There's also a different, more stripped-down demo version (no horns!) on the expanded edition of the album called Tim. It has different lyrics and some other changes and is a really interesting comparison study. More about that in class.
On Saturday, Guitar 1 Rep got to know each other a little bit and stretched out (as much as is possible in our narrow classroom!) our understanding of timing emphasis. For starters, we played through Jonathan Edwards' Sunshine. Here's a bit more on the singer, who I admittedly didn't know much about (odd for me!). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_(musician) Our strumming pattern is a little simpler than what he plays (http://youtu.be/ScfUfsUlGro) but the emphasis piece is the same: come down harder on the 1s and 3s while strumming through straight down-up eighth notes. It has kind of a chug-a-chug-a train feel to it. Note the "stop chords," which are indicated by an exclamation mark on the song sheet. You hit those once and then mute them, but continue the counting in your head (and with your foot!) so that you're ready to come back in on the next one.
We also took a very quick look at When Will I Be Loved, which has the opposite emphasis on the 2s and 4s, and which features an opening bass riff presented at the top of the pages as a fraction where the first number is the string number and the second is the fret number. We didn't get to the timing piece of that but we'll put it together in class next time.
And on Sunday, Guitar 4 kicked off with Aimee Mann's Save Me. Other than the little variations on E chords (Em, Emaj7--which is and Em chord with the note on the 4th string moved down a half step to the 1st fret, and Em7--which is a one-finger chord with your index on the second fret of the 5th string), there's not a whole lot of fancy fretwork. Just one little old barre chord in the form of an F.
It's the strumming that makes this so satisfying (in my opinion). Bounce twice just on the bass note on beats 1 & 2, strum the chord on 3, and then snag a little upstrum on the and of 4 on your way to the next measure. It's a strumming pattern that combines the rhythms that the bass, guitar, and drums are all playing on the album version--remember, you're a one-man band in your living room so you have to get creative in the way you arrange songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c48vs4lwgc
You'll also--if you listen carefully--hear some logical opportunities to add in rakes (dramatic, slo-mo upstrums) in a couple of places. We didn't talk about those in class, but we'll add that detail when we get together Thursday. I know some of you love to sing this song, and I love that so I want to take advantage of it. Hear the background vocals? There are some wonderful "ahhhhs" and "do-do dooos" in there, not to mention harmonies. Grab any of those if you feel like it! We don't all have to sing the same part. Let's work on vocal arranging from time to time.
We also began the somewhat grueling work of learning major scales using the worksheet. Remember, WWHWWWH or the weird phone number 221-2221 in order to memorize the intervals that make up a major scale. 1 fret = H, so 2 frets = W. You can play up a single string, or break across strings to stay in one position using either an open or closed scale form. Open scale forms utilize the open strings--hence the name! But they can ONLY be played in one place because open strings are a fixed note/ position. Closed scales on the other hand, are modular and moveable. So long as you know where your root note is, you can use the same finger sequence to from any starting position. Don't forget that the second diagram--the one for CLOSED scales--shows you finger numbers, NOT fret numbers. Very important! It's confusing at first but we'll talk about it more and it'll sink in over time. We'll also put it into further practice with Man Who Sold the World next time we meet.
Finally, here's my new favorite song: It's a Dream by Neil Young. Patti Smith covered it when I saw her perform at the School last Sunday and it was very moving. She dedicated it to her late husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith who was the guitar player for the seminal proto-punk band The MC5. Her son (with Sonic) was playing guitar with her onstage. I was a bawling mess. And today happens to be the anniversary of Sonic's passing in 1996--as well as the first birthday of Mama Smith's grandson Frederick, who was named for his grandfather.
http://youtu.be/lJNB8fXje3I Excuse me, I have something in my eye.
Keep on strumming, my friends!
Ahhhh that new session smell. For those of you here for the first time (and your returners too!)--welcome! I try my best to update this page once a week on Tuesdays or Wednesday.
I can't believe it's the last session of 2014 already. How in the heck did THAT happen?
I hope you all voted today and sang songs about America on the way to the polls. I know I did.
Onto the recaps!
In Guitar 4Ever we did the Time Warp again. Well, for the first time actually. It was a spooky Halloween one-off with a pragmatic twist. It gave us a chance to revisit the "boogie woogie" oscillations you can do on open E, A, and D chords. It was also a good lesson in listening and following the singer--since some of the changes don't take place on exact counts and you just have to follow the lyrics in whatever time they're delivered. We also took a superfast, top level look at Can't Hardly Wait, but more on that this week. I mentioned that there are two versions of the tune out there, should you choose to listen in advance. The studio album version (off of Pleased to Meet Me) is the one we'll be working with. That's this one: http://youtu.be/Wigclcg3stc There's also a different, more stripped-down demo version (no horns!) on the expanded edition of the album called Tim. It has different lyrics and some other changes and is a really interesting comparison study. More about that in class.
On Saturday, Guitar 1 Rep got to know each other a little bit and stretched out (as much as is possible in our narrow classroom!) our understanding of timing emphasis. For starters, we played through Jonathan Edwards' Sunshine. Here's a bit more on the singer, who I admittedly didn't know much about (odd for me!). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Edwards_(musician) Our strumming pattern is a little simpler than what he plays (http://youtu.be/ScfUfsUlGro) but the emphasis piece is the same: come down harder on the 1s and 3s while strumming through straight down-up eighth notes. It has kind of a chug-a-chug-a train feel to it. Note the "stop chords," which are indicated by an exclamation mark on the song sheet. You hit those once and then mute them, but continue the counting in your head (and with your foot!) so that you're ready to come back in on the next one.
We also took a very quick look at When Will I Be Loved, which has the opposite emphasis on the 2s and 4s, and which features an opening bass riff presented at the top of the pages as a fraction where the first number is the string number and the second is the fret number. We didn't get to the timing piece of that but we'll put it together in class next time.
And on Sunday, Guitar 4 kicked off with Aimee Mann's Save Me. Other than the little variations on E chords (Em, Emaj7--which is and Em chord with the note on the 4th string moved down a half step to the 1st fret, and Em7--which is a one-finger chord with your index on the second fret of the 5th string), there's not a whole lot of fancy fretwork. Just one little old barre chord in the form of an F.
It's the strumming that makes this so satisfying (in my opinion). Bounce twice just on the bass note on beats 1 & 2, strum the chord on 3, and then snag a little upstrum on the and of 4 on your way to the next measure. It's a strumming pattern that combines the rhythms that the bass, guitar, and drums are all playing on the album version--remember, you're a one-man band in your living room so you have to get creative in the way you arrange songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c48vs4lwgc
You'll also--if you listen carefully--hear some logical opportunities to add in rakes (dramatic, slo-mo upstrums) in a couple of places. We didn't talk about those in class, but we'll add that detail when we get together Thursday. I know some of you love to sing this song, and I love that so I want to take advantage of it. Hear the background vocals? There are some wonderful "ahhhhs" and "do-do dooos" in there, not to mention harmonies. Grab any of those if you feel like it! We don't all have to sing the same part. Let's work on vocal arranging from time to time.
We also began the somewhat grueling work of learning major scales using the worksheet. Remember, WWHWWWH or the weird phone number 221-2221 in order to memorize the intervals that make up a major scale. 1 fret = H, so 2 frets = W. You can play up a single string, or break across strings to stay in one position using either an open or closed scale form. Open scale forms utilize the open strings--hence the name! But they can ONLY be played in one place because open strings are a fixed note/ position. Closed scales on the other hand, are modular and moveable. So long as you know where your root note is, you can use the same finger sequence to from any starting position. Don't forget that the second diagram--the one for CLOSED scales--shows you finger numbers, NOT fret numbers. Very important! It's confusing at first but we'll talk about it more and it'll sink in over time. We'll also put it into further practice with Man Who Sold the World next time we meet.
Finally, here's my new favorite song: It's a Dream by Neil Young. Patti Smith covered it when I saw her perform at the School last Sunday and it was very moving. She dedicated it to her late husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith who was the guitar player for the seminal proto-punk band The MC5. Her son (with Sonic) was playing guitar with her onstage. I was a bawling mess. And today happens to be the anniversary of Sonic's passing in 1996--as well as the first birthday of Mama Smith's grandson Frederick, who was named for his grandfather.
http://youtu.be/lJNB8fXje3I Excuse me, I have something in my eye.
Keep on strumming, my friends!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Session 5, Week 8 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hi folky-folks!
That's a wrap on another fine session. You don't need a recap because you all know how awesomely you performed at the Student Showcases. I just wanted to say that it's such an honor to play music with you, and I'm truly proud of each of you for the hard work you turned out these last couple of months.
I do want to specifically give props to Thursday night's G4Ever for seamlessly pulling off a MEDLEY (though not technically, but y'know). There's video in our facebook group if you haven't seen it yet. Awesome job on both tunes. How'd it feel to perform 7.5 minutes of music?! That's like 20% of a full set list! Getting there!
I also want to give a very warm congratulations to Tim from Guitar 1 on Saturday, who gave a SOLO command performance, to much accolade. I've seen other teachers take a single student up on stage, but that was my first experience with it too so we both did something new! Thanks for your courage! You're a natural. (But I promise you'll have some more bandmates next session!)
And I can't forget the be-wigged Ziggys of Sunday's Guitar 3 Rep! The Thin White Duke couldn't have done it any better. Thank you for putting your hearts into one of my favorite songs. It means the world to me, and the full house on hand to witness it will never forget it.
I've got lots of fun things planned for the new session, so I look forward to seeing you next week!
That's a wrap on another fine session. You don't need a recap because you all know how awesomely you performed at the Student Showcases. I just wanted to say that it's such an honor to play music with you, and I'm truly proud of each of you for the hard work you turned out these last couple of months.
I do want to specifically give props to Thursday night's G4Ever for seamlessly pulling off a MEDLEY (though not technically, but y'know). There's video in our facebook group if you haven't seen it yet. Awesome job on both tunes. How'd it feel to perform 7.5 minutes of music?! That's like 20% of a full set list! Getting there!
I also want to give a very warm congratulations to Tim from Guitar 1 on Saturday, who gave a SOLO command performance, to much accolade. I've seen other teachers take a single student up on stage, but that was my first experience with it too so we both did something new! Thanks for your courage! You're a natural. (But I promise you'll have some more bandmates next session!)
And I can't forget the be-wigged Ziggys of Sunday's Guitar 3 Rep! The Thin White Duke couldn't have done it any better. Thank you for putting your hearts into one of my favorite songs. It means the world to me, and the full house on hand to witness it will never forget it.
I've got lots of fun things planned for the new session, so I look forward to seeing you next week!
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Session 5, Week 7 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Latest. blog post. Ever.
Sorry (again) for my tardiness. I hope you've heard out in the world that we're opening a brand new exhibition at The Field Museum tomorrow: http://www.fieldmuseum.org/at-the-field/exhibitions/vodou-sacred-powers-haiti
I've been heads-down on that all week with little time for anything else (including eating and sleeping). There is some amazing music in the exhibition though, and some beautiful drums that I'm having a hard time not grabbing and playing whenever I'm out on the exhibit floor!
Anywho...I'm sure you're all equally heads-down on preparing for the Student Showcase this week, so you don't even need me to remind you! But just in case:
Guitar 4Ever -- We finally played the lovely song of the session, fingerstyle! And it was lovely. Did I mention lovely? For tonight's show we're going to do Save Me and/or Thirteen. If there's time for both, we could talk about running straight from one into the other but let's do that work tonight in the classroom.
Guitar 1 -- It's either gonna be Tears for Fears or Elvis. We'll figure it out in class, and we'll have a full hour to polish up before we hit the stage at noon. But pause for a moment and reflect on how far you've come in a very short time. You know a whole host of chords--almost all of the ones you'll ever need--and quite a few strumming patterns. You can read diagrams and song charts, and listen to other musicians and play together. It's truly remarkable to come that far in 8 weeks so I hope you feel as proud of yourselves as I am to have watched your progress. I hope you'll invite friends and family to attend the show. Tell them to grab a seat in the concert hall, and the festivities will kick off at noon with dancers!
Guitar 3Rep -- We roped some Wild Horses. The strumming pattern is more or less the same as on Ziggy, but a little slower, lazier, and less precise. Don't worry about all the little up and downs, so long as you land clear strums on beats 1, 2, and 4. The rest of the doo-dads are just by feel. The split measures feature the root-strum root-strum-root stepping stones you'll hear here: http://youtu.be/UFLJFl7ws_0
Get to that root note! Especially on the Bminor. You've got a little extra time to form the rest of the chord after you nail the root on the one. But for our big show it's gotta be Ziggy. Of course it's gotta be Ziggy! Tell your glittered guests to be seated by showtime at 12:45p.
As always, it's truly my privilege to lead these bands and play music with you all. Thank you for another spectacular session, and keep on strumming!
Sorry (again) for my tardiness. I hope you've heard out in the world that we're opening a brand new exhibition at The Field Museum tomorrow: http://www.fieldmuseum.org/at-the-field/exhibitions/vodou-sacred-powers-haiti
I've been heads-down on that all week with little time for anything else (including eating and sleeping). There is some amazing music in the exhibition though, and some beautiful drums that I'm having a hard time not grabbing and playing whenever I'm out on the exhibit floor!
Anywho...I'm sure you're all equally heads-down on preparing for the Student Showcase this week, so you don't even need me to remind you! But just in case:
Guitar 4Ever -- We finally played the lovely song of the session, fingerstyle! And it was lovely. Did I mention lovely? For tonight's show we're going to do Save Me and/or Thirteen. If there's time for both, we could talk about running straight from one into the other but let's do that work tonight in the classroom.
Guitar 1 -- It's either gonna be Tears for Fears or Elvis. We'll figure it out in class, and we'll have a full hour to polish up before we hit the stage at noon. But pause for a moment and reflect on how far you've come in a very short time. You know a whole host of chords--almost all of the ones you'll ever need--and quite a few strumming patterns. You can read diagrams and song charts, and listen to other musicians and play together. It's truly remarkable to come that far in 8 weeks so I hope you feel as proud of yourselves as I am to have watched your progress. I hope you'll invite friends and family to attend the show. Tell them to grab a seat in the concert hall, and the festivities will kick off at noon with dancers!
Guitar 3Rep -- We roped some Wild Horses. The strumming pattern is more or less the same as on Ziggy, but a little slower, lazier, and less precise. Don't worry about all the little up and downs, so long as you land clear strums on beats 1, 2, and 4. The rest of the doo-dads are just by feel. The split measures feature the root-strum root-strum-root stepping stones you'll hear here: http://youtu.be/UFLJFl7ws_0
Get to that root note! Especially on the Bminor. You've got a little extra time to form the rest of the chord after you nail the root on the one. But for our big show it's gotta be Ziggy. Of course it's gotta be Ziggy! Tell your glittered guests to be seated by showtime at 12:45p.
As always, it's truly my privilege to lead these bands and play music with you all. Thank you for another spectacular session, and keep on strumming!
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Session 5, Week 6 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hello folks!
I hope your week is going well. I finally got some antibiotics for this plague I've been suffering, so I hope to be in the pink next time I see you.
Here's a great rockumentary you can watch for free on YouTube, "Mayor of Sunset Strip" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EDp2oHQaRI
As the description reads--"Rodney Bingenheimer, born December 15, 1947, is a radio disc jockey on the long-running Los Angeles rock station KROQ who is notable for helping numerous iconic bands become successful in the American market...He was the subject of a documentary by late filmmaker George Hickenlooper titled Mayor of the Sunset Strip which told the story of a groupie-turned-kingmaker with a knack for making friends in the music industry."
I've seen is a couple of times. It features Kim Fowley, whose book I recommended recently.
Onto recaps!
Guitar 4Evar worked through Elvis Costello's "Alison" (which has absolutely nothing to do with his wife, Diana Krall, and I don't know why anyone ever would've made that connection :p)
There are some quick-change chords, and some funny timing things but you guys really rocked it. Andrea took better notes that I'm able to recount verbally, so I invite you to head on over to our facebook group and download the PDF she so generously provided! For the record--I'm not just buttering you up. I think you all nailed it and I was super impressed! I hope you find that 4-chord measure as satisfying as I do to pull off.
In Guitar 1, we met up with Am, a very complimentary chord to the C we're getting used to. "Mad World" is great for practice. Just memorize that one chord progression: Am, C, G, D (I think that's what it is--though I'm at the day job and don't have the sheet in front of me...) and play it over and over again until it's time to play the chorus, which is just Am and D! There was never an easier tune to memorize. The strumming is the same John Denver combo of two quarter notes, and two pairs of eigthnotes: Down Down DownUp DownUp. We added some "Stop" chords at the end of versus, which you may have written in with an exclamation point, as well as one towards the end of the chorus before the 'mad world' repeated section. We also looked into D7 and G7 chords, which are tense and bluesy sounding, and can often be swapped out for their major chord counterparts in the right contexts. Try it out with tunes from the songbook and see how you like the results. We've added New River Train to the mix, so start there. And give another go at Mellow Yellow. It was a lot of heavy brainning to do at the end of class, but it does have the word "mellow" in it so let's work towards that tune being something relaxed and fun to shuffle through.
And in Guitar 3 Rep, though it pained me to skip over Tom Jones, it was straight into The Association's "Never My Love," which has some modest riff work. If you remind yourself that the C-shape (or Fmaj7--both work) is home base, and you simply make minor modifications inside that shape, you should be good to go. Also remember that the riff starts on beat 3, so you've got to count in "1 and 2 and" BEFORE you start. Inside the song, you'll be strumming either a C chord or an Am for those two lead-in beats, but in both cases, your fingers are already where they need to be to play the riff (because the C and Am chords are so closely related!) so you don't have to change anything to step right into the riff. We threw in one little walk, just to keep things spicy, and we're using the Golden Strum. It's a lot of work but the song is too pretty not to put in the effort! I hope you'll sing it for someone you love some day.
Keep on strumming, friends!
I hope your week is going well. I finally got some antibiotics for this plague I've been suffering, so I hope to be in the pink next time I see you.
Here's a great rockumentary you can watch for free on YouTube, "Mayor of Sunset Strip" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EDp2oHQaRI
As the description reads--"Rodney Bingenheimer, born December 15, 1947, is a radio disc jockey on the long-running Los Angeles rock station KROQ who is notable for helping numerous iconic bands become successful in the American market...He was the subject of a documentary by late filmmaker George Hickenlooper titled Mayor of the Sunset Strip which told the story of a groupie-turned-kingmaker with a knack for making friends in the music industry."
I've seen is a couple of times. It features Kim Fowley, whose book I recommended recently.
Onto recaps!
Guitar 4Evar worked through Elvis Costello's "Alison" (which has absolutely nothing to do with his wife, Diana Krall, and I don't know why anyone ever would've made that connection :p)
There are some quick-change chords, and some funny timing things but you guys really rocked it. Andrea took better notes that I'm able to recount verbally, so I invite you to head on over to our facebook group and download the PDF she so generously provided! For the record--I'm not just buttering you up. I think you all nailed it and I was super impressed! I hope you find that 4-chord measure as satisfying as I do to pull off.
In Guitar 1, we met up with Am, a very complimentary chord to the C we're getting used to. "Mad World" is great for practice. Just memorize that one chord progression: Am, C, G, D (I think that's what it is--though I'm at the day job and don't have the sheet in front of me...) and play it over and over again until it's time to play the chorus, which is just Am and D! There was never an easier tune to memorize. The strumming is the same John Denver combo of two quarter notes, and two pairs of eigthnotes: Down Down DownUp DownUp. We added some "Stop" chords at the end of versus, which you may have written in with an exclamation point, as well as one towards the end of the chorus before the 'mad world' repeated section. We also looked into D7 and G7 chords, which are tense and bluesy sounding, and can often be swapped out for their major chord counterparts in the right contexts. Try it out with tunes from the songbook and see how you like the results. We've added New River Train to the mix, so start there. And give another go at Mellow Yellow. It was a lot of heavy brainning to do at the end of class, but it does have the word "mellow" in it so let's work towards that tune being something relaxed and fun to shuffle through.
And in Guitar 3 Rep, though it pained me to skip over Tom Jones, it was straight into The Association's "Never My Love," which has some modest riff work. If you remind yourself that the C-shape (or Fmaj7--both work) is home base, and you simply make minor modifications inside that shape, you should be good to go. Also remember that the riff starts on beat 3, so you've got to count in "1 and 2 and" BEFORE you start. Inside the song, you'll be strumming either a C chord or an Am for those two lead-in beats, but in both cases, your fingers are already where they need to be to play the riff (because the C and Am chords are so closely related!) so you don't have to change anything to step right into the riff. We threw in one little walk, just to keep things spicy, and we're using the Golden Strum. It's a lot of work but the song is too pretty not to put in the effort! I hope you'll sing it for someone you love some day.
Keep on strumming, friends!
Thursday, October 9, 2014
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT + Session 5, Week 5 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
This session will probably go down as my worst as far as blog consistency, and for that I sincerely apologize. At least this week I have a string of musical excuses (gigs, subbing for other teachers--gotta put back into that karma bank after my own absences, and a visit to the David Bowie Is exhibition from which I am still recovering 24 hours later).
Please forgive my tardiness. I will try to do better.
Now, IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! Registration is open for next session and this week only you can save $15 if you register with the code "SPOOKYFOLK14" (I don't write them. I just post the news.) It's only good through Sunday night, so don't wait.
I'll be teaching continuations of all my current classes in the same respective time slots. Stick with me if you like, or explore something different (happy to make recommendations!), but TAKE A CLASS!
Here's my class list: http://www.oldtownschool.org/teachers/Jane-Hanna/
Onto recaps.
In Guitar 4ever we spent some time talking about intervals and ear training (because I enjoyed that lesson in my other class the week before, flu-addled though I may have been). There's a handy worksheet that suggests some easy tunes to memorize that can help you recognize intervals when you hear them out in the world, but you can always come up with your own! It's a great way to start realizing the ways that the songs you know have common elements. We also spent some time on Thirteen. I liked what happened when we just strummed the eightnotes straight without worrying about the fussy outside-inside thing. Do it whichever way you see fit!
Guitar 1 spent some time working on transitions in and out of our G chord. You're going to play the G chord SOOOO often in your musical career, there's just nothing for it but to drill drill drill. Moving from G to C and the other way around is such a common maneuver, you should plan to make it part of your regular exercises. Try Hobo's Lullaby in the songbook for some tuneful ways to practice. There's also our Song of the Session, which is Roll Me On the Water. You could also take a look at New River Train and Aragon Mill for additional variety. I'm telling you, that book is a goldmine! We also glanced at the Am chord, which is very closely related to the C chord. Moving between them is also great training to build dexterity in the ring finger--which is one of the hardest one to strengthen. This week we're going to play a C/Am tune, so get ready!
And in Guitar 3rep we FINALLY played Yellow nearly a year after it was requested. The first four measures of A are a special intro which you strum with a One-and Two-and Three-and Four-and-A bouncing downstrum pulse. After that, it's all eigthnotes but being mindful of emphasis so that it doesn't become a wall of sound. Keep the strength on the beat, and back off on the "and" so there's sort of a rolling wave feel to the sound. We added some fiddly bits to the rest of the intro over the paired measures of A, E, and Dmaj7 (remember a slash means play another measure of the same chord). You'll play a single note over the entire first measure (8 counts--because it's eightnotes), plus one more on the first beat of the second measure. So you switch notes on the and of 1. Or in other words, play 9 pulses of the first note, and 7 pulses of the second note for a total of 16 pulses across the two measures. The notes are as follows (first number is the string, second number is the fret):
1/0 (e) and 2/3 (D) -- over the two measures of A
1/4 (G#) and 1/2 (F#) -- over the two measures of E
2/0 (B) and 3/2 (A) -- over the two measures of Dmaj7
1/0 (e) and 2/3 (D) -- over the two measures of A (again)
Remember that the chorus repeats in full where it says "You're skin..." towards the bottom of the page, but the lyrics the change from 'you know I love you so' to 'for you I bleed myself dry' in the second chorus. Note how you return to the intro chords at the end of each chorus, which also means you can return to the fiddly bit outlined above. And also in the chorus, remember to hit the second measure of D in the last line as a stop chord--so just hit it once and let it ring.
Finally the coda (everything after the second chorus) is just 2x through this chord progression A / E / Dmaj7 / -- which is like the intro except you do not play an additional two measures of A at the end, you just go straight back to the start of the pattern. It's a 6 measure progression--which is a little weird. That first A in the very last line of the coda is a stop chord too. Phew!
Please forgive my tardiness. I will try to do better.
Now, IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! Registration is open for next session and this week only you can save $15 if you register with the code "SPOOKYFOLK14" (I don't write them. I just post the news.) It's only good through Sunday night, so don't wait.
I'll be teaching continuations of all my current classes in the same respective time slots. Stick with me if you like, or explore something different (happy to make recommendations!), but TAKE A CLASS!
Here's my class list: http://www.oldtownschool.org/teachers/Jane-Hanna/
Onto recaps.
In Guitar 4ever we spent some time talking about intervals and ear training (because I enjoyed that lesson in my other class the week before, flu-addled though I may have been). There's a handy worksheet that suggests some easy tunes to memorize that can help you recognize intervals when you hear them out in the world, but you can always come up with your own! It's a great way to start realizing the ways that the songs you know have common elements. We also spent some time on Thirteen. I liked what happened when we just strummed the eightnotes straight without worrying about the fussy outside-inside thing. Do it whichever way you see fit!
Guitar 1 spent some time working on transitions in and out of our G chord. You're going to play the G chord SOOOO often in your musical career, there's just nothing for it but to drill drill drill. Moving from G to C and the other way around is such a common maneuver, you should plan to make it part of your regular exercises. Try Hobo's Lullaby in the songbook for some tuneful ways to practice. There's also our Song of the Session, which is Roll Me On the Water. You could also take a look at New River Train and Aragon Mill for additional variety. I'm telling you, that book is a goldmine! We also glanced at the Am chord, which is very closely related to the C chord. Moving between them is also great training to build dexterity in the ring finger--which is one of the hardest one to strengthen. This week we're going to play a C/Am tune, so get ready!
And in Guitar 3rep we FINALLY played Yellow nearly a year after it was requested. The first four measures of A are a special intro which you strum with a One-and Two-and Three-and Four-and-A bouncing downstrum pulse. After that, it's all eigthnotes but being mindful of emphasis so that it doesn't become a wall of sound. Keep the strength on the beat, and back off on the "and" so there's sort of a rolling wave feel to the sound. We added some fiddly bits to the rest of the intro over the paired measures of A, E, and Dmaj7 (remember a slash means play another measure of the same chord). You'll play a single note over the entire first measure (8 counts--because it's eightnotes), plus one more on the first beat of the second measure. So you switch notes on the and of 1. Or in other words, play 9 pulses of the first note, and 7 pulses of the second note for a total of 16 pulses across the two measures. The notes are as follows (first number is the string, second number is the fret):
1/0 (e) and 2/3 (D) -- over the two measures of A
1/4 (G#) and 1/2 (F#) -- over the two measures of E
2/0 (B) and 3/2 (A) -- over the two measures of Dmaj7
1/0 (e) and 2/3 (D) -- over the two measures of A (again)
Remember that the chorus repeats in full where it says "You're skin..." towards the bottom of the page, but the lyrics the change from 'you know I love you so' to 'for you I bleed myself dry' in the second chorus. Note how you return to the intro chords at the end of each chorus, which also means you can return to the fiddly bit outlined above. And also in the chorus, remember to hit the second measure of D in the last line as a stop chord--so just hit it once and let it ring.
Finally the coda (everything after the second chorus) is just 2x through this chord progression A / E / Dmaj7 / -- which is like the intro except you do not play an additional two measures of A at the end, you just go straight back to the start of the pattern. It's a 6 measure progression--which is a little weird. That first A in the very last line of the coda is a stop chord too. Phew!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
I'm Alive! aka Session 5, Week 4 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hey gang!
I did not succumb to the plague, though I don't mind telling you that I lost a full week to feeling crummier than I ever have before. The fog finally lifted last night and I've managed to make it through a full day at the Museum today, so things are looking up for me! Get your flu shots, kids. This year's strain is NO joke. Oof. Thanks for your get-well notes and warm wishes. They helped a lot!
I don't have much to post in the way of recaps, since I had to call upon Jimmy T. to arrange subs for most of my classes. I hope you had fun while I was away, and maybe learned something new from someone new. You'll have to teach ME when we next meet!
Sunday's Guitar 3rep was the only class I managed to drag in for--though I'm sure you all wish I'd gotten a sub instead (and I ended up spending the next two days in bed, so THAT was a mistake!).
We polished up Ziggy and then I prattled on about random music theory tidbits like ear training and intervals, and finding octaves on the guitar, and key signatures. What a mishmash! Back to our regularly-scheduled good-time strum-alongs next time.
If you've been to see the Bowie exhibit, I'm jealous. I'm going a week from today and I cannot wait.
Anyone else get tickets for Patti Smith at the School? I'm super-excited for that as well.
(I'm just making conversation here because this seems like such a short update!)
I just read Kim Fowley's autobiography "Lord of Garbage" and it's nuts. Just like him. Here's a great review. (You may not know his name, but you know his work.)
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/04/entertainment/la-et-jc-kim-fowley-memoir-lord-of-garbage-20130303
Next up on the reading list is "The History of Rock 'n' Roll ins Ten Songs" by Greil Marcus. I'll let you know how it is.
OK </blather> see you soon, friends!
I did not succumb to the plague, though I don't mind telling you that I lost a full week to feeling crummier than I ever have before. The fog finally lifted last night and I've managed to make it through a full day at the Museum today, so things are looking up for me! Get your flu shots, kids. This year's strain is NO joke. Oof. Thanks for your get-well notes and warm wishes. They helped a lot!
I don't have much to post in the way of recaps, since I had to call upon Jimmy T. to arrange subs for most of my classes. I hope you had fun while I was away, and maybe learned something new from someone new. You'll have to teach ME when we next meet!
Sunday's Guitar 3rep was the only class I managed to drag in for--though I'm sure you all wish I'd gotten a sub instead (and I ended up spending the next two days in bed, so THAT was a mistake!).
We polished up Ziggy and then I prattled on about random music theory tidbits like ear training and intervals, and finding octaves on the guitar, and key signatures. What a mishmash! Back to our regularly-scheduled good-time strum-alongs next time.
If you've been to see the Bowie exhibit, I'm jealous. I'm going a week from today and I cannot wait.
Anyone else get tickets for Patti Smith at the School? I'm super-excited for that as well.
(I'm just making conversation here because this seems like such a short update!)
I just read Kim Fowley's autobiography "Lord of Garbage" and it's nuts. Just like him. Here's a great review. (You may not know his name, but you know his work.)
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/04/entertainment/la-et-jc-kim-fowley-memoir-lord-of-garbage-20130303
Next up on the reading list is "The History of Rock 'n' Roll ins Ten Songs" by Greil Marcus. I'll let you know how it is.
OK </blather> see you soon, friends!
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Session 5, Week 3 Recap -- ALL Classes
I just got a flu shot, so cross your fingers that I'll actually be able to heft a guitar tomorrow and over the weekend! Hope you're all having a good week. Here's the rundown:
Guitar 4Ever ran through the Aimee Mann tune to keep it fresh. We also put all the pieces of Pretty in Pink together and I thought it sounded great! If you haven't worked on the riff parts yet, I humbly suggest you give them a try (and vice versa if you're eschewing the chords). See if you can do the opposite of what you did last week when we play together tomorrow.
We also got started on the Big Star tune. One of my all-time favorites. The strumming is a fun, loosey-goosey mess. Don't overthink it! It's just eighth notes for goodness sake. One-and-two-and-three-and-four-and. Pluck the bass note on the one and the three, then let yourself be free. Try the "inside/outside" technique. Just grab any old strings on the low end on the and of 1 (and the and of three); then grab something on the inside treble on 2 & 4 (think, like, 5th & 4th strings). Finally, play something on the inside bass for the last and on 2&4 (like the 2nd/3rd/4th strings). Do not be afraid to be sloppy. This is the whole point. Have a listen: http://youtu.be/pte3Jg-2Ax4 It's two guitars...or more. You're emulating a sound you can't possibly recreate alone, so relax. It's not about precision. More on this in class.
In Guitar 1, we locked in the A and E chords, and added quite a few new ones to the rotation. First up was E minor, which--like all minor chords--has a mournful sound. You make that one by starting from a regular E shape and simply lifting up your index finger. E7 is just as simple--you lift up your ring finger instead of your index finger. E-asy peasy (see what I did there?). Practice your E to E minor and your E to E7! Those exercises will get your fingers in shape.
We also talked some more about eighth note strumming (down-up down-up down-up; also known as one-and two-and three-and four-and), and also the combo strum of two quarters and four eights which goes One, Two, Three and, Four and, or down down down-up down-up); and we worked our way through Another Saturday Night and Leaving on a Jet Plane. The former tune introduced the concept of "split measures," which means that you play more than one chord in a single span of 4 counts, two beat for each chord listed.
If that wasn't enough new stuff to worry about, we also plunged into the G chord. Play it with your 1, 2, and 3 fingers, OR with your 2, 3, and 4 fingers. It's good to learn it both ways because they'll be times that call upon you to do it differently. The 2,3,4 version is the one you'll probably come to rely upon though, so have a talking-to with that pinky and start breaking it in.
And in Guitar 3rep, we finished up Ziggy bits with the Big G and Cadd9 chords (and all the theory behind them). The second measure of the intro was the last bit to hammer out. It's a C chord that you arpeggiate and modify. Say it with me now: "trip-el-let" There's a one-two-three, one-two-three feel to the first two groupings. Modify the bass note of the second one (your finger will be on the 5th string, 2nd fret to produce a B note), and then take your fingers away completely for the last pair of eighth notes (four and).
We also got into Green Day to learn our way around the Big G and the Cadd9 in a more thorough way. http://youtu.be/CnQ8N1KacJc Remember, I give you permission to keep your pinky and ring fingers down for the WHOLE song. It's a little different than what Billie Joe does, but who cares?! We do what we want. (and I think it sounds cooler with that high drone) The strumming pattern is just a sloppy Golden Strum, with some assemblage of the low strings ringing on the downstrums, and assorted high strings on the upstrums. Don't over think it. You know Green Day doesn't!
Keep on strumming, my friends! See you soon.
Guitar 4Ever ran through the Aimee Mann tune to keep it fresh. We also put all the pieces of Pretty in Pink together and I thought it sounded great! If you haven't worked on the riff parts yet, I humbly suggest you give them a try (and vice versa if you're eschewing the chords). See if you can do the opposite of what you did last week when we play together tomorrow.
We also got started on the Big Star tune. One of my all-time favorites. The strumming is a fun, loosey-goosey mess. Don't overthink it! It's just eighth notes for goodness sake. One-and-two-and-three-and-four-and. Pluck the bass note on the one and the three, then let yourself be free. Try the "inside/outside" technique. Just grab any old strings on the low end on the and of 1 (and the and of three); then grab something on the inside treble on 2 & 4 (think, like, 5th & 4th strings). Finally, play something on the inside bass for the last and on 2&4 (like the 2nd/3rd/4th strings). Do not be afraid to be sloppy. This is the whole point. Have a listen: http://youtu.be/pte3Jg-2Ax4 It's two guitars...or more. You're emulating a sound you can't possibly recreate alone, so relax. It's not about precision. More on this in class.
In Guitar 1, we locked in the A and E chords, and added quite a few new ones to the rotation. First up was E minor, which--like all minor chords--has a mournful sound. You make that one by starting from a regular E shape and simply lifting up your index finger. E7 is just as simple--you lift up your ring finger instead of your index finger. E-asy peasy (see what I did there?). Practice your E to E minor and your E to E7! Those exercises will get your fingers in shape.
We also talked some more about eighth note strumming (down-up down-up down-up; also known as one-and two-and three-and four-and), and also the combo strum of two quarters and four eights which goes One, Two, Three and, Four and, or down down down-up down-up); and we worked our way through Another Saturday Night and Leaving on a Jet Plane. The former tune introduced the concept of "split measures," which means that you play more than one chord in a single span of 4 counts, two beat for each chord listed.
If that wasn't enough new stuff to worry about, we also plunged into the G chord. Play it with your 1, 2, and 3 fingers, OR with your 2, 3, and 4 fingers. It's good to learn it both ways because they'll be times that call upon you to do it differently. The 2,3,4 version is the one you'll probably come to rely upon though, so have a talking-to with that pinky and start breaking it in.
And in Guitar 3rep, we finished up Ziggy bits with the Big G and Cadd9 chords (and all the theory behind them). The second measure of the intro was the last bit to hammer out. It's a C chord that you arpeggiate and modify. Say it with me now: "trip-el-let" There's a one-two-three, one-two-three feel to the first two groupings. Modify the bass note of the second one (your finger will be on the 5th string, 2nd fret to produce a B note), and then take your fingers away completely for the last pair of eighth notes (four and).
We also got into Green Day to learn our way around the Big G and the Cadd9 in a more thorough way. http://youtu.be/CnQ8N1KacJc Remember, I give you permission to keep your pinky and ring fingers down for the WHOLE song. It's a little different than what Billie Joe does, but who cares?! We do what we want. (and I think it sounds cooler with that high drone) The strumming pattern is just a sloppy Golden Strum, with some assemblage of the low strings ringing on the downstrums, and assorted high strings on the upstrums. Don't over think it. You know Green Day doesn't!
Keep on strumming, my friends! See you soon.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Session 5, Week 2 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Well, I'm even later than usual. The day job really gets in the way of me doing the work I WANT to do, which is blogging and playing music with you guys. (anyone want to fund an assistant for me at the Museum?)
And I was soooo sick last week that I honestly don't remember most of what happened in my classes. Maybe you all can help me fill in the blanks?
Here goes nothing--better late than never. Thanks for your patience.
Guitar 4ever -- Seriously...what did we work on? I was soooo full of cold medicine. I remember we did some of the rhythm nitty gritty with Pretty in Pink, which we'll finish putting together tonight. Lots of saying "and and and" to yourself, because we change chords in odd places where there would normally be an up-strum. The main emphasis is on 1, the and of 2, and 4. That's a little weird, but if you listen to the song and play from the gut rather than the brain, I think it'll come naturally.
We also started talking about 12-bar blues patterns. It's so common, it has its own Wikipedia page! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-bar_blues The one we did is the "shuffle" variation in that article. Practice that in A with that boogie woogie shuffle rhythm we talked about, then branch out into other keys to work on your finger stretching. Bonus homework: can you find any songs in the songbook that utilize that pattern?
Guitar 1 -- Tuning! Tune early, tune often. I handed out some resources for relative tuning, and you'll find some additional ones in the back pages of the song book. This is the blog I mentioned last week that explains things too: http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/ermahgerd-tuning.html Do yourself a favor and pick up a cheapo electronic tuner if you haven't already. It makes things much simpler, but it's still important to start training your ears to hear those intervals and match-up tones.
We added eighth notes to our strumming repertoire as well. Those are simply a subdivision of the quarter notes we've come to love, so there are twice as many of them in a single measure. We strum them with a gentle down-up motion, which I will write out with arrows as: V ^
A full measure would look like: V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^
You can play the new song, Sons and Daughters, with eighth note strums, and your new friend the A chord. It's just like A7, except with some meat in the sandwich. You'll have to cram three fingers close together, but the sound is worth the initial discomfort! We also briefly looked at E, E7, and Em, and talked about the differences between major (happy!) and minor (sad!), and a little bit of chord theory. If that stuff didn't make sense, don't despair. It will or it won't--we'll talk about it more so you'll get lots of chances--but you don't actually have to understand it to make music!
Guitar 3rep -- We started with some fingerstyle playing on our song of the session, Roll Me On The Water from the songbook. We were using a T-2-1-3 finger pattern, but you could also go T-1-T-1 if that's simpler. Your thumb is a busy guy, finding all different bass notes throughout. The rest of your fingers are either in zone 1 (strings 432) or zone 2 (strings 321) depending on the where the root note is. The bonus homework was to see if you could figure out how to add some bass walks between chords. Tough stuff, but pretty sounding!
We also got into more of the nitty-gritty of Ziggy.Check out the third line of "goodies" on the Ziggy handout. That'll give you the rhythm of the strums on the barred Am, G, and F--but remember we only strum the F chord once, and then we pluck the bass note, alternating the first fret and open string as shown on that sheet. Snag the G once on your way back up to the Am when you loop the pattern.
The third time through, you do not snag the G. Instead, you either play the open E string one more time before heading for a D chord, or else you just leave that space sonically empty and use the time to concentrate on transitioning into the next shape smoothly.
We also learned the extensive strumming rhythm that'll see us through the bulk of Ziggy Stardust. You have to subdivide the measure into 16th notes and pay attention to emphasis (on the 1, 2, and 4).
You can break it down like this:
V V^ V V^ V^V^ V V^ (one and a two and a three e and a four and a)
(If you're feeling fancy, take a look at the Mick Ronson brilliance of the optional verse riff!)
Kudos to you for sticking with it and hammering out the first part of that intro. It starts with one big strum on a G. K-R-A-N-G! Let it ring for a full beat. Rest on beat two, or mark time with a mute. On beat three, you have to subdivide into sixteenth notes, so say to yourself "three E and Uh four and" while you strum a D chord (on two), and then add and take away your pinky at the 3rd fret to play that suss chord on the "E and Uh" bit. That's the first measure! We'll finish it up on Sunday.
And I was soooo sick last week that I honestly don't remember most of what happened in my classes. Maybe you all can help me fill in the blanks?
Here goes nothing--better late than never. Thanks for your patience.
Guitar 4ever -- Seriously...what did we work on? I was soooo full of cold medicine. I remember we did some of the rhythm nitty gritty with Pretty in Pink, which we'll finish putting together tonight. Lots of saying "and and and" to yourself, because we change chords in odd places where there would normally be an up-strum. The main emphasis is on 1, the and of 2, and 4. That's a little weird, but if you listen to the song and play from the gut rather than the brain, I think it'll come naturally.
We also started talking about 12-bar blues patterns. It's so common, it has its own Wikipedia page! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-bar_blues The one we did is the "shuffle" variation in that article. Practice that in A with that boogie woogie shuffle rhythm we talked about, then branch out into other keys to work on your finger stretching. Bonus homework: can you find any songs in the songbook that utilize that pattern?
Guitar 1 -- Tuning! Tune early, tune often. I handed out some resources for relative tuning, and you'll find some additional ones in the back pages of the song book. This is the blog I mentioned last week that explains things too: http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/ermahgerd-tuning.html Do yourself a favor and pick up a cheapo electronic tuner if you haven't already. It makes things much simpler, but it's still important to start training your ears to hear those intervals and match-up tones.
We added eighth notes to our strumming repertoire as well. Those are simply a subdivision of the quarter notes we've come to love, so there are twice as many of them in a single measure. We strum them with a gentle down-up motion, which I will write out with arrows as: V ^
A full measure would look like: V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^
You can play the new song, Sons and Daughters, with eighth note strums, and your new friend the A chord. It's just like A7, except with some meat in the sandwich. You'll have to cram three fingers close together, but the sound is worth the initial discomfort! We also briefly looked at E, E7, and Em, and talked about the differences between major (happy!) and minor (sad!), and a little bit of chord theory. If that stuff didn't make sense, don't despair. It will or it won't--we'll talk about it more so you'll get lots of chances--but you don't actually have to understand it to make music!
Guitar 3rep -- We started with some fingerstyle playing on our song of the session, Roll Me On The Water from the songbook. We were using a T-2-1-3 finger pattern, but you could also go T-1-T-1 if that's simpler. Your thumb is a busy guy, finding all different bass notes throughout. The rest of your fingers are either in zone 1 (strings 432) or zone 2 (strings 321) depending on the where the root note is. The bonus homework was to see if you could figure out how to add some bass walks between chords. Tough stuff, but pretty sounding!
We also got into more of the nitty-gritty of Ziggy.Check out the third line of "goodies" on the Ziggy handout. That'll give you the rhythm of the strums on the barred Am, G, and F--but remember we only strum the F chord once, and then we pluck the bass note, alternating the first fret and open string as shown on that sheet. Snag the G once on your way back up to the Am when you loop the pattern.
The third time through, you do not snag the G. Instead, you either play the open E string one more time before heading for a D chord, or else you just leave that space sonically empty and use the time to concentrate on transitioning into the next shape smoothly.
We also learned the extensive strumming rhythm that'll see us through the bulk of Ziggy Stardust. You have to subdivide the measure into 16th notes and pay attention to emphasis (on the 1, 2, and 4).
You can break it down like this:
V V^ V V^ V^V^ V V^ (one and a two and a three e and a four and a)
(If you're feeling fancy, take a look at the Mick Ronson brilliance of the optional verse riff!)
Kudos to you for sticking with it and hammering out the first part of that intro. It starts with one big strum on a G. K-R-A-N-G! Let it ring for a full beat. Rest on beat two, or mark time with a mute. On beat three, you have to subdivide into sixteenth notes, so say to yourself "three E and Uh four and" while you strum a D chord (on two), and then add and take away your pinky at the 3rd fret to play that suss chord on the "E and Uh" bit. That's the first measure! We'll finish it up on Sunday.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Session 5, Week 1 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Back to school time!
To those of you I met for the first time this week, welcome to my blog (and welcome BACK to the rest of you). My Core teaching schedule this session is:
Guitar 4Ever -- Thursday, 8:30pm
Guitar 1 -- Saturday, 11am
Guitar 3 Rep -- Sunday 12pm
I'll post class recaps here once per week (on Tuesday or Wednesday, usually) in a digest form. Read your own classes section, or snoop on them all!
Guitar 4Ever kicked things off with a bit of the boogie woogie. Check out this YouTube vid, which I think explains the technique pretty well. http://youtu.be/Z5-LDTb3w-I He goes a bit further and adds the "flatted 7th." If that makes sense to you and you wanna try it, go ahead, but it's a bit beyond the scope of what we worked on. I believe some of you referred to this as "finger contortionism." And it is. But sometimes you have to suffer for your art! Besides, it sounds so damn cool!!!
We started out the class packet with Aimee Mann's "Save Me." Other than the little variations on E chords (Em, Emaj7--which is and Em chord with the note on the 4th string moved down a half step to the 1st fret, and Em7--which is a one-finger chord with your index on the second fret of the 5th string), there's not a whole lot of fancy fretwork. Just one little old barre chord in the form of an F.
It's the strumming that makes this so satisfying (in my opinion). Bounce twice just on the bass note on beats 1 & 2, strum the chord on 3, and then snag a little upstrum on the and of 4 on your way to the next measure. It's a strumming pattern that combines the rhythms that the bass, guitar, and drums are all playing on the album version--remember, you're a one-man band in your living room so you have to get creative in the way you arrange songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c48vs4lwgc
You'll also--if you listen carefully--hear some logical opportunities to add in rakes (dramatic, slo-mo upstrums) in a couple of places. We didn't talk about those in class, but we'll add that detail when we get together Thursday. I know some of you love to sing this song, and I love that so I want to take advantage of it. Hear the background vocals? There are some wonderful "ahhhhs" and "do-do dooos" in there, not to mention harmonies. Grab any of those if you feel like it! We don't all have to sing the same part. Let's work on vocal arranging from time to time.
In Guitar 1, we learned the parts of the guitar, the names of the strings, how to read a chord diagram, a song sheet, the D chord, the A7 chord, basic quarternote strumming, and we played through Jambalya. PHEW! That's a heckuva lot of stuff for one day!
I have a few old posts on here that can help refresh your memory on those skills. Here's one about the names of the strings:
http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/string-theory.html
And here are some with video links to excellent cover versions of the songs we did in class/ at Second Half:
http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/son-of-gun.html
http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/week-1-pay-me-or-go-to-jail.html
Besides Pay Me My Money Down, check out Good News, Buffalo Gals, and My Home's Across the Smoky Mountains in the songbook if you need a break from practicing Jambalaya. (5 songs ain't a bad portfolio for only having had one lesson!)
If you poke around in the earliest posts on this blog, you can also learn more about me, and how this page got its name.
We didn't talk about tuning yet, and your instrument may be sounding weird if it's gone out of tune. We'll spend a lot of time learning how to fix that this Saturday, but in the meantime here's a blog on the subject (and I'll have a handout in class):
http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/ermahgerd-tuning.html
Practice hard to start building up those calluses, but don't push so hard that it stops being fun to strum. Remember, it's only rock and roll!
And in Guitar 3 Rep, we're old pros at barre chords now (conceptually, if not physically), so it was straight into the tuneage for us, starting with the psychedelic goodness of Itchycoo Park by The Small Face. You'll have two barre chords to tackle. F#m is an Em shape played with a barre at the second fret, and C#m is an Am shape played with a barre at the 4th fret.
We're strumming this one with a swingin' One Two Three-And Four rhythm the whole way through, but be sure to change VIBES if not rhythms when you get to the bridge. It should feel a bit softer and more reflective than the manic happiness of the choruses.
Also, in the verses, be sure to change chords in the split measures on the 4th beat, then switch to the D on the AND of 4 in the split measure. That G chord should feel like a pick-up note that leads into the measure of D. Next week we'll work on the fancy footwork from this vid. Be sure to wear your short-shorts like the drummer (which, I'm told, are called "stubbies" in New Zealand where this band hails from). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ViwvgtvbA
I know some of you are going to Riot Fest this weekend. Say hi to Patti Smith for me!
To those of you I met for the first time this week, welcome to my blog (and welcome BACK to the rest of you). My Core teaching schedule this session is:
Guitar 4Ever -- Thursday, 8:30pm
Guitar 1 -- Saturday, 11am
Guitar 3 Rep -- Sunday 12pm
I'll post class recaps here once per week (on Tuesday or Wednesday, usually) in a digest form. Read your own classes section, or snoop on them all!
Guitar 4Ever kicked things off with a bit of the boogie woogie. Check out this YouTube vid, which I think explains the technique pretty well. http://youtu.be/Z5-LDTb3w-I He goes a bit further and adds the "flatted 7th." If that makes sense to you and you wanna try it, go ahead, but it's a bit beyond the scope of what we worked on. I believe some of you referred to this as "finger contortionism." And it is. But sometimes you have to suffer for your art! Besides, it sounds so damn cool!!!
We started out the class packet with Aimee Mann's "Save Me." Other than the little variations on E chords (Em, Emaj7--which is and Em chord with the note on the 4th string moved down a half step to the 1st fret, and Em7--which is a one-finger chord with your index on the second fret of the 5th string), there's not a whole lot of fancy fretwork. Just one little old barre chord in the form of an F.
It's the strumming that makes this so satisfying (in my opinion). Bounce twice just on the bass note on beats 1 & 2, strum the chord on 3, and then snag a little upstrum on the and of 4 on your way to the next measure. It's a strumming pattern that combines the rhythms that the bass, guitar, and drums are all playing on the album version--remember, you're a one-man band in your living room so you have to get creative in the way you arrange songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c48vs4lwgc
You'll also--if you listen carefully--hear some logical opportunities to add in rakes (dramatic, slo-mo upstrums) in a couple of places. We didn't talk about those in class, but we'll add that detail when we get together Thursday. I know some of you love to sing this song, and I love that so I want to take advantage of it. Hear the background vocals? There are some wonderful "ahhhhs" and "do-do dooos" in there, not to mention harmonies. Grab any of those if you feel like it! We don't all have to sing the same part. Let's work on vocal arranging from time to time.
In Guitar 1, we learned the parts of the guitar, the names of the strings, how to read a chord diagram, a song sheet, the D chord, the A7 chord, basic quarternote strumming, and we played through Jambalya. PHEW! That's a heckuva lot of stuff for one day!
I have a few old posts on here that can help refresh your memory on those skills. Here's one about the names of the strings:
http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/string-theory.html
And here are some with video links to excellent cover versions of the songs we did in class/ at Second Half:
http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/son-of-gun.html
http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/week-1-pay-me-or-go-to-jail.html
Besides Pay Me My Money Down, check out Good News, Buffalo Gals, and My Home's Across the Smoky Mountains in the songbook if you need a break from practicing Jambalaya. (5 songs ain't a bad portfolio for only having had one lesson!)
If you poke around in the earliest posts on this blog, you can also learn more about me, and how this page got its name.
We didn't talk about tuning yet, and your instrument may be sounding weird if it's gone out of tune. We'll spend a lot of time learning how to fix that this Saturday, but in the meantime here's a blog on the subject (and I'll have a handout in class):
http://allsixornone.blogspot.com/2013/03/ermahgerd-tuning.html
Practice hard to start building up those calluses, but don't push so hard that it stops being fun to strum. Remember, it's only rock and roll!
And in Guitar 3 Rep, we're old pros at barre chords now (conceptually, if not physically), so it was straight into the tuneage for us, starting with the psychedelic goodness of Itchycoo Park by The Small Face. You'll have two barre chords to tackle. F#m is an Em shape played with a barre at the second fret, and C#m is an Am shape played with a barre at the 4th fret.
We're strumming this one with a swingin' One Two Three-And Four rhythm the whole way through, but be sure to change VIBES if not rhythms when you get to the bridge. It should feel a bit softer and more reflective than the manic happiness of the choruses.
Also, in the verses, be sure to change chords in the split measures on the 4th beat, then switch to the D on the AND of 4 in the split measure. That G chord should feel like a pick-up note that leads into the measure of D. Next week we'll work on the fancy footwork from this vid. Be sure to wear your short-shorts like the drummer (which, I'm told, are called "stubbies" in New Zealand where this band hails from). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14ViwvgtvbA
I know some of you are going to Riot Fest this weekend. Say hi to Patti Smith for me!
Monday, August 11, 2014
Session 4, Week 7 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hey gang! Another session draws to a close as the summer-that-never-got-started starts to wind down too. I'm really looking forward to taking the stage with you all in the final week of class! It's been a remarkably productive summer for all of my classes, and as always, I appreciate your hard work and commitment to your art as we take this musical journey together.
So it comes down to this--
Thursday night's Guitar 4 class will play "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want," which I'm excited about. I tried to find time to do a video over the weekend but it just wasn't possible. A thousand pardons. I have every confidence in you, and if you listen to The Smiths themselves, I think it's fairly evident how the timing of all the fiddly bits works, so play along with the band itself! It's not like you'll make Moz cry. He's already sad for unrelated reasons.
Saturday's Guitar 4 will play...whatever we decide on Saturday! It just didn't seem right to make such a big decision without two of our ranking members. That being said, we narrowed it down to either Man Who Sold the World or Just What I Needed. Here's a video I made for my students last session that may help with The Cars if you're having lasting confusion: http://youtu.be/u6zfUICIcII
We have a full hour together before showtime so we'll run them both and see what sizzles on the spot.
[If you need any clarification the the fingerpicking work we did with the Jim Henson two-fer, lemme know via e-mail. Happy to go over that again but I'm assuming you'll be focused on gig prep this week.]
And Sunday's Guitar 3 has elected to take on Kodachrome. Don't panic in the double-time section! I'll count you into it with a "One, Two, a-one-two-three-four." That new count is your eighth notes. Lock in with me in saying "one-two-three-four," then all you have to play is "one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight" for each chord, with quick, choppy downstrums. That's perfectly fine! The advanced version with the jangle-jangleds would be more like "one-two-threeAndfourAnd-five-six-sevenAndeightAnd." Either way, it's not as fast as you think. Listen to it lots and it'll click: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLsDxvAErTU [And if you have any questions about power chords or the Ramones tune, same deal as what I said in the brackets at the end of the last paragraph!]
See you soon, stars!
So it comes down to this--
Thursday night's Guitar 4 class will play "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want," which I'm excited about. I tried to find time to do a video over the weekend but it just wasn't possible. A thousand pardons. I have every confidence in you, and if you listen to The Smiths themselves, I think it's fairly evident how the timing of all the fiddly bits works, so play along with the band itself! It's not like you'll make Moz cry. He's already sad for unrelated reasons.
Saturday's Guitar 4 will play...whatever we decide on Saturday! It just didn't seem right to make such a big decision without two of our ranking members. That being said, we narrowed it down to either Man Who Sold the World or Just What I Needed. Here's a video I made for my students last session that may help with The Cars if you're having lasting confusion: http://youtu.be/u6zfUICIcII
We have a full hour together before showtime so we'll run them both and see what sizzles on the spot.
[If you need any clarification the the fingerpicking work we did with the Jim Henson two-fer, lemme know via e-mail. Happy to go over that again but I'm assuming you'll be focused on gig prep this week.]
And Sunday's Guitar 3 has elected to take on Kodachrome. Don't panic in the double-time section! I'll count you into it with a "One, Two, a-one-two-three-four." That new count is your eighth notes. Lock in with me in saying "one-two-three-four," then all you have to play is "one-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight" for each chord, with quick, choppy downstrums. That's perfectly fine! The advanced version with the jangle-jangleds would be more like "one-two-threeAndfourAnd-five-six-sevenAndeightAnd." Either way, it's not as fast as you think. Listen to it lots and it'll click: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLsDxvAErTU [And if you have any questions about power chords or the Ramones tune, same deal as what I said in the brackets at the end of the last paragraph!]
See you soon, stars!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
DISCOUNT CODE! (and Session 4, Week 6 Recap -- ALL CLASSES)
Hey gang! Yet another grueling week underway for me. Can't wait for those kids to go back to school and get the heck out of my museum. (I'm kidding--come to the museum! Spend money!). Sorry I'm a day late.
First and foremost, we have a DISCOUNT CODE! Use it this week to save $15 on your classes in the fall session. That code is: FALLFORFOLK14 It's only valid through August 10th, so be quick about it. Here's a shortcut to my classes: https://www.oldtownschool.org/teachers/Jane-Hanna/
The School takes a 2 week break at the end of this session, so classes start up again right after Labor Day.
OK onto business!
Thursday night's Guitar 4 tackled Karma Police in all its bass-walky goodness. Ken reminded me that the video for that tune was super cool, so have a look! You guys blazed through it easily, so I won't recap all the nitty-gritty. Just remember to use "little" F and "little" G so that you can do the arpeggios in the chorus part--down on the G, up on the F. Two strums per measure on everything else.
Keep The Smiths up-to-date, and tomorrow will finish up with that Vashti Bunyan tune. I'm guessing you haven't heard it, so check it out: http://youtu.be/lwSTf_sekv4 Really simple but really pleasing one riff tune. Shouldn't take us too long.
Saturday's Guitar 4 learned about the "magic triangle" of power chords. The 1, 4, 5 chords in ANY key, when played as power chords, have a geographic relationship on the fretboard that resembles a triangle. Whether its a right-side-up triangle, or an upside-down one depends on where the 1 chord is located. Play around with songbook tunes to help make this click in your brain. The number grid in the upper left corner of those songs will tell you when you've found one suitable. And keep plugging away at The Cars tune! We may or may not tackle one more new (Muppety) song this weekend, depending on how everyone feels about things.
And Guitar 3 on Sunday spent the session learning Melissa by the Allman Brothers in all its weird chord-slidey goodness. Stick to quarter note downstrums until you get more automatic with the shapes on the fretting hand. Remember that when you're doing the chord progression based on the E-string, your index finger is aiming for even numbered frets, and when you're doing the chord progression based on the A-string your index finger is aiming for odd numbered frets. Be sure to work on that B to C#m barre chord passage too. It's great exercise!
See you all soon!
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Session 4, Week 5 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
I hope you're all heading out to Millennium Park tonight to watch Spinal Tap! It's mandatory viewing for all guitar players. I'll be there with my bandmates and some other pals. If only we had a picnic table that was a 12" scale model of Stonehenge!
I am told that the early registration discount code will be emailed out next Monday, so watch your inboxes like hawks. It's only good for a quick second!
Last week Thursday's Guitar 4 finished the heavy lifting in The Smiths' tune. Please enjoy this brilliant use of YouTube, which combines the song with a montage of the life-is-so-hard-without-this-product moments form infomercials. Completely perfect in every way. Your homework is to practice the two "goodies" back to back so you become used to the transition between the two. The printed goodie, which you are playing only half of--but when you team up with your buddy and your powers combine...MAGIC!--slots in over the two measures of Bm. (you can play it again over the 2 measures of Bm at the end of the second verse too!) Listen to how quickly it goes! Practice practice practice! The handwritten goodie slots in over the GM7 and A, and the first beat of the Dm7 measure that starts the second verse. It comes immediately after the first goodie.The mandolin fancy business at the end is the same notes/changes as the printed outro on the song chart, but without all the super-charged strumming. I think this one might be a performance contender, so work hard at it!
Saturday's Guitar 4 worked up Just What I Needed using power chords, which are supposed to be easy but proved challenging. Take note of the intro! You play eighth note down strums on the E string ONLY for 6 beats, and then you let the chord ring on the 7th beat. Do that four times. Then play the string alone for 6 beats, followed by the chord twice on 7 and 8. Listen and it'll make sense: http://youtu.be/TsPh-EgH65M
There are a number of small lead parts you can play on the high strings (tabbed out) which mimic the keyboard parts in the song. Listen and follow along and in our next meeting will spend some more time getting those nailed down. And remember, we're swapping out the solo for two measure of plain old E, just to keep things simple. (And hey, don't let Man Who Sold the World get rusty either because I'll want to run through that again too)
And Sunday's Guitar 3 worked up CSNY's "Our House," which has some rather pleasing walk-downs. Just follow the chord charts as you alter the bass note of the chord measure by measure. Remember we're playing the bass note twice by itself in a light and bouncy way, followed by two similarly light strums on the chord. (If you listen to the recording, it's more like a 1:3 split on piano between bass note and chord, but on guitar it sounds better our way). That changes a little in the split measures, where you'll play the bass note once and then the chord once, then the next bass note and the next chord once each. Play that Eb chord by sliding a C shape up until your index finger is at the 4th fret, and then add your pinky on the 1st string 7th fret. Easy! Please feel free to throw in some "la"s so I don't have to do ALL of those by myself.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Session 4, Week 4 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Yikes, guys! I guess maybe Wednesday is my new update day for this page, since I can't seem to get a window on Tuesdays anymore. (aren't summers supposed to be relaxing?! I'm busier than ever!)
Thursday night's Guitar 4 class--at long last--played The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want." It's in 6/8 time, which is a new concept. Don't think of it like 3/4. It's more like 2/4. Emphasize the first and 4th beats. There's a strumming pattern shown on the songmap but you'll have to double it to make up a full, single measure of 6/8 strumming. There are a few new chords we talked about, most notably G major 7, which can be written as either Gmaj7 or GM7. Capital letter means major, lower case means minor! You play that one by modifying a regular G chord on the 1st string so that you're playing the note on the 2nd fret (F#) instead of on the 3rd fret like you normally would. It's only a half-step different than a regular G chord, but it gets a little finger-tangly so be patient with yourself.
I broke up the class into 1s and 2s and we'll pair up to tackle the first of the fiddly bits next week. You'll only be responsible for either the top line OR the bottom line of printed tableture. You and your partner playing your parts in unison will form the chords. Remember I mentioned that that sequence is written as 4 measures, but it's really only two. The rhythm is: One-and-two-and-three-and four five six (which you do twice).
The second bit of fiddly business--the handwritten one--should be relatively straightforward so I want everyone to learn it. We'll put it all together in class, and also start looking at the Radiohead tune.
Saturday's Guitar 4 class...is a mystery to me! I was having ye olde goode tyme at the Ren Faire with my family, so you'll have to update ME this week. I hope you had a good time with Chris in my absence. We'll work on Man Who Sold the World a bit and also make a start on The Cars tune.
And Sunday's Guitar 3 class finished up with Kodachrome by confronting the double-time section. Remember, I'll count you in with a "one, two, one-two-three-four" to show you where the eigthnotes come in. Those will become your base unit of measure when we change to the down-down-downup-downup strumming pattern on the sixteenth notes. Deep breaths, don't panic. There's a lot of space and time in there--much more than you think. So try and relax through it, stay loose in the wrist, and count.
We also worked on Killing Moon, which is an excellent barre chord strength training exercise! Play the G and Cm in the chorus both as barre chords. You can leave your index finger down on the 3rd fret, while you move an E shape (or an Am shape! Same thing!) back and forth. Conceptually, it's easy, but it's physically difficult--and it's a great way to build up your hand strength. Finish by adding a dramatic upstrum (rake) to the second measure of Em at the end of the verses (krrrrrang!). You can also do it on the first measure of Em each time through the instrumental passage (intro and middle of song). Great work filling in the names of the notes on the bottom two strings on the worksheet! The closer you can get to memorizing that map, the easier it'll be to move barre chords around and feel like a musical master of the universe. CSN is the plan for Sunday and it'll be fussy but fun.
See you soon!
Thursday night's Guitar 4 class--at long last--played The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want." It's in 6/8 time, which is a new concept. Don't think of it like 3/4. It's more like 2/4. Emphasize the first and 4th beats. There's a strumming pattern shown on the songmap but you'll have to double it to make up a full, single measure of 6/8 strumming. There are a few new chords we talked about, most notably G major 7, which can be written as either Gmaj7 or GM7. Capital letter means major, lower case means minor! You play that one by modifying a regular G chord on the 1st string so that you're playing the note on the 2nd fret (F#) instead of on the 3rd fret like you normally would. It's only a half-step different than a regular G chord, but it gets a little finger-tangly so be patient with yourself.
I broke up the class into 1s and 2s and we'll pair up to tackle the first of the fiddly bits next week. You'll only be responsible for either the top line OR the bottom line of printed tableture. You and your partner playing your parts in unison will form the chords. Remember I mentioned that that sequence is written as 4 measures, but it's really only two. The rhythm is: One-and-two-and-three-and four five six (which you do twice).
The second bit of fiddly business--the handwritten one--should be relatively straightforward so I want everyone to learn it. We'll put it all together in class, and also start looking at the Radiohead tune.
Saturday's Guitar 4 class...is a mystery to me! I was having ye olde goode tyme at the Ren Faire with my family, so you'll have to update ME this week. I hope you had a good time with Chris in my absence. We'll work on Man Who Sold the World a bit and also make a start on The Cars tune.
And Sunday's Guitar 3 class finished up with Kodachrome by confronting the double-time section. Remember, I'll count you in with a "one, two, one-two-three-four" to show you where the eigthnotes come in. Those will become your base unit of measure when we change to the down-down-downup-downup strumming pattern on the sixteenth notes. Deep breaths, don't panic. There's a lot of space and time in there--much more than you think. So try and relax through it, stay loose in the wrist, and count.
We also worked on Killing Moon, which is an excellent barre chord strength training exercise! Play the G and Cm in the chorus both as barre chords. You can leave your index finger down on the 3rd fret, while you move an E shape (or an Am shape! Same thing!) back and forth. Conceptually, it's easy, but it's physically difficult--and it's a great way to build up your hand strength. Finish by adding a dramatic upstrum (rake) to the second measure of Em at the end of the verses (krrrrrang!). You can also do it on the first measure of Em each time through the instrumental passage (intro and middle of song). Great work filling in the names of the notes on the bottom two strings on the worksheet! The closer you can get to memorizing that map, the easier it'll be to move barre chords around and feel like a musical master of the universe. CSN is the plan for Sunday and it'll be fussy but fun.
See you soon!
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Session 4, Week 3 Recap -- ALL Classes
Oooof! I hope you're all having a better week than I am. I have exactly 10 minutes to do this update so it'll be painfully short. (but hopefully sweet!)
Guitar 4 on Thursday night spent our meeting going through Rainbow Connection (see video a few posts back). You can add the walk down the E string to connect the G and Eminor chords at the ends of the lines if you so choose, but it's not required. We're going to smart The Smiths this week, so if you don't already know this tune, take a few listens: http://youtu.be/yRYpd3_roHg I'll have copies for those of you that got packets that were missing this one.
And Guitar 4 on Saturday continues to valiantly forge ahead through some heavy scale work in Man Who Sold The World. I'm not going to do a lot of 'splaining here because it's all tabbed out for you on the goodies sheet. But I do have some bits of advice. Bit #1: Look for patterns. Your fingers make certain shapes multiple times when you play scales. Look for those and learn to love them. Repetitive motions make life a lot simpler and there are really only like 3 maneuvers you have to make in that tune. Once you've isolated those motions, you repeat them on different string combos, and there you have it. Bit #2: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. The only way to take this from confounding to competency is to do it. A lot. Muscle memory is a real thing and your fingers will start to act on their own in the correct way but you've got to train them first and that takes time and repetition. You can't play it once, skip the next 3 days, and expect it to have gotten better. Be consistent and watch yourself improve like magic! Take breaks to practice fingerstyle playing on the Iron & Wine tune, and any other 4/4 tune in the book.
Finally, Guitar 3 did a great job on Kodachrome. The riff at the top slots in INSTEAD of the measures of G it's listed next to, so don't play both things! You'll replace those Gs with the riff each time. I think the riff is pretty self-explanatory from the tab, and it has a lot of repetition inside it so try to memorize it! It'll be the Golden Strum on all full measures, and straight quarter notes on the beats inside of split measures--unless there's an exclamation point telling you to hit the chord just once and let it ring for 2 beats (instead of strumming it twice). Dmaj7 is played by barring the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings all at the 2nd fret, and strumming from the open 4th string down. We'll work more on how the timing changes at the end when we meet this weekend.
Guitar 4 on Thursday night spent our meeting going through Rainbow Connection (see video a few posts back). You can add the walk down the E string to connect the G and Eminor chords at the ends of the lines if you so choose, but it's not required. We're going to smart The Smiths this week, so if you don't already know this tune, take a few listens: http://youtu.be/yRYpd3_roHg I'll have copies for those of you that got packets that were missing this one.
And Guitar 4 on Saturday continues to valiantly forge ahead through some heavy scale work in Man Who Sold The World. I'm not going to do a lot of 'splaining here because it's all tabbed out for you on the goodies sheet. But I do have some bits of advice. Bit #1: Look for patterns. Your fingers make certain shapes multiple times when you play scales. Look for those and learn to love them. Repetitive motions make life a lot simpler and there are really only like 3 maneuvers you have to make in that tune. Once you've isolated those motions, you repeat them on different string combos, and there you have it. Bit #2: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. The only way to take this from confounding to competency is to do it. A lot. Muscle memory is a real thing and your fingers will start to act on their own in the correct way but you've got to train them first and that takes time and repetition. You can't play it once, skip the next 3 days, and expect it to have gotten better. Be consistent and watch yourself improve like magic! Take breaks to practice fingerstyle playing on the Iron & Wine tune, and any other 4/4 tune in the book.
Finally, Guitar 3 did a great job on Kodachrome. The riff at the top slots in INSTEAD of the measures of G it's listed next to, so don't play both things! You'll replace those Gs with the riff each time. I think the riff is pretty self-explanatory from the tab, and it has a lot of repetition inside it so try to memorize it! It'll be the Golden Strum on all full measures, and straight quarter notes on the beats inside of split measures--unless there's an exclamation point telling you to hit the chord just once and let it ring for 2 beats (instead of strumming it twice). Dmaj7 is played by barring the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings all at the 2nd fret, and strumming from the open 4th string down. We'll work more on how the timing changes at the end when we meet this weekend.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Slight Delay
Hi guys! I'm still recovering from Square Roots and my big Broadway gig last night, so I haven't had a chance to get an update posted today, but I'll have more time tomorrow--so stay tuned!
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Session 4, Week 2 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Summertime! And the livin' is easy. Or so they say.
I'm in crunch mode prepping for a gig so this'll be fairly short.
Coupla things pertinent to ALL:
This weekend is Square Roots Fest! http://www.squareroots.org/
Come for the music, stay for the beer! It's the most fun you'll have all summer. There will be an Education Tent where teachers and students are welcome to hang out and strum a song or two. I'll likely be there Saturday and Sunday before and/or after my classes, so stop by! There will also be extended Second Half jams on Saturday at 12:30p and Sunday at 1:30p, during which yours truly will supply the Twin Spin, so show up and lend me some moral support.
IMPORTANT "BUT!": BUT! parking will be an awful challenge so come early or take CTA.
Ok onto business.
Thursday's Guitar 4 did not meet last week due to holiday laziness (but my mom thanks you heartily!). See the previous post for a video lesson. We'll pick up from there this week.
Saturday's Guitar 4 continued to contemplate the meaning of the word "intermediate," after a somewhat grueling lesson on scales. Remember, WWHWWWH or the weird phone number 221-2221 in order to memorize the intervals that make up a major scale. 1 fret = H, so 2 frets = W. You can play up a single string, or break across strings to stay in one position using either an open or closed scale form. Open scale forms utilize the open strings--hence the name! But they can ONLY be played in one place because open strings are a fixed note/ position. Closed scales on the other hand, are modular and moveable. So long as you know where your root note is, you can use the same finger sequence to from any starting position. Don't forget that the second diagram--the one for CLOSED scales--shows you finger numbers, NOT fret numbers. Very important! We'll put it into further practice with Man Who Sold the World, so hopefully you practiced up on the hammer-ons and chord progression we started with last week.
And Guitar 3 on Sunday also used their brains more than they maybe meant to. this week worked on the F barre chord. It's just an E shape with your second, third and fourth fingers, played above a barre at the 2nd fret. It's mean and it hurts, but once you've mastered it, you can move that shape up and down the neck to any position. If you know the name of the note you're barring on the low-E string, you know the name of the chord you're playing! Wanna make it minor? Use the E-minor shape instead.Same rules apply to the Am and A shapes played with a root note barred on the 5th string. If that doesn't quite make sense, don't worry. It'll sink in and we'll work on it each week. But let's get started by completing the homework sheet in the packet. Fill in the names of the notes on the bottom two strings and we'll go from there. Practice the Otis Redding tune to get that F chord into your fingers. (and perfect your whistlin' skills!)
I'm in crunch mode prepping for a gig so this'll be fairly short.
Coupla things pertinent to ALL:
This weekend is Square Roots Fest! http://www.squareroots.org/
Come for the music, stay for the beer! It's the most fun you'll have all summer. There will be an Education Tent where teachers and students are welcome to hang out and strum a song or two. I'll likely be there Saturday and Sunday before and/or after my classes, so stop by! There will also be extended Second Half jams on Saturday at 12:30p and Sunday at 1:30p, during which yours truly will supply the Twin Spin, so show up and lend me some moral support.
IMPORTANT "BUT!": BUT! parking will be an awful challenge so come early or take CTA.
Ok onto business.
Thursday's Guitar 4 did not meet last week due to holiday laziness (but my mom thanks you heartily!). See the previous post for a video lesson. We'll pick up from there this week.
Saturday's Guitar 4 continued to contemplate the meaning of the word "intermediate," after a somewhat grueling lesson on scales. Remember, WWHWWWH or the weird phone number 221-2221 in order to memorize the intervals that make up a major scale. 1 fret = H, so 2 frets = W. You can play up a single string, or break across strings to stay in one position using either an open or closed scale form. Open scale forms utilize the open strings--hence the name! But they can ONLY be played in one place because open strings are a fixed note/ position. Closed scales on the other hand, are modular and moveable. So long as you know where your root note is, you can use the same finger sequence to from any starting position. Don't forget that the second diagram--the one for CLOSED scales--shows you finger numbers, NOT fret numbers. Very important! We'll put it into further practice with Man Who Sold the World, so hopefully you practiced up on the hammer-ons and chord progression we started with last week.
And Guitar 3 on Sunday also used their brains more than they maybe meant to. this week worked on the F barre chord. It's just an E shape with your second, third and fourth fingers, played above a barre at the 2nd fret. It's mean and it hurts, but once you've mastered it, you can move that shape up and down the neck to any position. If you know the name of the note you're barring on the low-E string, you know the name of the chord you're playing! Wanna make it minor? Use the E-minor shape instead.Same rules apply to the Am and A shapes played with a root note barred on the 5th string. If that doesn't quite make sense, don't worry. It'll sink in and we'll work on it each week. But let's get started by completing the homework sheet in the packet. Fill in the names of the notes on the bottom two strings and we'll go from there. Practice the Otis Redding tune to get that F chord into your fingers. (and perfect your whistlin' skills!)
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Confidential to Guitar 4 on Thursday Night
Friends --
I'm enjoying my minibreak and I hope you are too. As promised, here's your video lesson for this week. Have a happy holiday and see you next Thursday!
http://youtu.be/LmhHTn1kKkY
I'm enjoying my minibreak and I hope you are too. As promised, here's your video lesson for this week. Have a happy holiday and see you next Thursday!
http://youtu.be/LmhHTn1kKkY
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Session 4, Week 1 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Session 4 already?! Where is this year going? Somebody stop it before it starts snowing again!
At any rate, it's a fresh session, a new round of classes, and a new blog.
A huge welcome to both new and returning students who are checking this page. As I mentioned in class, I try my best to update on Tuesdays, so check here every week on Tuesday evening or later for your class rundown.
Week 1 is always a fun chance to knock the rust off (even for those of you who've been signed up for class all along--the post Showcase rest is enough time to rust!). But now it's time to get back to work, so here we go!
Thursday night's Guitar 4 got started on some new fingerpicking work (and politely endured some 80s-cheese) with the Bowie ballad "As the World Falls Down" from the Jim Henson movie Labyrinth. The hair! The costumes! // jane dies //
Listen to the bass part here and you'll get the vibe of our fingerpicking pattern. Your thumb bounces twice on the root note of each chord shape, your index finger plucks its note once, followed by your 2nd and 3rd fingers together, plucking a mini-chord. The count is "one-and-two-and..." and just rest on 3 & 4 in the basic version, or add an extra index-chord-index on "and-four-and" for the pro-version. In either case, nothing happens on the third downbeat.
This song is in 4/4 time, but that pattern helps us get prepped for our next challenge, the other half of our Jim Henson two-fer--Rainbow Connection, which is in 3/4. http://youtu.be/jSFLZ-MzIhM
For now, stick to playing a waltz rhythm with your pick--pluck the root note on the 1, and strum the chords on 2&3. I'm guessing that if you listen to the intro and think like a banjo, you'll figure out how to do a Labyrinth-style finger pattern on RC, but I'll post a video lesson later this week with the specifics.
And remember, the Thursday night class is NOT MEETING THIS WEEK! Enjoy your night off. My mother appreciates your willingness to let me out for a visit.
Saturday's Guitar 4 also got started on some fingerpicking. Spend some time looking at the exercises in the back of the songbook. There are great resources back there to help get your fingers into pickin'-shape. You can apply the techniques to the tunes in the book liberally for maximum results! I think we'll take a look at Aragon Mill this weekend, which is the song of the session, and apply what we started with week 1. We worked on Faded from the Winter by Iron & Wine. Remember that your thumb, which plays the root note, also counts out the beats so in order to play a full measure, you have to double the pattern written on the page. The finger order goes: T-2-1-3, applied to strings 6-4-5-3 in that order (confused yet?). Your fretting hand is just making a two-note shape that moves up and down the neck as indicated. Here's the fully-bearded version. We'll play it a bit slower than the recording for awhile though! http://youtu.be/7e-sba4tIss
And in Sunday's Guitar 3, we made our very first foray into the barre chords. We started with Bm, which you make by forming and Am shape with alternate fingers (2, 3, 4), sliding the whole shebang up two frets so the fingers are making the shape on the 3rd and 4th frets, and then setting your index finger across all the strings at the second fret to form a barre (but you only have to strum--and technically only barre--the bottom 5 strings). Watch your thumb so that its parallell-ish to the barre and can help support it. Also, try to use the outside edge of your index finger rather than the underside, because the padded part is just too squishy to get an even barre out of. The outside edge of your finger is more evenly bony and therefore easier to press down with. Your body position also matters. Raise up the neck of the guitar slightly, pull your elbow off of your ribcage if it's glued there, and drop your wrist and thumb down so that you have room to support the chord and maneuver in and out of it. If you feel kinked up, stand up with a strap. That should help reset you into a natural frame. We played With a Little Help from My Friends to get that Bm into our fingers. Just chop chop chop chop on the quarter notes with muting in between to give it that special flare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBDF04fQKtQ
I introduced the F chord as well, so practice that shape so we can use it in a song this week. It's just an E shape with alternate fingers (2,3,4) moved up just one fret, with the barre across the first fret. It's a doozy! Extra hand strength is required when you're playing so far away from your body, which is why it's essential that you practice and build up those muscles.
Have a nice Fourth of July! Play folk songs on your guitar! It's a very American thing to do!
At any rate, it's a fresh session, a new round of classes, and a new blog.
A huge welcome to both new and returning students who are checking this page. As I mentioned in class, I try my best to update on Tuesdays, so check here every week on Tuesday evening or later for your class rundown.
Week 1 is always a fun chance to knock the rust off (even for those of you who've been signed up for class all along--the post Showcase rest is enough time to rust!). But now it's time to get back to work, so here we go!
Thursday night's Guitar 4 got started on some new fingerpicking work (and politely endured some 80s-cheese) with the Bowie ballad "As the World Falls Down" from the Jim Henson movie Labyrinth. The hair! The costumes! // jane dies //
Listen to the bass part here and you'll get the vibe of our fingerpicking pattern. Your thumb bounces twice on the root note of each chord shape, your index finger plucks its note once, followed by your 2nd and 3rd fingers together, plucking a mini-chord. The count is "one-and-two-and..." and just rest on 3 & 4 in the basic version, or add an extra index-chord-index on "and-four-and" for the pro-version. In either case, nothing happens on the third downbeat.
This song is in 4/4 time, but that pattern helps us get prepped for our next challenge, the other half of our Jim Henson two-fer--Rainbow Connection, which is in 3/4. http://youtu.be/jSFLZ-MzIhM
For now, stick to playing a waltz rhythm with your pick--pluck the root note on the 1, and strum the chords on 2&3. I'm guessing that if you listen to the intro and think like a banjo, you'll figure out how to do a Labyrinth-style finger pattern on RC, but I'll post a video lesson later this week with the specifics.
And remember, the Thursday night class is NOT MEETING THIS WEEK! Enjoy your night off. My mother appreciates your willingness to let me out for a visit.
Saturday's Guitar 4 also got started on some fingerpicking. Spend some time looking at the exercises in the back of the songbook. There are great resources back there to help get your fingers into pickin'-shape. You can apply the techniques to the tunes in the book liberally for maximum results! I think we'll take a look at Aragon Mill this weekend, which is the song of the session, and apply what we started with week 1. We worked on Faded from the Winter by Iron & Wine. Remember that your thumb, which plays the root note, also counts out the beats so in order to play a full measure, you have to double the pattern written on the page. The finger order goes: T-2-1-3, applied to strings 6-4-5-3 in that order (confused yet?). Your fretting hand is just making a two-note shape that moves up and down the neck as indicated. Here's the fully-bearded version. We'll play it a bit slower than the recording for awhile though! http://youtu.be/7e-sba4tIss
And in Sunday's Guitar 3, we made our very first foray into the barre chords. We started with Bm, which you make by forming and Am shape with alternate fingers (2, 3, 4), sliding the whole shebang up two frets so the fingers are making the shape on the 3rd and 4th frets, and then setting your index finger across all the strings at the second fret to form a barre (but you only have to strum--and technically only barre--the bottom 5 strings). Watch your thumb so that its parallell-ish to the barre and can help support it. Also, try to use the outside edge of your index finger rather than the underside, because the padded part is just too squishy to get an even barre out of. The outside edge of your finger is more evenly bony and therefore easier to press down with. Your body position also matters. Raise up the neck of the guitar slightly, pull your elbow off of your ribcage if it's glued there, and drop your wrist and thumb down so that you have room to support the chord and maneuver in and out of it. If you feel kinked up, stand up with a strap. That should help reset you into a natural frame. We played With a Little Help from My Friends to get that Bm into our fingers. Just chop chop chop chop on the quarter notes with muting in between to give it that special flare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBDF04fQKtQ
I introduced the F chord as well, so practice that shape so we can use it in a song this week. It's just an E shape with alternate fingers (2,3,4) moved up just one fret, with the barre across the first fret. It's a doozy! Extra hand strength is required when you're playing so far away from your body, which is why it's essential that you practice and build up those muscles.
Have a nice Fourth of July! Play folk songs on your guitar! It's a very American thing to do!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Seesion 3, Week 7 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hey gang! It's almost time to take our victory lap at the Student Showcase next week, but this pas week we still had a bit of work to do--namely the songs of the session. If you haven't looked up Malvina's own version of Little Boxes, do yourself a favor and check it out: http://youtu.be/2_2lGkEU4Xs
I just love her voice.
There are many many versions of Water is Wide on YouTube also, but I'm partial to Pete's singalong version, because...Pete. Just Pete: http://youtu.be/wenQ_ThYksA
The rundown of Showcase songs is as follows --
Thursday Guitar 4: Just What I Needed (see previous post for a video tutorial). Stick with it! It's gonna be fine so long as we're all in it together. Pinky swear! We'll meet at 8:30p as per usual. Show starts at 9pm.
Saturday Guitar 3rep: Never My Love. It's gonna be so purdy! Ziggy is the fallback but I bet we won't need it. We meet at 11am as usual, and our show starts at noon so all your guests can get comfy in the concert hall.
Sunday Guitar 2rep: Heart of Gold--BUT (and it's a big but) there's always a chance that a class before us will play it. It's a popular tune at all levels. We don't want to get upstaged, so keep We're Gonna Be Friends ready as our back-up plan. Meet me at noon like always, and tell your guests that curtain goes up at 12:45p. But there isn't really a curtain.
E-mail me with questions, practice hard, and ENJOY the fruits of a productive session!
Remember next session starts up immediately, so if you haven't registered yet you'll wanna get on that so you don't miss a beat.
As always, it's an honor and a privilege to be your teach, and I learn far more from you all than I could ever reciprocate. Thanks for the music!
I just love her voice.
There are many many versions of Water is Wide on YouTube also, but I'm partial to Pete's singalong version, because...Pete. Just Pete: http://youtu.be/wenQ_ThYksA
The rundown of Showcase songs is as follows --
Thursday Guitar 4: Just What I Needed (see previous post for a video tutorial). Stick with it! It's gonna be fine so long as we're all in it together. Pinky swear! We'll meet at 8:30p as per usual. Show starts at 9pm.
Saturday Guitar 3rep: Never My Love. It's gonna be so purdy! Ziggy is the fallback but I bet we won't need it. We meet at 11am as usual, and our show starts at noon so all your guests can get comfy in the concert hall.
Sunday Guitar 2rep: Heart of Gold--BUT (and it's a big but) there's always a chance that a class before us will play it. It's a popular tune at all levels. We don't want to get upstaged, so keep We're Gonna Be Friends ready as our back-up plan. Meet me at noon like always, and tell your guests that curtain goes up at 12:45p. But there isn't really a curtain.
E-mail me with questions, practice hard, and ENJOY the fruits of a productive session!
Remember next session starts up immediately, so if you haven't registered yet you'll wanna get on that so you don't miss a beat.
As always, it's an honor and a privilege to be your teach, and I learn far more from you all than I could ever reciprocate. Thanks for the music!
Friday, June 13, 2014
Confidential to Guitar 4 on Thursday night
Hey Thursday night kids! Here's a video lesson to help you get prepped for the Student Showcase next week. http://youtu.be/u6zfUICIcII
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Session 3, Week 6 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
Hello friends!
The session is starting to wind down but we still have work to do.
Guitar 4 got started on a song by one of my favorite all-time bands, The Cars. Take note of the intro! You play eighth note down strums on the E string ONLY for 6 beats, and then you let the chord ring on the 7th beat. Do that four times. Then play the string alone for 6 beats, followed by the chord twice on 7 and 8. Listen and it'll make sense: http://youtu.be/TsPh-EgH65M
There are a number of small lead parts you can play on the high strings (tabbed out) which mimic the keyboard parts in the song. Listen and follow along and in our next meeting will spend some more time getting those nailed down. (But don't let Man Who Sold the World get rusty either because I'll want to run through that again too)
In Guitar 3 Rep we roped some Wild Horses. The strumming pattern is more or less the same as on Ziggy, but a little slower, lazier, and less precise. Don't worry about all the little up and downs, so long as you land clear strums on beats 1, 2, and 4. The rest of the doo-dads are just by feel. The split measures feature the root-strum root-strum-root stepping stones you'll hear here: http://youtu.be/UFLJFl7ws_0 Get to that root note! Especially on the Bminor. You've got a little extra time to form the rest of the chord after you nail the root on the one. Keep Never My Love and Ziggy fresh because they're all contenders for graduation. And bring your songbooks this week so we can do the song of the session fingerstyle!
And on Sunday, Guitar 2 Rep learned September Gurls, which I hope is now your favorite song. I love Big Star sooo very much. http://youtu.be/BNKSs1J38EA
The session is starting to wind down but we still have work to do.
Guitar 4 got started on a song by one of my favorite all-time bands, The Cars. Take note of the intro! You play eighth note down strums on the E string ONLY for 6 beats, and then you let the chord ring on the 7th beat. Do that four times. Then play the string alone for 6 beats, followed by the chord twice on 7 and 8. Listen and it'll make sense: http://youtu.be/TsPh-EgH65M
There are a number of small lead parts you can play on the high strings (tabbed out) which mimic the keyboard parts in the song. Listen and follow along and in our next meeting will spend some more time getting those nailed down. (But don't let Man Who Sold the World get rusty either because I'll want to run through that again too)
In Guitar 3 Rep we roped some Wild Horses. The strumming pattern is more or less the same as on Ziggy, but a little slower, lazier, and less precise. Don't worry about all the little up and downs, so long as you land clear strums on beats 1, 2, and 4. The rest of the doo-dads are just by feel. The split measures feature the root-strum root-strum-root stepping stones you'll hear here: http://youtu.be/UFLJFl7ws_0 Get to that root note! Especially on the Bminor. You've got a little extra time to form the rest of the chord after you nail the root on the one. Keep Never My Love and Ziggy fresh because they're all contenders for graduation. And bring your songbooks this week so we can do the song of the session fingerstyle!
And on Sunday, Guitar 2 Rep learned September Gurls, which I hope is now your favorite song. I love Big Star sooo very much. http://youtu.be/BNKSs1J38EA
I still can't believe this tune came out in 1974. Sounds like something you would've heard on the stage at Pitchfork this summer--though I bet you anything that all the bands on that bill are Big Star fans! The only thing tricky in that tune is the intro, but if you think of it in terms of moveable shapes, it's simple enough. Start with a D shape at the 7th fret (your 3rd finger will be on the 8th fret). Then make a Dm7 shape--which is like an F minus your 3rd finger--at the 5th fret (2nd finger at 6th fret). Finally, keep your fingers in that shape but slide them down to the 3rd & 4th frets. You'll strum the open D string through all of those moves to create a kind of background drone.
Incidentally, the documentary I mentioned is called Nothing Can Hurt Me. If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it. I was lucky enough to see it on the big screen at the Music Box Theater, and I came away completely inspired as a songwriter. It shows you all the beauty and horror, the excitement and the boredom, and all the other polarizing moments that comprise belonging to a band.
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Session 3, Week 5 Recap -- ALL CLASSES
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| Why yes that IS Diane Keaton in the original Broadway cast of Hair! |
The Early Registration pressure is ON! Save $15 on your next class--with me or with another fine teacher!--if you use the code PLAYSUMMER14 when you sign up...but you have to hurry. The discount is only good through this Friday the 6th. Here's a link to my faculty page (now with dramatic B&W photo!): https://www.oldtownschool.org/teachers/Jane-Hanna/
I've also got a few of gigs I want to put on your radar.
- On 6/21, my Glam Rock Ensemble will perform at Independence Tap, along with the Women's Rock Ensemble and the CBGBs Ensemble. Loud, silly, electrified fun for all (and a chance to check out what ensembles are all about if you've never signed up for one before!). Music starts at 8pm, no cover.
- On 6/28, my David Bowie cover band Heroes will perform its finally-final (for real this time) show EVER at Parlour on Clark. It's the eve of the Pride Parade and we're on a bill with a disco band so there will be sweat and glitter and inappropriate behavior for all. Music starts at 9pm...not yet sure about the cover, if there is one.
- On 7/14, I'm performing a set at the Acoustic Explosion open mic series at Silvie's Lounge. These shows sometimes have themes and that one will be--wait for it--MUSICAL THEATER. Come sing along as I giggle my way through some selections from Hair, the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (the show in which I made my stage debut at age 14--it was a super-edited Reader's Digest version performed at teen theater camp). Show starts at 8pm, I play 9:10ish, and there's no cover.
So down to business.
Guitar 4 continues to valiantly forge ahead through some heavy scale work in Man Who Sold The World. I'm not going to do a lot of 'splaining here because it's all tabbed out for you on the goodies sheet. But I do have some bits of advice. Bit #1: Look for patterns. Your fingers make certain shapes multiple times when you play scales. Look for those and learn to love them. Repetitive motions make life a lot simpler and there are really only like 3 maneuvers you have to make in that tune. Once you've isolated those motions, you repeat them on different string combos, and there you have it. Bit #2: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. The only way to take this from confounding to competency is to do it. A lot. Muscle memory is a real thing and your fingers will start to act on their own in the correct way but you've got to train them first and that takes time and repetition. You can't play it once, skip the next 3 days, and expect it to have gotten better. Be consistent and watch yourself improve like magic!
Guitar 3 Rep did a little riffage based around the C chord in The Association's Never My Love. If you remind yourself that the C-shape is home base, and you simply make minor modifications inside that shape, you should be good to go. Also remember that the riff starts on beat 3, so you've got to count in "1 and 2 and" BEFORE you start. Inside the song, you'll be strumming either a C chord or an Am for those two lead-in beats, but in both cases, your fingers are already where they need to be to play the riff (because the C and Am chords are so closely related!) so you don't have to change anything to step right into the riff. We threw in one little walk, just to keep things spicy, and we're using the Golden Strum. It's a lot of work but the song is too pretty not to put in the effort! Take a look at the song of the session--Water is Wide--because we'll do some fingerpicking with that one next week.
And Guitar 2 Rep continues to gobble up material faster than I can bring it in! We fingerpicked our way through We're Going To Be Friends, using a "thumb-one-thumb-two" pattern with the picking hand. Remember that your thumb moves around to find the bass notes, but the one and two picking fingers occupy only two different zones in the song. Zone (or type) 1 is the 3rd and 2nd strings, and Zone 2 is the 2nd and 1st strings. It's a small shift between the two, so don't over think it. You're in Zone 1 for the G, C, and A chords, and in Zone 2 for the D and C chords (when the C chords follow the D chords). Mess around with fingerpicking on the song of the session--Water is Wide--and anything else in the book that strikes your fancy, and the muscles will get more nimble with that pickin' bizniz.
Good work, all of yous! Keep it up!
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