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!

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!