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?
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