Session 2, Week 4 Recap -- ALL CLASSES

Hey gang!
Sorry again for not updating last week. Day job got the best of me but I won't let it happen again.
I hope you all got the e-mail about the early registration discount. You can save a little if you sign up this week--and only this week!--with the code SPRINGSTRUM14. I'm teaching the same days/ times next session, moving up a half step (one level) on each day so we can all stay together if you like--and I hope you do!

So Thursday night's Guitar 3rep class took it to the next level with Just Like Heaven last week. We broke into 5 small groups to tackle the multi-part intro. I feel like I don't even have to recap it because you all handled it so incredibly deftly. That run-through was a moment I will never forget. You guys are amazing. If everyone could spend some time with BOTH riffs this week, I'd like to figure out how we're going to divvy those up in the transitions later, but otherwise keep on polishing your part and we'll have something great on our hands. Many of you chose to stand and play with a strap which I thought was great. No pressure for anyone to do that who doesn't want to, but you might like it and I encourage you to at least try. Also if you could all come in next week with Robert Smith hair-dos that'd be greeeeat.

In Guitar 3, we finished the nitty-gritty-strummy-strummy of Kodachrome and put that one all together at last. Keyword there is "loose." Don't panic and tense up at the end of the song. Keep it limber and you'll be able to play faster on the double-time coda. We also worked through Killing Moon which has that oh-so-satisfying-but-oh-so-wrist-hurty chorus where you keep your barre finger glued down the whole time to the 3rd fret while you move between a Cm and G chord progression. Remember it's the same shape on different strings, so you can move all three of those fingers together as a unit (theoretically anyway!).

And Guitar 2--you guys are too good! I'm going to have to dig up extra songs because we're just burning through that packet! Daydream Believer is sounding fantastic, and Be My Baby came together like you'd been playing it for weeks! We did change the percussion part from knock knock-knock clap to stomp stomp-stomp knock, but other than that you've got it all there in front of you! Old Country Waltz was a good start. Change those Em chords to Es everywhere except the very last line (the Em7 stay the same). Pick the bass note on the one and then lightly strum on two and three. Connect the C and G chords with a walk down in place of the C chord (consult the "Where am I Going...?" page in the front of the packet for a roadmap but remember to skip the "strum" step when you're in 3/4 time). Do that at the end of every verse, the bridge, and repeat it in the outro EXCEPT on the last two chords, and we'll have ourselves a country tune!

This session is flying by but you're all making incredible progress, so thanks for your hard work and good spirits.

Slight Delay

Gang, the day job is running me ragged and I didn't get a window to update the blog today (and now I'm off to a very long band practice).
Sincerest apologies for the delay. I will try to post tomorrow morning. Thanks for your patience!

Session 2, Week 2 Recap -- ALL Classes

Hey gang!
So sorry I'm tardy with the recap. The day job is really grinding me this week and I haven't been able to come up fro air. (also I've been in a sugar coma from the delicious carrot cake that Jessey and Jacob brought into my Sunday class! Thanks again, guys. I can't tell you how much I appreciated the gesture. It was incredibly thoughtful)

Let's get on with the show!
In Guitar 3rep, we kept it Status Quo with the...Status Quo. Pictures of Matchstick Men has some simple--if a little fussy--licks in it that we worked through. Riffs #2 & #3 are conceptually the same, but the former is based around a D chord and the latter is an A chord. In both cases, you just play a little run on the highest string on which you have a fretting finger. The run is the same fret numbers in both cases, 2-3-2-0-2, but you'll have to use different sets of fingers for each one based on the chord form you're starting from.
This week we may try something bold--standing up! Those of you that have straps for your guitars, bring them tomorrow. (no one will be forced to stand, so don't panic, but consider pushing yourself a little to at least give it a try)

Guitar 3 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!)

And in Guitar 2 this week, we also learned an F chord--albeit a smaller one. Lay the outside of your index finger across both the 1st and 2nd strings at the first fret, then add your other fingers underneath as per the chord chart. It feels weird, and it cuts into a fleshy bit of your finger that doesn't have a callus yet--but it will soon! If you're having a lot of trouble, check your body position. If your arm is glued to your side or it's resting on your knee, that's your problem. It need to be free to move! Also check that your wrist is dropped, and your thumb is on the back of the neck offering support for your pinching power. Keep at it. It'll take some time to build the muscle tone you need, but it'll come. Practice the Sam Cooke tune for some excellent practice with that shape. We also took a look at both forms of Bminor listed on the song chart, and we're going to take the "alt" version as our regular go-to. Remember you can even add a pinky to make it a 4-finger-full chord. (The pinky goes where the 3rd finger is on the chart, and the 3rd finger slots in next to it on the 4th string.) Daydream Believer is a good way to practice both that, and the slide-up-Aminor-2-frets version of the Bmionr chord. Play through the full measures with a shuffle-y pattern of 1 2 3+4, and next week we'll add the riff.

Session 2, Week 1 Recap -- ALL CLASSES

It's a brand new session! I'm so excited you guys! It's all too beautiful.
For those of you new to this page, welcome and thanks for being my students. This is where I'll post class recaps, videos, answers to questions, announcements, and other fun stuff. I usually update on Tuesdays so be sure to check in. I post all of my core classes in one update, because I like to give you the opportunity to see what other students are working on. It'll preview future core sessions for you--or remind you of how far you've come as a musician in a short time!

To begin with, my Guitar 3 Rep class is meeting on Thursday nights at 8:30p in fancy-schmancy room 101! It's so bright in there, I might have to wear shades.
We're old pros at barre chords now (conceptually, if not physically), so it was straight into the tuneage for us, starting with a psychedelic twofer with Itchycoo Park by The Small Face and Pictures of Matchstick Men by The Status Quo. We only just got started on the opening riff of the latter tune, which is tabbed out for you at the top of the song sheet. Just remember to  read that tab as though you've set your guitar down in your lap with the low-E string closest to your body and the high-E string farthest away. Reading tabs backwards makes life very very sad!
For Itchycoo Park, 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. (I probably should've made you try and work that out for yourself but ain't nobody got time for that.)
We're strumming this one with some swingin' chuck-a-chuck-a eighth notes 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.
I was planning to call out the fancy footwork when I posted the video, but Andrea also pointed my attention to the drummer's shorts, which are very very special.

In Guitar 3 on Saturdays at 11am, we made our very first foray into the barre chords that the previous class is already building confidence with. 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.

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.

Finally, in Guitar 2 on Sundays at noon, we're in the fancy band room in the basement, which is pretty inspiring! Welcome to sophomore year! We started off with some jazzier chords in the form of Dm7 and Fmaj7. In the first one, you have to cover two strings with one finger--gasp!--at the first fret of the 1st and 2nd strings. Use the outside edge of your index finger to get an even sound, and support with your thumb pulled down and parallel to your finger on the back of the neck. You'll finish that chord with your 2nd finger at the 2nd fret of the 3rd string, and strum only the bottom 4 strings. It should sound moody, but not wholly sad and dark the way a regular minor chord might. Fmaj7 is even dreamier sounding, and you accomplish that with your first finger on the first fret of the second string, second finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string, and third finger on the 3rd fret of the 4th string. Three adjacent fingers, three adjacent frets, three adjacent strings! You only strum the bottom four strings there as well. You'll play both of those in Summertime--wishful thinking!--with a slow, simple quarternote strum.
You can further reinforce that Dm7 chord with Cum on Feel the Noize. Extra credit will be given to anyone who comes to the next class wearing a Slade inspire outfit.
We also made a start on the F chord, which you make by smashing those other two chords together so that you're covering the 1st and 2nd strings with one finger at the first fret, your 2nd finger plays the 3rd string second fret, and your ring finger is at the 3rd fret of the 4th string. You'll only strum the bottom four strings there too. It takes some hand strength you probably don't have yet, so practice practice practice!


I'm looking forward to a great session with all of you! Let me know via e-mail if you ever have any questions. See you next time!

Session 1 is Dead! Long Live Session 1!

You guys...you guyyyyys! You guys were all so amazing at graduation! My goodness I don't even know what to say. I am so proud of each and every one of you for your hard work, energy, and attitudes this session. What an incredible way to celebrate the completion of my first year of teaching at the School.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I like all of the songs I bring into class, but the songs you guys picked are particularly special to me for various personal reasons, so it was an exquisite pleasure to bring them to life with you on stage. And so here they are!

Guitar 3 triumphantly told the story of my favorite rock and roll space alien, despite the fact that I was half out of it on decongestants. Two of my fellow teachers sought me out over the weekend and told me how great you guys sounded, and I concur. Thanks to Mark for the video! (By the way, I'm doing a Bowie show again on March 22nd at Parlour on Clark. Save the date!)

On Saturday during Guitar 2 Rep, I was having a lot of feelings. My mentor at the School is departing and I was sad about seeing his last class perform. And for some reason I decided it would be a good idea to spontaneously play the lead guitar part on this tune, even though I'd never rehearsed it or, y'know, bothered to figure out how to play it. I was a jumble of nerves, but you guys are brave, so I was inspired to be brave, and it turned out alright in the end. Thanks for your kind words and support before we took the stage. Looking forward to terrorizing all of you with barre chords this week!

And last but most certainly not least, Guitar 1 Rep absolutely KILLED it with She Don't Use Jelly. Boy did we make the right choice, you guys! All the other classes did sad and heavy songs, so ours was the perfect pick-me-up, and it really sounded great. You can hear how delighted the crowd is, and I can't tell you enough how much I love to hear you all singing. I'm not 100% sure that that was the first time The Flaming Lips were heard on the Old Town School stage, but if not, it was certainly a rare jewel indeed. Thanks for getting weird with me.















My sincere appreciation to all of you for being my students! It's a joy to be with you each week, and I look forward to seeing many of you again in Session 2. For those moving on, as Woody Guthrie says: so long, it's been good to know ya!

Graduation Week!

Hello friends!
Sorry for the late update. I've been asleep with the flu for the last two days, but I think I've turned the corner today--though our tunes might have an extra Tom Waits-ian rasp to them this week with me leading!

I'm going to forego the usual recap because, even though we learned some new songs this week, I know you're all eagerly anticipating the BIG GIG this week! You've all worked very, very hard this session, so please take a few minutes to reflect on that. In just two months, you've improved your playing significantly, built your confidence, and had some fun (I hope)! All of those are notable accomplishments in and of themselves, and taken together they are cause for celebration! And that's precisely what the graduation show is meant to be--a party. It's your chance to exhale, show-off, and bask in the adoration of a room full of your fellow students who know first-hand how hard you've been working. Enjoy every minute of it--and invite your family and friends! You've earned the accolades you shall surely receive.

So Guitar 3 has boldly decided to put all its eggs in one basket and tackle the greatest opus in glitter rock history--Ziggy Stardust! (*sniff* I'm SO proud!) Watch the transitions from the intro run into the versus and make sure we all lock into a nice relaxed tempo, and mind that Cadd9 chord at the end. Those are the two sticky spots I know of. Other than that, I'm 100% confident. Be sure to rock out hard on that bridge! Tell your guests that our show starts at 9pm in Szold Hall (that's in the new building on the 2nd floor)

Guitar 2 Rep is also prepping some potential showstoppers with Heart of Gold (hammer-ons! bass note pickin'! Shifting strumming patterns!), or September Gurls. There are pros and cons to each one, so practice them both hard and we'll make our final decision on Saturday. Your guests should be seated in Mauer--where we have Second Half--by 11:45am.

And finally, Guitar 1 Rep is feeling very Alternative Nation-y in its choices of either The One I Love, or She Don't Use Jelly. As for G2R, I think there are good reasons for and against each one, so practice both and we'll make the call on Sunday. Remember that in the Flaming Lips tune, we decided to write in another |DC| G section at the end of each chorus, right before the chords change back to the intro progression. (That makes the second and third sections look more like the first one, plus those intro chords) We also discussed saying the word "Magazines" 4 times total: once over each |DC|G (3x total) and then once more over the intro chords. In the final section, we'll say "Tangerine" 5 times total: once over each |DC|G (3x total) and then TWICE more over the intro chords, both times through. Make sense? Tell your fans to grab seats in Mauer (where Second Half takes place) by 12:45p.

It's been an honor and a pleasure to be your teacher this session, and I hope to see you all again next session after we bring the house down this week!

Session 1, Week 6 Recap -- ALL CLASSES

Oi! You lot! (sorry...I'm still in punk mode after last Saturday's tribute show)
We're in the home stretch here, so take a moment to reflect and look back at how far we've come this session! New strums, new riffs, new chords, new rhythms, new tunes, and new friends! Not bad for a couple of months' work, eh?

In Guitar 3, we tackled a Valentine song of sorts. CSNY's "Our House" 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. :) And make sure to keep plugging away at Ziggy!

In Guitar 2 Rep we kept Ophelia fresh, with that bass pickin' jangle jangle pattern we learned last week. Then we looked at L-O-V-E, better late than never for Valentine's Day. That tune has a whole slew of 7 chords, including minor 7s and major 7s. Dm7 is an F chord without your ring finger, and Cmaj7 is a C chord without your index finger. I hope you sang it to someone you loved.
We also took a look at We Are Going to Be Friends. Repeat after me: Thumb-one-thumb-two
That's the pattern of alternating fingers we used with our right hands to play We're Going to be Friends by The White Stripes. Your thumb always plays the bass note, which will be the note the chord is named after, and located on one of the bottom three strings. Your first and second fingers cover the 3rd and 2nd strings respectively, EXCEPT when you play the D chord. For that your first and second fingers should scoot over to the 2nd and 1st strings, respectively.
Jack White only uses his thumb and first finger in the clip up there. Do as I say, not as he does! (but do notice the way that he plants the rest of his fingers against the body of the guitar. I do that too and you may find it helpful for keeping that right hand grounded.

And in Guitar 1 Rep--whew! we did A LOT! Not only did we keep Dream Lover and The One I Love fresh (quite different sentiments in those, no?), but we tackled two new tunes to boot! 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 may make a minor change to that chart next week after having listened to the recording a couple of times today. That transitional section with all the magazines and tangerines is still bothering me. But don't worry about that for now.
Finally, we learned about 6/8 time and played the Rolling Stones' Time is on My Side. Remember that the one and the four are the main beats to emphasize. ONE two three FOUR five six. Your strums on those lowercase beats can be lighter and smaller. You'll want to do all downstrums or you'll goof yourself up when you get to 4 and find you have to upstrum the emphasized beat. That's just too confusing. Dance it out if you feel it! It helps!