Session 3, Week 4 Recap -- ALL CLASSES (better late than never!)

Hi gang! I'm still excavating myself from a massive backlog at the day job. Trips and holiday weekends are suppose to be fun, but for me they just create WORK! A thousand pardons for updating so late this week, and I'm afraid this post will be extremely brief--but I'll see you all soon.

Guitar 4 last week 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 tonight with Man Who Sold the World, so hopefully you practiced up on the hammer-ons and chord progression we started with last week.

Saturday's Guitar 3 Rep had some fun with Tom Jones. Here's the video I promised: http://youtu.be/1UxU8s7Au0A The man BRINGS it, you have to give him that. The bridge of that song is an exercise in strength building--which is why you should play it as much as possible! Ziggy's sounding really good now that we have all the fiddly bits added in, so keep that one polished too because we'll definitely hit that this week.

And Sunday's Guitar 2 Rep stood by its man with great aplomb. Her face! I can't even...http://youtu.be/DwBirf4BWew
That alternate bass strumming is brainy work, I know. Add in the little walks connecting sections and you're really in fancy territory, but it sounds SO good. Always consult the worksheets in the front of the packet if you need help.

I'm looking forward to making some great music with you all this week! I hope you know how much I enjoy our classes together. Singing and playing with you is what soothes me and keeps me sane (arguable, I know) after a long week at the day job. Thanks for that!

Session 3, Week 2 Recap -- ALL CLASSES

Hello friends! Late-breaking update from the desk of a very busy dayjobber who's getting ready for her big annual convention in Seattle later this week. I'm presenting on a panel, so I'll be putting on my teacher hat in another context. As I mentioned to all of you weekend students, that means that you'll have a sub. The awesome Chris Corsale will be your guide. He's up-to-speed on what we've been working on, and I asked him to bring in some fresh tunes for your enrichment. Can't wait to hear all about it!
(Thursday gang, I'm not leaving town until the weekend so you're stuck with me this week)

But enough about the future, let's talk about the past! And last Thursday night in Guitar 4 we went WAY back to the songbook for some finger-pickin' good times. Freight Train in your song book is a great way to work through that T-2-1-3 finger pattern using basic open chords (including little F. No barred Fs here. Phew!)
Don't watch E.C.'s fingers too closely because it'll sprain your eyes and brain: http://youtu.be/43-UUeCa6Jw She plays it upside down and backwards. Also her pickin' is more complex than ours but she wrote the song so she's allowed to get as fancy as she wants.

On Saturday, Guitar 3 Rep got into Green Day and learned our way around the Big G (4 finger G) and the Cadd9. 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!
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)
When I get back from Seattle, we'll go through the intro riff and then we'll have ourselves a tune!

And Sunday's Guitar 2 Rep continues to blow my mind by getting all the way through complicated songs in one go! We played Heart of Gold--hammer-ons and all--which are a new technique where you use a percussive action of the finger on your left hand  against the fretboard to produce a sound from the string, instead of picking it with your right hand. Here's a handy video tutorial (never mind the "pentatonic" stuff. Just get the concept and try the exercise on any old strings).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v9xjT9zVVQU
There's some "stop-time" rhythms that you'll see on your song sheet where the asteriks are. You can follow my notes, or you can listen to the man himself in this great clip. It takes him awhile to find the right harmonica, but once he does, boy is he great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Eh44QPT1mPE

E-mail me with questions and keep on strummin'!

Session 3, Week 1 Recap -- ALL CLASSES

Ahhhhh! That new session smell. Welcome back to the school and to this blog! After many weeks of technical difficulties, I believe I can post again (testing? testing?)
Not a moment too soon either, because we've got new things to learn!

In Guitar 4, we buckled down on some fingerpicking using the T-2-1-3 pattern, each finger tasked with a single string (6,4, 5, 3 respectively). The fretting hand just makes simple two-note powerchord shapes. Here's the original: http://youtu.be/7e-sba4tIss
We'll do some more fingerpicking work out of the songbook in our next meeting, so be sure to bring those with you.
And in case you missed it, here's our triumphant 3Rep grad performance. STILL getting compliments!
http://youtu.be/5zt2ftX0ydM

Saturday's Guitar 3 Rep kicked things off with some Itchycoo Park by the Small Faces. Here's the video I mentioned with the fancy footwork and the shorts. http://youtu.be/14ViwvgtvbA
We talked about building dynamics into the tune with some mellowed-out low volume strumming in the bridges, with a small crescendo over the second measure of E the first time, and a much bigger build the second time. There's also the funny split measure in the chorus. Remember that the first chord gets three beats, the G is on the 4, and the D is on the and of 4 inside the same measure, despite the way it's written.
We also learned the chorus of Ziggy Stardust. Barre chords all the way down, with a fast, hard-rockin' 16th note downstrum. Try to grab the G chord for one quick note on your way back up to the Am (that's the 3 in parenthesis on the handwritten tab). We'll carve off another chunk of that tune in our next meeting.

And Sunday's Guitar 2 Rep revisited--or learned for the first time--the calypso strum! It's the same rhythm as our old friend down, down-up, up, down-up; but we change it up by plucking the root note on the one, really deliberately d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g out our strum on the two, and gently muting on the 3rd beat space. The rhythm in this vid is a little different but it's just too good not to share: http://youtu.be/c_cRHw8PAPA
We also got though Picture Book--great job with that, by the way! I don't think I've ever gotten through that in a single class before, let alone as the second song!--with its modular riff pattern (0 0 2 4) that you replicate on successive strings (the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings OR the 5th, 4th, and 3rd strings depending on where you are in the song) before finishing with a 5 5 4 3 walkdown on the high string. The second time through the riff though, you'll stop short with just one hit on the 5th fret. When you play that truncated version, be sure to rest for the duration of the measure so you don't come in early on the next one! Practice the heck out of your C to F transitions, and try not to get lost in all those split measures--especially at the very end.
http://youtu.be/UjDu3E5zDks

See you soon!

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!