Now, as a variation on David Hodge’s famous disclaimer; this is just my personal experience. I certainly do not recommend hooking up with total strangers on the Internet. And I really encourage children to practice “safe surfing” and not to talk to anyone online that they don’t already know.

Having said all that, that’s where the Magic of Music comes in. As some of you may know, some years ago, a college buddy of mine asked me to write some articles for this online guitar college that he had been writing for. The site owner was looking for a different perspective on music, a take from The Other Side. OK, no problem. Well, maybe a little writer’s block now and again, but mostly no problem. I started exploring the website, in order to figure out the audience I would be writing for. One of the articles I read was on playing music with others, the theme that David is currently exploring with our readers. Entitled Music At Mary’s, it espoused the wonders of jamming with friends; how much fun it can be and how much you can learn from each other. I enjoyed the article greatly and couldn’t have agreed more with the author, Lee Budar-Danoff. I’ve learned that playing with other musicians allows you to develop different skills than playing alone. The added benefit is that the more you play (by yourself or with others), the better you get.

Since I felt so simpatico with the author, I was encouraged to get in touch with her. One thing led to another, and we decided to meet up at the Riverside Jam 2001 in Chicago. I love playing these big jams. The musicians are easy going, partly because a jam is less pressure than a performance. The audience is low key, as it consists of other musicians that have decided not to play that song, as well as friends and family. You play when you want, usually what you want, and the rest of the time you get to be an audience member and dance, or make new friendships and renew old ones. In this very supportive atmosphere, you also feel free to try songs that you may not know (music cheat sheets abound with chords and lyrics) or to learn different arrangements of familiar songs.

Lee and I got along like houses on fire. We admired each other’s guitars, taste in music and found we were even more alike in that our husbands are both bass players! A strong friendship was sparked by meeting (gasp!) through the Internet! Since that time, Lee and her husband have had babies, and at our last Riverside Jam, she brought with her a young lady, Jess, as a mother’s helper. Jess also happened to play the guitar and, when she wasn’t responsible for the toddlers in her care, participated with all the rest of us in playing. She got along famously with the other younger musicians, including my daughter, Jacqui. Both girls joined the performance night of the jam, held at a local club. Jess played her guitar and Jacqui, her saxophone. They supported each other in their music playing, as they were both among the junior-most members at the jam.

As a consequence of this event, Jacqui flew off to spend part of her winter vacation with Jess. For someone who has spent most of her kids’ Internet careers warning about the dangers of meeting strangers online, this was a remarkable feat… I kidded with my daughter about not taking up with strangers met online, while we reveled in the friendships that music and GN have brought to us.

Similarly, through GN and the Riverside Jams, I have met other musicians that I have truly enjoyed getting to know. Playing with them has been an added bonus when we have been able to get together. The congenial atmosphere is summed up best by Wes Inman, a GN member and moderator who was a new participant to the Riverside Jam in ’04: “My first impression was that everyone knew each other so well. It was more like a family reunion. That really impressed me. Also, everyone was so helpful. Everyone was offering to carry gear in.” Ironically, many of us were just meeting for the first time, or had just met the day before. The bond built by love of music and the enjoyment of playing with others created a family from these diverse folks.

Along a similar vein, I wrote a piece called Not Just Another Pretty Face a few years back. This article explored playing in a band. As I re-read my notes, I saw many similarities between the positive aspects of jamming and being in a band. The sense of community created, the creativity sparked and the joy in the creation of your “own” sound, even when playing covers, is sublime. I love reading all the stories of readers who have been inspired to get out and play, either with a small group from work, church or their neighborhood. After all, that’s what this site is all about; inspiring and encouraging people to get out and play their guitar. So, as Mom says, go on out and play nicely with others!

Making Music – Playing Well With Others (and other rules Mom gave you to live by) was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

I was recently invited to jam with a bunch of folks that I have played with several times before. I was initially thrilled at the prospect of bringing my guitars to play. I have always enjoyed jamming and, as I’ve mentioned before, there is nothing like getting together with other musicians to improve your own guitar playing and enjoyment of the songs you’re playing. I also love to sing, and these friends are heavy on the guitarists and short on the singers. I checked the date set for the jam; perfect timing, as I didn’t have to work that day. Food is always involved with these occasions, and I happily planned my contribution to the potluck buffet for our starving artists.

I was really looking forward to a good time, but then, suddenly, anxiety set in. I realized that one of the other guitarists was someone who seemed to constantly scowl at me the last time we played together. He seemed annoyed at both my choice of songs as well as the arrangements of those songs. I knew that he was a much better guitar player than me. I was acutely aware of that every time I played. I’ve told myself many times that I can’t really compare myself to this guy. I haven’t played for as many years, I don’t have much time to practice, and I know I have my strengths as a singer/guitarist. Plus guitar playing shouldn’t be a competitive sport.

Despite my soothing mental monologue, I managed to work myself into a frenzy about having to play anywhere in the same room, building, city, state, heck, same country as this guy. I was worried about forgetting chord sequences, missing chord changes, or missing the chords altogether. I just knew I would forget all the lyrics to my favorite songs, even when they were in front of me on a piece of paper. And never mind trying to play anything but the most basic rhythm guitar! Not that I usually get fancy in the group setting, although it can be a good place to just try out something new or different. And by fancy, I mean basic riffs…

I had myself so upset that I was ready to bail out on the whole idea of jamming at all. Then I took a deep breath, and reminded myself that this was just for “fun”. Who would have thought I would need a sedative to perform for “fun”? I told myself that this was just one person, not all the rest of the jammers. I wondered if I was overreacting to our last jam together. As a (perpetually) beginning guitarist, I’m intermittently insecure about my playing ability. Aren’t we all? Most everyone I’ve ever played with has been very supportive and encouraging of my attempts to play, including the folks who invited me to the jam.

But I always feel like I don’t measure up. I know many of us feel that way; it seems natural to critique our own performances. In fact, one of the best parts about playing with others is when we all laugh and share with each other how we individually screwed up on any given song. It almost seems like a “I messed up more than you and this is how” contest sometimes. And yet, the overall song always manages to sound marvelous. Music is really wonderful that way.

I managed to talk myself out of giving up on my guitar playing, and when the day came, packed both the acoustic and the electric (and the yummy dessert I’d made) into the car and drove off to meet my friends and play. When I walked in, everyone had started already. I was late, in part due to my anxiety and procrastination at facing the music, if you’ll pardon the expression. I set my dessert down in the food area, and got out my instruments. Looking around the room, I saw the guitarist who I dreaded playing with hard at work, wailing on his axe. I repeated my mantra “you are good enough to play with them or they wouldn’t have invited you, you are good enough to play with them or they wouldn’t have invited you” again and again in my head. I took a deep breath and, at the next opportunity, joined in.

That day was one of the most delightful sessions I’ve been part of. The guy I was worried about was a blast to play with. He was fun, encouraging, very into the music and the synergy everyone in the room created. He even asked me to play a song that I knew he scowled at last time. What I had assumed to be his contempt for my playing and singing was probably nothing more than a bad day on his part. My anxiety was created by my feeling of insecurity about my playing, and my need to see playing as some kind of competitive sport. If I’m not good enough at that sport, if I don’t have enough skill or practice time (does this sound familiar?), I don’t get to be on the team. Even if I’m on the team, I don’t get to be a starter. When I let go of the “I need to prove myself” feeling, I had a marvelous time. I let go of my anxiety and had a lot of fun. We really grooved well together, and I was glad that I had talked myself into participating.

While the case of nerves that I had before this jam was relatively minor, performance anxiety can be quite real. There are many, many articles on it. Even seasoned performers can get “stage fright” before something they’ve played hundreds of times before. Recently I played with my husband and daughter at her middle school talent show. We were playing Gershwin’s Summertime and Van Morrison’s Moondance, both songs that I have played hundreds of times, with several of those times in public. Just before I got on stage, my heart was pounding and my fingers felt clammy. Getting on the stage, I had time to notice that the spot lights were blinding, and thank goodness, hid most of the crowd behind them. We started to play, and finger and vocal memory took over. It wasn’t a flawless performance (I managed to miss a chord change on one verse), but it was warmly received by the audience. The applause and the praise afterwards were genuine. As was the warm glow of accomplishment my family and I felt, and the pure joy in sharing our interpretation of music that we love with other people.

I’m sure many of us have suffered from anxiety over performing, whether with a few friends, or in front of an audience. However, when you can let go and just enjoy the beat and “Drift Away”, you will truly soothe your soul.

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. Of course, male musicians are welcome to read and comment on the topics discussed as well, as many have (thank you!). We have our own forum in the forum section. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story. I enjoy hearing each and every one.

Performance Anxiety was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

You meet the most interesting people on Guitar Noise. Not just in the forums, and the interesting authors that we manage to find, but sometimes live and in person. My husband Dan, of Bass for Beginners and Sound Engineering, found Laura McKenna of The Studio in NYC via our very own Gigs and Jams Forum. She posted way back in November 2002 about the place she works:

“I run some big jams in midtown NYC (251 W 30 Street, 3rd floor) every Friday and Saturday night. We basically take over the entire floor (9 rooms) of a rehearsal facility called “The Studio” and do different kinds of music (blues, R&B, funk, rock — EVERYTHING!!!) in each room. We even have a beginner jam for the newbies! Email me at music@thestudio.com if you’d like more info.

Keep on jammin’!

Laura McKenna

P.S. “The Studio” jams were mentioned by my friend Jennifer in guitarnoise.com’s November 21 article The Joy of Music“

Hmm, sounded intriguing enough for me to delegate Dan to check out The Studio’s website. Even lowly unpaid Other Side writers can have researchers working for them! (Only if the researcher wants dinner…) Well, in perusing the website we found some great things. In the Studio’s own words:

“Freely travel from room to room to enjoy many styles… We have Blues, Jazz, R&B/Funk, Indie/Alternative, Singer/Songwriter, and “Anything Goes” Rooms… Up to 9 active jams with rotating lineups, every weekend!”

Quoted in the website is Keyboard Magazine’s summation of everything The Studio has to offer: “A Health club for musicians”. For the jams, all you have to bring is your guitar. They have microphones, amps, and PA’s all set up. Even cables and effects have been thoughtfully provided. For drummers, they have complete drum kits; all you need is your sticks. Vocalists just walk in and there’s a weighted keyboard in every room for the keyboard players. For your first jam, you can play all 4 hours for just $15 US. This sounded like a place worth visiting!

While Dan was checking out the website, I did my research in looking up the article on GN that Laura referred to. David Hodge had done a compilation of our readers’ stories about the joy that playing guitar and making music had brought them during the past year. I looked for Jennifer’s story and found:

” I am also a member of a place in NYC called “The Studio,” which is a great place to be to learn and grow. It’s a supportive, creative and nurturing environment, where they hold jams on the weekends. I now have the confidence to walk into these jam rooms with some really rad guitar dudes and hold my own thanks to all that Al (Pitrelli) has taught me. The Studio also helped me find my rock voice, a voice which I never heard come out of me before. I was always timid about singing but now I’m singing my heart out, playing the guitar and having the time of my life! I’d say there is a lot of joy going on there.

By the way, I LOVE your website and newsletters. I find the information you provide very valuable.”

Wow, what a great testimonial for both GN and The Studio. This was sounding like a match made in heaven. The Studio is located in NYC, which was only about an hour from us. Dan emailed Laura McKenna to ask if our kids could come with us and play sax, and she was fine with that, as long as we felt they wouldn’t be bored. We were delighted to hear that The Studio is receptive to younger jammers.

It took a few months before we were able to actually make our calendar mesh with the Studio’s jam calendar. The Studio’s calendar is very easy; they’re there every Saturday night. The jams offered each weekend are published on their website, plus you can sign up there for their weekly newsletter, “The Studio News”, for up-to-date information on who’s leading what kind of session when, and for other events they sponsor. The Lasley’s calendar was not as simple as The Studio’s, but after a few months we finally made it down for a jam — without the kids, as it turned out (they had other plans). We found the location without any difficulty, taking note of several parking garages within a half block.

At The Studio a friendly young man greeted us and asked us to fill out some cards with demographic information. We were directed to some chairs to wait for a brief orientation by none other than Laura McKenna! Laura is a cheerful person with a font of knowledge about The Studio. She plays clarinet and alto sax herself, and has jammed many a time at the Saturday Open Jam sessions. After we paid, we followed Laura through the different rooms. That night there were 8 running simultaneously in different rooms: Beginner Rock, Intermediate Blues, Advanced Blues, R&B, Jazz, Funk, a Singer’s Lounge, and an Open Jam, each held in a different rehearsal room. Jammers are free to wander from room to room, playing and/or singing to your heart’s delight. Each room has a coordinator, who makes sure that everyone gets a turn, not only to play, but to choose a song to play. If no one has a preference, the coordinator will suggest music to fit the level of the musicians in the room. As we checked out each room, the musicians looked intent on their playing, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The music sounded wonderful! Then we poked our head in the Open Jam room, where there is NO coordinator. We found the guys in there wondering what to play. One of them said, “How about some Allman Brothers?” Then came the muttering, “um which one, what do you know” etc, etc. I interjected, “One Way Out!” and we walked out of that room to a rousing performance of that tune. In case you can’t tell, the folks playing at The Studio are a very mellow and friendly bunch.

We started in the Beginner Rock room, just to see how that felt. They had songbooks on hand with lyrics and chords. Plus there was a white board for writing up the chords to songs that weren’t in the book (which I used for Somebody to Love). We had an excellent time playing there! We were in there for about two hours and played all kinds of rock tunes. We found the equipment to be in excellent working condition. It was nice not to have to lug a PA, or mics or amps around, and only bring our guitars. We really enjoyed playing some of our current favorite tunes with piano, drums and lead guitar involved. When we play at home we only have rhythm guitar and bass, so it was really great to have a full band. We were also able to learn music that other people enjoy playing, but that we don’t know, like songs by Oasis. (I know, I know: Where have I been?)

The quote at the beginning of this article is a bit tongue in cheek. Usually when jamming, I’m reminded of the little verbal intro to Shadows in the Rain from Dream of the Blue Turtles by Sting. If you listen to the album, you will hear a voice ask calmly at first “What key is it in?” Then as the other musicians start up, you hear him say “Wait, Wait! What key is it in??” as the others are laughing. This was not our experience at The Studio. If you weren’t sure what you were supposed to play, all you had to do was ask and the other musicians were more than happy to explain what key we were playing in. For those of us struggling to figure out how to configure a C9 or G9 chord, either the coordinator took a quick second to write the form on the board or to show us, or gave us complimentary chords to play (like C or G), so we could participate in the song. The vibe was very friendly and mellow, so it wasn’t embarrassing to ask questions, or even to make mistakes when playing. I would just figure out where I messed up in the song, recover my composure, and pick up playing again.

After a while, we decided to check out the Open Jam room. There was a small technical problem as the bass amp wasn’t working. Dan went to ask someone to fix it (it was just a finicky cable), and the rest of us jammed while we waited. The staff at The Studio was quite prompt and efficient at fixing the problem and we were able to have a bass player again after only one song without. I didn’t take my guitar out in this room, as there were already 3 guitarists. Instead I sat down at the keyboards, which had a nice boom mic in front of it. Another female vocalist joined us, and she had an amazing voice, very full and powerful. Our vocals complemented each other’s nicely and we were off and running. We went through Somebody to Love again. With the synergy in this room the song was even better than the first time. We then went through some Stones and Zeppelin tunes – each of us belting out the lyrics while one of the guitarists had smoking leads and even the drummer was very happy. We played a blues number that I hadn’t heard before, but found that I was able to harmonize to and echo the lead. I went into the jam to work on my guitar skills, but in this room I had the unexpected benefit of working on my vocal and keyboard skills.

I found the atmosphere and set up at The Studio conducive to relaxing and letting go, which made for an excellent time jamming. The Studio certainly lived up to its billing. Just as I always feel relaxed and happy after working out at my health club, this “health club” for musicians did the same for me musically.

I would recommend The Studio to anyone in the Greater New York area for the jams alone, but Laura McKenna is quick to tell me that the jams are just a fraction of what they do to help people live their musical dreams. For starters, The Studio has music profiles of every one of their 500 members loaded into a computer database, and can match you up with other members who share your musical tastes and goals. And if that’s not enough, they also sponsor fully roadied shows at famous NYC clubs like The Bitter End, Le Bar Bat, Downtime, and many others for member bands. Plus a Studio Member ID card will get you discounts with their affiliates like Manny’s Music on West 48th Street, The Modern Drum Shop, The Learning Annex, and many others. A yearly membership is usually $200, but at this writing, there’s a summer special running that will get you in for $150 for a year. For more information about benefits and specials, check their website (www.thestudio.org) as well as the next OtherSide article.

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. Of course, male musicians are welcome to read and comment on the topics discussed as well, as many have (thank you!). We have our own forum in the forum section. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story. I enjoy hearing each and every one.

What Key is it In? – Jamming at The Studio was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

Many beginning guitarists write in to ask “What guitar should I buy – acoustic or electric?” There is an endless debate about which kind of guitar is best to learn to play on. For those of you who want to cut to the chase, you can predict my answer; buy both! You never have too many guitars. Or you can read Ryan Spencer’s What Kind of Guitar Should I Buy? But for those who want to debate the finer points of guitar type, read on!

I must confess that my first guitar was acoustic. I’d heard that it is harder to learn to play a steel stringed acoustic than an electric, because it takes more finger strength to hold down the strings to form chords. So I figured that if I could master (ha!) the acoustic first, the electric would be easier. Plus there was the advantage of not having to buy an amplifier and a cord. The guitar was infinitely portable on its own and did not require any power source other than my arm muscles.

I find that I love the vibration that you feel when you strum an acoustic. You can feel it all the way up your arm and through the body of the guitar to your body. This is the resonance an acoustic makes. You’ll notice that it is different for different guitars. Naturally, my dreadnaught sized, beloved red Guild has amazing resonance (you’ve heard me wax eloquent about that guitar in other articles). Every time I pick it up, the instrument sings to me with its own voice, clear and distinct from other guitars. With an acoustic, you can hear rich sounds and harmonies from plucking a single string. As a beginner, that was quite encouraging. Without knowing how to play a single chord, I was able to elicit a gorgeous sound from the guitar. Finding the right acoustic for you is important. It should be comfortable to play, and when played, should sound good to you. I find the choice of a guitar to be quite personal. Different people are drawn to different sounds. If you sing, and you find the right guitar, the tones and harmonies of that guitar can complement your voice.

Well, after playing the acoustic for a while, and loving it, I was given an electric guitar for my birthday – a cherry red Fender Strat, gorgeous looking thing. I eagerly anticipated sounding like a wailing lead guitar player (pick one) just by looking at it. It’s like a red race car. Just looking at it makes you contemplate breaking the speed limit. After pulling the Strat out of its case, and holding it in my hands and strumming a few notes, I had a realization. The electric is useless without an amplifier. There is no noise unless it is plugged in. I did have an amplifier, purchased a while ago in order to have my acoustic heard over the brass and electric players in my house. So I pulled out the cord, plugged it in and started to play. My Strat had much easier action, and hence was kinder on my calluses, than the Guild. But the more I played it the more I realized I didn’t have any resonance from my guitar. Electric aficionados will tell you that you can get the resonance, or vibration, from your amplifier, but that means turning up your amp. That may or may not be popular with your neighbors. I missed the vibration from playing the Guild. I found that I took out the acoustic more often when playing by myself, or when I played just to accompany my singing. Of course, if you play with others, in a casual situation or in a band that you’re part of, you will quickly realize that drummers, saxophones, and other electric guitars can be loud. Amplifying your acoustic guitar is a good way to ensure that your guitar’s voice will be heard. It is also a great way to really hear what exactly you are playing, and by listening, you can improve the quality of your playing.

As I mentioned, when playing the electric, I really missed the feeling of resonance, so the Strat ended up left in the case more than it was out. Then I was asked to play a few gigs with our kids for school. I was sensitized to the fact that my Guild could be knocked over by a careless middle schooler (or adult rushing around the stage). My guitar teacher had his Guild knocked over, with a resulting crack in the body. He sent it back for repair, but he sadly claimed that it has never sounded the same since. I was horrified, as I was quite enamored of my Guild’s mellow sound, and sensitive to its higher cost. So in order to protect it, I only played it at home and took the Strat any time I played elsewhere. Since I was playing the electric more, I learned to appreciate the different tones that you could achieve, with the three pickups on my Strat. My family had thoughtfully provided me with an effects pedal, so then I discovered the delicious dirty sound you could achieve with just the push of your foot. I also found that beautiful silky riffs are so much easier to achieve on an electric. Well, you still have to practice, practice, practice those riffs. After all the work I put in practicing, I realized that the electric is built to make those transitions and riffs easier to play than on the acoustic.

The electric guitar is a voice unto itself, in a distinctly different way than the acoustic. While it might not have the resonance, and does require a power source, an electric has its own seductive siren call. It has many voices, courtesy of electronics. With a MIDI adapter, it can sound like a piano, a saxophone, a different kind of electric guitar, or just about anything you want, if you have the electronics for it.

There are also ‘hybrid’ guitars, like the Ovation, which are not made entirely of wood , but are of a composite material. They do need amplification to sound their best, but are adequate for practicing alone or for bringing to the beach. I think their sound is closer to an acoustic amplified, but you can modify their voice with electronics. Of course, there are many acoustic-electrics, which are basically acoustic guitars with inset electronics that allow you to amplify their sound. They are, at heart, acoustic guitars. You can get resonance playing these hybrid acoustic- electrics, and you have amplification as well.

My flip advice in the first paragraph was to ignore the whole debate of acoustic vs. electric and exhort every guitar player to get both. Of course, most of us can’t afford to do that when we are starting out, but I think most of us that stick with playing guitar do end up with more than one guitar, acoustic or electric. Hence, the initial quote from Randy Bachman. Remember that you don’t have to buy a new guitar to play. A used one can be less expensive and meet your needs. In addition, when making your initial choice, consider how you wish to play guitar. If you sing, you may opt for an acoustic that complements your voice. Consider the acoustic-electrics, which give you the option of amplifying your sound. This is great if you think you may perform or play with others in a casual jam, or in a performance/gig situation. If your vocal cords protest at the thought of singing, you should consider buying an electric to be the voice which can sing for you.

Whatever you decide on, playing your instrument as often as possible will let you become familiar with all of the wonderful sounds it is capable of producing. Playing any guitar is an endlessly challenging, occasionally frustrating, often soothing and always satisfying experience. Pick one up, acoustic or electric and partake in the magic of music!

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. Of course, male musicians are welcome to read and comment on the topics discussed as well, as many have (thank you!). We have our own forum in the forum section. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story. I enjoy hearing each and every one.

Acoustic Vs. Electric was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

In a recent email from a reader, which you may have seen in our Email of the Week feature in the Newsletters, I was asked about how when is too young to play a guitar. The reader was a grandfather, and he asked:

How should I go about teaching my grand-daughter to play the guitar, or should I even try at this time? She has had an inexpensive play guitar since she was four (she is six now). She has been playing with it steadily these past two years. The only problem with the guitar is that it will not stay in tune. So, this Christmas I purchased a Baby Taylor for her, so that she would at least have something that will stay in tune.

My question to you is this. After working with her these past few weeks, I think she may still be a little young in order to handle the physical demands that the guitar places on your hands. But, boy does the girl have rhythm! She cannot push the strings down real well, but she can sure keep up with me when in comes to strumming. We go into my office and jam to all kinds of music. I was thinking that perhaps I could get her started on reading music, and then in about a year she will be ready to really get into the guitar.

I responded:

It’s wonderful that you are teaching your granddaughter to play! I don’t think anyone is ever too young to have a love of music instilled in them. My daughter wanted very much to play the alto sax when she was 8. (She’d been playing piano since age 5 or 6) We tried one, and she had excellent tone and rhythm, but she didn’t quite have enough arm strength to hold up the instrument for long periods of time. We switched her to the lighter clarinet for a few years, and now at 11, she is happily wailing on the sax. So, I think at 6, you’re not too young for making music. However, sometimes the kids are size wise a bit small for their instrument, as my daughter was. Time will cure that, but meanwhile keeping her interested is great! If she can strum some basic chords; wonderful! We also bought my daughter an acoustic Daisy Rock Guitar for that reason. It’s about the size of a Baby Taylor and has a composite back (so we didn’t have to worry about any accidental breakage of a wood body) and sounds pretty good. If you are interested you can find more at www.daisyrock.com. They also make smaller sized electrics, which I find a bit easier to play. It sounds like your granddaughter really enjoys the jamming, so you can take it a little at a time, and let her build up the calluses like the rest of us have! Even just strumming Em /A (the beginning of Somebody to Love) or Am/E (Summertime) which may be easier for her to hold down may be ok for her. Or if it is really hard for her, you can consider nylon strings for a year or two. They don’t sound as rich as the metal, but may be easier for her to hold down and strum. A luthier (if you know one, or if there is a good guitar store near you) may be able to lower the action on her Baby Taylor, making it easier for her as well. I think your idea of teaching her how to read music is also a good one. Both of my kids learned to read music via the piano when they were 5 or 6, and I took lessons from that age as well. It’s a skill that will be useful the rest of her life. Whatever music you enjoy, I’m sure she will enjoy as well, especially as it is the opportunity to spend fun time with you.

I think it’s wonderful that she has a grandfather willing to teach these skills and share music with her. I hope to be able to do that someday when I have grandkids. Enjoy; it sounds like you are having a great time with this! Let me know how it goes.

David Hodge added:

In addition to Laura’s comments, I’d also like to recommend a couple of things – first off, many teachers start off their younger students with partial chords, using just the first three or four strings. For instance, you can play a G like this: xx0003 and a C like this: xxx010. Another thing that one can do is to use an open tuning (usually G or D). This is especially good if the child it adept at strumming. You can show where to barre the frets (or even use a slide) for your typical three chord song and the two of you can have a blast.

Well, in reading over the question and responses, I thought that the information exchanged warranted its own article. I can tell you that I’ve observed very young infants, when just able to stand, bouncing on their feet to the beat of music playing. I’ve also heard preschoolers sing cherubic choirs to guitar accompaniment. Then there are the little 3, 4 and 5 year olds that play Suzuki violin and make beautiful sounds from that stringed fretless instrument. I think you are never too young (or too old!) to enjoy music.

Somewhere in the preschool age, usually 4 or 5 years, children can pay attention enough to learn to play an instrument. The piano is a good instrument to start with, as it does not require hand strength or lung strength. There is immediate positive feedback. When you play a note on a piano the sound made is in tune, in key with the right pitch, unlike learning frets on a guitar or having to blow correct pitch on a horn. The downside is that real pianos are quite expensive, but used electronic ones which never need tuning, can be reasonably priced.

A guitar is usually even less expensive than a piano. You can certainly spend as much, or more than a piano, but reasonably priced guitars are more common than reasonably priced pianos. While there are some physical constraints to playing guitar, they can be overcome with a willing student, using a smaller guitar. It’s important not to let the kids get frustrated with any instrument that they learn. Don’t force the practicing and keep the playing fun. One of the many reasons I picked up the guitar initially was to set an example to my children for practicing and having fun in learning a new instrument.

A mountain dulcimer is another good stringed instrument for a beginner. It is held in the lap and played with a device much like a slide guitar, so fretting the strings is easy. Plus, there are a limited number of notes (usually a little more than an octave or so in a particular key). You can think of it as a stringed version of the xylophone or recorder.

If you learn to play a song with your child or grandchild, they love it! Even better is letting them pick favorite songs that they want to learn and helping them learn the songs. It keeps the sense of fun and allows the child to share happy music with the adult. One of the benefits of learning to play guitar (or any instrument) at any age is the sense of accomplishment felt when you have mastered something. It reinforces the joy of music throughout our life. Many thanks to the reader who was willing to share his story.

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. We have our own forum in the forum section. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story. I enjoy hearing each and every one.

How Young is too Young to Play was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

Take it a little at a time, and let the student build up the calluses like the rest of us have! Even just strumming Em /A (the beginning of Somebody to Love, or Summertime) which may be easier to hold down may be ok. You can consider nylon strings for a year or two. They don’t sound as rich as the metal, but may be easier to hold down and strum. A luthier (if you know one, or if there is a good guitar store near you) may be able to lower the guitar’s action, making it easier as well.

Learning to read music is a good idea. Both of my kids learned to read music via the piano when they were 5 or 6, and I took lessons from that age as well. It’s a skill that will be useful for the rest of one’s life.

From the Editor: In addition to Laura’s comments, I’d also like to recommend a couple of things – first off, many teachers start off their younger students with partial chords, using just the first three or four strings. For instance, you can play a G like this: xx0003 and a C like this: xxx010. Another thing that one can do is to use an open tuning (usually G or D). This is especially good if the child it adept at strumming. You can show where to barre the frets (or even use a slide) for your typical three chord song and the two of you can have a blast.

For even more on teaching guitar to children check out Laura’s lesson How Young is too Young to Play. Laura’s latest article discusses children and musical instruments. How young can one start? What things should be taken into consideration? There’s some wonderful tips and advice here.

How do I teach guitar to children? was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

Standing in line at the local ice cream shop one day recently, I contemplated my choice of frozen confectionery when a voice interrupted my musings. “Hi there. Don’t you play guitar?” I had to look around to make sure the woman speaking was indeed talking to me. Apparently she was, and she went on, complimenting my performances in the various middle school talent shows in which I’d performed with my children and husband. We concluded a pleasant conversation with her hope that she would be able to hear me play again sometime. I floated away from the shop, my Jamocha Almond Fudge ice cream cone in hand.

Fame! Most of us enjoy being recognized. I’ve been recognized as a neonatologist (a doctor that cares for premature and sick babies in an intensive care unit), as my father’s daughter, as my husband’s wife and as the mother of my kids. But up until the ice cream store event, I’d never been recognized as a guitar player! For a perennial beginner, it was quite a thrill. I was pleased that someone had enjoyed my music enough to approach me, a total stranger, and compliment me. While I play because I enjoy it, I was gratified to know that someone else also enjoyed it. Then I began to worry: What if I suck next time? Will my fans (well, fan, anyway) hate me? What if I don’t practice enough? As I contemplated all this, I started to laugh. In my two minutes (not even fifteen!) of fame, I’d literally soared, basking in the glory of performance and recognition, and then crashed back to earth.

As you know, Guitar Noise and guitar playing are not my “day job.” I love my regular job and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I also love playing guitar, singing and performing. But let’s get real; not all of us can enjoy a career in music that will pay rent and put bread on the table. I tend to look on this wonderful hobby as stress relief. Well, most of the time anyway. Occasionally it’s stressful when I can’t figure out how to play something! It can also be a bit nerve wracking to perform in public. Getting the courage to get up and play for an audience means letting go of worrying about mistakes you might make, stupid riffs you might play, or forgetting lyrics and chords altogether. When you do manage to let go of your guitar playing insecurities and perform, it is exhilarating. You realize that all of the things you worried about lose their significance in the whole of making music with others. You learn to laugh about the mistakes and learn from them (See Darrin’s article, Love Your Mistakes).

It’s a bonus when someone recognizes you for your performance and appreciates you for that. But then, of course, the “pressure” of recognition sinks in. Like many of us, I then begin to worry that I won’t be good enough next time, that I don’t practice enough, and that my future performances might disappoint any listeners. I started to have a good fit about it, until I realized that my worries were just my insecurities speaking. I don’t harbor the illusion that my guitar playing will support my family, or even my music habit. I just enjoy playing. It’s my love of the guitar that entices me to practice and to master new or more difficult songs. It leads me into listening carefully to new and old music by musical artists of many different genres. I find that I can always learn something from other guitarists. That same love led me to GuitarNoise and to blathering on enthusiastically to you faithful readers. If you focus on the joy the guitar brings you, you can then share that same joy with others.

Take a risk. Get out there and play for someone other than yourself. Fame may or may not follow, but I know you will enjoy your experience.

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. We have our own forum in the forum section. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story. I enjoy hearing each and every one.

Fame was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

Kelly Richey is a blues-rock guitarist who has been compared to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, for her amazing guitar leads. She has been mentioned in the Guitar Forums as a female artist with great ability. Her new album, Sending Me Angels is a must check out. Her website www.kellyrichey.com allows you to listen to a few tracks from that album, as well as tracks from previous albums. Unfortunately for me, Kelly is currently touring in a part of the US that precludes my hearing her live. However, I thoroughly enjoyed her new album, and was able to catch Kelly for an interview between her busy road trip schedule and her rehearsals. She shared so much wisdom that I’ve divided our time into two separate interviews. For Kelly’s viewpoint on learning the guitar, teaching music, electric vs. acoustic, and practicing music read on! For Kelly’s viewpoint on her career in writing, performing and playing music, stay tuned for the next installment. Kelly was generous enough to share the chords to one of her originals I Gotta Move, with me, which I’ll put in a lesson as the third part of our showcase on Kelly Richey.

Laura Lasley: I read on your website that you practiced 12 hours a day as a teen. When did you start playing the guitar?

Kelly: I started playing the guitar when I was 15. I grew up playing piano and my mom was a classically trained pianist and there was a piano in our living room. I played from the time I could touch the keys. When they started giving me piano lessons, that’s when I started not liking the piano. Because I’m dyslexic my ears serve me really well, but having to read sheet music is a drag. Then they had to force me to practice and it was this major…

LL: Torture?

Kelly: Fight. “You have to practice the piano before you can go out and play”.

LL: More torture.

Kelly: I love the piano and I’m glad that I had the training. It would have been great if it could have been a little bit different.

LL: A lot of people have learned to play the piano first. I played classical piano for 12 years; I was tortured too. When reading music, I know I think about notes on a keyboard even when I’m playing guitar (instead of seeing notes on the frets). Can you read music and translate that to frets?

Kelly: My experience from taking piano lessons is where I draw my strength when I teach guitar. I don’t want people to have a bad experience with music. I teach theory with the piano to my guitar students because you can visually see theory. If my lessons were an art class and I said, “kids go home and draw me a picture of a major scale”, whoever comes back with a picture of a piano wins the prize. You can see theory on a piano. When you play the piano you have to re-finger every key that you’re in. So that’s the advantage of being on the guitar. One size fits all. I try to make students see that. That way they can visually see where music is going and they can also visually see on their guitars. And the “CAGED” system is a kind of a way of mapping out the neck of the guitar where it’s somewhat like a piano where you start getting some vision.

I started taking guitar lessons right away when I got my first guitar. Within a couple of years I began to teach as well. So I’ve taught almost my whole career. I like to get kids playing. I think it’s really important. Some people have said that I kind of teach a Suzuki method of guitar instruction. I want people to listen to what they’re doing and I want them to play it. Some kids can handle theory and I’ll give them theory. Some kids can’t. But it’s kinda like having a car. You have to be able to check the engine, the tires, check your oil.

LL: Yes, absolutely!

Kelly: Unfortunately though, when I started playing the piano, I was bogged down with theory, and I just wanted to play the piano!

LL: I know. When you picked up the guitar, did you find it was one of those, like, love at first sight things?

Kelly: Actually I first got a set of drums. My next door neighbor had a set of drums and I used to go over there and beat on them all the time. Finally he said, “Kelly, why don’t you take this home with you?”

LL: As in, “You use them more than I do?”

Kelly: Well I thought he was being nice, but I really think he was saying “Get out of here!” And after a couple of months, my dad said, “You need to get rid of the drums, I’ll buy you anything you want!” I said, “I want an electric guitar.” So we got a Sears guitar and the smallest amp you could find. And after three months I went through three of them. Three guitars. They just fell apart I played them so much. There was just something about guitar that clicked for me.

LL: A lot of people get hooked when they pick it up, it’s such a lyrical instrument you get obsessed with it.

Kelly: I was very obsessed with it! And I didn’t set it down! I slept with it, I took it to school. If I went to the grocery store I walked to the grocery store with it.

LL: I love that part in your website about taking your guitar to school with you. There are some places where they would throw you out of school for bringing your guitar with you!

Kelly: Well, they did disconnect all the outlets on the outside of the school building; they did everything that they could…

LL: You had an electric first?

Kelly: Yes, I started out on the electric. I played for at least a year before I even owned an acoustic.

LL: Wow!

Kelly: Most girls tend to start on acoustics. I think times have evolved and the electric guitar has become a little bit more important to girls.

LL: When I started to take lessons, the teacher had told me that the acoustic was better to learn on. Acoustics are more difficult to play because of the action and the strings being heavier and so forth. If you master the acoustic, you will fly through the electric.

Kelly: It really is a lot easier on the electric. Also it annoys me when the parents buy kids these outrageously expensive guitars to learn on. Get them something that they are going to have to work to get a sound out of. Let them buy their first nice guitar.

LL: Make them work for it!

Kelly: Yeah, I’m not being a slave driver or anything like that. Every situation is different. My parents spoiled me a lot. When they got me my first nice guitar and they said “Now you’re on your own”. They provided me with a vehicle. They helped me a lot when it came to touring. But if you want a guitar and you want gear, that’s yours. Don’t ever ask for that. They paid for my guitar lessons and saw to it that I had a decent instrument to play.

LL: I think that’s one of the things that we’re always harping on Guitarnoise since we try to help aspiring guitarists. We get a lot of beginner questions. You don’t have to go out and buy a major rig that some famous dude has.

Kelly: Go get something and learn how to play it.

LL: Go get a used one.

Kelly: Yeah!

LL: Get a new set of strings, strings are cheap and learn to restring your own instrument. Get a tuner, and GO!

Kelly: Learn to listen. That’s what people forget to do; they forget to listen. Of course, there are lots of guitar players out there. The guitar gods of the 60′s and 70′s, there just seemed to be more people that Played. Today we have computerized music so available to us that it’s kind of gotten…

LL: Too much tech?

Kelly: Well, computerized has become acceptable, as if it’s equivalent to playing an instrument. I don’t want to say one method is better or worse, because art is subject to interpretation and everybody has a right to their own opinion. But I sure do like to see actual musicians playing their actual music.

LL: We went to see Isaac Hayes recently. The biggest disappointment about the performance was finding out that all those beautiful horns you remember from the album are actually played by 3 keyboards. 3 Korg Tritons, doing the work. I’m thinking, both my kids play saxophone. Why don’t you have a sax player up there? It’s because it costs more to have a huge brass section.

Kelly: It comes down to cost.

LL: It does, unfortunately. It’s sad, I agree with you. There is nothing like the original music with genuine instruments. I think that really comes through in your music. It’s music.

Kelly: I’ve kept it simple and I’ve kept it three pieces.

LL: It’s real instruments, real people and real emotions.

Kelly: When I went into the city, I said to the guys, “Y’all, I have to pull this off three piece, so we’re going to do a record that represents that and we’re going embellish in a way that complements.”

LL: Exactly. You can use the tech, don’t get me wrong.

Kelly: I would love to have keyboards if I could afford it! One day I will, but right now, we recorded a record where I don’t have to use keyboards.

LL: That’s great. From our earlier conversation it sounds like you also enjoy the teaching that you do. I think that’s really great that you teach! It’s wonderful that you are sharing your talent with others.

Kelly: I love to teach! (OK, Guitarnoise students in the Cincinnati area, don’t all call Kelly at once.)

LL: That’s great!

Kelly: I’ve got probably about 30 students that I cram into 2 ½ days.

LL: Oh, Gosh! How does that work with touring and everything else you do?

Kelly: It’s hard. I’m crazy, though.

LL: Your students understand?

Kelly: Yes. Usually I’m available 3 weeks out of every month. A lot of my adult students take one lesson every other week. Adults can’t go at the pace kids do, because kids don’t have lives yet. Kids aren’t going to work. Not that school isn’t a big responsibility, but when you’re a kid, you have some luxuries that you don’t have as an adult.

Interview with Kelly Richey was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

To borrow David’s disclaimer: These files are the author’s own work and represent his interpretation of the song. They are intended solely for private study, scholarship or research.

One of my favorite songs is Landslide, which was written by Stevie Nicks when she was with Fleetwood Mac. When I first got the Guild, I bought a Fleetwood Mac songbook and attempted to learn the song. I was discouraged by the chords that were written out, and was unsuccessful at deciphering the box code. The first few lines looked like this:

At that point in my life I was more a pianist than a guitarist and when I saw Eb, Bb, Cm in the notation, I thought, “Forget this!” So I tucked the song in the back of my head, and when I began to take lessons, I begged my teacher to help me with the song. It turns out that this is a very simply song…if you use a capo! For those of you who don’t know what a capo is, it is a wonderful device that let’s you change the key without changing the chords (see The Underappreciated Art Of Using A Capo). The chords are really quite simple; they are C, G/B, Am, G/B, with that pattern repeating over and over again throughout the “verses.” Then there is this little bridge where she sings, “Well, I’ve been afraid of changing”. Luckily, it’s a very little bridge and the chords are mostly simple, thanks to our friend Mr. Capo. G, D/F#, Em and then you plunge right back into the C, G/B, Am, G/B pattern. So here it is:

In addition to learning the chords for Landslide, I was challenged to learn a picking pattern for my right hand. Over time, I’ve found that I have modified the pattern I was taught (which mimics the album). I was pleased to discover that the song still is true, even with a slightly different pattern. It’s evolved into something easy to play, and great to sing with.

To play along with the recording, you want to put your capo on the third fret, but I use the capo on the 4th fret (making the song in E instead of Eb) to fit my vocal range. The pattern that my guitar teacher wrote out for me is as follows:

I ended up changing the pattern to something that my brain and fingers could actually replicate comfortably and allowed me to sing as I played. I also tend not to repeat the lower notes, as my singing voice is on the low side. What I actually play is:

On the “bridge” section of the song, when I play the pattern for the Em chord, I tend to play the B (second string, second fret) instead of the double octave (lowest Em) because it sounds good to me. Part of making a song your own is sorting out the different melodies and harmonies in your head and playing what feels right to you, in the space you have for the note. There is no wrong way to play the pattern, within the chord. The joy of learning Landslide is that there are many different finger style patterns that fit the basic feel of the song. Experimenting with what feels and sounds good to you is part of the fun of playing. I’ve noticed that how I play the song has changed over time, and that occasionally hitting the high E (1st ) string brings some higher note harmonies into the picking pattern. Although I try to be consistent, I do occasionally change the picking pattern to suit my vocals.

I’ve been playing Landslide solo for years. One of the reasons I took up the guitar is so I’d have another instrument besides the piano to accompany my vocals. The song is amazing, as I never get tired of playing or singing it. One day I had occasion to be in David Hodge’s house, with guitars in both of our hands. He lives 1000 miles away, so this doesn’t happen as often as I would like. I started to play Landslide, which David knows is a standard for me, and he surprised me by playing the most beautiful counterpoint to my now standard picking pattern. I was thrilled at how wonderful the song sounded with the second guitar.

David?

My own guitar playing has been a matter of two philosophies – keep things simple and try to bring a different voice to the proceedings. Since Landslide is a fairly uncomplicated song, I wanted to add to Laura’s pattern without detracting from either it or her vocals. This was best accomplished by mimicking her pattern but overlaying it with higher voicings. Since her pattern never ventured to the first (high E) string, I put the “melody” of pattern there and let it rise as the vocal melody fell.

You can hear how my part emphasizes different notes than Laura’s pattern but holds the same rhythm. In essence, it sounds like someone is playing an impossible-to-finger chord pattern on one guitar. Here I use my thumb and middle finger to pluck the opening notes while my index finger plays the B string on the offbeat and my thumb plays the G string on the second and fourth beats.

Since Laura played her bass note only on the first beat, I also threw in an additional one (again with the thumb while the middle finger plays the high note) on the third beat. On the first G chord I use the open D string as the bass note on first beat (while Laura played the B note on the A string) and then the G note on the low E for the third beat. The Am chord becomes a half-barre chord on the fifth fret (I usually use my ring finger for this). I also used an alternating bass line on this measure, playing the open low E on the third beat.

Since, for the most part, there were no vocals during the last measure I threw in a little fill to add some movement to the music. It’s not very fancy, just a descending scale from B to F, which leads to the open high E that starts the pattern. The open G string serves as a pedal point to keep the illusion of the single guitar going. From time to time, depending solely on my mood, I would vary this last measure slightly by breaking up the rhythm of the descending notes like this:

On this last measure, the initial stretch might be a little much, but since it is high up on the neck (with the capo on the fourth fret, this is actually played on the seventh and eleventh frets) it is not as difficult as you might think.

Back to you, Laura…

Thanks to one of our faithful readers for suggesting this song as a topic. I hope you enjoy this song as David and I have, both individually and as a duet. Have fun with it!

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. If you would like to suggest another song for a lesson, please email me at babydoclaz@aol.com or David Hodge at dhodgeguitar@aol.com.

Landslide – Fleetwood Mac was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

One of the beautiful things about playing an instrument is that it can voice different moods. Different instruments also bring a certain flavor to the song you are playing. Hearing something on a sax is different than a flute. Certainly you get a different sound depending on the type of guitar you are playing (classical, acoustic, electric, bass). Even the maker of your guitar determines the sound you produce. The way an acoustic is crafted, from the woods used, to the way the box is built, how the neck is set, these all determine the sound of that guitar. For the electric, the guitar’s pickups, neck and strings all affect the sounds. Then there are the many toys out there beloved by guitar players trying to achieve a different sound. You’ve got the Pod, which can give you a different amplifier sound depending on how you set it up. And all those gizmos that allow you to sound like a clarinet, sax or piano, if you like. And don’t forget that all these devices can be used in various, seemingly endless, combinations. Playing the guitar is endlessly challenging and stimulating; once you figure out what your own “sound” is like, you can then choose to modify it with different instruments or accoutrements.

Just as the guitar can voice different moods, so can your mood affect what you want to play. When I’ve had a tough or sad day at work, I reach for the acoustic, and start playing ‘comfort’ tunes. These are usually songs that I know so well that I play and sing without looking at the music, or songs that match the mood I’m in. There’s nothing like straight 12 bar blues to really emote with. I can play or play with the blues riffs for hours. Other tunes I love include James Taylor’s Fire and Rain. Even on my worst days, I can hit all the chords and rhythms in order to express my emotion through that song. Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide is another such classic for me, and hit’s the spot almost every time. Mary Chapin Carpenter’s Almost Home and Stones in the Road are both songs that I’m working on now to get the rhythm, syncopation and vocals gelled. One of my standard comfort tunes, Winter, is something I’ve been playing for the last 22 years. I learned it on the piano first, and it’s mutated into an acoustic guitar piece for me. The beauty of the song is that it’s a David Hodge original, so no one else (except Hodge) knows how it’s “supposed” to sound. And Hodge lets me play it any way I like, which again reflects the mood my brain and fingers are in.

Some days I just want to rock out, and then I pick up the Strat to play good old rock n’roll. Jefferson Airplane’s Somebody to Love, Smash Mouth’s All Star, Melissa Etheridge’s Bring Me Some Water, Beatles, The Who, or Rolling Stones tunes come to mind. While I’ve been working on Stairway to Heaven (who hasn’t?) almost exclusively on the acoustic, I note that it sounds much closer to true on the electric. I actually prefer rocking out to Melissa Etheridge on my acoustic, not my electric. Mellow or jumping tunes can be played on either instrument, depending on the sound you want to achieve, and, of course, the mood that you’re in. Of course, my argument is that I really need an acoustic electric to achieve the Ovation type sound of Ms. Etheridge. My family thinks I just want to own another guitar.

All instruments can be played solo or as a blend with other instruments (same or different). A song you love playing in a group may lose some of its punch or groove when playing solo. Or conversely, playing solo may bring a different rhythm or approach to the same piece of music. The popularity of MTV’s “Unplugged” demonstrates that the same song can sound quite different yet be equally appealing. Songs can have a completely different feel when played with others, or can be enhanced with the various layers of other instruments. For instance, if you’ve listened to Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, you can hear that the live version is recorded with a solo guitar. The song is quite beautiful that way, but I’ve heard transformed into a richer song with a second guitar. (In a gesture of shameless self-promotion, see upcoming article by Lasley & Hodge on that very topic.) There is something incredibly satisfying about playing with other musicians in a jam situation (see our section on Jams). It’s marvelous, because you don’t have to carry the entire rhythm and groove of the song on your own shoulders. Somebody to Love is great solo, but is really great with everyone in sync. Van Morrison’s Moondance is transformed with bass, saxophone and drums.

Which brings me back to choosing a favorite song. I’m rather inclined to agree with my music teacher buddy; I don’t have a favorite song. There are so many great songs out there that it’s hard to choose. Plus, as the music teacher and I discussed, it depends on what instrument you’re playing at the time, and what mood you are in. My favorite song is usually the one I’m currently working on. When you’ve sweated to figure out how to twist your fingers into the chords required, then built on that to play the song with the right speed and rhythm, then worked it to allow vocals in the right places, and finally labored to fill the silences with some interesting riff or rhythm, you have entered a love/hate relationship with the song. I become obsessed with playing it over and over, and even then I can’t always replicate the sound I want each time. The struggle and the resultant triumph when the music becomes what you want to express is the joy of playing guitar.

I hope each of you finds lots of your own favorite songs with all of your favorite instruments and continue to enjoy the pleasure of playing!

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. If you would like suggestions on how to play your favorite song, please email me at babydoclaz@aol.com or David Hodge at dhodgeguitar@aol.com

Favorite Songs was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

I’ve followed her career since her first self titled album. I first saw her perform in 1989 @ Toad’s Place in New Haven, CT, a small club with SRO (standing room only). That concert was memorable as I got into trouble for standing on the wall of the sound engineers booth in order to see her perform (hey, I’m vertically challenged). While I enjoy her albums, I really love seeing her in concert. I have seen her perform each time she has toured to promote a new album. She’s been in large and small venues, and has performed solo sets interspersed with her band sets.

She inspired me to pick up a guitar and learn to play it (yup, she is in large part why I own the beloved red Guild). She has a marvelous voice, both singing and guitar. I could listen to her sing a phone book! She has wonderful dynamics in her speaking and singing voice, with gravelley, husky overtones that make it quite distinctive. There are some great speaking voices that are just as appealing, like Sean Connery, Patrick Stewart, and James Earl Jones. I’d cheerfully listen to any of them perform, even if they just stood and recited the aforementioned phone book.

Melissa’s music connects in a personal way. On her albums, she sings about love and life in a heartfelt manner. One of the phrases that she has coined and uses during most performances is “Speak True”. Indeed she does, through her songwriting. However, while great songwriting skills may translate into a great album, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the artist is a good performer. While I strongly believe that live music is one of the best ways to hear an artist, there are many artists that don’t capture the audience in a show. Melissa Etheridge defines a consummate performer.

When performing, she always maintains eye contact with her audience. Instead of looking at her guitar, or off in the distance, she looks at each section of the audience and draws everyone into her music. She is such a dynamic performer that she manages to fill the stage, even when playing solo. When she is playing with a band, she interacts with each musician with enthusiasm. By actively involving each person into her music, she keeps the energy level at her concerts high.

Melissa’s choice of music at her concerts is wonderful as well. Of course, as a lifelong fan, I enjoy almost everything she’s ever written. She manages to use a formula in concert that works very well for many performers. Taking time to play her beloved hits while still showcasing new material allows her audience to feel the same enthusiasm for the newer songs as they have for their favorite oldies.

As with most concerts, there are moments when Murphy’s law will strike. How you cover for those mistakes is something you learn along the way, usually the hard way. For those of you that saw the Concert for New York on TV, she managed to cover well when her vocal mike cut out. During the last live concert I saw in NYC at City Centre, Melissa broke a string on her Ovation. She just changed guitars without missing a beat in the song. When you have a band to cover the notes for you, that’s not such a difficult task. She managed to perform a seamless change while playing solo, a pretty amazing feat. Later that performance she forgot some of the words to a song. She was comfortable enough on stage to talk to the audience, laugh at her self, and pick the song back up. The crowd roared appreciation.

Using other artist’s music to create playful segues is another way that she engages her fans in concert. Melissa played a few measures of Crimson and Clover during her rendition of Your Little Secret, illustrating to her audience that the chords really do sound the same.

This is Melissa’s first solo tour since she stopped playing in bars as a relative unknown. Performing solo without a band seems exhilarating for her. One could look at solo performance as riding the high wire without the safety net of the rest of the band. Using just her guitar and her sense of rhythm, Melissa was able to create the feeling that she had an entire rhythm section backing her. She used her boots to stomp the stage as percussion for one song, and the back of her guitar as percussion on Occasionally. I’ve seen her turn her Ovation over to perform that song many times, but this was the first time I’d seen her play it without a band. With her voice and her hands, she conveyed all of the emotion and power needed.

Melissa remembers her fans when playing, which has always endeared her to her audience. She paid homage to the 15, 20 ,30 people who used to pay a dollar to see her in the bars in Long Beach. She even played a request for “Superfan”, a fan from Germany so named because he has been to over a hundred of her shows. He requested that she play a song she wrote at age 15.

How does Melissa’s performance affect my performance? She inspires. She is so comfortable on stage and she always looks like she’s having so much fun performing. She manages to be playful, impish, and suggestive while on stage. She has a wonderful patter between songs that is spontaneous and genuine. This makes the audience feel at home in her world. I’ve figured out that I, too, can be comfortable in front of a mike. Once you lose that “Oh my God, there are people out there!” feeling, you realize that you are in control of the performance and your audience will go where you lead them.

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. If you are interested in seeing Melissa Etheridge in concert check out her current tour schedule.

Melissa Etheridge: Alive and Alone was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

For those of you who didn’t have an opportunity to view it, the Concert was a collection of amazing rock performers: David Bowie, Sheryl Crow, Macy Gray, Goo Goo Dolls, Five for Fighting, Elton John, Billy Joel, Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, James Taylor, Eric Clapton, The Who, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Melissa Etheridge, Bon Jovi, The Edge and Bono and Paul McCartney, among others. They were introduced by various celebrities, including former President Bill Clinton, his wife Senator Hilary Clinton, Harrison Ford, Susan Sarandon, Billy Crystal, John Cusak, Natalie Portman, Richard Gere, Gwyneth Paltrow and many others in order to raise money to help those affected by the World Trade Center attacks. There were also short films by Woody Allen, Spike Lee, Martin Scorcese, Jerry Seinfeld, Edward Burns, Kevin Smith and others that were broadcast on large video screens. At one point, New York sports celebrities were introduced in support of the event, with their jerseys to be autographed and auctioned.

The biggest celebrities were the rescue workers: firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel. They were introduced on stage and many of them spoke of colleagues and loved ones lost on Sept 11. The rescue workers, in turn, got to introduce many of the acts on stage. For people used to quietly doing their often-difficult job, these heroes stepped up on stage and delivered their words in a genuine heartfelt manner. There were moments reminiscent of the turbulent rebellious 60′s as one firefighter spoke his mind to the audience.

What was so impressive about this show, besides the all star line up, was the joyous, sometimes defiant, sometimes reverent attitude of all the performers. This was classic rock, with all the great moments and snafu’s that live performance brings. To get that many acts on and off the stage, complete with film clips, was impressive.

David Bowie started the night of with his version of Paul Simon’s America. He then launched into a rocking version of Heroes, dedicated to the brave men and women who rose to the occasion on September 11th. Music is a time-honored way of expressing great feeling, and the feeling was quite evident in his rendition.

There was an awful moment when Melissa Etheridge’s mike cut out during the middle of Come To My Window. That is, it would have been an awful moment, but the stage crew managed to stretch it to an awful 5 minutes (an eternity in live performance). Melissa proved to be the trouper we know she is (she’s the subject of another Other Side article – Alive And Alone) and played aggressively on her Ovation while signaling to the sound engineer at the same time. The crowd was marvelous and sang along to her guitar, and when she was finally handed a working mike, she was able to pick right back up and finish her song. For her next song, she realized that her guitar was out of tune, and in a very calm and confident manner, requested a new one from the stage crew. When she had the appropriate instrument, to quote my favorite NY DJ, she “rocked the roof off of MSG” with her acoustic version of Springsteen’s Born to Run. The audience went wild, singing along with each word.

For me, one of the songs that evokes the feelings of the events during and after Sept 11 is James Taylor’s Fire and Rain. It’s always been a favorite of mine to play. To hear James Taylor sing it so beautifully and clearly was marvelous. His voice hasn’t changed at all over the years. You could close your eyes and imagine being in the 70′s, listening to him in concert then. To be able to give such feeling and beautiful acoustic guitar playing after so many years of playing the same music is inspiring. The evocative poignancy of music was truly evident in that moment.

Possibly the most heartfelt moment was when The Who took the stage. They were looking like, as my 9 y/o put it, “old guys” but they sure rocked. They were a bit shaky at first when playing Who Are You. They gained momentum with Baba O’Riley and Behind Blue Eyes, then became sublime with Won’t Get Fooled Again. Daltry and Townshend were singing in perfect harmony, and Townshend’s windmilling and blisteringly hot guitar solo were fantastic. “Pick up your guitar and play” indeed! The joy of their music was evident in the honest gritty performance.

Paul McCartney was wonderful as well. He was one of the driving forces behind the concert. With The Who performing, and Mick and Keith together as well, I half expected Ringo and George to show up, with Lennon forever in the spirit of New York City. McCartney played some wonderful tunes of his own and then gathered all of the performers, including some rescue workers, to come on stage to sing Let It Be and Freedom, a new song he wrote on Sept 12. He asked Eric Clapton to solo twice in each song. During the first of each pair of solos, Clapton played a nice riff, polished but not special. Then with the second solo of the song, the inimitable Clapton pulled the most amazing improvisations out of his guitar. It’s a comfort to know that even the most accomplished guitarist out there needs a measure or two to figure out how best to phrase his or her music.

The wonder of performance, whether Rock or Folk or Hip Hop music, is that music celebrates our feelings, whether rebellious or sad or exultant. It then unites and heals us in a heady way. Anger was an oft-repeated sentiment, as it has been many times in rock’s history. But equally expressed was the belief in a free society and the freedom to live and enjoy music and life. The music, in concert with comedy, film and genuine spoken expression of emotion, became a vibrant celebration of life.

For all those touched personally by the tragedy of 9/11, I extend my heartfelt sympathy. For those grieving and yet determined to live life to the fullest, as urged by many leaders, this was a glorious moment of rock. Now that’s a freedom worth fighting for.

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story. I enjoy hearing each and every one.

Performance: The Concert for New York – Madison Square Garden, October 20, 2001 was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

While I enjoy The Green World, my family’s favorite Dar album is The Honesty Room; her debut album. This summer, our intrepid Other Side correspondent, Laura Lasley, was able to catch Dar for an interview in a Manhattan diner.

Laura Lasley: What kind of guitar do you like to play and why?

DAR: I’ve been playing a steel string guitar for 15 years. I learned on nylon. My first steel string guitar was one that my mom got for $50 at a tag sale, called a Favilla. When I started going to open mikes, I was told to get rid of my Favilla. So I got a series of guitars. One was really bad because it was too big. It was a Guild Jumbo, the big thing that belonged to Naomi Judd.

LL: Well, you’re a petite person.

DAR: Yes, but when I was trading mine in, there was a 6’4″ guy bringing his Jumbo back; he was saying that his back hurt from playing. Mostly I try to go for the smallest guitar possible with the biggest sound. What I have now is sort of a medium sized guitar.

LL: What kind do you play now?

DAR: It’s called Huss & Dalton (website) and they’re from Virginia. They’re just starting out and they are great!

LL: I find that because my hands aren’t really big, when I pick up an acoustic guitar and try to play a barre chord, I’m not always able to. I know a lot of women have that problem. I’ve also found that one of the challenges is finding something that you can play without putting out your back!

DAR: I think it’s something that you should take very seriously, buying a guitar. You should definitely take your comfort into consideration. Worst case scenario, you buy a guitar and you realize that you don’t really want to pick it up and play it because it makes you feel uncomfortable and your hands can’t make the chords. You need to take that seriously. Don’t just think “I must be bad at playing guitar.” You need to trade that guitar in for another.

LL: You started to play on a nylon string guitar. What inspired you to pick up the guitar? Did someone in your family have one?

DAR: Well, in the fourth grade, we were told that it was a good idea to start an instrument. I remember my sister Meredith coming home from elementary school in tears, and she wouldn’t tell us why, and when my mom left the room she said “I got a violin!”

I tried clarinet, and it didn’t work out for me. It’s a fabulous instrument and I remember that our teacher was really cute, and he had to wear a dress because he was playing in the pit orchestra for Cabaret, so that was very exciting. I decided that clarinet wasn’t for me, and my Mom said, “Do you want to play the guitar like your sister Julie?” Julie is my older sister, who I really looked up to, and I said yes even though my mind said no, because I could never be as good as Julie. There was just no way, ’cause she really was up there with the Parthenon.

And yet, it’s funny, you might wonder if it’s one of those things that’s meant to be, because there I was, getting lessons before I even knew what was happening. The great thing about guitar is that you can sing, which I like to do. I could sing after learning just two chords, and they weren’t even the full chords. It was like the two finger version of the C and the one finger version of G. But you could still sing Go Tell Aunt Rhody. That was encouraging, to be able to do so much with so little. That encouraged me on, and I had good teachers, who I did not think were good at the time. I didn’t realize what they were pulling on me. They were teaching me the basics that I work off of today. I remember working with one woman for two years, who didn’t think I practiced. I remember her telling me, “I’m going to have to tell your mother that you don’t practice.” Even though I may not have practiced as much as I should have, what I learned was great. I ended up taking four years of lessons.

LL: I remember learning classical piano, and having zero basis in chord theory, which is why, as an adult learning to play guitar, I find that to be more of a challenge. Did you feel that your teachers taught you to visualize where the notes are, or do you learn more by sound?

DAR: I learned the basic families of chords. I have to say, my mind did not take me to a much more curious place, so I really worked within the families of chords and that was instilled in me early on. If you’re playing a C, it goes with an F and a G. It’s a 1-4-5, but I never learned it like that. And to this day, if someone says, “How about a 4, or a 5?” I just, oh, I die! I’m a natural harmonizer, so I do a lot by ear.

LL: I’m really glad to hear you say that, because I’m embarrassed when I’m playing with other people and they get picky about chord patterns. And there I am, sitting there trying to figure the pattern out; I don’t want to look like a dork!

DAR: I’ve sung harmony with the Indigo Girls and with Joan Baez and Bonnie Raitt. I was petrified each time that one of them was going to say, “How about just throwing in a 4 there?” I think maybe Bonnie Raitt did say something like that, and I thought, “I could just die. My legitimacy is completely over.” Actually, those artists don’t really talk that way. It’s more what sounds good, what sounds bad, what sound’s kind of lucky, what accommodates our voices. I would say that I wished I’d learned the piano because there is crossover between piano and guitar. I feel like if I knew both of them, I could use the crossover, the synergy…

LL: There’s still time….

DAR: You know, one of the worst pieces of advice I ever got, the worst discouragement I ever experienced was when I was 17. I told my music teacher that I wanted to take piano and he said, “You’re 17, it might not be too late.”

LL: You’re kidding!

DAR: Well, the thing is, as a youngest child, the idea of being a late bloomer was horrible. Of course at 34, I embrace blooming at all. But at 17, the idea of being behind the curve from the get-go was so humiliating that I didn’t start. So I have been very apprehensive about starting the piano. But some day…

My guitar teacher has taught me how to read music, but not to sight sing. Somebody tried to teach me to sight sing and I wish I’d done that, but I never pursued that.

LL: You mentioned playing, singing with a lot of famous, inspirational female artists, some of whom are people that I look up to. Who are some of your favorite artists, the people that inspire you to both sing and write music?

DAR: Joni Mitchell is someone who introduced a full colorful palette of emotions and subjects into her songs, and she also brought this whole different scale into her music. Before, everybody was playing chords like blues, greens and yellows, and she suddenly brings turquoise, mauve and really subtle colors. It’s hard not to admire all the subtlety and creativity. A part of me says, “Wow, that’s really great!”

I feel encouraged by the people that can write really great songs with three chords, like John Prine. People who do stuff that you can play around a campfire.

I would say that somebody who can hit the balance between the two is Paul Simon. His stuff is so beautifully arranged, which means sometimes very simple variations on plain old chords and sometimes very, very elaborate arrangements. The way that he orchestrates a set of chords, which can be simple chords, really makes a point. He’s not afraid to play it simple, I think. So that’s my role model.

LL: I read an article about you, or maybe a review for The Green World, which said that you don’t peg yourself necessarily as one type of singer or another. It seems that people in the music industry are interested in putting people in genres; you’re pop, you’re folk, you’re country, you’re rock. I’ve seen you quoted as saying “’60′s folk rock was my original muse and the folk audience-people who listen to music off the beaten track fostered my career. I definitely don’t want to abandon the genre but I also need to make sure I’m Dar Williams first.” Where do you feel the roots are, for the music that you write and play?

DAR: There’s one pick that I’ve used a lot and I’m trying to avoid it now but it’s called the Travis Pick.

It’s a very classic folk chord pattern. When I use that, even if I’m singing a song about New Wave performance art or something the song will still have that sound of folk music. Using simple arpeggiations, which just means you pluck the notes instead of strumming them, it sounds very folky. Playing on an acoustic guitar is something that is originally a folky thing. Because I don’t do a lot of orchestration, chromatic or very fancy stuff, again that has a ring of folk music to it, as does an emphasis on lyrics more than arrangement. So all of those things sort of bring my music back to at least the simplicity of folk music. The subjects of my songs really range.

LL: I’ve noticed that.

DAR: It’s also really fun to go into a studio and have other people play all sorts of whacked out instruments and do whatever they want. I have no problem with that because my heart is really with theater. And conceptualized art, just where people push the envelope.

LL: I know that you started out in theater. Obviously you’ve done very well doing solo guitar shows. How did the transition come about and what made you decide to pursue music instead of theatre?

DAR: It’s so funny, I don’t know how I thought I could be a folk singer, because I didn’t know there was a resurgence of this very off-the-beaten-track music, this thing called folk music. It’s great! I was out of college, and I was in Cambridge. I was writing plays, working at an opera company and writing some songs. I was interested in directing opera, singing folk music or writing plays.

LL: Pick one!

DAR: Yes. The opera was very romantic, very great. I realized quickly that I didn’t want to direct because, like acting, there is a lot of maintenance for very few slots and the field is very competitive. The people who were prepared to become directors were people who had been listening to opera since they were 2, and knew the whole libretto of the operas. I was a stage manager at the opera company, and I missed singing. I started taking voice lessons from a hippie who said, “Are you interested in opera or folk?” She told me to sing something for her, and I sang her a song called “The Coming of the Roads” (by Billy Ed Wheeler) She got all choked up and told me to pursue folk music. She gave me the names of all the coffee houses that she sang at in the early ’70′s that are still around. They were all open mike, you pay $2 to get in.

LL: So this wonderful person basically said, ” I think you’re really good at this and why don’t you go for it?”

DAR: Yes. It took me many months to act on her suggestion. A friend of mine, a guy who started playing guitar in college and loved it so much that he was 10 times better at it than I was, said, “Come with me to the Naked City coffee house.” It was one of the ones my voice teacher recommended so I went. I remember I didn’t play that night, and he did. And I was like, “Whoa! My friend just got up sang whatever wanted to.” The next week I decided I was going to play and sing.

I realized pretty quickly that as a playwright, you have to become your own producer, director, actor, stage manager, props mistress in order to succeed. Whereas as a musician, you could write a song and jump up on the stage that night. So it was really the path of least resistance.

At that time there was an incredible proliferation of open mikes. I think that you need that experience if you’re 20 or 22 years old, as I was. I wanted to get better, because I was bad! There I was with my Favilla, my stage fright and my cotton mouth, my bad diction and my falsetto, which was so different than my chest voice. I had all this work to do, and this crowd of passive, aggressive, competitive, heart of gold good people were giving me advice that I needed and did not need, pushing me along to find out who I was as a performer.

So that’s what I ended up doing, and I left the playwriting behind at some point. I wrote half a play, read some of it for some friends, and they said “We’ve no idea what this play is about.” So I continued with music, and the music just got better and better.

LL: It sounds to me, a little bit like the old joke, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?: Practice, practice, practice.” With the folk circuit, it’s playing coffee houses: playing, playing, playing. Do you find yourself practicing a lot now? Along with the practicing, how do you get yourself ‘up’ for shows?

DAR: It’s mostly vocal warm ups. It’s good to get your hands on a guitar before you play, but that usually happens for the sound check. Ideally, you play the night before and as you play, you re-learn whatever you need to learn. Usually I play three or four shows in a row so I’m automatically warmed up.

I pick up the guitar to write songs, not to practice the ones that I have already played before, because I’ve played them a million times. But that said, I want to take this fall off to pursue some projects, one of which is to take more lessons. I’d like to ask someone to help me orchestrate and arrange the songs that I’ve already written, to give them a little more subtlety.

LL: I’m delighted to hear you say that. You’re at the stage where you have a career, you have albums out, and you have great fan base. It’s wonderful to know that even with all that you’ve accomplished, you’d like to take more lessons. So many people ask me, “do you think lessons would be a good thing?” I think you can always learn more about the guitar. It’s really refreshing to hear an artist of your caliber say that.

DAR: Well that’s nice to hear! I keep on feeling that people are going to catch up to my secret, which is that I could have practiced more and I could have been a lot better than I am. At some point I hear artists starting to sound repetitive. These are people that I like and their songs are very good, but their style becomes very predictable. And then there’s people like Paul Simon. What’s great about what he did with Graceland was that you assume that he made this huge disciplined move to learn. You see him in a smoking jacket, with a pipe, in a library learning about world music. Actually, he was given a tape of an African band by a friend. He listened to it in traffic on the LIE (Long Island Expressway) from what I hear. I’m assuming it was Manhattan to Long Island traffic.

LL: That’s a lot of traffic.

DAR: So he became completely obsessed with this tape. His passion led him on a path of inquiry, and that’s what you hope for. When you hear a new kind of music , you may think, “Wow, I could never play that.” Then somebody comes along and says, “Yes you can,” or “Here’s how you can do it.” You learn the new music in synergy with that. Learning new things helps you find new voices to play with, new lyrics and new rhythms to play with. It’s very inspiring. Sometimes people will buy a new guitar so they will continue to be inspired. Sometimes people take a few lessons and again with guitar, I think that it takes very little to yield very new ideas. And if I had my dream, I would , someone would touch me with a magic wand and I would become completely impassioned about learning all sorts of things I could about the guitar. I’m in love with words, and I’m in love with voices and the guitar is this magic carpet that allows me to use both of those. I’m incredibly indebted and I love my guitar.

LL: When you you write your songs, do you find that you have a melody poking around first. Or since you love words, do you find that the lyrics come first, and you build a melody around them? I guess this is really the eternal question, “How do you write a song?” What’s your particular method?

DAR: Well, there’s three things. There’s words, there’s melody and then there’s chords. It’s kind of catch-as-catch-can. Ideally what happens is that a phrase with a melody pops into my head and then I write a song to justify what that phrase is. For instance, this line came into my head, “If I wrote you, if I wrote you, if I wrote you, you would not write me again.” I wrote a whole song to explain what that chorus meant.

Sometimes, I’ll pick up the guitar and futz around, and I may not know the names of the chords, but I’ll futz around up or down the neck. I’ll evoke some mood and the mood will be a rainy day or a kind of feeling. I’ll follow the feeling and that will lead to a melody. The melody will have a feeling and certain images attach themselves. If you don’t push yourself, it’s pretty helpful.

I wrote a song about these potheads; I didn’t think I was going to write it. It was sort of earnest (also in a Travis pick) and folky but I didn’t just want it to be about some maid cutting her own throat at the banks of the Ohio. So I decided to write this tragic song about these people involved in a pro-hemp movement; him because he’s a pothead and she because she’s earnest about conservation (“The Pointless, Yet Poignant, Crisis of a Co-Ed” on Mortal City). I followed the idea further and further, the characters delineated themselves and suddenly I had a whole song. The more playful the better in my experience. The more pressure I can take off myself, the better. I also try to encourage myself to hope for the next highest standard of …

LL: Evolution.

DAR: Yeah, I encourage myself to wish for evolution.

LL: One of our [family's] favorite songs is “When I Was a Boy.” I would love to hear what the inspiration for that particular song is.

DAR: Well, it was definitely a thing that came into my head, the line “when I was a boy.” Actually, it’s interesting, there’s a Beatles song with the exact same melody of the line “when I was a boy.”

LL: Really!

DAR: It’s in the song “She Says,” so that is probably where the inspiration came from. The line was “when I was a boy, when I was a boy”. And I thought ouch! The feminists are going to say, “Why couldn’t you be that way when you were a girl?” But I wasn’t like a boy, I was a boy. So there was grit to stick to that strong line. I was describing how I was a boy, and then I was trying to decide how to end the song. I thought the song was going to be a whole thing about women in the world, but I realized it’s just not a feminist song. It’s not a song about women, it’s a song about children. So that’s why the ending is “when I was a girl.” And that’s what made all the difference. Because if it was turning into a feminist manifesto, it would have been really heavy. It would have been like that rib that they put on the car in the Flintstones, and the whole car falls over! It would have been that rib.

LL: It’s a wonderful song! As you listen, you remember those feelings. When I was a little girl, I was a boy, I played, I did this. And the ending is so endearing, when this man says “when I was a girl.” It’s a wonderful story to tell and it’s also an empathetic type of a song.

DAR: I’m very glad that was the effect, because I think there is a lot of empathy between men and women, and they want to share, but they get polarized by these debates. I didn’t want to feel that I was arguing against men, especially since men get shafted so much by their roles. Actually a lot of women that I speak to who would have been the separatists, they feel sorry for men. They don’t feel like men are the enemy, they feel like men are the victims of these roles.

LL: In performance, sometimes you perform solo and sometimes with a band. How do feel that the energy, the synergy is different? I’m sure it must feel very different for you.

DAR: Well, I think that when I’m solo, I get to feel a little more like a Lily Tomlin. In doing a one woman show, all of the aspects of my weird character kind of come out in one place or another. Whereas with a band, the goal is to hit your mark, do your thing, pull it off, land, and wait for the score from the East German judges.

LL: So in some respects, the solo performances are more about your personality and yourself. Playing with band is more of a “we’re all in it together” experience; the team has to pass the baton and get to the finish line!

DAR: Right, it’s a lot more about getting it up on its feet and running, and creating a spectacle or a phenomenon as opposed to endearing yourself to the audience.

LL: Do you prefer one or the other?

DAR: I like them both. I like them both a lot. I think that actually it’s less time to set up when you’re solo, so I guess I prefer that!

LL: Music, not necessarily folk music, but a lot of performance music, has been seen as predominately a male dominated field. Do you feel you’re treated any differently when you perform or when you produce albums? Because of your gender do you feel there is any kind of difference in treatment, or you’re pretty much able to move forward?

DAR: I don’t think there’s any difference for me, for a few reasons. One is that I have been, unfortunately, (and this is changing a lot so I don’t want to be a role model here) a bit of a girly girl. I really have let men be tech heads, while I say, “Ooh, look at that fancy knob, how does that work?” So I have subordinated myself to that. However, as a performer, you get to be a performer no matter what. It’s not like you get to tell your story any less on stage because you’re a woman. Once you’re on the stage, you can do what you want. Women have more money now, than in the last 20 years. Women who have disposable incomes are saying, “I don’t think I want to go see a movie called Thor, honey. I don’t think I want to see a movie called Rambo or Total Disaster. I think I’d like to see a story about women at a beach house talking and drinking too much wine.” And I think that women want to hear women’s stories. So actually, if anything, this career fits a market that has left a lot of men I know saying, “Damn it, if only I was a woman, I would really be cooking.” So actually I’ve gotten preferential treatment.

LL: Do you find that there are women in the technical side of music as well?

DAR: Yes. They have a whole different perspective. When women go into sound and light, they are really good, they are bringing a new perspective. Often they haven’t lost their high end hearing.

LL: So one of the reasons you end up hiring male technicians, is mostly because it’s still mostly men in the field, but when you find good women…

DAR: They’re great! And often they are seen as the tops of their field. One of the women I worked with in lighting, Jennifer Tipton, is a very famous lighting designer. I think there is something about the palette and perspective that women bring. All these people that I’ve worked with, sound people, are men and you just have to have a touch, a sensitivity about what they do, to be really good. It can’t be what we call “a guy thing”. That’s it’s just levers or knobs or an on and off switch. I think men like the technical part, but you’ve got to have a sensitivity to awaken the potential of all this knowledge.

LL: Talking about performance, for anyone who’s ever done any public speaking, or performed the fifth grade school play, there can be a whole lot of stage fright. There you are, all by yourself, on a stage with just a guitar, and a mike, that hopefully works. Does that bother you?

DAR: Well, I get tense before shows and I’ve come to understand that is a variation of stage fright. But I don’t feel the kind of stage fright, where I think I’m going to throw up before I get on stage. The two years when I was doing open mikes, I got something called cotton mouth, which means your mouth goes completely dry and you don’t know what’s about to come out of your mouth. I remember on a Friday the 13th, I was so angry at somebody who had dumped me and I got up on stage without any pre-conceived notion of what I was supposed to sound like. I made some joke about something that was irreverent and unplanned, and I didn’t throw it out like this big “do you like me” thing, it was more like, I was just sort of shooting from the hip, and it was very successful. And that’s when I learned that the act of being yourself is the act that I was trying to perfect. Being yourself means that you filter out the things that are truly uncomfortable to say onstage. There is wiggle room between what’s uncomfortable and what’s comfortable. Talking about being in therapy for X number of years turned out to be easy. But at one point I talked about something I’d said in therapy, just before the concert, and that wasn’t OK. Talking about whether or not I’m in therapy now is not a comfortable topic. Ragging on a teacher who really deserved it was not hard. Ragging on a teacher when I knew what some of her troubles were, that is, ragging on somebody without qualifiers, without some compassion is not okay.

LL: You tell a lot of stories when you perform. You seem very comfortable in front of the microphone and sharing vignettes about your life.

DAR: What’s great is that you discover that there are all these things that you can talk about that seem like they are taboo, and you go “why?” It’s fun to figure out what your personal comfort zone is, and to figure out what are the clichés, the PMS sort of clichés. But it’s really all about figuring out how to be yourself onstage and it’s not about perfecting being somebody else. That was THE day that everything changed.

LL: That’s wonderful! I think it’s inspirational to hear for other people who are just starting to do that. It sounds like once you felt comfortable inside your own skin, then you could just go out and be yourself.

DAR: Well, I don’t know if I felt more comfortable, but after that day, no cotton mouth, no more horror about what was about to happen on the stage. Starting to take voice lessons also helped because I was better able to predict that no matter what came out of my mouth, it would be ok, at least.

LL: One last question. The Internet has seen an incredible proliferation of web sites, like the beautiful web page promoting your new album. There are also a lot of enthusiastic fans out there making sites. How do think that’s helped in terms of communicating your song, your music out there? How do you feel about the whole Internet thing?

DAR: Awesome. It’s interesting. People say, “Well, I’ll just launch my career on the Internet.” I don’t think that that’s the way to do it. You have to draw attention to yourself in some other way.

Really, there is nothing like a record label to make the right phone calls, get the right publicity, put it all together, put it out, distribute it, get it into stores. Record labels are justifiably maligned, justifiably criticized. But they also do the work they say they are going to do, if they care about you, which my label does. So my label and I are in a partnership. I tour. I do the interviews that I’m set up to do. I put up my hair very nice for the publicity shots, shave my armpits even. I’m generous to them. And they, in turn, are really good at getting stuff in stores.

That said, the Internet facilitates and furthers my agenda. Especially when I was starting out and I had some attention. I played one concert for five people at a large showcase one weekend. One of the people in the audience was the head of this Folk Digest. Another was into writing the folk DJ list, for presenters of folk music on radio shows. My name was all over the Internet after that weekend and I went on a tour a month later and because of the Internet, I had five more people at every concert than I would have had otherwise. I did a house concert at one radio presenter’s house. I did a diner concert at one radio presenter’s home diner in Wisconsin and did one café concert for somebody who had set it up through the Internet. And there were 20 extra people there, writing down my set list. So it was very good, it created my career. It turned my touring in my Honda for three months from a totally money-losing venture, to…

LL: Paying gas money?

DAR: Right, right, right! And the Internet allows hook ups for people, so if a person has a market near Chicago, and then something in Nashville, suddenly they have a Louisville concert, a Memphis concert, and a Nashville concert. You wouldn’t necessarily need a record label, if you’re living hand-to-mouth successfully, traveling the country. It’s a huge amplifier for non commercial ventures. And it’s very, very important for a lot of friends of mine.

LL: Dar, thank you so much for speaking with me. I really appreciate your taking the time out of your busy touring schedule to talk! Good luck with the tour and your song writing and recording. I’m looking forward to seeing you in concert in this area, and looking forward to the next album.

More can be found about Dar @ her website: www.darwilliams.com

An Interview With Dar Williams was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

I love Mark Knopfler’s description of a rhythm guitarist. It’s everything I set out to be when I picked up my first guitar, my beloved dark red Guild. I wanted to learn chords so that I could accompany myself while singing whatever song was my favorite of the moment. I’d taken piano for many years and could accompany some songs, but I secretly had hoped to pick up the guitar at some point in my life. It’s just another string instrument, right?

Well as you all know, “picking up” the guitar is easier said than done. I diligently learned folk chords, practiced them again and again, often in the form of songs I love. I graduated to barre chords and took pride that I have strong hands that could master these chords. My hands aren’t the biggest, so I felt that barres were an accomplishment. I was blessed with a great guitar teacher who taught me chords and theory. He supplemented the drier part of the lessons with the question, “now, what song would you like to learn?” I would pull out a CD from my guitar bag, and we’d go through it together, with him furiously scribbling in my blank music staff book. It’s amazing to watch him break down a song into simpler parts.

I was excited to learn songs that my family enjoyed. My husband, the aforementioned bass player, enjoys all kinds of rock and Motown; for him, I learned Jefferson Airplane’s Somebody to Love (which I’d been belting out for years, but now I could play AND belt it out). My son was more interested in jazz; for him, I learned a simple blues progression. At the time, my daughter loved Jewel; for her, I learned a couple of tunes from Jewel’s first album. A fascinating journey into alternate tuning was commenced, as one of my daughter’s favorite songs was Near You Always. After struggling with the intricate chords, my awesome guitar teacher had an epiphany. It became a simple song if you tuned the guitar in D! So I learned to tune the guitar in D and then back again, without snapping my high E string. I was pretty proud of that accomplishment. The song has some picking involved, but I never really thought of it as learning a major riff.

Since I was decidedly more interested in learning the chords of songs that I wanted to sing, it was a couple of years into my lessons before I ventured into learning any riffs. I learned some tab, so that I could play some lyrical riffs, but essentially I saw myself as a basic chord player, a strummer, an accompanist to my singing. When I played in a jam, I was only interested in rhythm and chords, never fancier than that. I was becoming a veritable “Guitar George” as Knopfler described. Even my timing got better, as I played more, both by myself and with others.

Then one day, we decided to play Get Ready, by the Temptations as part of a set for a gig at my son’s middle school. We had some great student talent: clarinet, tenor and alto sax, trumpet, trombone, two super lead singers. I sang lead on a different tune, and we had one of the student’s fathers playing acoustic. My hubby was on bass, and there I was with the Strat, because it’s so portable. All of the brass players had learned their charts for Get Ready and some had come up with some great solo improvisational pieces. Even my youngest (at age 9) had learned a riff on her clarinet for that particular song. I had the Strat, so my husband showed me how to play the main riff. It wasn’t particularly difficult, in fact, it was much easier than the barre chords I’d been banging out. Just like some of our other faculty, I’ll show you how easy it can be:

When time came to rehearse with everyone, I decided to go ahead and try the lead riff. Well, it sounded great and fit in so well with everyone else’s bits that I went ahead and riffed away for the actual performance. I had such a good time learning and playing that riff, that I was impatiently waiting for the solo opportunity on stage. The realization of “Hey! I can be a lead guitarist!” was a startling one.

Of course, I’ve played with, and heard so many amazing lead guitar players that I do despair of ever sounding as polished as they are. But every mountain climbed began with a thought and the desire to achieve that particular summit. I know that there is a lot of natural and raw talent out there, but with some hard work, I can make my guitar “cry and sing”.

And in the meantime, I’m content just to have found my rhythm.

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. We have our own section in the guitar forums. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story. I enjoy hearing each and every one.

Finding Your Rhythm was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

Imagine my delight when the faculty of this esteemed Online Guitar College, in an effort to coordinate our teaching, decided to try “themes of the month” and then picked Shopping for July!! Well, OK, it wasn’t exactly shopping, per se, but it was about how to buy guitars, or equipment or other stuff. To me, that’s Shopping! And as a red blooded American Female, I Love to Shop! I know, I know, that’s such a typically feminine response. But hey, this is the Other Side. I don’t want to completely stereotype girls; I know plenty of women who hate to shop. But I’m not one of them. And one thing that I’ve found in guitar lovers from beginner to expert is a love of buying anything and everything to do with their passion! If you’re looking for good advice on how to shop for guitars or equipment, be sure to check out the other July articles.

I find that shopping for a guitar is much like shopping for anything else. The available information can be overwhelming, especially on the internet. There are a million web sites about every kind of guitar and every style. I have a few simple shopping rules that I like to follow which apply to clothing, TV’s, cameras, cars, houses and yes, guitars and guitar accessories.

Do I really need a new outfit, or am I just completely taken in by the picture of the model wearing the outfit?

First, decide what you want the item for. This is a good step into deciding if you really need it. Obviously a budding guitar player without a guitar has a good reason to buy one. Of course, if you already have several, then figure out if a new guitar is going to add some dimension to your playing. Ask yourself if you really will play it before you commit your hard-earned dollars. Then do the research on the guitar. Check web sites, talk to friends, talk to musicians. Decide how much of a budget you have and do your best to stick to it. Remember, the guitar only needs to be new to you. It doesn’t have to be a brand new one. Used instruments can work very nicely.

Hmm, should I get a short dress or long?

Many of us have been asked what kind of guitar to start with, acoustic or electric? The conventional wisdom is that acoustic is somewhat harder to play, so if you start with that, you’ll be able to play anything. However, you will then have to figure out how to amplify the sound if you do end up playing with anyone else (especially brass players; they are loud!). My first guitar was an acoustic and an electric ended up in my lap as a birthday present when it became obvious that I was serious about playing. There are acoustic-electric guitars on the market as well. These can work well for many.

The most important thing you have to do, though, when looking for a new guitar, is try them on. Just like a good outfit, you have to try it on, make sure it is comfortable and it never hurts if it looks good. I went to the local music store (OK, it was a rather large store, the East Coast Music Mall) I walked into their acoustic room and being someone who’d never strummed a guitar, I basically picked one that looked and sounded good to me. As I’d mentioned in the first Other Side article (The Other Side), even if I strummed just one note, it sounded and looked great! As I got used to playing it more and more, the big dreadnaught size became somewhat of a challenge to play. I’m a rather, um, vertically challenged person, and my hands are not the largest. Let’s just say my glove size is small. However I can hit an octave and 1 on the piano, so I knew my dexterity would be alright. I’ve since gone back to the acoustic room to try and find a guitar that fits better, and while I have found a few, I’ve yet to find one that I like better than my first. Playing the electric, with the skinnier body, has been fun to learn as well. I can do different things with that guitar than I can with the acoustic.

A neat website that takes into account the smaller female shape, especially for girls, is www.daisyrock.com . They advertise for younger girls, but this 40-something girl wouldn’t mind one…

Earrings, or maybe a belt to match…

And let’s not forget to accessorize! A good-looking guitar strap, an adjustable one, is invaluable in making the playing experience a more pleasant and comfortable one. The joy in buying one is that you can find one that shows your style. I’ve a plain red leather one to go with my beloved deep red Guild and I’ve one with geckos (or iguanas?) in reds and blacks to go with my Red Fender Strat. I like lizards!

A barrette, or some kind of hair thing…

There are also many kinds of picks to choose from. A friend of mine who is a mean lead guitar player prefers the fat picks over the paper thin kind. He feels it gives him better control. I’m still at the stage where anything that reduces blisters on the right hand from strumming is a good thing. I showed up at a rehearsal for a gig one night with no picks. Since I was playing with a lot of brass musicians, a bass player (who doesn’t use picks) and only one other guitarist (who uses those finger picks (picks that are fitted to each finger instead of the ones you hold)) I had no one to borrow from. As it was my turn to bring the take out for dinner that night, I turned a plastic knife (the blade part) into a pick. It worked surprisingly well.

Shoes, gotta have shoes that work with the outfit!

Speaking of accessories, amplifiers are a necessity if you have an electric guitar and a treat if you have an acoustic. There are little ones and big ones and opinions on each. I’ve a small one, portable by car, but awkward for planes. There are little ones that pack well for flight as well, if you plan to be a traveling minstrel. Of course, if you have an acoustic and an amp, you now need a pickup. I have a terrific Seymour Duncan that I bought online via Sam Ash Music (www.samash.com) that fits nicely and relatively unobtrusively into my Guild. Now when I play with those loud lead guitar types, I can actually be heard strumming. Amazing what technology can do for us.

Can’t forget a matching purse!

Tuners are another item that I feel are a good accessory. While it is important to learn how to tune your guitar by ear, it’s essential to tune correctly if you want to play with others and sound like you’re playing the same song. Chromatic tuners are more reliable than quartz tuners. Chromatic tuners are also helpful for alternate tuners. They may be a bit more expensive than quartz, but are worth it in the long run.

The outfit that looks killer on one person just doesn’t work on another.

Again, you can shop online or in person for one, depending on what’s easier. Our webmaster (and college dean) often puts links on our Home page. The web makes comparison shopping for accessories so easy, and you can supplement that with an experienced musician’s opinion. But remember that opinions are exactly that. Do the research and then come up with your own opinion before you spend your hard earned (or begged) cash. Majority opinion is helpful, but ultimately it’s your guitar and gear.

Lest you think this is an incredibly sexist article, let me point out that while women are often known for their flair in dressing, or in accessorizing, no one has more flair than a lead guitar player. That is, after all, What They Do, musically speaking. So you can’t tell me that the fun in shopping for this stuff is just for girls; it’s for everyone who loves guitars. So get on out there and shop ’til you drop!!

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story. I enjoy hearing each and every one. Shopping stories are always welcome!

Shopping was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

I know I’ve espoused the joys of playing the guitar for yourself. Practicing alone often works well so that no one else has to suffer with you as you get the sound you want coming from your guitar. However, playing with others adds a dimension to your music, and actually frees you to find new ways to express yourself in the community of musicians. One way to do this is to get involved in music jams with others. There are some great links on this site to music jams that discuss everything from “how to” to all about specific jams. You could even post, as others have, your own jam on our jam forum, or set one up with others in your area, using our forums as a springboard.

Of course the best of all possible options is to play in a band. Now I know there are stereotypes out there about girls in bands. We’re either fluff (just a pretty face/voice, not a serious musician, as some might regard Christina Aguilera or Britney Spears, not to mention The Spice Girls) or prima donnas (just a witch on wheels). Now, don’t get me wrong, I think there’s nothing wrong with being eye candy (can anyone say Ricky Martin??). But wearing hot clothes and having a sexy attitude are completely compatible with being serious musicians. If you’ve got it, flaunt it! And if you don’t quite have it, use the oldest trick in the book, male or female. Emphasize your best attributes!

I’ll admit that the lack of testosterone has led me to take a back seat in bands before. I was tentative, didn’t want to get in the way, and didn’t want to be a bother. But I’ve found that once you prove yourself, you’ll become an essential member to the band. When I started out, I joined a band because a) my boyfriend was in one and b) I could sing. Sigh. Yes, these are rather “traditional” reasons. I was only 18 at the time, though, so going with the flow was important to me. It still is, but I’ve learned to relax in my own skin.

The best part about participating in a band is that it’s an opportunity to learn many kinds of music. I find that different people interpret the same song in so many different ways. When playing or practicing by myself, I’ve found my own interpretations of songs. Playing just like the album (umm, ok, CD) has certainly been a goal of mine. But I’ve also found that playing the song with my own flair is equally satisfying. I used to think it was cheating to play the short cuts that you’ve found or heard, but I realize now that it’s part of the creative process. After all, Chopin sounds different if I play it than if Artur Rubenstein plays it. Or for those of you without classical piano background, the blues sound differently when Clapton or B.B. King plays, than when I play. Once I get over the fact that I’d love to sound like Rubenstein, Clapton, or King, I realize that sounding like Laura isn’t so bad.

When you get a lot of people together to play regularly, you can call yourself a band, and you’ll find that the creativity that comes from several enthused musicians can be exhilarating. In those late teen years with my first band we’d get quite silly with the music. Sometimes we’d do a traditional rocker in a reggae style. A certain prolific Guitar Noise author (hello, David!) was notorious for absolutely hysterical song parodies. He’d just change a couple of words and sing them to the unsuspecting members of the band either during practice or a live gig! It was great for laughs and for letting everyone become comfortable with the music. When I’m completely relaxed (and full out giggles is a great unmedicated way to be relaxed), I was able to express myself fully. And when you feel safe and comfortable, you’ll find that you don’t feel stupid making suggestions. Occasionally people will actually heed those suggestions and tell you that you’ve got a great idea!

Taking action to share in the workload of a band earns respect as well. I’ve wrapped many cables and learned to set up and use sound boards. When I first started hanging around bands, I asked the sound engineer how to set up the board figuring that I could write notes to myself. Actually, after the discussion I had the engineer write out the complex set of notes. It saved him a lot of work in the end, as I then knew how to set up, tear down, and run the sound board. As the vocalist, I found that I had a good ear for a balanced mix (not too much lead guitar or bass or drums. You know those guys are always turning up their amps!) Plus then I learned more about how to be a band member, which is great knowledge if you find yourself in a room with other novices.

Having sung with David Hodge in college and then again at a Jam last August I was quite flattered to read in his column on the Jam : “It had been some time since I last heard Laura sing and I must say that I was impressed. I didn’t remember her having such a strong voice. ….. (we went back to the house for an impromptu acoustic jam) And as much as I’d been impressed with Laura’s singing before, I was very much blown away now. Sometimes it does take a little time to shake out the cobwebs and set your passion free.” Wow. I was not only moved by those comments, but I was also motivated to develop my guitar playing as strongly as I’d developed my voice. I joke that it’s taken me 10 or 20 years to perfect my musical skills. As I’ve said before, a lot of life intervened in the interim. Plus, it’s always a work in process. But it’s worth waiting 20 years for a compliment like that! It is important to remember is that the only time table out there is the one you set. If you keep working on your music, you will see results.

One of the concerns that women have about being in a band is that guys won’t like girl guitarists. One way to solve that is to be in an all girl group. However, I’ve always been one to tackle those invisible gender lines with abandon, from singing “male” songs (The Rolling Stones’ Brown Sugar is one saliciously sexist example) without changing the lyrics, to working in a male dominated profession. I can’t answer for all the male/female relationships here (that’s not just another column, I think that’s a PhD course) but what I’ve always found is that curiosity gets the cat in laps she wouldn’t normally land in. Most people are flattered and happy to share when you ask them serious questions about what they do and how they do it. And when people share their questions and answers, both sides end up learning things. (Hmm, I’m sure there’s a joke here about the Other Side, but I can’t quite figure it. I’ll leave that to the reader’s imagination.) That is, in large part, what Guitar Noise is all about.

Don’t forget that you don’t need to be invited to a jam or to join a band to experience the joy of playing with others. You can find and invite other musicans to gather and play. There’s a marvelous group of writers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GuitarWomen who plan to play guitar when they gather for their next writing convention. For inspiration on jamming and a place to post, see our Jam page and Jam forum. I’ve also been in many jams and bands where I’m among the junior members, musically speaking. I’ve learned a lot from listening and playing with more experienced musicians; we’re back to the “if you ask, they will share” concept. You can be bold and be the person that invites everyone to the musical feast. I think you will find that even the most experienced musician will get something out of it.

So go out there and play and remember, you’re not just another pretty face!

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. We now have our own page in the guitar forums. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story. I enjoy hearing each and every one.

Not Just Another Pretty Face was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

Of course, it’s much easier said than done. There are so many other distractions, as well as necessary duties in life, that there is often little time left for anything unscheduled. As much as I love playing music, I often find that I need to have a goal in mind in order to make time to play. And then there is the frustration of not being as good as I want to be, when I do make time to play. The adage that practice makes perfect must have been written by a guitar player. In order to play well you need to practice. But in order to play at all you must be inspired. Inspiration comes from enjoying what you play. That’s tough when what you play doesn’t sound inspiring. Hmm, a conundrum worthy of exploring…

In the feedback from my first column (The Other Side – thanks to all for reading it!) was emailed a charming story from a reader. She wrote:

“I’ve always been strongly attracted to music, but it used to scare me, all those strange alien-like symbols, the weird theory sounding more like math than art. Well, I thought it wasn’t for me. Mom told me it would be wonderful if I learned music, but we weren’t wealthy enough, it would take too much of my time, I was 15 and, according to her, much too old to start.” (the readers may gasp here) While traveling, she bought some CD’s one of which was Melissa Etheridge’s Your Little Secret. “And that was the time when I fell in love with guitars. Hopelessly, since I was sure music wasn’t for me. I would listen to her (Melissa’s) music over and over, replaying the intros, in my mind I would change the rhythm, I would play music from samples on my computer, I had no idea what I was doing, had no one to guide me. Teenage years have left me depressed and with a multitude of deep-seated feelings. I was 17 and needed something real, so I bought a cheap guitar.

Everything’s always been very easy and fast to learn for me. Playing guitar wasn’t. It was a challenge. It was frustrating, funless. I gave up.

To make a long story short, I ended up {moving}, my guitar was left behind, and something was clearly missing. I don’t really know what led me to buy a blues harp last year, but it was a good thing since it made me realize how much I wanted to play music, and it was not about harmonica, it was about guitar. So, in January I went to visit my family and took my guitar home.

Three weeks ago, I played my first chord ever. Something clicked. My ability to learn fast and to have fun while learning is back. Still, I am twenty and this little voice inside my head keeps telling me I’m too old to start music lessons, the only way not to hear it, I guess, is to play louder.”

Play louder indeed! To the young lady who volunteered her story; thank you for sharing your insights. You are never too old to learn. Whether it’s music, language, dance, science, or cooking, if you want to learn something, you can. I remember I learned to ski at 27. I wasn’t very good at it, and decided to take more lessons in my early 30′s, while my kids were learning. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself, as my kids were making much faster progress than I, until I met my instructor. He hadn’t learned skiing until he was 36 or 37. And here he was, teaching skiing in his 40′s! Let me repeat; you’re never too old. If it’s fame and fortune you’re looking for with your music, remember that Bonnie Raitt didn’t enjoy commercial acclaim until she was 40 something.

Another thing that our young lady’s story reminds me of is a quote from the book Zen Guitar, by Philip Toshio Sudo, “Always keep a beginner’s mind.” When our fair reader was able to do that, she found the inspiration that allowed her to pick up, play a chord and find her way.

The trick is to find something that inspires, as my young correspondent has. Fall in love with a song and then want to replicate it. Or find a riff to replicate. That works for drums, horns, pianos, any kind of musical instrument including the Kazoo. I found that when I first picked up the guitar, all I could really play were chords. I’ve always loved the song Somebody to Love, from Jefferson Airplane (for chords and bass riff see Playing Along) and for a long time, playing Emin and A were a great way to find rhythms to sing by, or just to pound out! Then my live-in bass player showed me the riff for Heart’s Crazy on You, and that was something I played again and again until I got it right. My guitar teacher showed me the chords and picking for Zepplin’s Stairway to Heaven (grrr) which remains a meaty chewy bone to work on again and again and again. I still haven’t perfected it. But it sounds a lot better than it did the first time! I was also haunted by a tune called I’m Telling You Now by Keb’ Mo’. It’s got this great beginning….

Just as our reader found out, sometimes you hear a piece of music and it gets into your blood. You find that you are obsessed by it and need to play it. First you learn how to play the instrument. Then you push along, so that you can basically play the tune you were inspired by. Then you play it again, and again, polishing the piece like a fine piece of wood. After a while you find yourself playing it how you hear it, not necessarily how the artist plays it on his/her album. The music finds a way to express itself.

And all because you listened to a song you wanted to play.

Music can bring great pleasure to the listener, but even greater pleasure to the performer. Even if the audience is just one.

n.b. This column continues in a series dedicated to the female musician. We now have our own forum in the Guitar Forums. As always, I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered. Please email me and tell me your story.

A Conundrum was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise

So I thought I’d start the kick off for all you gals (what is the PC term anyway? Girls, women, femmes?) out there.

For any female out there who’s considered playing, writing or performing: Just Do It. That old Nike ad works for much more than sports. There is a fascination with guitar playing that goes beyond gender. My own experience has long been one of interest and enchantment, but I never thought I could play one of those lovely instruments until many years after I’d been in and around bands.

I grew up in a household where all you heard was either easy listening or classical. We never had the radio on (thereby missing out on some great stuff in the 60′s) and I don’t think we had much more than a tiny turntable until I went to college. I discovered popular music at friends houses (I confess, I liked the Carpenters. And Carole King.)

It was in college that I discovered Rock. It helped that my boyfriend was a bass player, and many of his friends played. I got recruited to sing, engineer and wrap cable when necessary. My 15 years of classical piano did absolutely nothing to teach me chord theory. Hanging around these guys, I started to pick up phrases like: “this one’s just a 1-4-5″, “what key is it in?”, and “let’s do this one reggae”. It’s like learning football, or other “exclusively” guy sports. If you hang around something long enough and absorb the lingo, suddenly you understand.

For years though, I settled into being the vocalist. I even took some voice lessons from a very funny teacher who assigned me a workbook of 24 Italian arias, which he nicknamed “Two Dozen Dago Ditties”. I was diligent for a few months, but discovered that good sound engineering and a monitor that works can solve a lot of problems. I found that I had a decent voice, and more importantly, I love to sing. Anything and everything. I found inspiration in all kinds of music, including some originals by the prolific David Hodge (see his guitar columns for continued inspiration). I even played some of it on keyboards (hey, all that $$ learning to read music shouldn’t go to waste). Never in a zillion years did I think I could play that music, like, you know, on a guitar…

Of course, college and medical school years do end and real life jobs took over. No more free hours to noodle alone or jam with a band. Kids followed, more job stress, and before you know it, those dreams of playing guitar are on the back burner. I still loved music; I went to concerts, bought CD’s and sang loudly in the car, but with no real thought of playing it myself.

Then one day, my husband (the aforementioned boyfriend who plays bass) bought me a guitar. He took me to a great music store near where we lived, and said, pick out whatever you like. I decided to start with an acoustic, as I’d heard that if you mastered that, electric is a piece of cake. I found the most expensive guitar in the “starter’s” room, a lovely burgundy red 6-string Guild. It sounded good just strumming it without making a chord. I figured it would look good and make me sound good, even if all I did was strum an E over and over again. I took a few lessons, was fascinated by the sounds that came out of the guitar and vowed to play forever. You know the story. Reality was that between job, kids, exercise, life etc. I never found time to practice. The Guild stayed in its case.

A move, a job change, and an attitude change later, I found my guitar again. By this time, both my kids were taking music lessons. I thought that if Mom took some lessons and practiced, it would set an example for them. I found a wonderful guitar teacher, at the same school where my children attended, and away we went. I fell in love with the guitar all over again. This time, I set reasonable goals. I didn’t have to fly through licks, I just wanted to be able to play a few chords and sing along. My teacher patiently walked me through songs that I loved, and gradually, I’ve worked my way to actually learning different strums and finding my own rhythm. I’ve found that you can play and sing at the same time (Hodge wrote a wonderful column about this – Singing In A New Year). My new toy is a red Fender Stratocaster, a milestone birthday gift from my wondrous husband. I’ve played in jams; first at the music school, encouraged by my teacher and then with local friends, and then with college friends. Oh yes, that bass player from college still plays with me when no one else can. When I’m frustrated by the guitar (it does happen), I can always fall back on vocals. Like everything else in life, you have to work at it, but the work can be fun.

So yes, Virginia, there are female guitar players, both casual and proficient. A few favorite guitarists are Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt, The Bangles, Chrissie Hynde, Nancy Wilson, Tina Weymoth (must be more, just can’t think whom!). We range anywhere from Maria Von Trapp, with the acoustic, sing along with the kids stuff, to serious hard rock. I’ll admit, the jazz artists are fewer (Rory Block, anyone?), but still present. Don’t think of guitar as a male sport; it’s for anyone with a love of music.

So pick up the guitar, any guitar, and just play.

n.b. This column is the first in a series dedicated to the female musician. We hope to have several contributors and some interesting interviews. We will have our own forum in the future.

Please email me and tell me your story. I would love suggestions on topics you would like to see covered.

The Other Side was written by Laura Lasley for Guitar Noise. A good guitar player you will be if you visit the above site. © 2012 Guitar Noise