Guitar Noise

Welcome to the latest issue of Guitar Noise News.

In This Issue

• News and Announcements
• New Lessons and Articles
• Worth a Look
• Sunday Songwriters Sessions / Sunday Composers
• Reviews
• Thoughts and Feedback

News And Announcements

Greetings!

Welcome to Guitar Noise News!

Wow!

Last week Paul took a minute to “address the troops,” so to speak, and I can’t believe some of the positive responses we’ve been getting. Let me take a minute now to say thanks before getting all wrapped up in this week’s news.

As you all know, Guitar Noise is a free guitar site, meaning that we do not charge you for seeing any of the content of our pages. And, as you’re probably all tired of hearing over and over again, all of the people who “work” here are volunteers. We all have other jobs (some individuals even have multiple occupations/careers) and do what we do on this site, whether writing, editing or keeping peace on the forum pages, in whatever spare time we manage to find during the course of any given day.

Last year we held our first “charity drive” and you, our readers, contributed enough for us to make a much needed change of servers. This year so many people were asking me about doing it again that Paul has resurrected our donation page. If you’d like to help in supporting Guitar Noise, then go right to our info page.

Last week Paul also mentioned the need for volunteers. I’d like to echo his thoughts. This site has become a reflection of the people who visit here. I wasn’t born a writer for Guitar Noise; I simply offered to help Paul by answering his call for a columnist. Our featured staff, contributing writers and contributing readers all started as visitors here. Not to be cute or overly sentimental or anything, but we’ve become a classic example of a true community. We’ve become the global village which people speak of rhetorically.

As Guitar Noise grows, and if it continues to grow at its present rate, our need will be to become even more of an active community than we currently are. This, believe it or not, is more a matter of time than it is of money. So if you can’t (or don’t want to) donate money to Guitar Noise, I’d like to ask you to think about donating time. Or talent. There’s so many things that people can do to help and Paul listed some urgent needs in our last newsletter.

To those of you who are giving of yourselves, whether in time or talent or money, I thank you on behalf of Paul and myself. And I hope you know that the entire Guitar Noise community thanks you as well.

Now let’s catch up on what’s new this week!

New Lessons And Articles

Guitar History
by Tom Serb

You may know him as “Noteboat.” You may have read his critically acclaimed book on theory. You may even have had one of your questions answered by Tom on the forum pages. So it was a pleasure for me to get an article from him to pass along to you. I think you’ll find this a fun and fascinating little romp through the history of the guitar.

An Interview With Janis Ian
by A-J Charron and David Hodge

One incredible songwriter/performer/guitarist meant getting two interviewers in for the job! Janis Ian kindly answers our questions on everything from getting into the business to internet music sharing. She even passes on a great tip that Chet Atkins gave her…

Worth A Look

This week, in conjunction with the latest Guitar Noise Lesson Discussion on the forum pages, I’ve recorded an MP3 for our Easy Songs for Beginners lesson, House of the Rising Sun.

This is a truly great way to start yourself down the road to fingerpicking the guitar. Check out the lesson and then come on over to the forum and chat with others and trade tips and ideas.

Sunday Songwriters Group / Composers

The Sunday Songwriters Group is a Guitar Noise exclusive. Conceived by Ryan Spencer and Nick Torres, the idea is to give songwriters a weekly exercise in order to help develop their lyric-writing skills.

It’s open to everyone. Got an itch to write? Jump on in! Even if you don’t write, you should feel free to critique. After all, you probably have experience listening to songs, no?

For more info, visit the SSG FAQ.

The Sunday Composers page is the newly created musical extension of the Sunday Songwriters Group. On this forum page the emphasis is on music writing rather than lyrics. Join us for exercises and discussion on the other half of “lyrics and music” on the Guitar Noise forums.

And now that you all know what’s going on…

Sunday Songwriters Group – the Second Year!

SSG2 – Week 4:

We’re giving you two lines – one has to start the song and the other will be used in the chorus, or the bridge if you have no chorus, or the final verse should you write something with only verses:

Line 1: “They know who I am”

Line 2: “Ask someone who loves me”

You can write in any style and about any subject you choose.

Think about these two lines. What images or thoughts come to mind? Once you have your basic concept, go ahead and lay out your imagery words and then go to town.

Sunday Composers – Assignment Three

This week is an easy one. Post any one of your recordings for critique, old or new. If you don’t have a recording, use the free download of Acid Music Xpress, or your favorite recording software, and record one. If you already have one posted at Adam’s site, just let us know which one.

No one’s looking for perfection. We’re just looking to hear you.

Good Luck and good writing,

Nick

Reviews

Janis Ian: Live – Working Without A Net
When someone talks about seeing a spectacular, superlative live performance, it’s rare for the listener to think of a folk artist being the object of that admiration. Janis Ian’s two-disc set might change that perception forever.

Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3: Static Transmission
Static Transmission is 51 minutes of pure fun the way only a very few artists know how to create. Certainly this album is one you will be listening to regularly for years to come.

Thoughts and Feedback

I’ve got to keep things short this time out in order to make a lot of deadlines that have absolutely nothing to do with either being lines or being dead. Go figure. But there’ll be a lot of news and thoughts in store for you in our next Guitar Noise News.

I hope you all have a grand week. Stay safe.

And, as always,

Peace

David