Newsletter Vol. 2 # 87 – August 15, 2004
Welcome to the latest issue of Guitar Noise News.
In This Issue
- News and Announcements
- New Lessons and Articles
- Worth a Look
- Email of the Week
- Forum News
- Reviews
- Thoughts and Feedback
News And Announcements
Greetings!
Welcome to Guitar Noise News!
Let’s start out this issue of our newsletter by announcing the latest schedule of the Guitar Noise Seminars, which will take us through the end of the 2004 calendar year:
Saturday, September 11 – ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS / BEGINNING BLUES
For those of you who missed out earlier in the year, I’m offering a crash course in two of our more popular seminars. In the morning, we’ll cover the very basics of the guitar, including a number of chords and general strumming and picking. We’ll even get to play a song or two or three! In the afternoon, we’ll learn the fundamentals of blues. The twelve bar blues format and basic shuffle will be taught along with the rudiments of fills and solos. It’s a great way to get your guitar playing off to a terrific start.
Saturday, September 25 – INTRODUCTION TO BASIC GUITAR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
In this new seminar, we’ll look at a number of problems that come up time and again in our forum pages. How to best tune your guitar (and keep it in tune!), plus general cleaning and string changing will be covered. Then we’ll look at how to diagnose various problems you might encounter either with your current guitar or when deciding to choose a new or used) guitar, such as looking for warps or bows in the neck as well as checking and correcting the action. We’ll also discuss which problems you might be able to fix on your own as well as which ones might be better off in the hands of a luthier. There’ll be some hands-on work here and I’m hoping that everyone who attends will be a little more confident in his or her ability to do minor repairs.
NOTE: There will be an additional $30 materials fee for this seminar, making the cost for the day $130.
Saturday, October 9 – ARRANGING SONGS FOR THE SINGLE GUITAR
In this seminar, we’ll take a look at taking songs and making arrangements of them for the single guitarist/performer. This will be much like the lessons in both the Easy Songs For Beginners and Songs For Intermediates pages at Guitar Noise. Starting with the very basics, we’ll look at adding signature riffs, bass lines, melodies and simple solos that will enhance our solo performances of numerous pieces. Participants are encouraged to bring one or two songs that they’d like to arrange.
Saturday, October 23 – BASICS OF SOLOING
While not everyone can be _____________ (insert your favorite guitarist here), everyone does have it in him or her to create interesting solos. We’ll look, step by step, at what goes into the making of a guitar solo, by examining “classic” solos and by creating our own. This is open to both acoustic and electric players. Or bring both! We’ll look at scales, modes, chord shapes, standard riffs and the more important (and often overlooked!) aspects such as rhythm, phrasing, tension, dynamics and emotion. Come and find that there’s much more to playing a guitar solo than speed! Give yourself both the knowledge and the confidence to play your own solos.
Saturday, November 6 – PAUL SIMON SONG SEMINAR
Like Neil Young, the songs of Paul Simon offer a world of lesson to the guitarist, whether one is just a beginner or has been playing for years. We’ll work our way through a good many of Paul’s songs, spanning pretty much his entire career from the early works like April Come She Will, Sounds of Silence, Bookends, and America to many of his solo pieces as well, like American Tune, Saint Judy’s Comet, Something So Right, Hearts and Bones, The Boy In The Bubble and Born At The Right Time. So grab your acoustic and a trusty capo and come out and have a great day learning and playing some great songs.
Saturday, November 20 – ORIGINAL SONG ARRANGEMENT AND RECORDING
This is something I’m pretty excited about. I’ll be taking a small group of students (no more than four or five) and we’ll work at coming up with an arrangement and CD recording of one original song from each participant. If you’ve ever wanted to work out a recording of one of your own songs, this will be a good chance to learn about all the different aspects that go into it. As I mentioned, owing to the nature of this seminar, enrollment is limited. But, if there is a lot of interest, this might become an ongoing seminar topic and I’ll be more than happy to host it on more occasions, even on some of our “off weeks” between now and the end of the year.
Saturday, December 4 – CHRISTMAS SONG WORKSHOP
A day devoted to Christmas Carols and other seasonal songs. Learn both sing-a-long strumming of all your favorites so that you can play them in groups as well as single guitar arrangements that you can use more as “performance pieces.”
All Guitar Noise Seminars will be held at my home just outside of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. It’s a big tourist area and there’s plenty to do if you want to bring your family and make a weekend out of it. Each seminar, with the noted exception of the September 25th seminar on Repair and Maintenance, is $100 for the day’s lessons and materials and also includes food and (non-alcoholic) drinks. And you can always stay afterwards and jam the evening away!
If you’re interested, please email me and include “Seminar” in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you.
In addition to these seminars, and only if there’s sufficient interest, I am going to be in Chicago on Saturday, October 16 and would be willing to do a reprise of the Neil Young Song Seminar. This would have to be an abbreviated version (four or five hours, no lunch) and would therefore be offered at a price of $75. I would really like to know how many people would be interested before Saturday, September 25, so that I can plan ahead for it.
All right, then… Having taken a brief look at the future, shall we return to the present and take notice of what’s gone online here at Guitar Noise since we last chatted?
New Lessons And Articles
For Love Or Money
by Tom Hess
Tom Hess returns to Guitar Noise with a thoughtful look at the different ways you can go about getting your music played without compromising your artistic integrity. While this piece was in direct response to a specific email, I think that the questions and answers posed here will be a big help to anyone looking to get their music heard.
How To Become A Better Musician By Creating A Balanced Practice Schedule
by Mike Walsh
Meet HESS’s other guitarist! Mike Walsh and Tom Hess not only create great music as band mates, but apparently Mike can write articles as well. We at Guitar Noise are proud to present his first piece for us – an overview of the ways a balanced practice regimen can get you on track for improving your playing. We’re looking forward to Mike’s follow up lessons.
The Dinosaurs (Part 4)
by Len Collins
The Dinosaurs move out of the Black Lagoon and into the studio to record their first attempt at an original song. What will happen? How will the engineer be able to help them? Who will bring lunch? Will the band dissolve during the mix-down session? Sit back and enjoy the final chapter of Len Collins’ serial piece concerning this fictional band.
Worth A Look
Whenever I get a new piece from Tom Hess, I often find myself referring back to his old articles. There are a lot of them and they’re all good, but today let me direct you to this one in particular: Choosing A Teacher
With the new school year starting up, it’s a great time to be looking into getting a bit more learning, no matter your age and experience. If you’re thinking about continuing on the “self-taught” method, be sure to look at Common Sensei and many other articles here on the Guitar Noise site.
Email Of The Week
This is a little late, owing to the Riverside Jam and other events, but I think that it’s still early enough so that some of you in the New York City area might still be able to attend. That’s assuming, of course, that it’s of interest to you.
Steely Keyboardist Appearing Live With Van Davis
NEW YORK, NY: On August 31, eclectic rock-jazz trio Van Davis will return to the renowned 55 Bar, a favorite venue of innovative guitarists such as Mike Stern and Wayne Krantz. Van Davis — named for its hybrid style influenced by Van Halen and Miles Davis — was invited back to the 55 Bar after a successful debut performance this past spring.
In addition to the adventurous compositions and soulful playing that Van Davis fans have come to expect, there will be a guest appearance by Ted Baker, Steely Dan’s touring keyboardist.
Jake Ezra, guitarist and founder of Van Davis, has often been compared to Steely Dan guitarist Larry Carlton; in fact, Ezra used to joke about sneaking on stage with Steely Dan to take a solo or two. Ezra quotes, “Steely Dan’s The Royal Scam had a major influence on my composing and playing, and discovering their entire catalogue was a real turning point for me.” He was thrilled when Steely Dan re-formed in 2000 with a new lineup, including keyboardist Ted Baker.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Ted Baker studied piano at Oberlin and spent his formative years playing with local bands, eventually landing a break with the Philip Glass Ensemble. His recent projects include Steely Dan’s latest studio releases Two Against Nature and Everything Must Go; in addition, Baker plays keyboards alongside Donald Fagan in the live band. When not touring with Steely Dan, Baker can be heard as the principal keyboardist in Broadway’s The Lion King.
In 2004, Jake Ezra and Ted Baker’s paths crossed: Ezra, who frequently plays on the musicals Wicked and Little Shop of Horrors, found himself beside Ted Baker in the orchestra pit of The Lion King. Ezra immediately identified with Baker’s confident, rock feel and was impressed by Baker’s ability to excel in the seemingly separate worlds of Broadway and rock ‘n’ roll.
Ezra also hopes to divide his time between his Broadway work and his dream project, Van Davis, which features Patrick Carmichael on drums and Jon Price on bass. The trio has been drawing increasingly large crowds to their gigs at respected Manhattan venues, including the Knitting Factory and Arlene’s Grocery. The members of Van Davis are currently collaborating on new material for their second CD, which will comprise studio tracks as well as live performances.
The members of Van Davis are especially looking forward to their August 31st performance with Ted Baker, which will be recorded for their upcoming CD.
Van Davis @ 55 Bar, 55 Christopher St, New York, NY.
Tuesday, August 31, 7pm-9pm. Special guest Ted Baker.
(212) 929-9883. No cover, happy hour drink special.RELEVANT WEBSITES:
http://www.vandavis.com/
http://www.steelydan.com/
http://www.55bar.com/
Forum News
In case you missed it last week, we’ve got two relatively new sections on our Forum Page. Let me fill you in on them one last time:
HEAR HERE
This is in the “In The Studio” section. We’ve had so many people requesting feedback to their songs or performances that Nick graciously created one place where any Forum member can post a link to his or her MP3 and then get critiques from their peers. There are some amazing pieces of music, original material and covers, just waiting for you to discover them. There are even a few “cooperative” pieces, which involve different forum members from different parts of the world working together to create a song for your listening enjoyment. Go and download a few and perhaps you’ll find that you’ve some new favorite artists and songwriters.
PICKS AND PANS
Note to self: I’m going to have to talk with Nick about renaming this. Why even discuss something that you don’t want to share? Maybe “FOR YOUR DESERT ISLAND LIST CONSIDERATION…”
Anyway, one of the greatest assets of the Guitar Noise site has always been the diversity of our readers. Not only do folks come here from all over the world, they come with so many different tastes in music and with quite an amazing collective assortment of music. Instead of complaining that there’s nothing on the radio, go out and pick up a recommendation from one of your fellow Forum members. This particular Forum page is specifically here for you to make (and read) suggestions of bands and artists that you feel people might like to hear. There’s everything from new indie artists to long established players that may have escaped your notice. Next time you have an itch to listen to something new, perhaps you’ll get some ideas on this page. And the next time you hear something that totally knocks you off your feet, take a moment and tell us all about it!
Reviews
Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records
If there is something like a Mecca for American rock ‘n roll, it must be Memphis, Tennessee. There, tucked away toward one end of Beale Street, is the Sun Recording Studio where Sam Phillips, on July 5, 1954, recorded Elvis’s version of That’s All Right.
Thoughts & Feedback
“…And all the houses on the street have got a name
‘Cause all the houses on the street look just the same…”
– Ray Davies, Shangri-la
I don’t know how many of my friends even know it, but the house I live in (the one I moved into last New Year’s Day) has a name. My girlfriend and I named it before we moved in, actually. We decided to call our new home in the Berkshires Andante.
Why the fancy name? Or why even give a house a name, for that matter?
First things first – Most of you probably already know that andante is a musical term referring to the tempo of a song. When we looked at all the word’s meanings, we couldn’t help but realize that this bit of musical direction also pretty accurately describes both our personalities and our teaching philosophy.
Literally, andante means “at a walking pace.” And we all know that different people walk at markedly different paces, no? It also means “a tempo of about sixty to eighty beats per minute,” which, in one of those wonderful coincidences, is about the tempo of the human heart.
Andante is a tempo marking whose meaning is not entirely clear, even to musicologists and composers. The best all can agree on is “slow – or quick – but never rushed.”
And maybe that’s why we chose to give our house a name, and this name in particular. Andante serves as a reminder that everyone learns and makes music at his or her own pace. And I think that this is also one of the reasons why Guitar Noise enjoys the popularity it does, we heartily encourage people to find their own pace. Yes, we teach musicianship, technique and theory (among lots of other things!), but most of all we work to nurture the relationship between the reader and his or her music.
If any of you gets the chance to visit me at home, either through a seminar or a jam or simply because you happen to be in the area, I trust you’ll find that I’m living up to our house’s name.
I hope that each of you has a wonderful week. Stay safe.
And, as always,
Peace
David