Newsletter Vol. 3 # 114 – May 15, 2010

Greetings,

Welcome to Volume 3, Issue #114 of Guitar Noise News!

In This Issue:

  • Greetings, News and Announcements
  • Topic of the Month
  • Guitar Noise Featured Artist
  • New Articles and Lessons
  • Exploring Guitar with Darrin Koltow
  • Event Horizon
  • Random Thoughts

Greetings, News and Announcements

Hello! And welcome to your May 15, 2010 issue of Guitar Noise News, the twice-a-month newsletter from Guitar Noise (www.guitarnoise.com).

Quite a lot has been going on in the world since we’ve last chatted, not that it usually doesn’t! Unfortunately, there’s been quite a bit of “disaster news,” with all the earthquakes and volcano activity and whatnot. Two of the more recent events here in the United States concern the incredible weather which has brought flooding and other devastation to parts of the country, particularly in the states of Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma. And then there’s the whole oil spill catastrophe that’s still unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico.

As musicians, as people, one tries to help where and when one can. This weekend the annual Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival takes place in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and I’m thrilled to see that they are turning this festival into a charity event to support the coastal communities of the state. Here is the latest news about this:

The Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival (May 14 – 16) announced today it will be donating all ticket profits to regional charity efforts dedicated to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill . The Hangout Festival will take place on the beaches of Gulf Shores, Ala. uniting people in the name of coastal recovery.

Previously announced national headliners Zac Brown Band, Trey Anastasio, John Legend, The Roots and more will rally behind our coastal communities.

In light of this announcement, we’d like to extend a special media invitation for you to cover the Hangout Beach Music and Arts Festival, May 14-16. Festival admission and travel arrangements are offered. However, a media rate is available if necessary.

Other festival headliners include: Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Black Crowes, Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Gov’t Mule, The Flaming Lips, Ray LaMontagne, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Funky Meters, Blind Boys of Alabama, Matisyahu, Girl Talk, Guster, Brett Dennen, Keller Williams, Jerry Jeff Walker, North Mississippi All-stars, ALO, The Whigs, Ozomatli, OK GO, Orianthi, Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam, Pnuma Trio, Black Joe Lewis and the Honey Bears, Toubab Krewe, Mat Hires, A.A. Bondy, Rachel Goodrich, Moon Taxi, El Cantador, Kristy Lee, Roman Street and more!

For more information on the festival, please visit www.hangoutmusicfest.com

To raise additional funds for relief efforts, The Hangout Festival has added two late-night benefit shows.On Friday night, Alex B, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), and Big Gigantic will take the stage for a late-night dance party. One hundred percent of profits will be donated to Mobile Baykeeper.On Saturday night, Keller Williams’ Electronic Experiment will be playing a special show for The Rex Foundation and Mobile Baykeeper.The show will begin at midnight, with doors at 11 p.m.

The Hangout Festival is launching a three-pronged effort aimed at Gulf Coast recovery by organizing clean up volunteers, raising public awareness, and fundraising for the people, communities and habitats that have been devastated by this catastrophe.

In the Nashville area, all sorts of community efforts are springing up and I’d like to direct your attention to one in particular that will be involving Guitar Noise Forum Member JWMartin and his band, Spookhand. JW sends the following:

For any of you in the Nashville area, my band will be playing a benefit show on May 28th at The Pond in Franklin (Tennessee). The Creeping Cruds, Spookhand (my band), Radio Death Wave and another 1 or 2 yet to be decided. All proceeds will go to the American Red Cross of Williamson County.

We haven’t worked out the details yet, but we hope to have some t-shirts and CDs with sales going to charity also. If I can get a get a good recording of the show, we’ll release it and accept donations for it.

As always, we encourage all the member of the Guitar Noise Community to get involved as they see fit. We are all a part of the world and anything that you can do to make it a better place is always helpful, whether for your own community or someone else’s.

Last time out, we also announced the five winners for the May giveaway. An autographed copy of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing Rock Guitar” will be making its way to the following Guitar Noise followers (listed in alphabetical order by last name):

Gary Byers of Ontario (Canada)
Javier de Lope of Madrid (Spain)
Brian Dunlap of Colorado (USA)
Alannah Grainger of Wellington (New Zealand)
Jorge Matos of Taquara City (Brazil)

We’ve one more round of giveaways in this particular contest. On June first, we’ll be announcing five more winners, each of whom will receive an autographed copy of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing Rock Guitar.” They will be named next time out, in our June 1 newsletter.

And, rest assured, there will be more giveaways throughout the year (and next year), including a contest in November and December to win a copy of each of the three Complete Idiot’s Guides I’ve written. Stay tuned for details!

Topic of the Month

The Guitar Noise Topic of the Month for May is Finger Picking. When you visit the Home Page, be sure to take a look at some of the many fine articles on this topic, including many cool song arrangements by Doug Sparling and Peter Simms. And also be sure to check out the latest Guitar Noise Podcasts. The latest ones, starting with Podcast #28, will be focusing in on this topic of fingerstyle guitar, much in the same way the earlier ones explored the various techniques and nuances of strumming.

Guitar Noise Featured Artist

The Guitar Noise Featured Artist for the month of May, 2010 is B. B. King, who is currently in the middle of touring Florida, Georgia and Louisiana before heading off to Morocco late this month.

You can read our bio about B. B. on the Guitar Noise Artist Profiles page.

New Articles and Lessons

When I got an email from Chris Juergensen earlier this month, I was more than delighted to hear he had some new lessons for us. Please join me in welcoming back this exceptional teacher. And be on the look out for his two books: “The Infinite Guitar” and “The Empowered Musician,” both of which are available as ebooks, if I’ve got my information straight. I’ll find out for sure for you before the next newsletter.

Breaking The Major Scale Paradigm
by Chris Juergensen

Scales are simply notes and, as notes, can be found all over the fretboard. While guitarists tend to learn these scales in set patterns, it’s possible to go beyond those basic patterns and create new ways to get around with your scales. Chris Juergensen shows you how in this terrific article.

The Seven Secrets To Six String Success
by Kale Good

Join Guitar Noise in welcoming Philadelphia-based guitar teacher Kale Good to our pages. In his first article, Kale lists out seven easy (and essential) steps toward becoming a better guitar player. They won’t make you a guitar god overnight, but they will set you on a path of successful playing for your lifelong guitar journey.

Exploring Music With Darrin Koltow

Tip for May 15 – Practicing Modes (Part 30)

Welcome back to our exploration of modes. This issue we’ll look at C Dorian chords. Remember from a previous issue that we’re interpreting “Dorian” loosely, and reading “C minor” instead of pure C Dorian. We’ll explore a run that takes us through all frets along string one, playing a chord on each note. Here we go:

|-13--11--10---8--6--5--3--1-------|
|-13--11---8---8--6--4--4--1--4----|
|-13--12---8---8--5--3--3--1--3----|
|-12--10---8--10--5--5--5--0--5----|
|-----------------------3-----3----|
|----------------------------------|

Be sure to ascend and descend on this run.

Not all chords here are C minor–but each complements or relates or substitutes for C minor. For example, we use Eb major chords in this run. This substitute is possible because Eb major and C minor are both found in the key of Bb major.

Thanks for reading.

Copyright 2010 Darrin Koltow

Event Horizon

There are three FODfest shows coming up over the last weekend of May. You’ll see lots of musicians from New York’s Hudson Valley region as well as those from western Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut at the following dates and venues:

Friday, May 28 at the brand new Club Helsinki in Hudson, New York (and I’m proud to announce that one of my students (and good friend), Marilyn Miller, will be performing at this show!)

Saturday, May 29 at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Sunday, May 30 at the Infinity Hall and Bistro in Norfolk, Connecticut.

The entire list of performers for these shows is still being sorted out as I write this, but I can tell you that they are going to be a lot of fun. They’re also free! So if you happen to be in the area of any of these venues, make it a point to go and support this terrific cause. And get to hear some magical music in the process!

Random Thoughts

When I first moved to Massachusetts at the very start of 2004, one of the first people I met was Fred Schane, who worked at a place called (simply enough) “The Music Store.” Fred was incredibly welcoming and invited me to an open mic he was hosting in town.

Some of you may actually know Fred. He was the sound man for the National Guitar Workshops held in Connecticut during the summers a few years back. That gig led him to being asked to manage the sound for the new Infinity Hall and Bistro, in Norfolk, Connecticut, handling the audio for artists ranging from to Johnny A to Dave Brubeck. And it was great to see that he’s getting some recognition for his work.

Fred also is a great singer / songwriter. He plays a great guitar and also works wonders with the ukulele. He’s getting his own gig, opening for the CD release party of Thirty Second Pulse at Infinity on Sunday, June 13. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy and I hope that if you’re in the area you’ll make the time to see his show.

Until our next newsletter, play well and play often.

And, as always…

Peace