Newsletter Vol. 3 # 20 – April 15, 2006

Greetings,

Welcome to Volume 3, Issue #20 of Guitar Noise News!

In This Issue:

• News and Announcements
• New Articles and Lessons
• Guitar Noise Staff Picks!
• Exploring Music With Darrin Koltow
• Buried Treasure Of The Internet
• Notes From Nick
• Email Of The Moment
• Emails? We Get Emails! / Tutorial Tips
• Reviews
• Random Thoughts

News And Announcements

Today is Saturday, April 15, 2006 and, because it’s a Saturday, you have until Monday to get your taxes filed and sent off to the powers that be. That’s if you live in the United States. Tax time is a little crazy for many people. My youngest brother is an accountant and he tells me all sorts of horror stories around this time of year.

But rather than bore you with horror stories, let’s get right into the latest lessons, news, tips and reviews at Guitar Noise.

New Articles And Lessons

The Eagle’s Whistle
by Doug Sparling

Doug Sparling graces the pages of Guitar Noise with another Celtic fingerstyle arrangement. Included in this lesson are some tips on traditional Celtic ornamentation, or articulations, which will add some zest to your playing and arrangements.

Guitar Noise Staff Picks!

A while back, Steinar Gregertsen, a Guitar Noise Forum member from Norway, posted an announcement about his upcoming CD. I purchased a copy (very quick mailing from Norway, too!) and you’ll find the review for it listed down in the ‘Reviews’ section.

This CD’s been getting a lot of play here at my home and in the car while en route to music lessons. Steinar is a truly gifted lap steel guitarist, writer, arranger and interpreter of song. You can check out reviews from other Forum readers as well over on the ‘Slide and Alternate Tunings’ page.

Exploring Music With Darrin Koltow

We continue exploring approach notes in this tip. In the previous installments we worked out with notes that were *below* the note we really wanted to hit, and we did this for dominant 7ths and major arpeggios. Now we’re going to use notes that approach the target note from *above*. We could attempt to go into how this sounds, compared to the approaches tones of the previous installment. But it’s better to dive in and listen. Here’s the exercise:

|-------------------|-6-5--------------|
|---------------8-6-|------8-6---------|
|----------7-5------|----------7-5-----|
|-5----8-7----------|--------------8-7-|
|---8---------------|------------------|
|-------------------|------------------|

-----------------|--------|
-----------------|--------|
-----------------|--------|
-5-------------5-|----5---|
---8-5-------7---|-8----8-|
-------8-6-5-----|--------|

Play these as eighth notes. It might be a bit tricky when you first try this exercise, because it uses finger rolls, including finger rolls for the pinky. So you can look at this exercise as a way to build pinky chops and dexterity, and not just as a way to learn about approach tones.

Thanks for reading.

Darrin Koltow

Buried Treasure On The Internet

I’m not sure I’d call him “buried” but Guitar Noise contributor and moderator Alan Green is certainly a treasure (and not just because of his too cool name!). We recently got word that Alan got Distinction on his Grade 5 Guitar exams.

If you’re unfamiliar with this particular British system, the London College of Music was founded in 1887, and provides instrument exams for almost the whole orchestra along with voice. Their Guitar syllabus, which is run in partnership with the Registry of Guitar Tutors covers individual exams in popular music theory, electric guitar, bass, and Classical guitar.

Guitar-playing patrons include Sir Paul McCartney, Dave Gilmour, Ronnie Wood and some guy called Hank Marvin who looks like he could turn out to be quite good.

They have a website with loads of information.

While we’re congratulating Alan on his Grade 5 results, take a listen to his music over on his website and in the meantime we’ll get ready to congratulate him on distinctions on his Grade 6!

Notes From Nick

In case you missed Nick’s note on the News page of the Guitar Noise Forum, here it is:

Hello all,

After several years of non-stop moderating, I’m going to take a self-imposed break. It is time to recharge the batteries I think.

I’ve got some family matters to attend, songs I want to record, articles to write, a website to get fully functional and even some videos to record.

Heck, I may even learn to play guitar. Nah, I won’t be gone that long.

If you have any problems with the forums, please PM one of the moderating team.

See you later this Summer.

Play well,

Nick

Speaking on behalf of the Guitar Noise staff and as a member of the Moderating Team, I hope you have a pleasant break, sir! And I think that many of us will eagerly await to hear your new songs, not to mention just have the chance to chat with you again.

See you soon!

Email Of The Moment – International Songwriting Competition Winners Announced

International Songwriting Competition Winners Announced

For Immediate Release, April 3, 2006…The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is pleased to announced its 2005 winners.

Almost 15,000 songs by amateur and professional songwriters from 82 countries were submitterd to the 2005 competition, consolidating ISC’s status as the leading songwriting event globally. Over $150,000 in cash and prizes will be shared among 50 winners, including a cash prize of $10,000 (US) to the 2005 Overall Grand Prize winner.

The 2005 ISC Overall Grand Prize is awarded to Catie Curtis and Mark Erelli for their collaboration of the song “People Look Around.” Also known as the Rain song or Truth song, it deals with real life issues, addressing the impact of Hurricane Katrina and the need to look at the larger truths revealed.

Candace Avery, the founder and director of ISC, says, “Catie Curtis and Mark Erelli exemplify the very highest caliber of contemporary songwriters, and we are honored that they chose to enter ISC. Their winning song is a moving and powerful response to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and is both timely and timeless in its melodic and lyrical content. The song is a welcome throwback to the days when singer/songwriters wrote and sang about issues and social change.”

Dubbed a “folk-rock goddess” by The New Yorker, Catie Curtis has been writing songs ever since she was 15. Over the span of seven albums, coffeehouse shows, festivals, house concerts, and touring, Catie has earned a devoted, grassroots fan base and critical acclaim for her music. Her unusual and flourishing indie career has been documented in the recently released film, Tangled Stories.

A prolific and ambitious songwriter, Mark Erelli holds a master’s degree in evolutionary biology but decided to put it aside in the pursuit of music as a career. No Depression calls his songwriting “tasteful, intelligent and sensitive…unpredictable as a bead of mercury.” He just recently released his fifth CD, “Hope & Other Casualties,” and he is already being touted as one of America’s most promising singer/songwriters.

In addition to the Overall Grand Prize winner, many other deserving songwriters also share in the prestige of winning their respective categories in ISC 2005. These winners hail from all over the world, representing diverse cultures and ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans.

Emails? We Get Emails! / Tutorial Tips

I’m slowly making my way through the virtual piles of emails we get. Please know that each one is read and I do try to reply to them all. Sometimes it takes a little time!

Mr. Hodge,

Thus far your lessons for beginners at guitarnoise.com have provided some of the most complete instructions I’ve seen to date. Just when I thought the Internet was tapped, I came upon this website and was simply amazed at the clarity of your writing.

I do have one question concerning strumming technique: pick or finger? Many of the optional riffs seem much easier to play with fingertips, but the mp3s /sound /as if everything is done with a pick. One instructor with whom I spoke suggested beginning with a pick prior to the advanced technique of finger picking. Yet another absolutely disdained the use of anything between one’s hand and the instrument.

Not only am I confounded by the choice, but the ability to strum without a pick positively eludes my grasp (so to speak). If you could shed any light on this subject, or direct me to where I missed it on the website, then I would be truly grateful.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thanks for writing and please call me David.

When it comes to guitar (and many things in both music and life for that matter), ‘either / or’ choices bother me. This is a great example. There are lots of things you can do with a pick and lots of other things you can do with your fingers. There are also things you can do with both. All have different sounds and all give your playing an extra dimension it would not have by staying only with one choice.

Thinking of finger picking as an ‘advanced’ technique often scares people from even trying it. It’s not all that hard to do. More importantly, doing some finger picking early on in your guitar playing life can lead to realizations that might help you in other areas. I try to teach beginners the steps involved in lessons like House of the Rising Sun and Bookends (both of which can be found on our ‘Songs for Beginners’ page) within the first three months of playing because these songs help reinforce the need for good fingering positions of the fretting hand. When simply strumming with a pick, you can sometimes get by with lazy fretting. Finger picking, or even arpeggio picking with a pick, can bring this to the attention of the student in a big way.

Strumming with a pick can take some getting used to. A very basic approach is to go down with the thumb and come back up with the index finger and/or middle finger. It’s important on the upstrokes to stay loose and just catch a few of the high strings – seldom more than two or three. When I’m strumming quickly, I find that my fingers shape up just as if I were holding a pick. Don’t know why that should surprise me but it did.

Performing, I find that I might reinterpret a song by playing it in a new way vis a vis using a finger or a pick. On the MP3s on this site, you’d be surprised to learn that they about half fingers and half picking.

The sooner you get both styles into your playing, the sooner you can improve on both. There’s more than enough time in the day to fingerpick for fifteen minutes or so. With very little concentrated practice, you will surprise yourself with your progress.

Hope this helps.

Reviews

Caterine: Fear – Pain – Love
CD Review by David Hodge

Instrumental guitar music from our Guitar Noise reviewer! An exciting and intricate blend of musical styles and genres that will capture your attention from the first note.

Steinar Gregertsen: Southern Moon Northern Lights
CD Review by David Hodge

Breathtaking and exhilarating lap steel guitar music from Norway! Whether laying down some gritty original rock or delicately re-crafting an old gem like the Beach Boys’ God Only Knows, Steinar displays incredible musical sensibility and taste.

Todd Mack And The Star Alternative: Sixty Six Steps
CD Review by David Hodge

Imagine Warren Zevon having a good day. Todd Mack’s songwriting is guaranteed to make you smile, with its good humor and catchy hooks. You can always tell when a musician is having fun recording!

Beth Orton: Comfort Of Strangers
CD Review by David Hodge

This stripped down collection focuses on Beth Orton’s songwriting abilities. Charming, witty and a treat to listen to, she’ll put you in mind of Joni Mitchell from the ‘Blue’ album days.

Ray Davies: Other People’s Lives
CD Review by David Hodge

Is there life after breakfast? Yes there is! The Kinks’ frontman’s first solo album finds Ray Davies in fine form – musically, lyrically and vocally. Bringing us tales of love and faithlessness, penance and redemption with his unparalleled knack for observation, Other People’s Lives will having you singing along before the first chorus ends.

Random Thoughts

Paul’s asked me to get this newsletter in a little early, so I’m going to simply dash it off to him. We’ll chat more next time. See you on May first.

In the meantime, stay safe and play well.

And, as always,

Peace