Posted by: Glenelg Guitar Studio | October 20, 2014

Oops…was that a mistake ? (“mistakes” and how to deal with them)

Hi Everyone,
I thought I should share this unique and refreshing look at Guitar playing, practice and mistakes.

While it’s common to be nervous and make mistakes in front of other people, including your guitar teacher, my philosophy is simple. You are at the lesson to learn and interact; it’s not a test or exam. You are there because you want to learn, absorb more information but above all use the guitar to have FUN. You will learn more effectively if you are relaxed, so remember the teacher is there to help you move forward, not assess how far you have already come. Look forward to your lesson, enjoy the learning experience along with all its’ mistakes knowing that we all follow the same path no matter what playing level we have achieved.

Several months ago I re-commenced lessons myself so I know what it is like to have a piece well played at home and then mess it up in front of the teacher!

When you practice don’t make it all serious work. Put aside a good section of time to just jam along or play songs/ pieces that YOU LIKE. Maybe try a little simple improvising for some fun music. (let me know if you want to check out simple improvising)

No need for me to say more as the short video does so very powerfully. I hope you enjoy your lessons and have FUN playing.

Cheers.
Leigh

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Posted by: Glenelg Guitar Studio | September 29, 2014

Cigar Box guitar band!

An ex-student contacted me recently to let me know that he had indeed made his career in music and was playing in a professional band.

Hi Leigh,
It’s been a while since I spoke to you! How have you been?
Just thought you might be interested – my band has just released our first official video clip for our new single… recorded and performed on a little cigar box guitar!

We’ll be headlining the Friday night at Blues In The Barossa too if you were thinking of going?
I also wanted to say thanks again for all of your amazing support and help teaching me guitar through high school all those years ago… without it I probably wouldn’t be where I am today playing in a professional working band!

Hope you’ve been well mate.
All the best,
Luke Marsh.

It’s really great to hear from ex-students who have enjoyed their time learning the guitar and especially gratifying when they also make a career in music. Luke is the guitarist in the video playing the Cigar Box guitar and sporting the cool long locks. He came to me as a young guy with the college boy look; short hair and uniform and fortunately I was not only able to teach him on guitar but also influence his appreciation of the “long hair” look!

Luke’s’ video is at the bottom of the page along with another famous Cigar Box guitarist…. and before you ask….no I don’t have one in my collection.

Cheers
Leigh

For those who want to know what a Cigar Box Guitar is;
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The cigar box guitar is a primitive chordophone that uses an empty cigar box for a resonator. The earliest had one or two strings; the modern model typically uses three or more. Generally speaking, strings are connected between the end of a broomstick or 1″ x 3″ wood slat and to the resonator, the cigar box.

 A collection of cigar box guitars

Cigars were packed in boxes, crates, and barrels as early as 1800, but the small sized boxes that we are familiar with today did not exist prior to around 1840. Until then, cigars were shipped in larger crates containing 100 or more per case. After 1840, cigar manufacturers started using smaller, more portable boxes with 20-50 cigars per box.

Trace evidence of cigar box instruments exist from 1840 to the 1860’s. The earliest illustrated proof of a cigar box instrument known is an etching copyrighted in 1876 of two American Civil War Soldiers at a campsite with one playing a cigar box fiddle. The etching was created by illustrator and artist Edwin Forbes who, under the banner of Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, worked for the Union Army. The etching was included in Forbes work Life Stories of the Great Army. In the etching, the cigar box fiddle clearly shows the brand ‘Figaro’ on the cigar box.

The cigar box guitars and fiddles were also important in the rise of jug bands and blues. As most of these performers were black Americans living in poverty, many could not afford a “real” instrument. Using these, along with the washtub bass (similar to the cigar box guitar), jugs, washboards, and harmonica, black musicians performed blues during socializations.

Modern revival is sometimes due to interest in jugband and the DIY culture, as a cigar box is relatively inexpensive when considering other factors, such as strings and construction time. Many modern cigar box guitar can thus be seen as a type of practice in lutherie, and implement numerous personal touches, such as the addition of pick up and resonator cones into it.

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Posted by: Glenelg Guitar Studio | June 17, 2014

Doing the Eagle Rock and Hybrid Picking

What in the heck is “hybrid picking” and why should you care?.
Well it’s a technique that involves holding your pick as you normally would with your thumb and index finger, but also using your middle and ring fingers (and sometimes even your pinky) to attack the strings.

So what’s the payoff?.
There’s a different sound you can get from your fingers that you can’t get from a pick. The attack lets you get very sensitive, bluesy tones (think Robben Ford, Mark Knopfler, and Jeff Beck). Robben Ford tends to use a pick for rhythm and switches to bare fingers when he’s getting more aggressive, but playing at lower volumes. He moves to a different texture to highlight big changes in dynamic levels.

Also, when you’re using your fingers you’ll phrase differently because it is harder to play fast—it almost forces you to play more melodically.

The first example I have for you of hybrid picking is “Eagle Rock“. This classic Australian song, was released by Daddy Cool in May 1971 on the Sparmac Record Label. It went on to become the best selling Australian single of the year, achieving gold status in eleven weeks, and remaining at #1 on the national charts for a (then) record ten weeks. “Eagle Rock” also spent 17 weeks at the #1 spot on the Melbourne Top 40 Singles Chart.  The song was re-released by Wizard Records in 1982, and reached #17 on the Australian singles charts.

Guitarist, vocalist and the song’s writer Ross Wilson was living and performing in London when he wrote the song. He explained his inspiration for the song:

It came from a Sunday Times liftout magazine A-Z on music. In the before blues section there was an evocative photo of rural black Americans dancing in a dirt poor juke joint – the caption was along the lines of “some negroes ‘cut the pigeon wing’ and ‘do the eagle rock'”.

—Ross Wilson , 2001

Another example of hybrid picking is Tommy Emmanuels version of “Classical Gas“, where you can clearly see the pick and fingers getting a workout!

Finally, if you are really keen here is a link to a instructional book on the subject.

Cheers
Leigh

 

 

 

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Posted by: Glenelg Guitar Studio | May 14, 2014

Want to accelerate your guitar skills ?

photoexamHi Everyone,

Are you after a challenge that will also accelerate your Guitar skills ?
Well there is a challenge available to students at any level.
In October  we will have formal guitar exams and you have plenty of time to get organised. It’s really not that hard to achieve a great score as you perform at your own level.

What it will do for you  is concentrate your learning and practice, with achievable goals set for October. The exams are not that scary really and simply involve playing scales and up to 3  pieces  and they can be your favourite songs in your style.

Many people comment “I wouldn’t be good enough to do the work required to do an exam”. However, I base some of every lesson on the Guitar exam syllabus so you have already done much of the work and many of the books used regularly in lesson contain work you can use in an exam. I can easily show you  the similarities next time we get together.

Every year many of my students (ages ranging from 8-80 years ) set themselves clear and obtainable goals by being graded on Guitar. You can start at any time and move along the graded learning pathways that offer easily achievable goals that will accelerate your learning.

I am fortunate that students who do these exams not only pass with flying colours but are also able to see that the process was important to their improvement ,development and enjoyment . Our students past results are here and here

Finally, I don’t support ‘doing exams for the sake of doing exams’,  just where they serve the positive purpose of fulfilling your goals by accelerating your progress.

If you think it may suit you, or need more information, ask me next time we get together.

Cheers
Leigh

 

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Posted by: Glenelg Guitar Studio | April 24, 2014

Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland, Pink, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck and Leigh!

Did you see Pink’s rendition of “Over the Rainbow”at the Oscars recently ?.It was the 75th anniversary of “the Wizard of Oz” and it was actually released 75 years ago.
Some songs just won’t go away and this is one of them. I remember it as an “oldies” song in my youth and it popped up again as I delved into my Guitar studies and has been there ever since as many students have learned it.

The original was sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie “Over the Rainbow”. She was a child star who made over 25 movies including 9 with Mickey Rooney, who recently died at the ripe old age of 93. She tragically died in 1969 of a barbiturate overdose.(that Hollywood curse hasn’t changed much over the years.)

Here’s my version in a jazz style which has been a staple for many intermediate guitar students over the years. “Modern guitar” students might like to learn the  Jimmy Hendrix version or maybe Jeff Becks version or check out something a little different in the second video.

Cheers
Leigh
P.S. If you want the meaning of the song its at the bottom of the page

 

 

“Over the Rainbow” (often referred to as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”) is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad, with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. Written for the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role as Dorothy Gale.

About five minutes into the film, Dorothy sings the song after failing to get her aunt and uncle to listen to her relate an unpleasant incident involving her dog, Toto, and the town spinster, Miss Gulch. Dorothy’s Aunt Em tells her to “find yourself a place where you won’t get into any trouble.” This prompts Dorothy to walk off by herself, musing to Toto, “‘Some place where there isn’t any trouble.’ Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It’s not a place you can get to by a boat, or a train. It’s far, far away. Behind the moon, beyond the rain…” at which point she begins singing.

 

 

 

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