private instruction on Guitar &Mandolin
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Styles , Songs, Musical Genres are all on this page. Here you will find a detailed description of all the Guitar and Mandolin courses being offered . When working with people in one to one private instruction the most important thing to keep in mind is having fun . Regardless of age or past experience everyone takes up music as a way of relaxing and winding down . Why does music have this effect on people ? Do men and women from all walks of life find the vibrations of a Guitar , Mandolin,Piano or Violin soothing? I am not sure but what I am sure of is that music at it's most basic level is highly theraputic and cheaper than a shrink. With that said.
The first step in learning to play the Guitar or Mandolin will include how to hold the instrument and how to use a Guitar pick . The first few sessions will cover reading chord diagrams , finger placement, and moving from chord to chord. Below, you will find a detailed course outline. Try to keep in mind that this does not include requests by students to cover special interests which may not be listed here . All the people who study with me are more than welcome to bring in material which may not be available in printed music . If this is the case then we transcibe it and write it out.
Artists ,Musicians,Groups and Songwriter's that are covered in these courses.
1.Arrowsmith 2.The Beatles 3.Bon Jovi 4.David Bowie 5.Eric Clapton 6.Dire Straits 7. Fleetwood Mac 8.Mark Knopfler 9.The Pretenders 10.Pink Floyd 11.Led Zepplin 12. The Rolling Stones 13. Bruce Springsteen 14 Nirvana 15. Sex Pistols 16 Elvis Costello 17. Chuck Berry 18. Neil Young 19.Courtney Love 20.John Mellencamp. 21.U2 22.Taylor Swift 23.The Eagles 24.Talking Heads 25. Blondie 26.The Grateful Dead 27.Bob Dylan 28.The Who 29.Sheryl Crow 30.Creedence Clearwater Revivial 31. The Counting Crows 32. The Tragically Hip 33.The Smashing Pumpkins 34. B 52's
Guitar Styles that are outside the Mainstream of Classic, Contemporary and Current Pop Music.
This instrument takes on many roles and can be used as a vehicle for solo performances or playing a part in a group or ensemble. Listed here are just a few of the Musicians that a little off the beaten track.
1. Ry Cooder 2. Leo Kottke 3. John Fahey 4. John Renbourn 5. Hot Tuna 6. Mississippi John Hurt 7. Arthur Blake
8. Michael Hedges 9. Chet Atkins 10. Robert Johnson 11. David Bromberg. These Guitar styles are rooted in what John Fahey refered to as "Classic American Fingerstyle Guitar". The Guitarists listed above draw from music as diverse as Blues, Country, Ragtime, Rock,Gospel and dare I say..."Folk Music". These styles are approached using Open/Alternate tunings and are sometimes played using a Bottleneck or "Slide Guitar". I take the approach of teaching this Guitar Music from its very basics to the most advanced stages of playing and performing. The "Rock" or "Pop" music is played using a Guitar Pick, the Musicians listed above are almost all fingerstyle Guitarists. The difference is that using your fingers gives you a greater range for tonal colour. As a result, I have a number of people who are studying with me playing melody and chords at the same time.
This is also a valuble tool for songwriters looking to advance their musical skillls and push the boundaries of their playing . These approaches to playing are illustrated in the performance and instructional videos which will be updated weekly.
"Crossroads" is a classic Robert Johnson song in Open G Tuning. This is the performance of the song, The next will be instructional video of not only how to play this style of music but more importantly how to jam on the song.
" Vigilante Man" is a Woody Guthrie song. This version is based on what I learned from Ry Cooder. He had recorded it on his Into the Purple Valley LP. This is in the Open D tuning. I have heard Ry Cooder perform this song many times and he never plays it the same way twice.
"Midnight March" is a Don Ross number. A fun way to move out of the Open D and G tunings.
"Tribes" was recorded by Preston Reed. This is another example of how to play using over the fretboard slapping. This is a fun style of playing. It can be a bit gimmick but it makes full use of the Guitar.