Funky Fingerstyle Guitar
Recently, a new fan who found me on YOUTUBE asked me if I used a metronome to develop my sense of groove.
Not a simple question, or topic, I am sure I’ll say some things here that will raise some eyebrows.
That being said – “there is more than one way to do it”. I can only tell you what has worked for me, and I still have a lifetime of learning ahead!
Here goes.
[Read more…] about Don’t Use a Metronome
Greets friends! I am writing here from Mexico City’s Four Seasons hotel. No, I’m not on tour, unfortunately – I am here for a family affair, but man it is nice to live like a king here for a few days.
https://www.fourseasons.com/mexico/
So, with all the sites and magic of Mexico City what have I done all day? Sheddedguitar in my hotel room. 🙂
Since my last post regarding my mini tour in PA, I have purchased 2 pieces of equipment for touring – Case Extreme road / flight case (https://www.casextreme.com) and a second Taylor 314-CE as a backup guitar.
Id like to tell you about this extrordinary case (guitar post coming).
Everyone will tell you something different about traveling with a guitar and airlines.The truth of the matter is that it is anybody’s guess as to whether you’ll get the axe onto the flight or not. And many guitars have gotten destroyed or seriously messed up on flights.
Each airline has diffferent policies. Furthermore, the same airline can change policies depending on what side of the bed the gate person woke up on. The TSA issued a letter that instruments should be let on – but it is the wild west once it’s you, the gate person and the plane.
If you are traveling with a solidbody or small archtop, bring it in a SOFT case- it will fit in the overhead just fine.
Many people will tell you that gate checking is fine, and I have never done it. If you gate check, it will get handled more nicely (you hope) but if your flight is turbulent, who knows what will go on during the ride?
Also I keep hearing guitarists say “I get the axe on, no problem”. Great, I salute you – but it’s Russian roulette. The day will come where it will not go on. I’m such an optimist, aren’t I? 🙂
The first 2 things I’d recommend with an acoustic are this – loosen the strings to take tension off the neck. Then, pack bubble wrap around the neck, especially where the neck and headstoock join, and the headstock itself.
Apparently a lot of damage happens if the neck and neckjoint are bouncing around inside the case. The tension of the strings would only help snap the headstock off even better, hence the loosening. You want to stabilize the guitar inside the case.
I called Taylor and they un-officially recommended Casextreme.com It is a clamshell case made out of plastic – the same stuff used by the US postal service. Inside it are heavy foam rubber “C” shaped things that go around your guitars hardshell (or soft) case. The concept is that your axe iis floating – much the way when you buy a VCR or computer, styrofoam is suspending it,so if the box takes a hit, the thing inside doesn’t.
Well, go to their site and watch the video of the company owner attempting to beat up a guitar in one of these. He’s using the claw side of a hammer, and even jumps up and down on the axe. No prob -takes a Taylor out in a SOFT GIG BAG, and it’s just fine.
Even a heavy road case does not have much padding. Something heavy falling on the guitar could really crunch it . With the Casextreme, it would have to go through this super heavy plastic, squash this heavy foam rubber, and THEN pierce the hardshell case.
Go to the site and watch the vids!
Needless to say my axe got here in one piece, and I am a happy camper. I checked it as regular baggage.
They are big enough though that traveling with 2 (if I want to bing a backup guitar) willl be a formidable challenge!
More to come. I have more flights, and I hope that it all works out. Consider no news to be good news.
Wow. My little road trip was tiring – yet fulfilling and eye opening. That’s what I call success!
Last week I made my way out to Butler, PA (just outside Pittsburgh) because I lined up a few gigs at coffee houses. Not huge gigs, but the people were so appreciative, boy it felt great to connect with them.
Since the solo acoustic genre is pretty new to me, I had to do a “rubber hits the road” situation for my own knowledge. I had several questions that I needed answered, like –
Do I have enough material for 2 good sets?
Will I get the guitar on the plane?
What travel expenses can I anticipate traveling solo?
What kind of sound systems will I encounter?
Just how big is the USA? 🙂
And so on.
While a jazz trio tour in Europe (of which I have done several) may sound more exotic – it’s really just a different set of circumstances and logistics. I needed (and still need to) learn this new aspect of touring.
First off, let’s just say the music was a hit! I loved connecting with the folks out there. Bruce, the owner of Kairos Coffee (where I played the Saturday night gig) told me that he’d never seen the audience be that attentive before, and stick around for 2 sets.
I was also very curious to see how & what I’d do for a full night of solo guitar. For every 3 parts playing, I did one part shmoozing on stage. We hired a local sound guy who brought a great little PA system, which made that gig a breeze.
Flying with the guitar was stressful. Until now I have flown with small electric guitars which fit in the overhead. I read an article by Pat Kirtley here: https://www.win.net/mainstring/carryon.html but things change every few years and this web page is from 1997!
Luckily I got the axe on the flight. I loosened the strings & packed the neck & headstock joint in the case with bubble wrap (read Pat’s article) and planned to GATE CHECK the guitar. But even so, if the baggage guys are using lifts, or if a flight is turbulent there are no guarantees that an axe will arrive safely.
This was a serious lesson as far as touring with an acoustic guitar. Upon arriving home I called Taylor and the unofficially recommended this guy – https://www.caseextreme.com
Check out the vids on his site, if you are in need of a flight case. He hilariously works up a sweat beating a guitar case up. I ordered one of his cases immediately.
As well, I will need a backup guitar. Not out of attachment and because it’s cool – that’s just reality! (my reality 🙂 )
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As far as the area – and mind you I was from out of town – I felt like I was in a Michael Moore movie. I found myself itching during the day wanting to do something and drove over to the Walmart and walked the isles when I couldn’t take any more practicing. Weird. Ok, I know that the US is not all like that but it was a shock to my system to see all these strip malls and huge mega chains, making every place in the USA look and feel so similar.
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Another aspect of this that felt particularly good is I just had a sense of “I’m doing what I have to be doing”. This is tricky to describe, because it was my own sense of fearlessness and accomplishment.
Until recently I had this sense that there was a way via promotion, smoke and mirrors, and contacts to get a career going. Of course knowing the right people and working intelligently is important. There are higher visibility events – magazine articles, radio interviews & airplay, TV appearances, hits on a website, etc. But the fabric of playing music is not just that.
Not to get off topic – but allow me to digress for a second. I can’t believe how much music is out there that people don’t actually like – but that is promoted because of an agenda, a connection, and ego trip. Maybe people pretend to like it to seem hip, cool or intellectual. I myself have seen so much music where I find myself scratching my bald head saying “is this touching me?”
When you hear great music it’s undeniable. It touches people and the people demand it because they love it. They come back for more. Just look at Ray Charles, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, not to mention all the other greats. There’s no denying it. Many jazz musicians, I believe, get de-railed and lose sight of the goal – which is communication (not the greats, though).
That’s the standard I hold for my music. Let’s see if everyday folks like it. Let’s see if they want a CD and feel their souls light up. If the music is on that level – it is for real. I am just at a point in life where I prefer the brutal honesty of this. Life’s too short! I want to be touched by music in the heart – not the head – and would like to do the same for people.
The meat and potatoes of it is the actual playing music for people and communicating. The actual activity of it. It’s about paying the dues to get out there and just do it. Until I did this new acoustic music I experienced an inner holdback, like a pride of saying “I won’t play for less than…” or “it’s not worth it..”.
A wise person once said behind each prideful “I won’t” is really a feeling of “I can’t” – simply hardened over.
Jack Canfield also has a great saying – “99% is a bitch, but 100% is easy”. When I read that I went – “yeah!”.
There is no substitute for getting out there and playing. Why? Because it’s not only music – it’s about people and connecting. The silent dialogue behind the words and music are the true communication, the presence, the sense of interchange and dare I say – love?
Yes, love even with total strangers. Because at the moment you meet – your eyes meet, greetings are interchanged – it’s the same as knowing someone for years. It’s all the same – the souls are in a dance, and energy is shared, given and taken. It feels good.
I did a Sunday workshop and my only attendees were a little girl (age 5) and a young fellow (age 12). I gave both a lesson and simply tried to impart enthusiasm and turn them on and inspire them. Whether it’s a young person, old – whatever – it’s my job to send them off excited and happy through whatever I can churn up with these 10 fingers and 6 strings.
So was the trip worth it? You bet!
Hi friends. Boy do I feel great! I can attribute it to many things – but I’d like to stress the importance of cleaning up, throwing junk out, putting things away and all-around organizing.
I hired an organizer / assistant for a few hours here and there and just a few of her suggestions were very valuable:
1) Things, files, objects etc get divided into “present tense” & “past or future” (my interpretation). Objects you really use get to stay out. That’s valuable real estate – “your mind”. Stuff you need to see and that’s easy to get to has to be numero uno important.
2) Establish “homes” for things. I had AA batteries on the window – sill. I had stacks of magazines and yellow pads stuffed together inside living room type furniture. No good. You have to establish and declare homes for stuff.
2.5) Old stuff that you want to keep but never use – that gets put in a hard to reach, back of the closet type place. .
3) Throw out and donate. Example – Empty boxes for electronic equipment – Bye – in the garbage.
Clothes – old sweaters that you never actually wear, but remember wearing in a past life – just drop them at the Salvation Army. Example – my old guitars will get parked at my music school for student use.
Again – those are all “past tense” objects, seeking “future use” that never comes. Christmas bows? Throw ’em out and buy new ones next year. For the low price of $5, you have less crap lying around for a year.
4) Allow for clear space. It’s GOOD for a corner to have nothing in it. It’s good for a desk or wall to have nothing on it. A great artist / designer once told me “not every part of the space has to be filled up”.
The same goes for your computer desktop.
5) THE BIG ONE – don’t de-clutter and organize and clean at the same time. Those are 3 different steps. I learned this basic idea from a book entitled “Getting things Done” by David Allen. (I can’t find my copy,will probably buy again)
I didn’t do his whole system but here’s what I do: collect all crap and throw it in a box first. Decide on where it goes and what to do later. That gets your space clean and clear FAST – and you can think clearly and effectively. Then at a later time, put away & process the stuff. I use big plastic bins from staples and raid my apartment for :
bills
guitar picks
receipts
books
pens
ac adaptors
CD’s
etc
Throw them in the box – DO NOT PUT THEM AWAY AND LOOK FOR PLACES TO JUST GET THEM OUT OF SITE, BECAUSE YOU’LL NEVER GET THE PLACE CLEAN. Just put them in your crap box for now.
Get the place looking clean and clear of junk. Then, clean up (sweep, dust), and then lastly, usually another day – go through the box.
The same applies for you computer. How much crap is on your desktop? Do this and you’ll see what I mean:
a) Create a new folder on the desktop called “junk_1-30-2008” or whatever the date is. Note the use of underscores and hyphens.
b) highlight everything EXCEPT the hard drive of your computer.
c) drop it in the folder
d) enjoy the clarity of thought looking at a blank desktop.
e) In your documents folder create a NEW folder simply called “clean_up”. You can drop the “junk_1-30-2008” folder in there and sort things out later. This way if you accumulate a junk folder every few weeks or week, you’ll have a clean up method and can organize at a later time. Each folder will be sorted by date.
6) When you go through the physical bin or “junk_1-30-2008” type folder – determine what needs immediate action and establish a place for immediate action. It’s really only for RIGHT NOW items.
I recently created and IMMEDIATE ACTION folder in my email program. Scanning past social emails to search for gig offers, customers and radio contacts was too exhausting and time consuming.
This works for me better than various folders like “Gigs”, “Recording”, “Bills” etc because I’d have to still go looking for what is on a “front burner”. At a glance I can deal with the most necessary, urgent stuff.
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The Result?
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You’ll experience an uncanny spiritual rush when things are clean – as if a weight is lifted off of you. Your attention will not be pulled in several directions at once, and you’ll be able to hit the bullseye with more of your actions and feel good.
There is a natural energy in keeping things tidy and organized – why do you think Zen monks clean the monastery every single day?
Try the computer desktop suggestion NOW. Then buy a bin at Staples or Office max and de-clutter. You’ll see – it’s awesome!
Last week I had decided to put up some more YOUTUBE videos because it had been a while since I posted, and it was time to keep in touch with fans. The unbelievably supportive comments I get really keep me going and inspire me!
I recorded / video’d the following 3 tunes: “Superstition” and “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder and “Tall Fiddler” by Tommy Emmanuel.
My musical guru Mike Longo taught me something very profound – which he refers to as the 3 phases of musicianship:
1) Imitation
2) Realization
3) Maturity
Phase 1, “imitation” is similar to a little kid parroting things back. This indicates musical talent, and actually the imitative stage can last long into one’s life. There are many “great” professional musicians who are highly evolved imitators. There is a kind of feel to this type of musician – when you hear them play, it “sounds good” but does not necessarily “feel good”. I hear plenty of music that does not totally touch my soul. Quite often this type of musician learns by imitating off records. I started this way.
Phase 2, “realization” is the first glimpse into seeing music flow properly through oneself due to the proper application of a musical concept, at least sort of. For me, practicing African rhythms on hand drums (again – thank you Mike Longo) led me to being able to lay my own groove down. Many musicians will say “go for a such and such feel” – and unless you know how the musical gears need to mesh – any attempt at a such and such feel will be an attempt at imitation.
It’s tricky to describe, but “realization” musically is devoid of any attempt to imitate.
For example – Wes Montgomery’s octave soloing was a signature sound. I may use a “texture” of octaves but groove it according to my feel and body rhythm and sense of melody. Another guitarist may be trying to copy Wes’s octave sound.
So, what appears to be 2 guitarists playing similar ideas can have an underpinning of imitation or realization and maturity.
Another example would be a composer who learns the principles of counterpoint can write fugues, yet may not be trying at all to imitate the sound of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Do you see how music can have an underpinning of imitation or realization?
Imagine how silly it would be to “imitate” another chess players mannerisms and moves – that would not win the game. Be yourself, but apply his or her concepts and maybe you’ll have a chance at winning! Get it?
3) Maturity: After realization bakes, maturity dawns. It is the polish, the depth, the artistry that is built on phase 2.
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Part of my psychological makeup is “there is nothing I cannot do”, if I choose to do it. Nothing “gets my goat” more than a collective mentality of lots of people gawking and saying “such and such is impossible”. It’s like – I see people limiting themselves and I want to scream “FOLKS! YOU CAN DO IT – WATCH ME!!! IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE, BUT DO-ABLE!”.
So I can get like a cat who sits on the side of a closed door and will meow until that door gets opened. That was my personal challenge with “Tall Fiddler” by Tommy Emmanuel. I had to know that this piece – which many people consider unplayable – is playable!!! (I’ll have to practice this one more – but it’s coming along)
And like I said in a post earlier about his tune “The Hunt” – I love having stand-alone, mouth frothing songs to offer a contrast at my concerts and gigs.
“Tall Fiddler – Tommy Emmanuel”
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwzcMSPSLCw&rel=1]
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Yet there’s a problem: music is not about “proving I can” do anything. I caught myself in this ego trip 24 hrs after having posted, and lay myself bare for you the reader. True music has a life of it’s own. “You” are not even playing it – the music just is. Proving anything – even and especially to oneself – through a piece of music means there’s the “me” and “the music”. The ego strikes again.
24 hours after posting I went back to view my other videos – “Superstition” and “Overjoyed” and they rang much more of truth to me. The music touched me and the grooves flowed along.
I saw that these arrangements started off way back coming from “the right place”. The launching pad, or inspiration was pure – the music of Stevie Wonder touched my heart. I then used every bit of guitar knowledge and music knowledge to map these out onto a solo guitar. They are not imitations of another player – they are solutions to a riddle, but LOVE was the motivating force.
“Overjoyed – Stevie Wonder”
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckY9F4zVuto&rel=1]
The difference is subtle, yet profound.
The lesson of the story?
You can never be someone else. NO matter how good you imitate – you can’t be someone else’s essence – they themselves have that market cornered. A simple song from a standpoint of realization speaks volumes more than virtuosity on an imitative level.
“Superstition – Stevie Wonder”
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVvfFtb3Y9s&rel=1]
The good news? No one can be YOU – so the more you dive into your own realization and maturity, anyone who tries to imitate you will be at the level of imitating, and not touch people the same way.
Music stemmming from a basis of maturity and realization will touch people, speak to people and get under their skin whereas imitative music will simply dribble off the skin and likely be forgotten. Doesn’t matter how much it’s promoted! 🙂
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My plans:
I plan to keep practicing this tune “Tall Fiddler” but will now look for ways to make it my own – for my own enjoyment. Turn it upside down, look for different ways to approach the ferocious groove on it, move sections around etc. Maybe use techniques I learned from it to create my own songs.
Hope you enjoyed this! Time for me to get practicing!