[2/2/13 show notes from Guitar Technique Tutor Podcast Episode 095]
How was your week?
My DRs are still holding up but barely. I’m thinking of spring and thinking of strings and thinking maybe K3 coated DRs in a neon color may be just what the season warrants. I already use multiple colors of nail polish on the same hand because I love color -- why not add it to one of all of my axes? Hmm. I really have to consider that before the next string change. Maybe NEON pink or green. Not that i have anything against yellow or orange.
If you’re not aware of DR’s SuperStrings with amazing K3 coating, which is also on their Dragon Skin strings, you should check them out.
LeighAnn and I had a great first lessons. She was a bit apprehensive because of her less than desirable experience for several years with a piano teacher, who in my humble opinion, should never have been paid. It went smoothly and she did well, although her too-big dreadnaught was problematic. I hope it will be exchanged for a guitar that fits her small frame.
This little reminder is for my student Anya, who has suspended lessons because her schedule is too inhuman: Today is 69 days until Coachella 2013. I hope you’ll go!
Hi to Cody, with whom I’m still in discussion about the possibility of guitar lessons. There’s a scheduling issue at home and we may or may not get together. He’s in high school and I’m impressed with his maturity. If you or Cody are looking for guitar instruction, and for geographic or other reasons we cannot work together, please explore the Find a Teacher link on my web site. It is not a director of instructors, but rather the questions you should pose to potential teachers, in order to cull out the ones whose competence should be questioned.
I had a call from someone who has been self-taught for 2 years, who wanted to improve her tab reading. Needless to say, we had a long conversation. I think she opened her mind to the necessity for a skilled musician to master reading, writing and playing music notation. Unfortunately, she is a bit too far away for me to teach. I directed her to the Find a Teacher link as well.
News was pouring in all week from winter NAMM. It looks like it was amazing, as usual. Do you follow them on TW or FB? If so, your smart phone may have pinged you all week. Did you see anything novel or interesting? I did.
We saw a former student of mine this week. It’s been about a year since we got together. He’s finishing up his PhD in Michigan but was in NYC to see friends and have some interviews and had lunch with us on Friday, on his way to see his family. He hadn’t been here since before Superstorm Sandy. We told him that his neighborhood has likely been scarred by the storm.
Our municipal pool parking lot, which is rather sizable, has been used as a fallen tree cemetery and a site for them to be cut and fed into the most enormous wood chipper I’ve ever seen. I took a few photos of the work that was still ongoing this week - 3 months after the storm. This week I’m adding the link for Sandy NJ Relief Fund. It’s a non-profit that will see that your donation, should you choose to make one, will reach the survivors.
Thank you if you have donated money, time, your talent, prayer or any other way you have attempted to help with the staggering losses, here in NJ.
Remember, if you live in or will be traveling to the NY metro area, that the Les Paul in Mahwah exhibit at the Mahwah Museum, in Mahwah, NJ is open for visitors from 1 - 5 Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Even if you have seen the exhibits in his home town of Waukesha, Wisconsin or those created at various venues by the Les Paul Foundation, this Mahwah exhibit is truly extensive in its breadth. This is a little jewel of an experience waiting for you to discover it. If there are still openings and you call to reserve a time, you can play one of Les’s guitars.
While we’re on the subject of Les Paul, check out the wonderful tribute Lou Pallo, the Les Paul Trio and friends have created in Thank You, Les.
Raptor Picks USA
Congratulations to Timothy Ignatius Schnieders, the most recent winner of a free Raptor!
Here are 4 descriptions of genuine Raptor™ “R” Series guitar picks with which I wholeheartedly agree:
"Tools for the Creative”
From the moment you pick up the Raptor™ "R" Series it's obvious a great deal of thought has gone into its design and from the second you touch a string you can both feel and hear the difference between a Raptor and other picks you’ve tried.
“Beautiful and Tactile”
Genuine “R” Series Raptors™ have three carefully sculpted picking tips. They’ve been created using the same sophisticated design and modeling techniques employed to produce formula one racing cars and the result of this design effort means they’ve been able to take the humble pick to a completely new level of performance.
“Absolutely Amazing”
Each picking tip forms complex curves designed to glide effortlessly over your guitars strings. Raptors produce clean tones with almost imperceptible attack that range from that of the brightest thinnest pick through to the warm rich tones normally associated with much thicker picks.
"The Pursuit of Excellence”
All genuine “R” Series Raptor™ picks are subject to very strict quality control procedures. Each "R" Series plectrum is precision molded from high grade Acrylic, then individually printed and inspected to ensure it meets their high standards prior to leaving their UK based factory.
Genuine Raptor™ “R”Series guitar picks are available at RaptorPicksUSA.com. Free Raptors with a purchase of 4 or more is just another way of “spreading the excellence, one guitarist at a time.”
To be eligible for the next free Raptor drawing, like the Raptor Picks USA FB page.
Raptor Picks USA - genuine Raptor picks Raptor Picks USA on Facebook Raptor Picks USA on Twitter
Raptor™ picks are a registered design. All rights are owned by Black Carbon.
Student Spotlight
In the warm glow of the Student Spotlight are Clairie and Danielle. They both played amazingly this week. Clairie’s a beginner and what I’m so pleased with is that she’s playing aggressively. Aggressively, not crudely. There’s a difference in an unskilled, uncontrolled, loud attack and confident aggressive playing. Go Clairie!!!
For all the years I have taught, one of my goals was to have my female students, not “play like girls.” My former students who still play years after we have worked together, whether musicians by profession or avocation, get such a chuckle when they hear my say that, but I find few things as irritating as hearing a woman play the guitar weakly. Confidence assertiveness is an asset in any musician. Of course, the best know and understand the intent of the music’s composer, comprehend appropriate dynamics and use them or reverse them for emphasis and play with passion, whether it’s a speed study or a technical mine field.
Danielle had a look on her face of great gratification during her lesson. She seamlessly moved between unmemorized music that she had to read, and each one was played in a different position. Heretofore, she required more processing time to do so. She was just beaming. I was pleased, too. Nice work.
Kudos to Clairie this week. She has all the early earmarks of becoming an excellent guitarist. Kudos to Danielle. Stretch your brain, it won’t break and you’ll be able to do more and more with knowledge and confidence.
Another week the ladies wiped the floor with the dudes.
Question
This week's question came from a beginner guitarist who is not one of my students, but I frequently hear it. Did it take you a long time to fill-in-the-blank?
The most recent iteration was did it take you a long time to be able to play your first bar chord? What’s wrong with that question and how do you answer it? (If you listen to this podcast and you teach, I will tell you that the fastest way to bleed students out of your schedule is to brag about your adeptness.) At first blush, it’s a flattering question, especially if you were one of the rare guitarists who didn’t find any technique too challenging. It seems to convey that a student is trying to be like you. I always deflect that kind of question because the truth is, it doesn’t matter how I found a technique to master. What matters is that my student recognizes my good counsel and ability to get them where they want and need to go. These questions are always posed by players who think they’re struggling. I say think because some techniques just take a while to gain the muscle control to execute. Some burgeoning guitarist think that because they can play a bit, everything should come easily to them. They also think that if they really really REALLY want to do it, somehow that’s going to translate into physical accomplishment. It eventually does, if it’s accompanied by application, focus and repetition until the desired result is achieved. Too often a student thinks they’re struggling because they have to work on something. Too often they’re looking to justify the lethargy that sometimes arises when a challenging task arises, and they can justify it if someone tells them it took them a long time to master the technique in question.
There’s a fine line between a student applying themselves to the clean execution of bar chords (or any other technique that requires special coordination) and persevering until they are mastered and them feeling like they’re uselessly banging their heads (or fingers) against the wall, trying to do something that is a lost cause.
Whether you’re a player or teacher that a novice guitarist asks, DEFLECT, DEFLECT, DEFLECT. It’s not about you and your triumphs or struggles. It’s about inspiring them and showing them how to accomplish it.
If you’re a beginner or intermediate guitarist - don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Everyone learns and achieves differently. I know that when everyone is so obsessed with knowing what everyone else is doing/thinks/feels etc. via social media every moment of the day, it may fall on deaf ears when I urge you not to compare yourself with anyone, but DON’T. That’s a sure road to imbalanced self-assessment. Rather, be diligent. That’s the answer to everything that revolves around physical technique.
If you have a question that you would like me to address on the podcast, please email it to me at guitartechnique@gmail.com. If I use your question, I will be glad to send you a Guitar Technique Tutor Podcast pick.
(And just for the record, I’m very blessed with dexterous fingers on both hands.)
News
In the news this week is the list of Best in Show at Winter NAMM 2013. This is NAMM’s list, not mine, as I didn’t attend, but I think there are some products and companies on the list that warrant a guitarist’s attention.
Music Nomad Equipment Care, which includes a group of products for cleaning and protecting instruments.
Ernie Ball M-Steel Strings which will hit store shelves mid-summer, which are made of a defense grade alloy that provides more strength and break-resistance than traditional plain strings. They also slip less and are reported to stay in tune better than plain traditional strings.
Peavey VIP Vypyr Modeling Amps
Music and audio innovator Peavey Electronics introduces a new generation of modeling amplifiers today with the Vypyr® VIP series, the world’s first Variable Instrument Performance™ amplifiers. After the award-winning original Peavey Vypyr series set the new standard for modeling guitar amplifiers, the Vypyr VIP series introduces an entirely new level of technological sophistication and tonal versatility.
With the Vypyr VIP series, Peavey introduces the world’s first amp that contains Bass guitar, Acoustic guitar and Electric guitar amplifier models. With Peavey’s Variable Instrument Input™, a single amp can provide amplification for a variety of instrument types.
Not only does the amplifier morph from a bass amp, to an acoustic amp, to an electric amp, it also allows the electric guitar player access to instrument models as well -- another Peavey first! The Vypyr VIP’s astonishingly realistic instrument simulations allow users to manipulate the sound of their electric guitar to mimic an acoustic guitar, a bass, a 12-string guitar, and more!
As an aside, if you recall the vintage sounding new Martin guitars I discussed in this podcast, I think, last spring. This technology of modeling sound digitally is quite the rage with manufacturers. It’s something to keep your eye on if you play anything electric.
I don’t know about happy coincidences, but if you recall last week, before NAMM got going, I mentioned the Grand Orchestra series from our good friends at Taylor. Well, I’m pleased to read that the NAMM gang named the Taylor Grand Orchestra the Best in Show guitar at Winter NAMM. Congratulations, Bob and the whole staff at Taylor. I love innovation that makes a difference. Taylor has successfully done so in their big, beautiful, powerfully projecting Grand Orchestra. If you can handle a guitar this big, you’ve go to play one.
Take Note:
My take note topic this week is about the tack older guitarists need to take, to accomplish the elasticity and stretch needed to develop and grow into a competent player.
I have a group of students who are over 30. Some are just a little over 30 and some haven’t seen 30 for quite a while. None of them played when they were younger. The challenge for these guitar heroes is for their fingers to stretch and yet still exert downward pressure with control. Speed is also a challenge for some of them. So, aside from some glucosamine and condroitin, if they have any form of arthritis, how can you make mature hands do what even young lithe hands are challenged by?
My hands are over 30 but I haven’t stopped playing for any considerable time, so they are still strong and stretch quite well. I don’t play as hard and long as when I was in my 20’s, because I don’t want to sustain any injury. Several of my guitarist peers are plagued with carpal tunnel syndrome.
The best thing I have found for strengthening and increasing speed are a collection of scale studies that are now out of print. Any carefully chosen exercises will do. Choose them by the kind of movement they require. A traditional 2nd position, 2 octave G scale may be fine for developing some speed, but the same scale doesn’t offer much to help non-elastic fingers stretch more. For that a scale that requires a fret skip between the 1st and second finger notes, or the 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th. Currently Arno and Gary are playing a particular scale that will assist in the stretch-factor. When you are working on that aspect of your physical development and dexterity, be careful to play legato. It will be harder, but therein is the gain and the stretch. So if you play, for example an F on the 6th string, 1st fret with your 1st finger, CONTINUE TO HOLD IT DOWN as you stretch to reach the G on that string with your 2nd finger. If you lift that first finger to play G with your 2nd finger, the exercise is useless for you purpose. Think about what your goal is. If you don’t have an instructor who can and should guide you, analyze where your technique is lacking and find the exercises (often in variations of scale studies - which are also great for your ears) that will yield the desired result for you. If you don’t have an instructor, have a guitarist friend who is more accomplished than you are, watch you execute the study or studies, so they can tell you if your hand position or the angle of your fingers needs to be modified for best results.
Raptor Picks USA
Is your Valentine a guitar player? If so, say, “I love you,” with a handful of beautiful, red Raptor guitar picks.
No matter where I go, when I show guitarists the Genuine R Series Raptor Pick, the ones with vision immediately comprehend that it’s not just another novelty pick that’s going to end up somewhere with all the other weird picks they have tried or people have given them.
They try it, they utter a soft “hmmm” and they keep playing. And playing and playing. Most of them tell me they expected it to feel weird but it’s comfortable and just feels different. When I ask them what they think, they say they want it and ask where they can get one.
The 3 uniquely and specifically engineered picking tips on the Raptor entice a guitarist to think about and explore the full range of sound qualities they can create with it. The unique beveling of the molded acrylic pick offer amazingly silent attack.
The Raptor R Series pick is destined to become a pivotal tool for creative guitarists. Personally, I haven’t played with anything but a Raptor R Series since the very first time I touched one and I don’t think your recipient be disappointed when they try it.
If you order by Friday, February 8, regular mail should get Raptors anywhere in the continental US by Valentine’s Day. Saturday the 9th is iffy, but likely, too.
Get some today for the guitarist in your life, or for you at RaptorPicksUSA.com Free Raptors with a purchase of 4 or more is just another way of “spreading the excellence, one guitarist at a time.”
Raptor Picks USA - genuine Raptor picks Raptor Picks USA on Facebook Raptor Picks USA on Twitter
Raptor™ picks are a registered design. All rights are owned by Black Carbon.
Outro
Superstorm Sandy relief is still ongoing. Thanks for anything you have or can do.
There may be pink or green NEON DRs in my future. I’m not sure, but it sure would make it feel like spring is on its way.
Excellent work, Clairie and Danielle.
Don’t compare your progress as a beginner guitarist to anyone: not your teacher, your friend or anyone on YouTube. Apply yourself and you will master the technique that alludes you.
NAMM’s Best in Show list is interesting. Check out what they thought were notable products.
Legato scale studies and their variations are extremely profitable for the less-elastic hands that didn’t play guitar prior to being 30 or over. LEGATO means no “space” or “air” between the notes. One glides right into the next. It’s accomplished ascending by not lifting a finger until after the next note is played. Descending, it’s accomplished by having the next note’s finger in position before the finger of the current note is released.
69 days until Coachella, Anya.
Humidify if your guitar is in an environment with less than 40% humidity.
Gordon emailed that he recognized the music behind last week’s outro as “extremely apropos.” For that, Gordon will be receiving a Guitar Technique Tutor Podcast pick. I’m glad someone is hip to what I’m doing.
If you're seeking expert competent guitar instruction in the Bergen and Rockland County towns in which I teach, such as Airmont, Allendale, Fair Lawn, Franklin Lakes, Glen Rock, Hawthorne, HoHoKus, Hillburn, Mahwah, Midland Park, Montebello, Montvale, Oakland, Oradell, Paramus, Park Ridge, the hamlet of Ramapo, Ramsey, Ridgewood, River Edge, Saddle River, Suffern, Tallman, Teaneck, Tuxedo, Tuxedo Park, Upper Saddle River, Viola, Waldwick, Washington Township, Westwood, Woodcliff Lake or Wyckoff please contact me. For lesson inquires, calling is best and my number is on the web site. If we can coordinate our schedules and you're a good candidate to learn to play the guitar, perhaps we can work together.
http://www.guitartechniquetutor.com/contact.php
Whether you are a beginner guitarist, a gigging professional or at any level in between, a genuine Raptor™ guitar pick will catapult your playing forward. Visit RaptorPicksUSA.Com to order yours today.
Practice, have a great week, and until next time, I'm D A Arlaus, doing my part to spread the excellence, one guitarist at a time.
No comments:
Post a Comment