July 4, 2009

Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Arrangement – Above the Braeside

Recently I posted a number of simple acoustic guitar arrangements which were reasonably simple to play and great for helping guitar players develop their repertoires and were they also designed to help players move away from playing straight chords.  By breaking songs up into simple melodies and oyther basic moving parts, the melody stands out a little more and it becomes much more interesting to the listener (even if the listener has no idea what is going on).

An Australian guitar player by he name of Steve Gadd based in Tasmania has been very kind enough to allow me to post a few of his arrangements for acoustic fingerstyle guitar and make them available to guitar players.  (Thanks Steve).  Steve and Marjorie have a website, check out what they are up to at Music Tasmania I also heard a whisper that Steve has been in the studio lately, I’ll keep you posted on that as well in the near future.

The tune is called Above the Braeside

For other simple acoustic arrangements Acoustic Guitarist Fingerstyle

I will also be posting other arrangements here in the near future

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June 30, 2009

Harp Guitar Youtube Andy McKee

Here’s another Harp Guitar Youtube, this one features Canadian Andy McKee

To see Don Alder playing Harp Guitar, Click Don Adler Youtube

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June 30, 2009

Harp Guitar Youtube Don Alder

Here’s another great guitar player Don Alder playing Harp Guitar.

If you are interested in Harp Guitar, check out builders from the early 1900’s like the Larson Brothers. Click on the link to go to Whaley Guitars, a site that has info on Harp Guitars Whaley Guitars

To Hear Michael Hedges on Harp Guitar Click Michael Hedges Youtube

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June 30, 2009

Harp Guitar Youtube Michael Hedges

Here’s the great Michael Hedges on Harp Guitar playing a tune called Because it’s There

For more Michael Click the Link to go to The Guitar Player Blog Micheal Hedges

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June 29, 2009

Tommy Emmanuel Youtube Tutorial for Guitar

Here’s Tommy Emmanuel doing an Acoustic Guitar Video on Youtube. This has some great practical ideas on how to practice.

So simple and sensible

And here’s Tommy reinventing Classical Gas Tommy Emmanuel Youtube Classical Gas

Tony Hogan

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June 28, 2009

Acoustic Guitar Video Youtube Antoine Dufour

Here’s a great Acoustic Guitar Video on Youtube by Antoine Dufour, extremely funky and percussive,  It’s called Drac and Friends

And if you liked that, check out this: Antoine Dufour Acoustic Guitar

Tony Hogan

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June 25, 2009

For People in Iran and the Rest of Us

So why would a guitar player write an article about Iranian politics?

When I first saw the stories about Iran filtering out and into the news, it didn’t really catch my eye. Although I have compassion as much as any other person who has contemplated his or her navel, burnt a truckload of incense and bowed to false and real Gods, I generally don’t involve myself in political issues because I don’t trust the media at all and also I have a total distaste for private political agendas of any sort.  So, what got me on this one?

Firstly, I’m not prepared to get caught in the trap of throwing insults at any foreign government or political party and start screaming ‘human rights!’, if I was to do that I feel I would be disrespectful to the people of Iran, and by saying this I am not in support of the government there or the opposing powers; I think it is essential to clarify this.  I am in support of the Iranian people and the underlying principles which unite humanity. It is important to be unbiased and look at other things here; there are tyrants in every country, both in power and struggling for power and many faces that we don’t see who hide behind various political parties and call the shots.  Find me a country that does not have such people.  Many supposedly friendly people in politics have been involved in committing the most heinous crimes and gotten off unscathed, even totally unnoticed.  It’s very easy to be judgemental when we see news articles about issues in other countries and jump in with an opinion.   Yes issues are real, yes we need change and yes we need to help in some way, sometimes the methods of help have more to do with the way WE live than pointing the finger elsewhere.

What has struck me with this issue in Iran is the use of Social Media and what I would call ‘the power of grass roots digital media’.  It is important that we in the West and others outside Iran speak, in fact scream loud and clear that we support the Iranian people, not the political opinions but the rights as human beings to be treated with respect, to be heard and that we actually do care for people of other countries in some way.

The most important barriers to break down in the world are the cultural and religious barriers that separate us.  Not at the expense of sovereignty but there is a need to remove the walls that divide us; to embrace the unity in diversity and to be tolerant of differences that in the end are not so important at all.  So for me, what I need to say to the people of Iran and also all the rest of the world is we need to change our thinking and remove our limited thoughts.  Thoughts that arise and make us feel better in some way than someone else from another culture, religious or social standing.  Until we can do this we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over, (think Groundhog Day),  and the governments and political parties will only reflect what is at our core; this is what I call ’the separation in diversity’.   These times that we live in, houses are divided, families are shattered, neighbours hate each other, brothers and sisters can despise each other. We really have a lot of work to do, and while we look at Iran and ask for basic human rights to be respected, we need to look at ourselves as well.

And pray for peace in Iran, other countries and our own hearts.

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June 20, 2009

Lior and Serena Ryder Youtube

I just saw the show Rockwiz on television it had Lior and Serena Ryder performing Neil Youngs Heart of Gold.  Very nice.  Lior also did a very good acoustic tune. Excellent backing band as usual.  I love it when music is live and there’s combinations of people peforming who don’t normally work together but manage to create something fresh.  Nice harmonica too.  I’ll update soon about where Lior is performing, he’s a Sydney based musician and he’s very musical. I’m glad they put this tune on youtube to share with us.

Liors website Lior

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June 20, 2009

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Dies – Greatest Sarod Player Youtube

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan

It is with great sadnes I received the news that one of thw orlds greatest musicians has died.  Ali Akbar Khan the great Indian Sarod player died on the 18th of June.  The great violinist Yehudi Menhuin once said “Ali Akbar Khan is the worlds greatest musician” .  John McLaughlin studied with him.  I studied with a student of Ali’s by the name of Ashok Roy.  This line of Indian music runs back to Tansen the great court musician of Akbar the Great.

News article about Ali’s passing.

Ali Akbar Khan College of Music

Quote from Collge website, “Our most beloved Khansahib passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Thursday evening.  Khansahib had been a dialysis patient since 2004, and had been enduring numerous health issues ever since.  The great Maestro had continued his music teachings publically at the Ali Akbar College until just weeks ago, and continued to teach music at home until the day he died.”


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June 14, 2009

Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Arrangement – Part 5 Danny Boy

Here is Part Five of my Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements in TAB and music Notation.

This one is the old Irish tune, Danny Boy also called the Londonderry Air.  This is in the key of C, as usual I have kept it reasonably simple.  This is a two page arrangement.

Danny Boy Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar Tab and Music Notation

Danny Boy Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar Tab and Music Notation

Here is the the Printable Version DannyBoy Acoustic Finger Style Guitar TAB and Notation

Here is the computer generatedMidi File Danny Boy Midi File

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June 9, 2009

Kenny Rankin Dead- Sad News

 I just heard the news that the great singer songwriter guitar player Kenny Rankin has passed on.

I am grateful to him for his beautiful music which I have listened to since the early seventies.

Sending well wishes and Bluessing to Kenny Rankin’s family from all those who loved Kenny’s music in Australia, Kenny holds legendary status amongst many people that I know. 

Here is Kenny in action

Also, this is so perfect, the song that he wrote Peaceful Kenny Rankin

Here is a news article about Kenny’s passing 

Kenny Rankin

Kenny Rankin

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May 31, 2009

Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Arrangement – Part 4 Down By Sally Gardens

Here is Part 4 of my Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Arrangements.  It’s a traditional song called Down By Sally Gardens.  I’ve put this into the key of G so it  is easy enough to play.  It is a two page chart in TAB and music notation.  The first section on page one is a standard bass and melody part, wheras page two has a slight variation around the the theme.  There were quite a few variation options but I think what I have written works well, you may like to create your own versions, when you play solo guitar, nothing is set in stone and there’s always room for reinterpreting a piece of music.  

Down By Sally Gardens

Down By Sally Gardens

Here is a link to the computer generated midi file to give you a rough idea of the way the bass and melody parts work together and to help guitar players who concentrate more on TAB than reading dots.  Remember, a human would phrase this a bit more musically.

MIDI FILE – Down By Sally Gardens Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar

To access or download the  quality printable adobe pdf version of the song click   Down by Sally_Gardens

I really enjoyed arranging this, I hope you get plenty from this tune.

Tony Hogan – Acoustic Guitar Blogger –  Guitar Player – SEO

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May 24, 2009

Acoustic Fingerstyle Arrangement Part 3 – Marees Wedding

Here is Part 3 of my Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements.  This is a tune called Maree’s Wedding (Marie’s Wedding), an old Irish tune with the words “Step we gaily on we go etc “.  

I’ve thrown it into the key of E so I’d be able to stay in normal tuning.   What I’ve also done is eliminate all the chords and just imply them, it is only a melody line and a very simple bass part.  When I studied with a guy called Don Andrews about 35 years ago, he would always create arrangements with one or two small things to push the skll level of the guitarist a little further, I have done the same here.  In this tune, I’ve written it in such a way that the player has to move around the fretboard just a little, this sort of adds a little bounce to the tune and forces the player to be foused. if everything was stuck at the same fret, the player is more inclined to go into automatic mode.

To view and or download the printable Acrobat reader version click here Marees_Wedding

EDIT//: Bar 9, 3rd beat move to fret 4

Marees Wedding

Marees Wedding

I’ve added a midi file, a compuer generated music file to give the listener an idea of the tune.  I realize that many players only read TAB, please add expression, personality and your own phrasing Marees Wedding

Click here for Part One of the Acoustic Guitar Arrangements 

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May 18, 2009

Acoustic Guitar Tapping Youtube

Here is a very interesting Acoustic Guitar video of a guitar player by the name of Justin King using acoustic guitar tapping techniques.  Justin has an album called Bleu.  To hear samples of Justins music, go to the website at the following address, Justin King

To hear another brilliant contemporary acoustic guitar players go to Acoustic Guitar Player, go to Antoin Dufour

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May 15, 2009

Acoustic Guitar Tony Hogan Websites and Google Search

I have just noticed a major change in the way that Google Search is indexing websites, blogs and social networks.  So I thought I’d let new readers of this site know that I also have another very good acoustic guitar blog / website at The Acoustic Guitar Player .  There is also a shortcut to this site at The Guitars Net

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May 13, 2009

Don Alder Exploding Acoustic Guitar Youtube

Here is the great acoustic Guitar Player Don Alder on youtube video.

He’s playing away and then it happens, the guitar explodes.

For more information about Brunner Guitars go to the Brunner Guitar site

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May 2, 2009

Acoustic Fingerstyle Arrangement Part 2

Last week I wrote an Acoustic Finger Style GuitarArrangement of an old Irish Tune. This week I’ve done another reasonably simple acoustic guitar arrangement of another old Irish ballad called the Water is Wide.

The arrangement I’ve done of this is very different to the last one I did. The Water is Wide is a beautiful song which I have sung and played for about a dozen years or so now, I had never considered doing it until I heard James Taylor do a great version of it.

ABOUT the ARRANGEMENT: Originally I was going to upload a very different version. When I sing and play the tune I play a solo guitar arrangement in the middle as a guitar break. When I started looking closely at what I was going to upload I realised I didn’t particularly like the movement of the bass part, it seemed to be rather weak, so I spent about three hours modifying it so the bass part was more musical and flowing. So the emphasis, strangely enough on this piece which has a very beautiful melody, is the bass part. If you isolate it, and play it you’ll notice what I mean. I could take it further but I needed a cut off point. There is minimal chord playing in this tune but that’s what I wanted. At some time in the future I will transcribe a version of it whch is closer to what I normally play, more folk blues.

This version is very bare bones, if I were to play it as a tune there’d be a lot more fills and arpeggios etc, but if I were to transcribe that it would look too complex and scare peole off, so I’ll just submit the underlying idea for you to build on and modify accrdingly.

Playing arrangements will strengthen your playing , a lot of good players will recommend learning to play tunes instead of just chords, riffs, blues scales and solos.

Water is Wide Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangement

Water is Wide Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangement

Here’s the printable version Water_is Wide

To hear the midi file version click the link 

Water is Wide – Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangement

( Midi files are not real audio files they are just a computer generated equivalent, this will give you an idea of the sound of the tune if your reading skills are still developing). Please add feeling and personality.

The previous Fingerstyle Arrangement can be found at the following link

Guitar Fingerstyle Arrangement

Tony Hogan

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April 25, 2009

Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Arrangement Part 1

Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Arrangement – Gypsy Rover TAB and Notation

What a lot of beginner guitarists don’t realise is many of the better guitar players have done is work on arrangements of tunes to help develop their playing and ear.  It’s not just about learning a few solos, playing a few blues or pentatonic scales or wearing the right outfit.  Being able to sit down and play a couple of dozen solo  guitar pieces is a great way to practice and get a musical response from your practice. There’s always a lot of room for variation and improvisation once you get the basic idea of a song .  And if you’re travelling around the world it’s really nice to sit in a boat in a lake a few hundred miles from Kathmandu, look up at the Himalayas and bliss out playing guitar (something I have done).

I’ve decided to write a half a dozen reasonably simple fingerstyle guitar arrangements, this is the first one.  These sort of of arrangements are also very useful for singer / songwriter acoustic guitar players who are wanting to strengthen their playing, they will help create a lot more options to accompany vocal parts and once you can play this sort of guitar it will help you to play a solo gig and play guitar breaks which consist of more that a single note solo.

What I’ve done is taken the old Irish Tune Gypsy Rover and written a basic part and a slight variation.  You might find that the melody is a fraction different to the original tune, I’ve called it up from memory and that’s roughly what I’ve heard in my head ( poet license).

Gypsy Rover Acoustic Guitar

Gypsy Rover Acoustic Guitar

Here is the Printable PDF, which no doubt you will need it Gypsy Rover Acoustic Guitar Arrangement

Here is a midi file of the tune to give you an idea how the tune goes Gypsy Rover Midi

NOTE: Midi files are not real audio recordings, they are data files, so it will lack the tone of a guitar and the human element so essential to music.  But the file size is tiny.

Take the idea and develop it.  I often work on other peoples arrangements, then I close the manuscript once I have an idea where the tune is going and I have an understanding of the underlying chord pattern and melody and other main parts.  By playing other people’s arrangements will give you new fingerings and options which you might not ever have come up with.

Next week I will write another Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar Solo Arrangement

The botom line KEEP IT MUSICAL

Tony Hogan - Acoustic Guitar Blogger

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April 23, 2009

Loren – Acoustic Guitar Player Part 3

Here’s Part 3 of my series on Acoustic Guitar Players

Loren is an Australian musician who comes from Western Australia and now  lives on the beauty NSW North Coast. He plays an acoustic  style that falls into the category of Roots these days, to me that means acoustic, not overly commercial with a flavour of folk rock blues reggae and anything else that has an edge to it that has the ooccassioal dreadlock.  I first encountered him when he was playing acoustic gigs in the local area and I was immediately struck by his musicality.  Later I found out he had recorded a number of albums and had quite a following throughout other parts of Australia.

What struck me about Loren was his ability to keep peoples attention in a live situation.  He manages to step in and out of styles and textures like no-one I have ever seen and keep the audience focus.  A lot of musicians, regardless how great they are, seem to exhaust themselves musically after a number of tunes if they are doing solo material.  I could listen to him play for hours and not be tired of what he does, this in itself is quite a statement because even if a good movie goes for anything over an hour and 12 minutes, I’m out of the room.

Loren tours and performs regularly throughout Australia with a band call The Grow Your Owns and has also done a couple of Tours of New Zealand, quite a number of people have heard of him through listening to the JJJ radio station.

Here’s what John Butler

“Loren sweet, gentle voice accompanied by relaxed melodically plucked guitar written by a man with a heart of gold.
I¹ve watched Loren play a few times and am always inspired by how effortless the music is.”
John

To check out Loren’s site go to Loren and the Grow Your Owns

Here’s Guitar Player Part 2 about Norman Savitt

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April 22, 2009

Micheal Hedges Youtube – Harp Guitar

I’m surprised how many guitar players there are who have never heard of Michael Hedges, the brilliant innovative guitar player / composer who died in 1997.  Many of the new players such as Andy McKee and all the other acoustic tappers and open tuners were inspired byMichael Hedges.  On this Acoustic Youtube Guitar Video he is playing a harp guitar, as far as I know it is a 1920’s Dyer Harp Guitar, not unlike some of the Larson Brothers instruments.

This tune he is playing a Bach piece called Cello suite in G (Major)

For more Michael Hedges on Harp guitar, check out Because It’s There

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April 16, 2009

Pierre Bensusan Youtube Guitar Tutorial

Here is a very interesting Video of an  Acoustic Guitar arrangement of the traditional Irish tune Shi Bhig Shi Mhor in DADGAD tuning, played  by Pierre Bensusan.   This arrangement is an improvisation around the original tune.  The last couple of minutes of the video has a split screen of right and left hand which will enable you to get in close and see what’s going on. Pierre is one of those guitar players that can make something complex sound and look simple.  Pierre Bensusan plays mainly in DADGAD, but a major difference in his playing and many other DADGAD players is that he doesn’t limit his playing to tunes which are strictly DADGAD or tunes in D or D Minor, he treats the tuning as if it were standard tuning.

To check out Pierre Bensusan’s website go to Pierre Bensusan DADGAD Music, I recently attended a concert and a Workshop of Pierre’s, and let me tell you, he’s exceptional !

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April 4, 2009

Pierre Bensusan Australian Tour – Stuns Audience with Breathtaking Brilliance

Pierre Bensusan Australia

Pierre Bensusan Australia

Some people had waited twenty five years to see Pierre Bensusan; others had heard a great guitar master was in town, and strangely enough there were those who just happened to turn up to the local venue for a night out.  Regardless what was the driving force of them being there, by the end of the night the audience was in awe and speechless after hearing one of the greatest acoustic guitar performances ever on Australian shores.

Pierre Bensusan walked out on stage and bowed.  He had an Acoustic Guitar made by Irish luthier George Lowden in one hand.  It was tuned down to DADGAD tuning. Not a word was spoken; he sat hunched over his steel string, his head leaning towards the lower guitar bout, as if he was listening to the nuances of the instrument, he then headed into Le Voyage Pour L’Irlande, a song recorded on the album Musiques in 1979.

At the fourth song in the set, Pierre ventured into a vocal improvisation, not unlike the great songwriter Milton Nascimento. As it developed, he added a Brazilian style of accompaniment, the vocal had already mesmerized the audience and the rhythm almost lifted the roof off the building.  Throughout the show he performed a number of tunes from his most recent album Altiplanos, one being a tune where he sang a poem by Victor Hugo. He also did another very sensitive tune called Hymn 11 off the same album.   Amongst a night full of highlights, an outstanding song was the one in dedication to guitar great Michael Hedges, called So Long Michael. He also did another song from the Intuite album called Silent Passenger and some older songs were given new life, such as Nice Feeling off the Solilai album, Agadiraman off Spices and other tunes which long term fans recognize as classics.

Pierre’s has the unique ability to draw a range of tones out of the steel string guitar which generally are  inconsistent with what emerges from that type of instrument, the tones we were hearing are more common to the nylon string guitar.  In the song Intuite, dedicated to Mounir Bachir, it sounded like the Persian instrument the oud.  This sound was achieved by using advanced harmonic techniques and tapping on the upper area of the fretboard on the lower strings.  How he can achieve a nylon string and an oud sound from a steel string guitar can only be a combination of some sort of hidden pact between George Lowden and Pierre that the world does not yet know about.

With the sensitivity of Ralph Towner, the inventiveness of Micheal Hedges,  the complexity of Egberto Gismonti and the confidence of Paco de Lucia, Pierre Bensusan is beyond a doubt the guitar player’s guitar player and is truly one of the greatest innovators of the steel string guitar of our time.

And as a friend said to me later, “now I know it’s for real, there are not three guitarists playing on the recordings, it’s only one.”

As one of the audience who waited twenty five years, I must say, it was worth waiting, and I’ll wait another twenty five if need be.

Tony Hogan

At Soundlounge – Currumbin Gold Coast Queensland Australia

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April 2, 2009

Gypsy Guitar Youtube

Regardless of what style of guitar you like, it would be very hard to deny the brilliance and beauty displayed in this Guitar Video on Youtube by Stochelo Rosenberg and Romane.  They have taken aspects of what Django started and built it into their own unique style.  It’s taken from an album called Gipsy Guitar Master. The other musicians are Contrabass: Marc-Michel Le Bévillonand on Accordion: Richard Galliano


 
I will continue to post about high quality guitar players, those famous and not so famous.  So bookmark this site, or suscribe with the RSS feed.

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March 31, 2009

Peter Miller Acoustic Guitar Youtube

Here’s some very nice Steel String Acoustic Guitar by an Australian based Acoustic Guitarist called Peter Miller.  Peter will be performing on the same bill as the great French based guitar player Pierre Bensusan at the Soundlounge on the Gold Coast Queensland. 

The song is called Full Flight
 

Here is a link to Peter Miller’s Myspace

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March 28, 2009

Acoustic Guitarist Earth Hour

Earth Hour    
Earth Hour

Earth Hour from an Acoustic Guitarist point of View.

 So Earth Hour came and went here.  It caught me on the back foot this year.  I had been thinking of some ideas to save energy, like asking my family to stand still for an hour, breathe slower to save oxygen, and was even considering closed eyes to prevent blinking. But then again if we are to be part of Earth Hour we probably need to keep our eyes open.  My initial idea was to sleep for an hour, but that’s sort of cheating.  And when I woke up, it would’ve meant that I’d be up half the night using triple the power with a laptop, hi fi system and tele running at the same time.  

 I was having some mad thoughts about taking all the batteries out of my preamps, guitars and pedals. Being an acoustic player, I’m already unplugged, so not having to intentionally turn off a Marshall stack of a Saturday night wasn’t an issue.   I was tempted to set up my acoustic rig and put a sign on it for 60 minutes saying “Out o Service for Earth Hour”, but in the end it seemed ludicrous because no-one would see it except my wife, and she’d be taking her spectacles off anyway, my daughter would roll here eyes (which translates as ‘You are stupid dad’); and my son was out raiding his friends families fridge anyway.  He would have been the only one who would have ‘got it’, but he’d grunt  and pretend it wasn’t funny.  So I spent the time in the dark with one candle trying to put together a table I bought today to reset up my audio.  

 So I’ll play unplugged for a couple of hours now instead of plugging in,  I might sit around and work on some acoustic versions of songs that would never be played on acoustic, now that would be a great contribution to saving energy. I’m not quite sure which tunes to do though. … Maybe Rock And Roll Aint Noise Pollution by AC DC

Oh…I just realised I forgot to turn off the fridge. 

And here’s a link to the Official Google Blog Earth Hour Post 

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March 24, 2009

Acoustic Guitar Blogger Interview

Recently I had contact with one of the other guitar sites and they asked me to do an interview as part of their Guitar Hero series, not the virtual Guitar Hero, but one’s that have spent their lives fine tuning their skills.   I very much appreciate being part of their series because I understand that there is more to developing as a Guitar Player and there are hidden areas of the Guitar World which are often bypassed

To read the interview go to Guitar Hero

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March 19, 2009

How to Improvise on Guitar – Part 5

A lot of guitar players I’ve met feel a little intimidated when they see anything more than a normal set of Major, Minor or Seventh chords. What I’ve done in this article is create a simple exercise to help train the ear a little more for dealing with chords which have additional notes. The chords I have chosen to work with are ones which often turn up in a lot of jazz tunes. They are Em7b5, that’s an E minor 7th chord with a flattened (one note lower) 5th. An A7b9, an A7 chord with the 9th note of the A scale flattened one semi-tone. And a D minor. Any additional notes mentioned in the chord names are slight variations. I like Joe Pass’s , great jazz player, he always broke it down to the fundamentals, Minors, Majors and Sevenths. But really you’ve got to use the right things over the top, otherwise it sounds awful.

I’ve added a simple midi file to give you an idea of the sound.  I’ve used a midi file because the file size is tiny.  Midi files as you may know, use the sounds embedded in your sound card, it’s not real audio. Click to hear Em7b5-A7b9-Dm.mid

How To Improvise on Guitar

How To Improvise on Guitar

 

Printable version in Adobe PDF format – Click  How To Improvise on Guitar

Practice slowly and then once your ear gets used to the sound, gradually speed up and then look at ways of working with the chords and notes, changing the the phrasing and order of the notes.

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March 18, 2009

Michael Hedges Youtube Harp Guitar

For those of you who remember the great (late) Michael Hedges,  here is in action.  I was also most interested when Jazz Guitar player Pat Martino recorded with Michael Hedges on Both Sides Now (Martino album).  Many may not be aware that Michael Hedges also recorded a song called Bensusan, dedicated to Pierre Bensusan, and also Bensusan recorded a tune dedicated to Michael Hedges.  Both great players with mutual respect for each other.  There are many players now who have followed in Michael Hedges footsteps.  He has no doubt inspired a new generation of guitar players.

Michaels untimely death was not only a tragedy for his family, but for the guitar world as a whole.

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March 15, 2009

Norman Savitt – Acoustic Guitar Player Part 2

Norman Savitt    

Norman Savitt

Here’s Part 2 of my posts about Acoustic Guitar Players.  
This one is about Norman Savitt 

To quote from the Balkan Records Site 

“Norman Savitt is a unique acoustic guitarist with a versatility, texture and expression that is distinct and timeless. His debut CD, “Norman Savitt and Friends”, brings Norman together with master musicians Howard Levy, Eugene Friesen, David Amram and Susan Mitchell, in a mix of duo and solo pieces, a “compelling musical mix of happy and meditative tunes, played with enjoyment, imagination and care… full of beautiful sounds and good feelings. “

Normans guitar playing has a folkish, slight roots sort of feel to it, with a hint every now and then of  the great Celtic players, but it has a refreshing newness about it.  I’m a fan already only after one day. 

Here is Normans MySpace – Norman Savitt

To check out Normans CD  go to Balkan Samba Records 

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March 15, 2009

Jimi Hendrix Acoustic Youtube – Hound Dog

It’s 40 years since since I first heard Hendrix, I have never seen this. Jimi Hendrix playing Hound Dog on acoustic guitar. An absolute gem of a find. wow!

 

Thanks to John Francis for bringing it to my attention John Francis 

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March 13, 2009

Dan Tharp – Acoustic Guitar Player Part 1

The beauty of the Blog / Web technology that we have at our finger tips now is it gives people like myself  who like people and music the ability to quickly put information out to a broad audience.  Readers of my guitar blog sites would recognise by now that I’m always trying to support players of the acoustic guitar of all standards and genres, to inspire, introduce new players and create much healthier relationships with musicians.

Curently I’m writing a series of about thirty guitar players, which are already quite famous and ell respected in their fields.  BUT I’ve also  decided to do a series of 10 articles on Guitar Players who are passionate about what they do but don’t necessarily aim for the BIG stage.  And as I’ve said many times... Music is About Emotions, and it’s not just about technique or getting a Grammy or recognition by musical peers.

The First Guitar Player who I’m profiling in this series is Dan Tharp from Green Valley Illinois

Dan Tharp Acoustic Guitar Player

Dan Tharp Acoustic Guitar Player

Dan plays nylon and steel string acoustic and uses the occassional digital effect to add texture to enhance his instrumental tunes. His playing is very clean and melodic,  it’s thoughful and what I have noticed is I could sit for ages with his music running and go about my business without my thoughts bcoming cluttered. This is actually very good for someone like myself, because I often find myself in a situation where I have to solve complex Web Development issues for myself and others. To have some music which is both musical from a guitarists point of view and accessible to allow the listener to move in and out, shows the quality of what he is doing.

Dan has also made his music available for Web Developers / Site Designers.

Here is the link to the Dan Tharp Site

And to hear Dan’s Music  Dan Tharp Music

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March 12, 2009

Gordon Giltarp Youtube – Cakewalk Blues

You may or may not be familiar with the  guitarist Gordon Giltrap, but for those of you that have heard of the brilliant Scottish Jazz guitar player Martin Taylor, Gordon has recorded with Martin.  For me that was a surprise because of my memories of Gordon’s album Perilous Journey which came out some years ago.

It looks like Gordon is playing a Flyde Guitar, made popular in the 70’s. His playng at somemoments when he fingerpicks reminds me a little of Bert Jansch. It’s a very live sounding piece.

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March 10, 2009

Pierre Bensusan Australian Tour Schedule

A number of people have had trouble finding out info about the Pierre Bensusan Tour and Workshops

If you love acoustic guitar it would a tragedy to miss Bensusan Live

Pierre Bensusan

Pierre Bensusan

APRIL 2009

1-26 AUSTRALIA
3 GOLD COAST, QLD The Sound Lounge, Currumbin RSL, Currumbin Creek Rd (Gold Coast), 8:30pm, t. 07 55 347 999, Website
4 SYDNEY – LEICHHART, NSW The Bald Faced Stag, 345 Paramatta Road, Leichhardt, 8pm, t. (02) 9560 7188
5 DELORAINE (TAS) Masterclass – 3hrs) Little Theatre, Emu Bay Rd, Deloraine, 2.30pm, bookings & inquiries: Tas Regional Arts office ph 03 6426 2344 and Artifakt Gallery, Deloraine (Artifakt tbc)
6 DELORAINE (TAS) Little Theatre, Emu Bay Rd, Deloraine, 7.30pm, bookings & inquiries: Tas Regional Arts office, t. 03 6426 2344 and Artifakt Gallery, Deloraine (Artifakt tbc)
9-13 CANBERRA National Folk Festival
15 MELBOURNE (VIC) The Toff in Town, Second Floor, Curtin House, 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne, 8pm, t. 03 9639 8770
16 CLARENCE PARK (SA) Trinity Sessions, Church of the Trinity 318 Goodwood Road Clarence Park, 7:30pm, t. 0401122256 or 08 82974037, Website
17 PINJARRA (WA) Fairbridge Festival, [Chapel venue 9.10pm]
18 PINJARRA (WA) Fairbridge Festival, [Guitar Heaven 2.10pm] 18 PINJARRA (WA) Fairbridge Festival, [Main Stage 8.50pm] 19 PINJARRA (WA) Fairbridge Festival,[Riverside Stage 1.00pm] 21 CLAREMONT (WA) Guitar workshop, Zenith Music Auditorium, 309 Stirling Highway, Claremont, WA, $30, 4-7pm, info & reservations: t. (08) 9335 1400 – david@milestogo.com.au
22 FREMANTLE (WA) Fly By Night Musicians Club, Fremantle Arts Centre, Parry St, Fremantle, 8pm, t. 9430 5976, Website
24 ALBANY (WA) Harboursound Festival, Town Hall, 8pm

Bensusan Site

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March 9, 2009

Phil Keaggy Youtube Legacy

Here is a tune on Yotube Video by the great acoustic fingerstye guitar player Phil Keaggy.  It starts off as a reasonably simple tune but then develops with some rather interesting techniques,  it’s a very nice acoustic piece.  I was recently introduced to this piece by Peter Miller, an Australian Fingerstyle acoustic guitar player who is playing as a support act for Pierre Bensusan in Queensland Australia at the Soundlounge in Currumbin.  Peter’s Website is Peter Miller com

Thanks Peter Miller for introducing us to another great Phil Keaggy tune

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March 7, 2009

John Cephas – Moves On

The guitar world was saddened by the death of Blues Player John Cephas

For further news about the passing of  John Cephas News

To go the official site of John Cephas

With Deepest Respect and Condolences to Johns Family

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March 6, 2009

Playing Acoustic Guitar in the Nude

Totally Uncovered Guitar Article

As a rule,  I’m not one of those whinging bloggers who complains about everything; even if there isn’t a problem, some writers have mastered the  art  of “Thankyou and Have a Bad Day”.  

I sat for a while this morning and watched a handful of Music Videos of a number of very stoned musicians (and they don’t do it as well as the reggae guys like what you’d see at my Reggae Blog), and there were lots of young women in their undies.  Ok whinge whinge, it’s all been said before, so I’m not going down that track.   And I’m not a prude or anything, beauty is beauty and credit where it’s due.   “Hey that’s a beautiful 1934 Martin guitar that Brazilian babe has strapped around her neck… ”  yeah, that’s meaningful.  Well there are some great women guitar players out there that you need to hear about.

 I’m starting to now look at the ways that  guitar players contribute to the community, so I’ve decided to do a series of posts about a number of specific guitar players.  I’ll also be putting out to the global community about the role of mentoring through music . In the societies we are in now there is not a lot going on relating to Rites of Passage for our Youth. The image portrayed commercially about guitar is not  about music but is about how cool you can look.  But as I’ve said many times in my articles, MUSIC IS ABOUT EMOTIONS.

So this article is a forerunner about what is coming, and the articles I write now will be working in conjunction with many of the great players and players that I KNOW are great but need greater exposure.

The Internet is full of Online Guitar Lessons,  and people that don’t even know anything about guitar, they are  flogging Guitar Lessons and making money out of it.  

It’s tme for the musicians to claim back music.  

Tony Hogan


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March 3, 2009

Guitar Weekend Workshop Los Angeles

GUITAR WEEKEND WORKSHOP in LA by OUTSTANDING SESSION PLAYER – Greg Poree

Greg Poree

Greg Poree

As a musician myself who has played guitar for near 40 years, it astonishes me how much information is now available for musicians / guitarists who are wanting to take their playing to the next level.  In my role as a passionate guitar player and teacher I’m fortunate enough to be constantly exposed to new players, well when I say new players, I mean new to me.

I only came across Greg Poree yesterday and when I saw his Biography  I thought… oh that guy!   And then I heard his playing and I thought oh dear this guy is not only good but has all the pieces and is willing to share them.   What struck me about Greg’s playing was his ability to keep it musical at all times. One of the issues that many players who have great chops and really know the instrument well  have,  is that they are inclined to get too clever, this is understandable but it’s easy to lose sight of the music in cleverness.  But Greg plays music.  My dear friend Ike Isaacs from Grapelli’s band used to say to me about one really great world famous player  who got a bit too clever at times,  ”Tony, he’s great,  he knows everything but plays it all in one song “.  So to hear players that have the balance between skill and music is always a pleasure.

GUITAR WEEKEND WORKSHOP

Host: Greg Porée

Type: Education – Workshop

Start Time:  Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 11:00am

End Time: Sunday, March 15, 2009 at 5:00pm

Location: Moontraxx Music Studio

City/Town: Los Angeles, CA

Here’s What Greg is Going to Cover in the Workshop

SATURDAY March 14 2009, 11am – 1pm

Morning session / CHORDS

How to quickly understand a chord chart by chord function and by shape making it a lot easier to read.
This process will also show how easy it is to build and spell your own chords on the guitar as well as addressing the art of substitution.

- LUNCH BREAK 1pm – 2pm -

Afternoon session / CHART READING 2pm – 5pm

The afternoon session will be dedicated to applying the techniques from the morning to actual tunes. The genre of tunes will cover jazz, Brazilian, fusion, R&B and funk; however, the techniques learned can be applied to any style. If you’ve got a particular tune you want to try, please bring the printed lead sheet.

SUNDAY March 15 2009, 11am – 1pm

Morning session / ENSEMBLE PLAYING

Exploring the principles of ensemble playing whether live or in the studio and how to get the most out of the unique qualities of the guitar.
Blending the guitar with other instruments is always an issue, we’ll explore how to do this no matter the instrumentation.

- LUNCH BREAK 1pm – 2pm -

Afternoon session / JAM SESSION 2pm – 5pm

The afternoon session will be dedicated to simply playing live, applying all the techniques from the workshop.

Email: Go to Gregs Site and Click on Reach Greg Poree Website

Here is Greg’s Myspace Greg Poree

Here’s a snippet of Greg’s Bio

Greg also played on numerous Motown recording sessions with Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, and The Jackson 5. Other artists Greg traveled with during the 70’s included Paul Anka, Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin and Isaac Hayes, but with the birth of his sons Emile and Justin, Greg no longer wanted the road life. He channeled his skills into becoming a top LA studio guitarist working with an amazing range of musical talent such as Donald Byrd, Randy Crawford, The 5th Dimension, Benny Golson, Aretha Franklin, Ahmad Jamal, Syl Johnson, James Brown, Al Green, Albert King, Teena Marie, Phoebe Snow, Dusty Springfield, The Originals, Donny Osmond, Edwin Starr, Stanley Turrentine, Lenny Williams and Joan Baez.

To get in contact with Greg, go to Gregs Site and Click on Reach Greg Poree Website

Tony Hogan - “Raising the Standard of Guitar Globally”, if I like it I tell everyone, no strings attached

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March 2, 2009

How to Get Back into Playing Guitar After You Forgot You Had One

 

Martin 000 Acoustic Guitar

Martin 000 Acoustic Guitar

Over the years I’ve noticed that a lot of guitar players start playing, then they hit points in their life where other things take over and music drops to the background, their guitar that they so passionately treasured just sits in the corner of a room to gather dust.  

I’ll side track a little. I discovered an easy way to get around this happening in the first place, it was something I arrived at due to teaching guitar to a lot of kids over the years.  I had always tried to get the parents to NOT call music practice HOMEWORK.  When people call music development ‘homework’, the kid suddenly sees music as a chore, or maybe even the ENEMY, instead of being the beautiful gift it is which they can carry through their life to express themselves.  So, the underlying thing here is about the thinking; if we can’t see the benefits and only see the work involved we lose sight of why we’re doing something in the first place. 

What I found with kids learning music was it was important to take time out from their music practice.  The ultimate goal, as I see it for a music teacher to do is to get the student to the point when they fall in love with music.  Once this happens it’s easy to teach, until then there’s often a bit of a pull in all directions.  What’s needed is to be able to get the student to be organised enough with their time, that they can comfortably do enough for their music skills to gradually increase and then become a natural part of their life.  

My understanding, which made me rethink a lot of things about playing was when one day, a kid asked me “Do I have to practice in the holidays?”.   My reply was “no, I think it’s good to take a break, this will help your return to music a little fresher, go swimming, ride your bike, fallout of a tree, eat ice cream, break a leg or something crazy, but you’re going to need to set a date to get back into some organised pattern again”.

I’m pretty sure, the reason why a lot of players leave the guitar in the corner and don’t return to it is because they don’t organise their time and don’t have the right resources and inspirational material close at hand, and then it all seems too much  

The best way to reenter music after time of is:

  • Set a return date and stick to it
  • Have plenty of resources around to inspire you
  • Clean the guitar and change the strings, even go a gauge lighter 
  • Play a few simple things to warm yourself up a but, if you try and play things that are a little complex you can end up frustrated 
  • Tell the world to go away, you’re busy because music is important to you

Tony Hogan

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February 27, 2009

How To Improvise on Guitar – Part 4

This is a short tutorial which is easier than it may look to some players who can’t read music dots. The Guitar TAB will get you through it.

 

How to Improvise on Guitar

How to Improvise on Guitar

Ok, What is it all about.   Sure, the chords have funny names, bu really they are just A Minor with one changed note, a D7 with a couple of extra notex to give it colourand a G minor with a a cople of added notes.  The A minor with the flat 5 and the D7 altered chords are what is used to comfortabely move to the G Minor, you’ll see them in a lot of Jazz Standards.  They are nicer to use than a straight A minor to D7.

The lines I’ve written are pretty simple, but when you get them sorted, rip them apart and turn them inside so your ear hears the sound of what the notes are spelling out.

To download the printable PDF file click am7b5_d7b9

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February 25, 2009

Tommy Emmanuel Youtube Guitar Lesson

You’ll love this.  Tommy Emmanuel a giving an Acoustic Blues Guitar lesson in the key of E,  it’s called Stevie’s Blues, as in Stevie Ray Vaughan.  

The chord which he says he’s not overly sure of the name, I’d call a  C13, however the Root not is not included, it’s implied.  You might also call it an Em11b5 (flat 5) chord.  Regardless of what you’d like to call it, it works, the notes are E, B Flat, D, A, all of which come out of a an E Blues scale. 

For more quality material, visit the Homepage of this site or my other Acoustic Guitar Site

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February 23, 2009

Paul McCartney Michelle

Paul McCartney playing Michelle,  do I need to say anything else.

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February 22, 2009

TAB or Music Notation

I”m trying to find out what format Guitar Players prefer guitar music written in today.  Guitar TAB seems to be the standard these days.  I find it very useful for Acoustic Guitar Open Tuning.  What do you prefer?

Please Select, then click the Vote Button…

Thanks – Tony Hogan

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February 18, 2009

Jimmy Page and Roy Harper Youtube

Now this IS interesting.  Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin and Roy Harper playing Acoustic Guitars out in the country doing Hangman, the tune that Led Zeppelin did and scared the living daylights out of everyone. It’s from around 1984 and they are playing Ovation Adamas guitars. This is of great historical value (already). Roy Harper is a great British musician who inspired Jimmy Page. Remember the Zeppelin tune Hats of to Roy Harper?

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February 16, 2009

How to Improvise on Guitar – Part 3 of 6

More Very Cool Guitar Improvisation Tutorials to Help you navigate through some chord changes.

 

Amaj to Dmaj7 Improvisation for Guitar

Amaj to Dmaj7 Improvisation for Guitar

Here’s Part 3 of How to Improvise on guitar. The TAB and Guitar Music Notation above  relates to soloing over two simple chords an A Major 7 to a D Major 7 chord.  

  • These chords are common and they fall into the key of A.  
  • The key of A has 3 sharp notes (one note higher) .  
  • The sharp notes are F# G# and C #. 
  • The A major 7 chord consists of A C# E and G#
  • The D major 7 chord consists of D F# A and C#

The simple improvisation which I have done is totally within the key of A, it has a certain jazziness about it but I I’ll tell you what, if you nail this stuff and have it in your musical toolbox,  it could open your playing up a little instead of just playing Pentatonic (5 note) scales or Blues scales.  If you want a blues scale to play over this , use F# Blues, it’ll sit beautifully over it.  

To download the printable version click on the link  Guitar Improvisation Amaj7_to_Dmaj7

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February 13, 2009

Everlast Youtube – What it’s Like

I first heard this tune by Everlast called What it’s like, a few years back when a guitar stdent I had said he wanted to learn it.  It’s very simple and that in itself is a great lesson in music. The lesson being is that many players over complicate music, why complicate something just to be clever.  I like this tune, it’s a handful of chords, the guitar part is seventy-ish but the vocal line and rhythm is sot of 90’s.   It’s a Dm chord at the beginning, do a bit of ear training and work out the rest. Note the slide up when he plays the middle bit.

KEEP MUSIC LIVE – BUY YOUR MUSIC INSTEAD OF FREE DOWNLOADS

Tony Hogan – Guitar Blogger

And check out my other Guitar Blog Site Acoustic Guitar Player

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February 10, 2009

Bob Dylan Youtube – Mr Tamborine Man

A week or so back I was standing in sa book shop in Byron Bay and this song came on and I was dumb-struck for a few minutes, I couldn’t leave until it was over.  Bob Dylan with his signature harp sound and 12 fret to the body parlor guitar.  I am not sure if it has the same affect on people that never grew up with this song.  It’s beauitiful in itsrawness, what I like is the story telling lyric which pulls you in.   It’s another few chord wonder.

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February 3, 2009

How to Improvise on Guitar – Part 2 of 6

DO YOU WANT A LITTLE EXTRA BLUES GUITAR SKILLS?

Try the following tutorial,  add something new every day and you’ll feel better about your guitar playing.

A Blues for Guitar

A Blues for Guitar

Here is my second post in the series of How to Improvise on Guitar.  Although it is designed for players who can already play a little, you don’t have to necessarily be able to read music notation to be able to work through it.  Basic Guitar TAB reading skills are enough to get you through.  

What I have done is written a reasonably simple improvisation on how to solo over a basic blues in in A, it’s a standard twelve bar blues sequence.   Play it slowly at an even pace.  The phrasing of the improvisation is not really set in stone, so long as you are in time with yourself and change to the next chord on the beat.  But, if you really want to get a lot out of this, playe really really slow with feeling.  I have intentionally NOT played a straight blues scale, what I have written is more around the chords, although you’ll notice immediately that I have used a blues scale in A.  The last two bars are a classic Blues turnaround.  Even if you only took one thing from this article, at least take the turnaround and add it to your toolkit.

To download the printable version of the TAB and Notation in this article click  A_Blues for Guitar

Do you want some Blues Scales for Guitar, Clck on the link Blues Scales

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January 31, 2009

John Martyn Dead – Sad News

I sadly have just heard the news that the great John Martyn has passed on.

The Rolling Stone Article  John Martyn Dead 

I’m sure may guitars across the world are grateful for his beautiful music.

Here is a simple audio youtube of his beautiful song Head and Heart

Bless the Weather Post


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January 31, 2009

Cold Play Acoustic Youtube – Chris Martin Solo

It’s always very healthy to hear some of the more famous musicians and band members without a band, just a guitar and voice.  It helps the guitar player who is just starting out to put things into perspective and to take away the mystery and hype which builds up due to marketing, production and technology.  Then, when you hear them without the rest of the stuff going on in the music industry, it’s possible to make greater sense of their playing and where you are at as a player.

So here is Chris Martin from Cold Play on youtube video just with an acoustic guitar and voice and minimal sound production.  I love this guys voice and is awsome falsetto. The tune is called Trouble. First time I heard Coldplay some years back, I thought, Oh what have we got here.

Tony Hogan – Worlds Best Guitar Blogs

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January 28, 2009

How to Improvise on Guitar – Part 1 of 6

A lot of guitar players get a little stuck when they go it improvise.   They’ll play scales for hours  to get the fingers going but it oesn’t sound musical.  About 30 years ago I really got stuck into all the modes and scales and became a very fast player, but in the end, that’s what I was, a fast guitar player.

What I’ve done is scrible down some TABS and Guitar Music Notation some simple lines to play over a very common chord pattern.  As you work through it you’ll notice that I have broken out of the standard musical cliques of playing straight scales, if you listen closely you’ll hear a mix of jazz and country/bluegrass  in the lines.  There are a milion things you could play over these chords; I’ve stuck to a straight melodic pattern but have used a combo of fretted and a few open notes and the occassional partial chord.  If you play this very slowly you’ll get a lot from it.

How to Improvise on Guitar

How to Improvise on Guitar

Click the Link to download the printable version of How to Improvise on Guitar Chords

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