Blog Archives

Live music, summertime!

5/23/2014

It’s Friday before the first holiday weekend that officially kicks off the summer season here on Cape Cod. It’s also the beginning of the summer concert season around New England, where we’re blessed with a multitude of live music options. I’m hoping to catch some shows at the Cape Cod Melody Tent, which is a great venue with reasonable prices and no bad seats. One of my favorite artists, singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett is returning with his Large Band. I haven’t seen Lyle and the Large Band in a few years and their shows are always great. Also thinking about getting up to the Pavilion on Boston Harbor to hear Allison Kraus & Union Station (I’ve never heard them live) who is touring this year with legendary Willie Nelson.

On a much smaller scale, Yours Truly has a fair amount of gigs on tap, including my usual every Saturday morning gig at the Daily Brew on Route 28A in Cataumet, three Friday evening shows at the buffet at Coonamessett Farm, three wedding ceremonies to play, plus a couple of private parties. I don’t go after the bar work anymore – I’ll leave that to the young guys and girls who have a much later bed time than I do! I played the bar scene around here for decades with various groups and had a lot of good times but as I’m doing a single these days and do mostly instrumental stuff I doubt I could find work in that format anyway. Besides, I guess I just don’t have the energy anymore to deal with drunks and the occasional sleazy bar owner. Goes with the territory, as they say. Been there. Done that.

Music lovers in the area are very pleased that WMVY on Martha’s Vineyard has returned to broadcasting on FM at 88.7. Although I didn’t care for everything they played before their old broadcast location of 92.7 was sold (and they went to web-only), I respect them for being one of the very few individual, privately owned and non-format driven radio stations in the country. They play a very nice mix of contemporary indie rock, acoustic, Americana and singer/songwriter music, both old and new. They also have a weeknight feature called Blues at Eight, which features an hour of contemporary and classic blues. I don’t know how strong their signal is (they are even asking people to contact them about this – how’s that for being an independent radio station?!) and my hope is that they won’t get bogged down in a somewhat repetitive play list as they did back in their 92.7 days. But together with WUMB in Boston (Public Radio) I’m hopeful that between the two stations I’ll hear some new and interesting acoustic music.

But getting back to my own live music, I am semi-actively searching for a vocalist to work with. I used to do a lot of singing while performing but for the last few years I’ve concentrated on instrumental arrangements. I do realize however that the vast majority of audiences relate much more to vocals. Unfortunately, I’m going to be very particular about the person I’m hoping to find, which severely limits the options. What I’m looking for is someone with a good knowledge of singer/songwriter material (recent and older), jazz and perhaps bossa nova, reasonably good vocal range, and the ability to sing both lead and harmony. Male or female, doesn’t matter, although it’s most likely that a female singer would be best. Must have a very open mind about various types of music. Also must be willing to spend a fair amount of time rehearsing. Someone who can play hand percussion or even bass or back-up guitar would be great too. If anyone reading thinks they fit the bill, please drop me a line. Or pass this on to someone they might know who might be interested. Professional experience isn’t nearly as important as a positive attitude and enthusiasm!

Peace & good music,

Gene

0 Comments

Scales? Yeah, maybe....

5/14/2014

0 Comments

Faithful reader Tony Obermeit from Down Under wrote recently and commented on the fact that I don’t push scales on students, which is true. The relative merits of practicing scales had been debated for probably hundreds of years. Do I practice them myself? Well, yeah, but I should probably do them more. The big question is: what is the value of practicing scales?

It really comes down to the type of music you want to play and how far you want to advance. There is certainly value to practicing something so cut-and-dried, that you can easily assess in terms of advancing your technique. Scales are either right or wrong, played well or played not so well. At a certain point there are gray areas in playing most music. Is that song you’re playing “right” or “wrong”? That depends upon your (and possibly your audience’s) expectations. Not so with scales. They are easily quantifiable.

Some players thrive in this type of situation. By using good technique and a metronome you can chart your progress. This can be very encouraging and gratifying. Here’s how I see the positives and negatives of spending time practicing scales.

Positives….

For last four hundred years of so much of Western music has been based on the Major Diatonic scale. Modes are a discussion for another day, but the do-re-mi scale we’ve all heard since we first learned music in school has been ingrained on our musical consciousness for untold generations. Melodies in most popular music are almost always based on this scale. So practicing Major Diatonic scales in at least all the commonly used keys has value for both the fingers and the ears.

Natural and Harmonic minor scales along with Pentatonic scales are often used in improvising. Knowing them has great value if you intend to be a lead guitar player.

Making up a practice regimen of various scales is a great way to “warm up” before you dive into learning new material. And you’ll often find that pieces of scales are incorporated in both melodic and back-up guitar arrangements.

Negatives….

For many players, practicing scales is…. Boring. And often frustrating. Remember – I’m talking about recreational guitar players, ones who just want to have some fun when they play. I know some may disagree, but scale work doesn’t always lead to better playing. Forcing oneself to keep a steady beat and change chords quickly and accurately should be the primary focus and doing those things will lead to a more satisfying playing experience.

Practicing scales embeds the sounds of those intervals between notes on our brain. Now, this is an iffy thing. Yes, much of our music is based on the Major Diatonic scale but by forcing this sound into our musical consciousness we are in danger of EXPECTING those intervals to occur. The legendary, great jazz musician Sonny Rollins once said that people would be wise to show up at his concerts a half-hour late because during that first half-hour he would essentially “cleaning out” his musical mind, playing things that he’d played before (great though they are!) and it takes time to dismiss musical sameness and become more creative.

Time. None of us have enough of it. Assuming a player knows a few types of scales in a few different keys it’s easy to spend a lot of time in a given practice session on just them. Optimizing the time we can carve out to play is what it’s all about, folks. Play what you WANT to play, not what you thing you HAVE to play.

So, here’s what I do. I’ll usually spend a few short minutes doing a few Major Diatonic scales and a couple minor ones, just to warm up. If I’m working on a difficult piece that includes things like diminished scales in the melody or arpeggios, I’ll spend some time separating them out from the melody and practicing them but I force myself to return to the overall arrangement as soon as possible. In all, I would guess that pure scale work takes no more than 10% of my practice time. Would I be a better player if I devoted more time to scales? Maybe. Maybe not.

What I do spend more and more time on these days is melodies. And yes, they do include some of the intervals we find in various scales. But I keep reminding myself of my days playing lead guitar in various bands when my solos always seemed to slip back into riffing through scales. Boring.

I guess the bottom line is looking at scale practice like an athlete looks at warm-ups before a game. No matter how many leg lifts or push-ups you do, what really matters is how well you hit or kick the ball.

Peace & good music,

Gene

0 Comments

Beginner tips

5/8/2014

6 Comments

Today I’m going to focus on the raw beginner.

Although it’s been about five decades since I first picked up a guitar (gulp!) I still well remember those early days of discovery and more often, frustration. Keeping a steady beat with one hand while changing chords quickly and accurately with the other is the first really big hurdle I had to cross, along with dealing with the pain of pressing down on the strings, of course. So I can certainly sympathize with students who are at that place in their guitar studies. Here are a few things I see on a regular basis and a few possible solutions.

Let’s say you’ve been playing for a few weeks or months and you’re still confounded by fast and accurate movement of your fretting hand. This totally normal and to be expected. Said it before, and I’ll say it again: playing the guitar looks too damn easy! What the beginner soon realizes is that there quite a few mental processes going on at the same time when we play and dealing with them all at the same time is a challenge – for anyone! What I encourage my students to do is be analytical about their playing. That is, WHY can’t I move from one place to another quickly? To just practice a movement of the fingers over and over without some thought may work to a certain degree but the danger is that muscle memory comes into play and before long you begin doing little more than practicing your mistakes!

Not every finger is graced with an equal amount of strength or the ability to control. The obvious example is of course our “little finger” or in guitar parlance, the 4th finger. Fortunately, in the beginning at least there are plenty of first position chords that don’t use that finger but some do. What I see more often with beginners is trouble with the 3rd (ring) finger. For example, one of the most common chords a beginner must learn is C Major. It’s natural to place fingers down numerically, i.e., 1-2-3. That means the 3rd finger goes down last. This is a really easy habit to slip in to, and a bad one. All fingers must be placed simultaneously, especially if you’re going to use finger patterns with the picking hand that begin with the root of the chord (the lowest note in the chord that is “first name” of the chord you’re playing – in the case of C Major, the C on the third fret of the 5th string).

What I encourage my students to do in any first position chord that involves the 3rd finger is force that finger down FIRST, and then deal with the rest of the chord. This is not a perfect solution – the beginner is still “setting up” the chord – but getting to the point that the chord can be placed in its entirety will come much sooner than if you practice your C Major with 1-2-3 placement, which can quickly become a bad habit. And that habit is very hard to break!

We’re assuming of course that the correct positions of fingers for each chord have been memorized. Avoid keeping a chord sheet next to your music. Memorize those fingerings as soon as possible or that chord sheet becomes a crutch!

Another overlooked aspect of concise movement is control of the fretting hand when you’re NOT pressing down. Beginners rightfully focus on pressing down on the strings, but what about what happens when that force is released? Our fingers naturally want to move back together, i.e., away from the area directly over the fretboard. But a player absolutely must get into the habit of keeping fingers OVER the fretboard between chords. All great guitar players have a few things in common and one of them is minimizing their movement. By moving fingers off the fingerboard and then having to return takes way too much time and encourages inaccuracy.

Finally, and I’ve written about this many times before but I’ll continue to do so (!) – anticipate your chord changes. Look at the fretting hand and IMAGINE where your fingers will be on the next chord. Do not wait until it’s time to change to look up at your fretting hand because for most of us, by that time it’s too late to make the change without stopping. I absolutely guarantee that all great guitarists do this. The next time you see a good player doing something more complex than basic chording you will notice that he or she spends lots of time looking at the fretting hand but I promise you they are NOT looking at what they’re playing at that moment; they are imagining where their fingers will go next.

So – keep on keepin’ on, as we used to say back in the day! Those changes will get easier, I promise. But think about your technique. Don’t assume that repetition alone will solve problems. Good luck, and enjoy!

Peace & good music,

Gene

6 Comments

Old guitars, new guitars, $100,000 guitars??!

5/2/2014

0 Comments

Interesting to read about the new limited edition Woody Guthrie model guitar by Gibson that is being auctioned as a benefit for the non-profit This House is Your House foundation, which is raising funds to reconstruct Guthrie boyhood home in Oklahoma. Limited to only eight guitars, it features a fingerboard and bridge made from wood reclaimed from the floor joists of Guthrie’s home, which was demolished in the 1970s. I checked it out online it certainly is a pretty thing, J-size with a brown sunburst top and meticulously constructed to replicate similar Gibsons from Guthrie’s era. Bidding opens at $45,000 (gulp!) and as of this morning the high bid for the first one offered was “only” $15,000. I read that the foundation was hoping all the guitars would go for at least six figures. It will be interesting to see if that happens.

I have to admit, it would be cool to own one. But I would probably be too scared to play it! In any case, it’s a surety that a year from now they will appreciate in price, regardless of what the selling price is now. There is a small but active group of very well-heeled guitar collectors (some of whom are professional musicians like Steve Stills, Elvis Costello, Vince Gill and others) who think nothing of dropping huge money on rare and collectable guitars. Good for them, I guess. OK, I’m jealous!

I’ve also read recently that guitars make with Madagascar rosewood bodies will most likely begin rapidly appreciating in value due to the recent ban on importing this wood. “Madrose” as its known in guitar circles very much resembles the storied Brazilian rosewood, which has been banned for use in guitar making for many years. This has resulted in guitars such as any pre-1970 Martin rosewood model bringing astronomical prices on the used market.

There’s no denying that “Braz” and “Madrose” guitars are beautiful (usually) but do they sound better than those made from readily available East Indian rosewood? That is a question that has been debated for decades and probably will be a continuing subject of lively discussion on the various forums by guitar geeks. My personal opinion (watch as Gene ducks under his desk) is…. Maybe. There are just way too many variables. In almost every case, an older guitar by a reputable maker made with some type of rosewood will improve with age. But other factors include bracing, finish, and bridge plate contribute to the sound quality. For example, the small maple bridge plate on older Martins vs. the large rosewood plate found on many newer ones probably allows the top to vibrate more freely, hence better sustain and resonance.

One of the best sounding Martin D-28s I ever played was an early 1960s model that lived a life of sad abuse, or some might say, passionate use! It belonged to a bar owner in Newport, Rhode Island who had no qualms about leaving it leaning against a wall on the small stage in his bar, or sometimes lying on the dock outside the bar (!) for anyone to play. Of course, back in those days an old guitar was just an old guitar, even if it was a Martin. The poor thing showed multiple gouges, scratches and cracks here and there. But the sound. Oh my goodness. Loud, resonant, and with sustain that just wouldn’t quit, even with strings that were beginning to rust. In spite of its condition, these days that guitar would easily bring $5000 or probably more. When brand new, it sold for a bit less that $400.

On the other hand, I’ve played a few similar vintage Martins that were complete dogs. And a couple were in pristine condition. Those instruments are surely worth close to twice what that poor beater D-28 is worth, assuming it didn’t totally fall apart. But hey, they’re Brazilian rosewood! Go figure.

Not long ago I owned a limited edition, almost new Martin D-42. Made of Madrose, with an Italian Spruce top and gorgeous details, it sounded quite wonderful with a subtly complex tone. It was a Martin Custom Shop model, limited to 25 pieces. I sold it as I just couldn’t justify tying up so much money in a guitar that I’d be too nervous to take to gigs and risk damage. In my world, no matter how nice, a guitar has to earn its keep. So off it went and I was sad the day the UPS truck took it away. I’ll bet that D-42 will sound amazing in a few years. But I have no complaints about the Martin M-36 and Gibson J-15 I use on gigs now and while I would hate to see them get damaged I don’t keep looking over my shoulder at the stage when I’m on break!

We all have a few guitars we’d like to get back. As Frank sang, “Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention.” That’s the way I look at the guitars that I’ve owned, played, or had the opportunity to buy. Or as a guy on one of the guitar forums once wrote: Guitars are like buses in the city. If you miss one, you can be sure another one will come along in fifteen minutes!

I just hope the lucky people who end up with those Guthrie Gibsons actually play them!

Peace & good music,

Gene

0 Comments

Live music, summertime!

Scales? Yeah, maybe....

Beginner tips

Old guitars, new guitars, $100,000 guitars??!

Author

Archives

Categories