tag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:/blogs/juke-joint-jam?p=2Juke Joint Jam2018-10-22T08:38:52-07:00learnacousticbluesfalsetag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/43665152016-09-10T18:53:22-07:002018-10-22T08:38:52-07:00Creating Space<p>CREATING SPACE, </p>
<p>In our jams at the FREIGHT AND SALVAGE everyone gets a chance to solo, or not solo, if that’s what they want or don’t want to do. The other day, when we were playing solos around the room and I told the bass player it was his turn, he looked at me a bit dumbfounded. You see, bass players don’t often play solos and unless you were John Entwistle or Jaco Pastorious, that may not be your proclivity: taking solos. So, what I said to the group was, yeah, he doesn’t need to take a solo, per se, but it was an opportunity to let the bass shine. In other words, the rest of us should bring our sound down a bit or play some thing of the higher end/treble so that the bass players lines were featured. </p>
<p>When I did this I could hear better what the bass player was doing. His lines were pretty interesting. This idea could be a boon to your playing in a jam: if you focus your sound in a area of your instrument — treble, bass, single string or more chordal/harmonized — that is not being heard or represented you start to hear things you may not have heard before. </p>
<p>Since guitar is my instrument I am acutely aware that guitarists often fall into rote rhythmic devices and lead/solo phrasing; e.g. playing the same two string spread rhythm, or strumming the same “cowboy” chords, playing the same pentatonic licks, etc. </p>
<p>Trying something new can be a bit daunting, but keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be complicated. The communal style playing of many West African tribes sound very complicated to the untrained ear. But isolate any individual’s part and you’ll find the ideas may actually be simple. It’s becomes more complicated as more parts are added. </p>
<p>One of the things I have guitar players do in my blues classes is play different rhythms together. If one person is playing a two string shuffle, then another person will play a “Charleston-type” of rhythm — chordal accents on the first down beat and second upbeat of a four beat measure. Another might play a walking bass line; or possibly a repeating single string line. </p>
<p> Remember: simple is good; especially when there are many players and many voices to accommodate. </p>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/41461922016-04-21T10:41:30-07:002016-04-21T10:59:22-07:00Trading Twos <p>TRADING TWOS: </p>
<p>Just finished round one of a six week session of <a contents="Buzzy’s Juke Joint Jam at the Freight and Salvage. " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.freightandsalvage.org/buzzys-juke-joint-blues-jam" target="_blank"><span style="color:#00FF00;">Buzzy’s Juke Joint Jam at the Freight and Salvage</span>. </a>Instruments included guitar, violin, bass, harmonica and vocalists. We will begin a new six week session on May 14. Songs we played included Stormy Monday, Statesboro Blues, Move it on Over, My Babe, Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, St. James Infirmary, I Hear You Knocking, Key to the Highway, Trouble in Mind, Deep River Blues and a bunch more. </p>
<p>One idea that folks enjoyed and responded to was “trading twos,” in which we would pair up two players and each would solo for two bars, trading musical ideas back and forth. This was a wonderful exercise for several reasons: 1) It forces each player to come up with succinct musical phrases and 2) invites each player to “respond” to his/her partner. In jazz they call it “trading fours” — as each player takes a four bar solo and passes it on to the next player. For us novice blues jammers two bars seemed to work well and allowed each player to play three times in each 12 bar. </p>
<p>In my Jamming the Blues classes I often talk about creating short musical phrases and think of soloing as a dialogue: between two people (From <a contents="Jamming the Blues: A Guide to Soloing Over 12 bar Shuffles)" data-link-label="JAMMING THE BLUES" data-link-type="page" href="/jamming-the-blues"><span style="color:#FF0000;">Jamming the Blues: A Guide to Soloing Over 12 bar Shuffles)</span></a><span style="color:#FF0000;">: </span></p>
<p><em>In this book we will learn the basic tools for soloing, which include scales and partial chords. We will play several 12 bar solos and analyze how they are built. Along the way you will learn all of the above techniques, but MOST importantly you will learn to create musical phrases. As the word suggests, a phrase is based on the language skills you already possess. If you think of your daily speech as a template for soloing you will bring life and vitality to your playing. </em></p>
<p><em> In our speech we have many different types of phrases: statements, questions(?), exclamations(!), pauses….These phrases will have content and inflection. For instance a whisper implies secrecy. It is barely audible and meant for only a few chosen ears. That soft inflection makes the listener perk up their ears, as if something important is being said. I am often telling many of my students to play louder, but what I’m really asking them to do is play with dynamics. Play loud, then play soft; alter your attack and you will notice how much your audience is really listening…</em><br> </p>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/36805622015-04-28T10:25:33-07:002021-05-09T12:07:16-07:00Phases of Learning <p> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">“Here are the five simple secrets to learning to play blues guitar.” Ever see that kind of ad? Sure you have. First off, I don’t think blues players are keeping any secrets; you can see and hear exactly what they are doing. Secondly, any time you see the phrase “learn the secret(s)” you know that somebody is trying to sell you something. As you might have guessed I don’t particularly likes these ads. I have spent many years (decades really) learning to play blues guitar and to have some one try to boil it down to playing “these five simple notes.” makes me crazy. Of course, if you purchase so and so’s “secrets” you might get something out of it, so, go ahead.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> But here are some things I’ve learned over years in playing and teaching that I would like to share:</p>
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<span style="font-size: 15px;"><b>Playing the guitar is an intellectual, emotional and <i>physical </i>activity.</b></span> In some ways its like learning a language. Ever meet somebody who has studied French/iItalian/Greek/ or other language intensely but never actually spoken it? They can read the language fluently but if they try to speak to a native they are often not able to be understood. Well, that same thing goes for the guitar. You might understand theoretically how a major scale is built, or how chords are formed from that same scale; but that doesn’t mean you can play it; or express in terms of a musical passage. Just as you need to learn how to physically control your vocal chords to create sounds endemic to a language you need to learn how to manipulate the strings of the guitar to create expressive phrases. People with developed intellects but poor muscle coordination often have a difficult time with the guitar. I’m not saying they are helpless, but they need to understand that they may need more time to develop muscle coordination and strength than someone who has more experience with physically coordinated activities such as sports and tool manipulation.</li>
</ol>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> Much of blues playing is expressive and the expression is embedded in the slurs and articulation of notes that are manipulated by our hands. And, yes, this requires certain amount of strength. </p>
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<p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> The progression of learning in my Jamming the Blues Classes goes something like this. Here are five patterns of A minor pentatonic scales. Learn them all and commit them to memory. This is an ongoing process that should continue beyond the framework of a six week class. Next, I show my students how to create musical phrases from portions of those scales patterns. As the word suggests, a <i>phrase</i> is based on the language skills you already possess. If you think of your daily speech as a template for soloing you will bring life and vitality to your playing.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> In our speech we have many different types of phrases: statements, questions(?), exclamations(!), pauses….These phrases will have content and inflection. For instance a <span style="font-size: 8px;">whisper </span>implies secrecy. It is barely audible and meant for only a few chosen ears. That soft inflection makes the listener perk up their ears, as if something important is being said. I am often telling many of my students to play louder, but what I’m really asking them to do is play with dynamics. Play loud, then play soft; alter your attack and you will notice how much your audience is really listening. </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Nothing is worse than a guitarist who knows all their scales: forwards, backwards, and very fast, but their solos sound like scales: every note has the same attack, voicing, and rhythmic duration. Have you ever listened to a speech or lecture by someone who has a mono-syllabic delivery? The words come out all sounding the same. It could be the most interesting subject in the world but you will strain to follow the speaker because their delivery is putting you to sleep! Public speaking is an art, and so is soloing. You don’t have to be the fastest or most knowledgeable guitarist on the planet to play interesting, listenable solos. It’s a well-worn cliché, but a few well chosen phrases will have more impact than a million notes played with little thought or emotion.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>TO BE CONTINUED…</i></p>
<div> </div>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/33796562014-12-09T17:04:13-08:002014-12-09T17:08:07-08:00Season Greetings!<span class="font_large">Hey Folks,</span>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span class="font_large"> This will be my last correspondence until 2015 so I want to wish you all happy holidays and a grand New Year! I want to thank everyone who came to my solo and Buzzy Frets shows and helped support live music! You rock! Also want to thank my students who have taken classes and private instruction from me and who have helped me become a better teacher and musician. You rock, as well! I wanted to thank and show my appreciation for the musicians I have shared the stage with in 2014, these include Nelson Santos, James Medellin, Kelly Joe Phelps, Teja Gerken, Steve Baughman, Mark Goldenberg, Marc Silber, Alex DeGrassi, Peppino D'Agostino, Mel McMurrin, Lynn Barakos, Larry Forest, Kevin Beals, Leon Santos, Mark Kostrzewa, Agency El84, Frankie and the Pool Boys, the Gillbillies, Rue 66, The Hampton Wicks, The Coppertones, Drifting Sands, The Deadlies, DJ Sid Presley and a bunch more I'm probably forgetting. You rock:>><br><br> I have one more show this month/year at the <a contents="KPFA crafts fair" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kpfa.org/craftsfair/press.html" target="_blank">KPFA crafts fair</a> on Sunday, December 21 from 1-3pm at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond Come on down and check out some of the great crafts and music.<br><br>If you are still looking for a holiday gift for the guitarist in your family check out my <a contents="book sale" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://learnbluesguitarnow.com/home">book sale</a>.<br>All titles are only $20 + FREE SHIPPING! -- except A GUIDE TO ACOUSTIC BLUES GUITAR <br><a contents="Jamming the Blues: A Guide to Soloing over 12 bar blues Shuffles" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://learnbluesguitarnow.com/jamming-the-blues">Jamming the Blues: A Guide to Soloing over 12 bar blues Shuffles</a><br><a contents="Improvisation and Variations for Fingerstyle Blues Guitar" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://learnbluesguitarnow.com/improvising-and-variations">Improvisation and Variations for Fingerstyle Blues Guitar</a><br><a contents="A Guide to Bottleneck Slide Guitar" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://learnbluesguitarnow.com/a-guide-to-bottleneck-slide-guitar">A Guide to Bottleneck Slide Guitar</a><br><br>PRIVATE LESSONS AND GIFT CERTIFICATES<br>I have a few spots available for private lessons. If you or somebody you know is looking for a guitar instructor, especially in the blues idiom, give me a holler! Here is a little information my <a contents="private lessons" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://learnbluesguitarnow.com/study-w-pete">private lessons</a>. And, yes I do offer gift certificates for 1/2 hour and hour lessons.<br>GUITAR CLASSES AT THE FREIGHT AND SALVAGE IN JANUARY 2015<br><a contents="Here is a list of the classes I will be teaching coming up in 2015" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://learnbluesguitarnow.com/classes-schedule">Here is a list of the classes I will be teaching coming up in 2015</a></span></p>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/26533682014-02-26T16:04:09-08:002014-02-26T16:04:09-08:00New Home and Inspiration<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We are now ensconced in our new home at Music Works in El Cerrito, Address: 11225 San Pablo ave, cross street Potrero. The nice folks at Music Works have agreed to let us play in a large room upstairs from their store. Some logistical information. For right now the jam will be held every other week: upcoming dates are February 15, March 1, 15 (I will be away on the 29th). The time is the same as before, 1-3pm. When you arrive you should go into the store and pay the person behind the counter: tell him/her you are there for the blues jam. The price is still $15. </span>
<p> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Parking: in front of the store is one hour; side streets are indefinite. I am told we can also park in the the Del Norte Plaza parking lot for free.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial; min-height: 16px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><em><span class="font_large"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Sources of Inspiration:</span></span></em></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We all have our heroes. Some were spiritual leaders who spoke of the power of peaceful confrontation. Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. were men of vision and commitment, who showed us that noncombatants could have a voice in a fight for civil rights — proving themselves, by their peaceful actions and acts of kindness. Some are Captains of Industry, who showed by their innovation and creative thinking that they could produce technology only dreamed of in science fiction. Some, like the recently deceased Pete Seeger, showed that through their song and instruments, that a voice could be given to those underrepresented in the decision-making processes of government and corporate institutions.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Still others are inspired by the words of poets and writers, the canvases of artists, or the notes and phrasing of certain musicians.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial; min-height: 16px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We have all had that “ah, ha!” moment when a light bulb shines and a certain clarity of expression has found its way into our consciousness. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It’s a very personal experience, and yet we our eager to meet others who have had the same feeling.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">In reliving that experience with another we are reminded that we are not alone in our seemingly insignificant lives. Someone else has felt the same thing we have.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">For me, I have felt most significantly, these types of experiences in two areas of my life: literature and music. In literature, the reading of certain passages in books have have put me in a place of personal transcendence, where the words of authors have echoed in my mind with thoughts that theretofore had not been articulated.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Music, the listening to and the performance of, has also transported me to a place of wonder: a place of possibilities, excitement and deliverance…</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial; min-height: 16px;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0px; text-indent: 36px; font-size: 14px; font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">I have had many jobs, but my current vocation: guitar teacher puts me in the place of having to imbue my students with technical abilities and knowledge, as well as trying to inspire them and show them the possibilities…However, when I hear one of them play a particular musical passage with feeling and authority…or when they bring to my attention a song I have never heard before and I quite enjoy…or I hear them simply making progress and see the enjoyment on their faces…then I feel like it has all come full circle: they have re-inspired me!</span></p>
<div> </div>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/20709362013-11-18T15:22:24-08:002013-11-18T15:22:24-08:00Where to Jam?Hey Folks,<br><br> This past Saturday me and the Jammers were discussing the future of Buzzy's Juke Joint Jam. None of us wants to see it end. A big part of the problem is parking (and Cal football). There was also the question of when the jam should be held (e.g. Wednesday nights? Sundays?). Personally, I would prefer to keep the jam on Saturdays. But I think a change of venue might be in order -- a venue where there is plenty of free street parking. One option is to use my teaching studio in Kensington. However, I could only accomodate 5-6 people maximum. I would also need to discuss this with my landlady. I am inviting other suggestions for venues. Also, let me know if you think a change in time would work: 3-5pm? 5-7pm?learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/16889102013-09-23T21:36:58-07:002013-09-23T21:36:58-07:00The Two Petes: Part TwoIt was a normal day for Peter Christian Madsen. Little did he know that his doppelganger was laying in wait; looking for the chance to abscond with PCM’s rightful intellectual property. Perhaps I should back up a little and give you the facts. Yeah, just the facts. <br><br>The Phone rang. It was Pete’s friend and sometimes bass player, Peter. “Hey, I heard your music on the television,” he said, excitedly. “Really!?” I inquired – as a well-trained rock musician, Peter had been known to spout hyperbole from time to time. “Yeah, ‘Desert Car Kings’ on the Discovery Channel. Check it out.” Click. I checked and heard nothing. Maybe Peter had heard something that sounded <em>like</em> my music.<br><br> Months later I’m restringing a Stratocaster on the couch with the buzzing cacophony of the TV orchestrating my finely-honed snipping technique when I hear the unmistakable introductory bars of “Davey Jones Locker,” a little tune I had penned many years prior with my trio, Buzzy Frets. “Hey! What the &*$@!.” Peter was right.<br><br> So I contact Human Factor, a company I had signed a licensing agreement with a few years earlier and asked them if they knew anything about it. They send me a list of cues to music that had been used in various tv shows; my music. None of the cues matched the show I had seen/heard and this was the first time I seen the list. Things were getting weird.<br><br> The dame at Human Factor – I’ll call her “Paula” (actually her real name is Paula) – asked me to send her a clip, a recording of the show. I said, “sure” because I knew the show was going to be rebroadcast in a few days and I could easily record it. But then…the show disappeared.<br> But then it came back again and I got the clip to Paula. Turns out the clip was legit. But where was my doe? My mula? My greenbacks, why wasn’t I being compensated for my efforts?<br><br>The company I had registered my music with, the ones who are responsible for dispensing royalties earned, BMI, had turned their back on me.<br>Then Paula hits me with it. “Wait a minute, there are two Peter Christian Madsens registered with BMI.” So that’s it. This other Peter Christian Madsen has the stuff, he’s gotten the credit, the notoriety, the tens of dollars owed to me, yes ME!!!<div style="text-align: center; ">End of part two<br>Next week: part 3</div>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/16590542013-09-19T04:40:51-07:002013-09-19T04:40:51-07:00Free Jam! On October 12 we will have a free jam. That's right absolutely free. By "free" I mean it won't cost anything, not avant garde jazz. On that day the Freight will be having an open house and they have asked if we could set up in the lobby. I said, "yes." So bring your self, your friends and your instrument and lets have a blast!<br><br>
Note: The Cal football team is playing on the road this week so we will not have to pay the heavy parking fee in the lot next to the Freight . Go Bears!<br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/15637502013-09-06T14:00:00-07:002017-01-13T16:22:29-08:00Goin' South Yeah, I went south....by Northern Californian standards, anyway. Took a quick road trip with my friend Teja Gerken, former gear editor with Acoustic Guitar magazine, down to visit National Guitars and LR Baggs pickups. Teja is on the skds. He lost his job at AG and is now slumming it by hanging out with the likes of me. Actually, I think T's layoff wiil be a bit of a boom for his independent writing career. Hard to imagine him being idle...in fact, the purpose of our trip was the writing of an article for a German magazine for whom Teja is working. Apparently, the German magazines pay fairly well...<br><br>
Both Baggs and National are located in and around San Luis Obispo, CA. SLO is pretty much a college town with quick access to Pismo Beach and surrounding environments. It has a touristy downtown and a very pretty campus where you would feel entirely at home wondering with abandon. Safe, secure...Curiously, we stayed at a dump of a motel. If you ever find yourself in SLO avoid the Homstead Motel, which is located directly next to Hwy 101/1. Upon entry into suite 114 my nostrils were inundated by the smell of what I thought was cat piss. Teja assured me it was a cleaning product. Really!? I vow to never clean my house with whatever product that was....Luckily, we spent very little time at the hotel. Our first stop was Baggs. They were very cordial and took us out to lunch. For those of you who don't know, L.R. Baggs production line revolves around amplifying acoustic guitars. They manufacture many diiferent styles of pickups for acoustic guitars. Unfortunately, amplifying acoustic guitars, in my mind, is a no-win situation: you can never truly capture the sound of a great acoustic in a pickup. Unlike electric guitars, which depend on an ampliflier to "color" that sound; an acoustic guitar sounds best "unplugged."<br><br>
I have tried many different pickups and amplifiers over the years, but my acoustic guitar sounds best when it is played acoustically and then, when necessary, miked and fed through a good PA system. Long and short of it.<br><br>
Which provides a nice seguay to our trip to National Guitars. The original National Guitar company started producing guitars in 1927-28 with the desire to produce an instrument that could compete in volume with horn players and banjoes. These first guitars were made of steel or brass and had incredible volume -- remember electric guitars were still 10-15 years away. They also had a characteristic sound that we have come to associate with blues slide guitar and Hawaiian-style guitar playing. The original design and manufacturing of these guitars is an interesting story in and of itself, but I don't think I could do justice to it in a short blog piece. Suffice to say that in the late 1980's Don Young decided to restart manufacturing the guitars based on the original designs, and when possible, using equipment from the era. The result is a company that is thoroughly dedicated to producing quality instruments using the best possible parts. I was also impressed by the fact that the company does not have a sales or marketing department -- the same folks who design and build the instruments and prototypes are the same guys who take the orders and build the website; everyone at National is "hands-on."<br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">Below is a picture of Eric, Teja and Don from National</div>
<br><br><br><br><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/49525/ff50be4f43edb5e0390a4159c0a396222d04f4d2/medium/1005512_10201150040246878_1619399313_n.jpg?1378525357" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="225" width="300" /></div>
<br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/13736932013-08-09T15:25:00-07:002013-08-09T15:25:00-07:00The Two Petes As some of you know I split my time between two musical projects: there is the solo acoustic Pete, who performs acoustic blues, ragtime and slide guitar and then there is the mysterious "Buzzy Frets," my alter ego, who plays instrumental surf and rockabilly. This week I have been giving equal time to both personas: Buzzy Frets, who plays in the band by the same title, played a marvelous set in beautiful SF with the Mystery Men at the Knockout on Wednesday. It was reverb-drenched and slap-back-echoed mayhem at a fun dive in the MIssion. <br>
Pete Madsen, on the other hand, is playing at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival this weekend, where intricacy is highly valued. It's almost a Jekyll and Hyde existence. Buzzy is demonstrative, outgoing and somewhat loud. Pete is a bit more reserved and articulate. But they both have one thing in common: they value groove above all!<br>
I love this dual persona! It gives me the perfect outlet to be both boisterous and subtle -- although some would argue that Pete is anything but subtle! We both, also, value dynamics -- do I sound schziophrenic? Both acts like to bring the volume and urgency "up" and then soothe it out, before slamming it home with a blast! This is the key to a successful set. <br>
It's also the key to a successful solo. So, in your next solo, I highly recommend, that you start slow, build up, bring it down, and then slam it home with a zinger! <br>
nuff said.<br>
No Jam on Saturday, August 17. I will be out of town.<br>
Thanks!learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/13310022013-08-03T14:45:00-07:002016-08-16T09:45:13-07:00Healdsburg Guitar Festival and More! Lot's of stuff going on this week that I want to tell you about: First off, The Healdsburg Guitar Festival will be held this coming weekend, August 9-11 in Santa Rosa. For those of you not familiar with this bi-annual festival its the premier showcase for luthiers to display their guitaristic creations. Boutique guitar manufacturers from around the globe will be there, with many top notch players demonstrating their wares. I will be performing and teaching on Sunday August 11. My performance is from 2-3pm and my workshop on Open G tuning and Slide guitar will be held from 4:30-6pm. The real stars of the show are the guitar makers, but this year there is an incredible lineup of artists including: Kelly Joe Phelps, Scott Nygaard, Don Ross, Steve Baughman, Teja Gerken and many others who will be teaching workshops and performing. More infornation at <a href="http://guitarfestival.lmii.com">http://guitarfestival.lmii.com</a>.<br><br>
Also, my band, Buzzy Frets, will be playing with The Mystery Men and Rocket ship Rocket Ship at the <a href="http://www.theknockoutsf.com">Knockout Room </a>in San Francisco, on Wednesday August 7. Doors at 8:30, show at 9:30pm. This will be a ton of fun for those of you who like surf instrumentals. $7 cover.<br><br>
And finally, I have found a new home for teaching my private guitar lessons. As many of you know, the 5th String will be closing soon. I have been teaching there for over ten years and will be sad to see the place close it doors. However, I'm pretty excited about my new home at John Mello's guitar studio in Kensington. John is a master luthier and has been creating very lovely guitars at this studio for over 25 years. Check out John's website: <a href="http://www.johnfmello.com/about.html">http://www.johnfmello.com/about.htm</a>l. I will be moving into a room above John's shop in September. So stop on by, say "Hello." <br><br><br><br type="_moz"><br>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/12299302013-07-19T12:51:39-07:002013-07-19T12:51:39-07:00Noodling<span style="font-size: larger; "> To my guitar playing and teaching friends: As a teacher I feel obliged to continually research and grab new information regarding the guitar. One trend I see in guitar instruction books that I find annoying is the dismissing of "noodling." Personally, I feel that MOST of your guitar playing time should be noodling. In a world where people are obsessed with achievements and goal setting, noodling is the closest an individual guitarist can get to the ideal of "play." Like kids playing, noodling is where you lose track of time and are unconcerned with "getting it right." Now, that's not to say that you shouldn't be learning more about your instrument. The more you know abut the guitar the more material you have to noodle with. Of course, noodling (and losing track of time) demands that you have a fair amount of time to lose. I understand that we are all pressed for time, but next time you pick up your guitar just try playing it with no lesson plan in mind and see what happens.<br>
I suspect that most of my guitar heros were/are obsessive noodlers.You here over and over agian that so and so has no idea what they are playing. Unstudied does not mean unpracticed. They played their instruments all the time. They were searching: intrepid explorers in a sonic land. When the ear hears soemthing it likes it wakes up the mind and heart. In a way, devoting yourself to a practice regimin is short-cutting the process to discovery. I have to admit, my favorite times playing the guitar were those moments when I "stumbled" upon something. Again, it takes quite a bit of time to get that special moment. It's horribly inefficeint. Its a waste of time...until it isn't.</span><span style="font-size: larger; "></span>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/10506272013-07-01T12:06:51-07:002013-07-01T12:06:51-07:00Sing For Your Supper We were a small but vibrant group this past Saturday and we experienced a first: a singer showed up! no guitar or harmonica; just a great set of pipes. I enjoyed this for a couple of reasons. First off, I don't really consider myself a singer -- I know, I know you all think I sound great, and that's very kind of you -- but I have been fortunate enough to play in bands with very good singers, so when I sing it feels more like I am accomadating the moment. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the singing I do, but I have a limited range and I have a tendancy to growl. Unlike the young lady who joined us on Saturday who sang in a very smooth jazz-itinged voice. Her delivery was much different than mine and I had to accomodate her vocal styling by slightly altering my guitar playing. Whereas I have a tendancy to plough right into the song, she had a way of hesitating that was more controlled and interesting. <br>
Of course, this is what jamming is about: listening and accomdating, grooving and soloing, going with the flow. Easier said than done. But, like anything else, the more you do it the easier it gets.learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/9850222013-06-20T18:15:00-07:002013-06-20T18:15:00-07:00The Art of Writing a Paper In college I was an English major. I mentioned this to one of my students the other night. She said she hated writing papers. As I recalled, I loved writing papers. I hated tests. But I loved writing papers. Papers were a chance for me to discover what I had been thinking. Not only did I enjoy writing; I enjoyed REWRITING. I know that sounds twisted, but let me explain. I have never been a very linear thinker. It was always important for me to be able to spew on paper -- write whatever I was thinking on a topic, without editting myself or feeling like I had to have any kind of logical flow. I know some people were very organized: they wrote outlines and were able to pen very polished papers on their first draft.<br>
I could never do that. How could I possibly know what to write until I started writing? It was very freeing to be able to write like that. I would put my ramblings away for a day or so -- I always started the process way before the due date; another anomoly. Then I would return to my scribblings and read through. Often I would encounter that I had written the same thing several times ("All work and no play make Jack a dull boy" -- no, not like that!). I would capture an idea and end up rephrasing it several times. Often, upon rereading, I would discover that the original phrasing was the best and most original.<br>
So why am I going on here about paper writing? Because it occurs to me that I have a similar approach to soloing over blues progressions. Not just me, lots of players do this: we phrase a statement, question, exclamation...then we rephrase it; we eloborate; we reform the question, statement, exclamation.<br>
In jazz and blues we talk about referencing the melody -- its our anchor, or our theme --- if we stray too far we can always return to it: it frames our discussion. Its actually a very simple idea; but executing it is very difficult. When we solo we are discovering what it is we have to say. Of course, that's not just soloing. When we sit down with our instrument and compose, practice, noodle...we are giving ourselves a moment away from the demands of an expectant world that wants us to be logical, organized and together.<br>
learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/8668202013-06-03T07:50:34-07:002022-05-09T07:57:33-07:00I Hear You Knocking! ...but you can't come in....Oh, alright, come on in! Fats Domino wrote it and we played it last Saturday. Good crowd showed up and we rocked the place. I would like to ask you, my fellow jammers, for more song suggestions. I would like to add a dozen or more songs by the end of the summer. Please e-mail song names and the performances, e.g. "Dust My Broom" -- Elmore James. I would especially like more funky blues and minor blues. I can't promise to incorporate everyone's suggestion but I will give them a listen and see if it works for my voice (key?). Of course, you are welcome to bring in a song and sing it yourself, but please make sure you have chord charts handy.<br><br><br>
I will be holding jams every Saturday throughout June and July. I will be taking off for the month of August, but back again for Septemer. I have created a calendar so that you can see ahead of time when the jams are being held. You can also check out which classes I'm teaching at the Freight. <a href="./classesschedule.cfm">Click Here<br><br type="_moz"><br></a>Here is Dave Edmunds playing: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdRVRuLbp2w">"I Hear You Knocking."</a><br type="_moz"><br>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/8327492013-05-28T10:39:11-07:002017-02-01T22:18:53-08:00Where's Pete? In case you were wondering where I have been the past two weeks and why there hasn't been a jam take a look below...
<div style="text-align: center; ">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiDr3rjQlC8">Buzzyfrets</a><br><br>
Yes, that's yours truly in the black mask and sporting the "corral-colored" guitar. My band, Buzzy Frets was playing at the KFJC fundraiser: Battle of the Surf Bands. We never got around to drawing swords or bashing each other over the head with our guitars; in fact, everyone was quite cordial. Each band played a 12 minute set, which was just enough time to get a taste without bogging down the proceedings. I also took Memorial Day weekend off to spend some time with the family.<br><br>
I apologize to the folks who showed up at the Freight hoping to dig into some tasty grooves. Rest assured I will be at the jams throughout June. So string up your guitars, mandolins, banjoes, fiddles, basses or whatever and come on down</div>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/6270202013-04-28T04:52:46-07:002017-02-01T20:53:38-08:00Dueling Banjos? 4/24/13<br><br>
Dueling Banjos?<br><br>
We performed a bit of an experiment this past Saturday. No, it didn’t involve Bunsen burners or microscopes, but you could say there was some physics involved – string vibration! We had not one but two harp (harmonica) players show up, so I asked the guitar players when they soloed to play along with the harp players: trying to exchange musical phrases. Then we matched up pairs of guitar players and tried the same thing. Folks seemed to really enjoy this so we will probably be doing more in the future! Playing off another musician gets us away from the belly-button staring cocoon we often go into when soloing; it also increase awareness of our voice within the overall sound we are creating.<br>
There were no banjoes involved, but we would certainly enjoy having one! Or mandolins, or washboards, percussion, bass, heck anybody is welcome.˜<br>
dueling banjos<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myhnAZFR1po">Dueling Banjos</a><br><br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/5244862013-04-13T13:52:44-07:002020-01-22T08:26:10-08:00Spring Fever Ah, the white sand beaches and crystal clear waters of the pacific lapping at my raft as I contemplate the myriad mult-colored fish swimming beneath me. Then, as I lazily roll off the bamboo rods which had been keeping me afloat, I submerge myself in an underwater playground where sea turtles and dolphins dance like lythe faries in a slow moving ballet...I'm there in spirit, if not in body. Alas, my spring is a blue one, filled with the songs of Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy and Blind Blake. I can't feel the healing waters of the pacific, but I can touch the steel of my strings and hear the mounrful wail of a caged spirit.<br>
The closest I've been to the islands is a gig that my band, Buzzy Frets played at the Forbidden Island Tiki bar in Alalmeda this past Thursday. We rocked the house and had a ball. The puffer fish lights danced and swayed to the Surf-a-billy rhythms. I had one of their signature drinks, which was very pleasant. We will be playing several more shows in May, including the Lucky Horseshoe in SF on May 11 and a Surf Battle of the Bands at the Surf Spot in Pacifica on May 18.<br>
Jams have been lightly attended the past few weeks which I can only attribute to spring fever (or vacation, or whatever). Your presence is requested. And if you can't make a Saturday jam, perhaps you would be interested in the next series of classes coming up at the Freight and Salvage. Below is a list of classes I will be teaching. Note: I will be teaching the ever-popular "Bottleneck Slide Course" on Wednesdays, as well as a new class on "Gypsy Jazz Guitar." I'm very excited about the this new class as it has been an interest of mine for several years. Thursday classes are the usual "Jamming" and "Grooving" the blues but with an inverted order: Jamming first and Grooving second.<br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">May 2013 GUITAR CLASSES AT THE FREIGHT AND SALVAGE!!! <br><br><span style="font-size: large; ">JAMMING THE BLUES II*</span><br>
Six Thursdays 7-8:15pm – starting May 9<br>
Price: $120<br>
For guitar players who want to learn how to solo over blues changes. We will take a basic 12 bar blues as our background format and use ideas based on scales, riffs and chord shapes to learn the art of soloing. This will be a lot of fun for those folks who have a little background in playing blues rhythms, but want to create lead lines that are rippin! Learn classic solo lines from players like Robert Johnson, Eric Clapton and many more. Some background in playing blues rhythm required, but other than that just a desire to put some heart (and muscle!) into your guitar playing.<br>
Note: you do not have to have taken Jamming the Blues I to enroll in this class<br><span style="font-size: large; ">GROOVING THE BLUES II*</span><br>
Six Thursdays 8-9:45pm – starting May 9<br>
Price: $120<br>
After teaching my “Jamming the Blues” classes for the past year and a half I realized that the rhythm portion of the blues was being neglected. So much of the blues is about “feel.” So we will focus on groove and rhythm. <br>
We will start out with the standard blues shuffle in the key of E, but then learn many different variations using: walking bass lines, chord variations and double-stops. We will vary the rhythm; learn about swing 8ths as opposed to straight 8ths; learn a rumba groove. We will learn some funky grooves and some minor blues grooves. Note: you do not have to have taken Grooving the Blues I to enroll in this class<br><span style="font-size: large; ">Bottleneck Slide Guitar</span><br>
Six Wednesdays 7-8:15pm<br>
Starting May 8 -- $120<br>
Price: $120<br>
Slide playing is personal...it alludes to that quality of the human voice where we slip from note to note with a range of microtones and rhythmic expression. The wail of a blues singer is emulated by the sound of steel or glass slid along steel strings...it haunts us. The purpose of this class is to introduce the student to the sound, techniques, and evocations of slide guitar. We will focus on blues playing, but based on the level of participants and student interest we may venture into other song forms from rock and jazz. We will learn the styles of players like Robert Johnson, Son House, John Fahey, Ry Cooder and others. We will play in several different tunings (e.g. open D and open G), as well as standard tuning (EADGBE). We will play several different rhythm grooves to accompany our slide playing. (Class size 5 minimum, 10 maximum)<br><span style="font-size: large; ">Introduction to Gypsy Jazz Guitar –NEW!!!</span><br>
Six Wednesdays 8:30-9:45pm<br>
Starting: May 8 -- $120<br>
In this class we will learn to play some of the classic Gypsy Jazz material made famous by Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of Paris. We will explore gypsy jazz rhythm guitar using the chord voicings that Django and his followers use. We will learn the melodies (heads) to some of the classic tunes like: Minor Swing, Lime House Blues, All of Me, Honeysuckle Rose, Dark Eyes and others. Time permitting we will also cover ideas for improvising solos. This being an introduction, players are not required to have any previous gypsy jazz playing experience, but being familiar with the material will be helpful; i.e. having some recordings to listen to.<br>
To register contact the Freight and Salvage<br>
2020 Addison St. Berkeley, CA<br>
(510)644-2020</div>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/3154552013-02-17T11:50:00-08:002017-02-01T17:41:14-08:00From Four Until Late One of the funnest things about jamming is hearing other people's musical ideas and approaches to playing. It's probably one of the best ways to learn -- listening to others and copying their stuff!. Recently I asked some of my jammers what was their approach to their solos; some said "I try to play the melody," another said "just trying to play the right scale." Another approach is to create a vocabulary of licks and riffs from which we can extract phrases that can be put together in different ways.<br><br>
We recently added Robert Johnson's "From Four Until Late" to the set list. This one has a different flavor from the "Sweet Home Chicago" and "Dust My Broom" kind of grooves. A little more sophisticated -- in particular there is a cool turnaround in which, instead of playing a single line, Johnson uses full chords (C C7 F f minor), giving one beat each to the chords. The F --> f minor change is also used earlier in the song. To check the chord changes and lyrics to this or any of the song just click <a href="./chordslyric.cfm">here.</a><br><br><br>
You can also hear Robert Johnson playing the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kcJyjhcsQI">here</a><br><br type="_moz"><br><br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/2975162013-02-03T14:08:02-08:002017-02-01T17:17:34-08:00Hound Dog Lots of folks showed up on Saturday! We spent the first hour jamming together in the BIG room. We then broke up into two smaller groups. I had to split my time between the two groups, but I admired the cooperation of folks to getting down and working out their respective jams. I talked to the Freight and hopefully we wont need to break out into the smaller groups again -- on the first Saturday of the month we have a small scheduling snafu where a class that officially starts at 3pm needs access to the BIG room to set up early. I am asking them if they can start their class at 3:30, thus allowing us to continue our jam uninterupted.<br>
At the end of the jam I introduced the song, "Hound Dog" to one of the groups. We were playing a rumba rhythm in my "Grooving the Blues" class and when I looked for a good rumba rhythm for the jam, BOOM!, I ran into "Hound Dog" I find the rumba rhythm fun to play, with lots of cool rhythmic guitar possibilities. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XUAg1_A7IE">Big Mama Thornton and Buddy Guy</a> playing Hound Dog.<br><br>
For Chords charts and Lyrics for the Jam check out <a href="./chordslyric.cfm">here:</a><br>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/2710522012-12-24T14:57:49-08:002017-02-01T16:49:02-08:00Happy Holidays Jammers! This goes out to all my jammers -- you know who you are!<br><br>
Allright, I will include everyone. I mean, heck, its Christmas. As the year comes to a close I want to thank all of you who have attended the jams, taken lessons, came to gigs, taken classes, or just crossed paths. I have to say that this past year has been a growing experience for me. Since having started the jams back in March I have appreciated more then ever the ability to make music with others. About 12 years ago I embarked on a journey of solo guitar playing which, in and of itself, as been a a remarkable musical experience. I have learned a lot and grown to appreciate the craft and stylings of solo blues artists and fingerstyle guitar in general. Solo playing is still very much a part of my performing and teaching life, but running these jams and playing with my band (Buzzyfrets) has reconnected me to the fun and importance of creating and playing music with others. When we play with others we open our ears and minds to the possibilities of musical expression. We HEAR and respond to the sound that others make during a jam -- a simple lick or flurry of notes can inspire us to try something new, to explore.<br>
I look forward to the jams to come in 2013. And I would like us all to remember that in the true spirit of jamming its okay to screw up. Take chances. Don't worry about what I or anybody else thinks. Try something new. If it doesn't work...try something else.<br><br>
i leave with this: a cool Christmas song done by a very gifted band: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_45LNzhE2Qg">The Carolina Chocolate drops</a><br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/2673212012-12-16T12:07:31-08:002017-02-01T16:45:48-08:00Police Dog Blues More good fun these past couple of weeks! For the past 6 weks I have been teaching a class called "Master of Early Blues Guitar," and in preparation for the final week of the class I subjected the jammers to my renditions of a couple of Blind Blake songs. Blind Blake recorded about 80 sides for Paramount records between 1926-32. He apparently passed away in 1934 in Wisconsin. Little is known about him except that he left behind some incredible recordings that showcased a great guitar talent. His style emulated the ragtime piano playing of the era, which featured a syncopated bass pattern played by his right hand thumb and beautiful melodic instrumental phrases that spoke of both joy and sadness.<br>
Blake's music has inspired many guitarists, including Ry Cooder and Jorma Kaukonen. <br>
The Blake songs we played on Saturday were "Chump Man Blues" and "Police Dog Blues." Here is a link to a youtube link for "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF8fjfQaTok">Police Dog Blues."</a><br><br><br><br>
Note: we will conitnue to have jams through out December. Come on down and join us!<br>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/2600122012-12-01T14:00:22-08:002012-12-01T14:00:22-08:00Shake Your Money Maker! Had a really fun jam today. Great playing by all! I was really pleased by the way everyone played in support of their fellow jammers. I have said it before but having good rhythm chops is essential for a successful jam. Not only does playing solid rhythm provide a good foundation against which to solo over, but the nuances of others' rhythm playing can help inspire our solos. This is what jamming is really about: playing off of each other.<br><i>WARNING: -- a bit of shameless self promotion follows.</i> Now, if you are feeling like your rhythm playing is lacking and/or you want to try some new soloing ideas, I will be teaching back to back classes of "Grooving the Blues" and "Jamming the Blues" on Thursdays in January at the Freight and Salvage -- check the Freight calendar.<br><br>
For those of you who have yet to attend the jam I wanted to take a moment to explain how I chart out songs. I normally will introduce a song and write the chord sequence out on a wipeboard like so: /E/E/E/E/A/A/E/E/B/A/E/B/ <br>
The capital letter refers to the chord, e.g. E. One letter between two // means we play that chord for one measure -- in most cases one measure is 4 beats. If we have two letters between a slash, e.g. /E A/ that means we play the first chord, E, for two beats, and then the next chord, A, for two beats. If you see /Am/ that means it a minor chord, and /D7/ means a D seventh chord. That's pretty much it. Come join us for some fun jamming.<br><br>
P.S. I will be running jams on Saturdays throughout December. If you are a regular let me know if you can make it!<br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/2523342012-11-15T11:49:03-08:002017-02-01T16:30:33-08:00Post 12 We have been playing some minor blues lately -- St. James Infirmary and One Meatball, for example. These are fun and a great background for using our minor pentatonic scales for soloing. Since we started again in September we have been only guitar players, which is great, but I would like to encourage other instruments to join. So, if you know any fiddlers, harmonica players, percussionists, mandolin, uke -- heck, any instrument can play the blues -- send them on down!<br><br>
Jamming Tip of the Day:<br>
When you are trying to learn a new song listen to the bass. Its sometimes easier to hear the bass and and they are often playing the root note of the chord. Try to hum the bass line and then you can figure out the appropiate chords that go along with it.<br><br>
Here is a link to Big Bill Broonzy playing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm1qtX7Mz5w" target="_new">"Hey, Hey"</a><br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/2328372012-10-15T05:40:00-07:002012-10-15T05:40:00-07:00Post 11 Howdy Folks,<br><br>
We have been cruising along with our Saturday Jams at the Freight and Salvage; adding some new tunes to the repetoire such as "Sitting on Top of the World," "When You Got a Good Friend," "Chump Man Blues," and a few others.<br><br>
I should also tell you that there Bluegrass jams on Sunday at the Freight run by my friend, Ran Bush. If you like Bluegrass you can check out that jam or one of the several Bluegrass jams that the 5th String offers. So dust off of that dobro, mandolin or banjo and get down there!<br><br>
Often times we have been only guitar players at the jam (come on all you mandolins, fiddles, harps and others!), so I have taken the opportunity to talk about rhythm playing. In the class I have been teaching, "Grooving and Jamming the Blues," we talk about layering the sound; creating different guitar parts to compliment each other. For instance, if one guitarist is playing a shuffle rhythm, someone else can play a walking bass line and another can play 7th or 9th chord accents. This can make for a full band sound. In a jam or when playing with others listen to what others are playing and try experimenting with other parts that compliment the sound.<br><br>
A couple of calendar notes: This week we will have our regular jam on Saturday from 1-3pm. The following week, UPDATE: the October 27 jam is ON, and will be hosted by Gabriel Olin. The week following that. November 3 there will be a FREE shorter jam from 1-2pm. I will also be previewing my upcoming sessions of classes at the Freight that day from 12-1pm. The next session classes are described below:<br><br>
MASTERS OF EARLY BLUES GUITAR<br><br>
Wednesdays : 7-8:15pm<br><br><br>
In this class we will focus on a different early blues guitarist each week; learning two or three songs from their repertoire and discovering what made them masters of the instrument. Players will include: Robert Johnson, Mississippi John Hurt, Big Bill Broonzy, Blind Blake, Son House and Mance Lipscomb. Songs will include: Crossroad Blues, 32-20 Blues, Stag-o-lee, Satisfied and Tickled Too, Hey, Hey, Saturday Night Rub, Pig Meat Strut, Diddie Wah Diddie, Police Dog Blues, Death Letter Blues, Charley James and more. We will play in standard as well as open G and D tunings. Participants should be able to play some fingerstyle blues (alternating bass/monotonic bass).<br><br>
JAMMING THE BLUES<br>
Thursdays 7-8:15pm<br><br>
For guitar players who want to learn how to solo over blues changes. We will take a basic 12 bar blues as our background format and use ideas based on scales, riffs and chord shapes to learn the art of soloing. This will be a lot of fun for those folks who have a little background in playing blues rhythms, but want to create lead lines that are rippin! Learn classic solo lines from players like Robert Johnson, Eric Clapton and many more. Some background in playing blues rhythm required, but other than that just a desire to put some heart (and muscle!) into your guitar playing.<br><br>
BLUES GUITAR IN OPEN TUNINGS<br><br>
Thursdays 8:30-9:45pm<br><br>
In this class we will play strictly in open tunings. We will explore some of the great songs from blues masters such as Robert Johnson, Skip James, Son House and others. We will learn some exercises meant to stimulate our own creativity in open tunings. Some of tunings we will look at are: open D, open G, open C, open D minor and others if time permits. We will be playing mainly fingerstyle (using an alternating bass), but might do a little strumming, as well. Participants should have some familiarity with blues fingerpicking.<br><br><br><br><br type="_moz"><br>learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/2147662012-09-15T13:16:02-07:002012-09-15T13:16:02-07:00Post Number 10 We're back! After several weeks off for summer vacation we have come back for our weekely jams on Saturdays from 1-3pm at the Freight and Salvage. We brought in a few minor blues into the frey: St. James Infirmary, One Meatball and a Russian blues song. I know what you're thinking "Russian Blues!?" Well, technically speaking, blues is an African-Amercan art form, but I would argue that every culture has its right to the blues, especially the Russians! You know, Stalin, purges, state sanctioned repression...We also played some Blind Blake -- Chump Man Blues. Blind Blake was probably the most technically gifted of the early blues guitarists. He recorded a vast number of records --either alone or with others -- between 1928-32 and then mysteriously disappreared. Its assumed he died, but I like to think he still lives on in the records, that we can still listen to, and the guitar lines that we all struggle to play.learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/1851272012-06-30T16:35:00-07:002017-02-01T15:15:23-08:00Post Number 9 We are opening things up a little with our song selection. Today we played the classic Merle Travis song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pfVvqLM_e4">16 Tons</a>" (made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford), as well as "One Meatball" by Josh White. These songs have more of a folk blues feel and attitude. Both songs are in minor keys and speak of hard times; working in coal mines and having only 15 cents, enough to buy one meatball. Sure we are ging through some hard times now, but these songs give us some perspective. <br><br>
We also spent some time visiting Big Bill Broonzy songs: "Hey, Hey," "Pig Meat Strut,"...We also played a Charlie Patton tune called "Shake it, Break it" which is an interesting, almost hokum-style song. Charlie Patton is often thought of the original King of the Delta Blues. He was recording songs 10 years before Robert Johnson came on the scene and was considered the most successful of the early blues singer/guitarists. I, personally, find Charlies Patton recordings hard to listen to: they are primitive and he has a gruff, scowling kind of vocal delivery. But, if you can get past the poor recording quality, you can hear some pretty impressive playing on many of his songs from "Pony Blues" and "High Water Every Where"...<br><br>
I have updated the <a href="./chordslyric.cfm">Lyrics and Chord</a>s page so make sure to check it out.<br><br>
The Wednesday jams have been cancelled for the time being. The Saturday jams will continue on an ongoing basis, but there will be no jam on Saturday, July 7. Thanks<br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/1774552012-06-12T15:05:00-07:002017-02-01T15:07:34-08:00Week 10ish Memorial Day weekend was a bit slow, but we are back on track and getting into our summer time jams. After the jam this saturday, June 16, I will be holding a Robert Johnson workshop from 3-5pm at the Freight and Salvage. If you are into the guitar of Robert Johnson I encourage you to attend. We will be covering songs like "Kind Hearted Woman," "32/20 Blues" and some slide guitar pieces in open G tuning ("Crossroads" and "Come on in my Kitchen."). Price is $35. Also, if you feel like your rhythm chops need a boost I am teaching a six week class called "Grooving and Jamming the Blues" starting in July. The focus of this class will be blues rhythm playing. If you think about it 90% of what you are doing is playing rhythm. So why not make it fun, interesting and exciting? Finally, here is a link to a Magic Sam video. make sure to listen to the second part, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S5DGqCfk8o">"Looking Good.</a>" Man, that's some awesome playing!learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/1703632012-05-19T13:56:49-07:002022-05-10T09:40:05-07:00Week 8 Wow! lots of folks came out for some fun jams this week. We cruised through some new songs like: "Shake, Rattle and Roll," "Saturday Night Rub" and "Sitting on Top of the World." We were joined by washboard, slide guitar, resonator guitar, harmonica, bass, ukelele, keyboards (yes, The Freight and Salvage has a couple of keyboards for our use) and the cojon. On Saturday we had a dozen jammers! More importantly, with that many people, I could actually hear eveybody playing. Folks were very conscientious: listening to each other play and blending their own instrument into the overall mix. Its hard to get seasoned players to do that!<br>
Several people have brought in songs to play, which is great! A couple of requests when you brings songs to the jam: 1) Make sure you can play the song and sing it. 2) Chord Charts should be done in this manner: /E/B7/A/A/E/B7/A7B7/E/ the slashes indicate a full measure, 4 beats. when you see two chords between the slashes each chord gets two beats. Its important to have a clear handle on the rhythm and understand when the changes occur. If I am not familiar with the song I can only guess at the timing. Thanks.<br><br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/1668632012-05-10T09:28:46-07:002017-02-01T14:47:27-08:00Week 7The jams just keep getting better and better! We are getting a regular crew which I think helps things. People loosen up and relax as they get used to the situation. So don't delay: come on down and make some noise with us! We added a few new tunes including "Trouble in Mind" which was penned by one of my favorite blues pickers: Mr. Big Bill Broonzy. Check out this video of Mr. Bill playing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm1qtX7Mz5w">"Hey' Hey"</a> on Pete Seeger's back porch sometime in the 1950s. On the bottom of this page is a comment button which I would like to encourage you to use to make suggestions for songs, etc. Also, at last, I have added a couple of backing tracks to practice with -- "High-Heeled Sneakers" and "Key to the Highway." -- there's that Broonzy guy again! I will keep adding to these tracks as time permits. Thanks, and have a Bluesy day!<br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/1637652012-05-03T05:20:00-07:002012-05-03T05:20:00-07:00Week 6 1/2 Folks continue to bring in new songs which is making this fun for everyone, including me! (I will update the song list w/chords and lyrics soon). We had a fiddle join us on Saturday, which added to our ongoing list of instruments including: guitar, ukelele, bass, harmonica, washboard and mandolin. It is my hope to put some backing tracks here on this web page in the VERY near future. I had started the process this past week when my computer took a nose dive. It's in the shop (again!); and I have ordered a new (used) laptop with the software I need to record and do all of my other computer-related activities.<br>
In addition to the Jams I am also starting a new series of 6 week classes tonight, May 3 at the Freight and Salvage. The Jams are a natural outgrowth of my guitar series "Jamming the Blues" which I have been teaching for about a year and half now at the Freight. We begin a new session tonight, starting at 7pm. If you or anybody you know might be interested send 'em down! Also, at 8:15, I will also be teaching "Fingerpicking the Blues." This was the first class I taught at the Freight and continues to be one of my favorites. And, after class, you will stull have time to make that midnight showing of " The Avengers."learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/1598442012-04-22T06:10:00-07:002012-04-22T06:10:00-07:00Week 5We had some fun jams this last week! We were joined by a terrific lap slide player and some upright bass. We also added some new tunes to our repertoire including: "Folsom prison Blues" and "You've Got to Move" (see the <a href="./chordslyric.cfm">Chords and Lyrics</a> page for updates). I happily accept new songs into the jam; all I ask is that you bring chord charts and be prepared to sing the song you bring in. <br><br>
One thing came to mind yesterday as we were exchanging solos. I want ALL participants to feel free to experiment in their solos. That means you will make mistakes, clams, etc. When you stretch out and take chances you are bound to hit a few bad notes. Great! keep going. This is not a performance. It's a friendly jam and we are learning. At the same time, I want folks to be able to follow the chord changes. Our first responsibilty in a jam situation is to provide a solid groove. Most of our songs are simple 3 chord arrangements -- structures will vary in length: 8 bar, 12 bar, 16 bar, 18 bar...but the chord changes themselves are pretty easy. Of course, not every one has to solo. Every player is welcome to just kick back and play rhythm. Part of learning to jam is fitting your instrument's voice in with the others. Even if you are just playing rhythm you can experiment with your sound: play quiet...play loud...alter you picking attack. If some one is soloing but you can't hear him/her then you need to play softer -- soloists also need to be cognizant of their volume and make it louder if they can't be heard. There is a lot of give and take in a jam session. It's not just playing all your hot licks. Also, jammers should feel free to stop and listen -- sometimes when you are so concentrated on playing you miss the overall sound. Take a break and REALLY listen to what others are playing. You can always jump back in on the next 12/16/8 bar.<br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/1577932012-04-15T13:25:00-07:002017-02-01T14:31:13-08:00Week 3-4 Blues JamsHey Folks,<br><br>
I didn't write a blog post last week because I had multiple gigs (Station House Cafe, where they were filming an episode of "Check, Please!" for PBS. It will be aired on KQED on May 17; Bobby G's Pizzeria in Berkeley; and Sleeping Lady in Fairfax), then I got a cold. I had to cancel Wednesday's jam. But we came back and had a great jam on Saturday! Over the past two weeks we have been joined by several ukelele players, a washboard player, harmonica and bass. Let's keep the various instruments coming! And, of course, all guitarists are welcome, as well. On Saturday we added the Tommy Tucker song "High Heel Sneakers" to our repertoire. Here's a version done by a young Leon Russell: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yme_DnIfR6I">High Heel Sneakers</a>. Remember, we meet every Wednesday (12:30-2pm) and Saturday (1-3pm) at the Freight and Salvage, 2020 Addison St. Berkeley -- unless I'm sick or dead.<br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/1532932012-03-31T13:09:59-07:002012-03-31T13:09:59-07:002nd week Jams!!!Did a couple of more jams this past week. We played through:<br>
Statesboro Blues<br>
Deep River Blues<br>
Dust My Broom<br>
Key to the Highway<br>
My Babe<br>
Kansas City<br>
and a few others<br>
WE NEED MORE INSTRUMENTS! If you know of any mandolin, violin, harmonica (harp), bass or other instrument players tell them about the JAM. I would like to get more suggestions for songs. Use the comment section of this blog to give me your list of songs you would like to play. What do you folks think about uploading some basic rhythm tracks on this sight to jam over? Give me your input and I might just get 'er done!!!<br type="_moz">learnacousticbluestag:learnbluesguitarnow.com,2005:Post/1511742012-03-25T07:05:00-07:002012-03-25T07:05:00-07:00First Blues Jams Held this Past Week!We held our innaugral Blues Jams this past week at the Freight and Salvage and it was a lot of fun! To see a list of songs we played check out the Chords and Lyrics page on this site. We were all guitar players, but I want to encourage other instruments as well: harmonica, fiddle, mandolin, bass, etc. Please leave any comments and suggestions for the Jam here. I will continue to add to the Song List as I get new suggestions and add some of my own. Participants are encouraged to bring in songs to play. All I ask is that you have a simple chord chart that we can copy on to the dry erase board.<br type="_moz">learnacousticblues