The Guitarist Blog

Group Guitar Class - Beginner

2011-12-07T08:43:00.001-08:00

Throughout the year we offer beginner level guitar classes at the Santa Clara Adult Education Center and through the De Anza/Foothill College Short Course Program. Both classes are taught using the book
I've Always Wanted to PLAY GUITAR written by instructor Rich Hawthorne.

Both of these classes are great for students that have no prior experience on guitar. Here are just some of the topics cover in class:

Proper right and left hand technique.
Playing a simple "Blues Riff."
Basic chords.
The fundamentals of rhythm and note reading.
Strumming patterns and using them to accompany a couple of simple songs.

And that's just the beginner class! Once you complete this class, you will be eligible to continue with more advance classes at The Guitarist.

Buying Your First Guitar

2011-08-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

If you are looking to buy a guitar and you have visited your local music store, talked to salespeople, and have read multiple online reviews, then this has probably left you more confused on what guitar to purchase. As a teacher it is frustrating to see my students play on a cheap, poor quality instrument. I understand the thinking. It goes like this, “I just want to try this guitar playing thing out and I want to start with an inexpensive guitar.” Here’s the problem. You can’t buy a guitar based only on price. At first, I believe, it should be based on size, playability, and musical interest. Here are a few thoughts on each of these:

Size: I can’t recommend a guitar until I see you. A guitar that is too big will be awkward to hold. Fortunately, guitars come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Make sure you get the right sized guitar!

Playablility: This is more important to me than sound. You want a guitar that will be easy to learn on. Believe it or not, the problem can actually be the guitar and not you! How do you know if a guitar plays well if you can’t play the guitar? Here’s where a good teacher comes in. If I don’t like the way the guitar plays, I don’t sell it.

Musical Interest: I like to know what kind of music you like to listen to and what you would like to play before I sell a guitar. Interested in classical guitar? You need a nylon string. Like The Eagles, James Taylor, and Dave Matthews? A steel string would work great. How about Green Day, Eric Clapton, and Led Zeppelin? Let’s set you up with an electric guitar.

I would be happy to spend some time with you and recommend a guitar. Our brand of choice is Takamine Guitars. They have a broad range of instruments from beginning models all the way up to pro level instruments. Send me an email . I’m looking forward to meeting you!

Practice Tip: Listening

2011-06-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

This blog could be a note to myself. I want to listen better to music! I often see students playing guitar using hand/eye coordination. The problem with this is that they can become too preoccupied with the mechanics of playing and less focused on the actual sound of the music they are playing. The end result is usually music that contains the right notes, in the right order, but often rhythmically incorrect and/or melodies that are not played legato (in a smooth, flowing manner without breaks between notes).

What we all need to do is play with more ear/hand coordination. That is, playing our instruments in a way that mimics what we hear around us, and within us. Let me tell you about something funny that I see all the time. When I notice that my students are looking at their fret hand, I’ll say, “Play it again, but this time close your eyes.” You know what usually happens next? They tip their ear towards the guitar. All of sudden when you can’t depend on the sense of sight, the sense of hearing takes over. Isn’t that what we should be doing all the time as musicians? Using our ears!

Focus on listening more intently to what you are playing. Strive to play your melodies the way that you would sing them. Be sure your fingers know that their job is to play what you hear on the inside not just to aim for the right notes.

Lesson Thirteen - 4/4 time and 3/4 Time Fingerstyle Patterns

2011-05-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

Memorize the 4/4 and 3/4 time fingerstyle patterns given in this lesson. Please remember:

Your thumb will play the root of each chord. Up to this point in the book, the root is the lowest note of the chord.
Each pattern is made up of eighth notes. That is, you will play two notes, evenly spaced, for every tap of your foot (or click on your metronome).
The real work is going from chord to chord. Try pairing up a few of your favorite chords.

Practice tip: Strumming

2011-04-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things to try while working on your strumming technique.

Hold the pick between the thumb and index finger with the tip of the pick coming out of the side of your thumb.
Try using the rounded side of the pick rather than the point.
Listen to the tone of your strum. Is it loud or brash? Maybe you’re gripping the pick too tight. Loosen your grip a little and try skimming the pick a little easier over the strings.
Practice strumming in all dynamic ranges from barely audible to very loud. It’s very difficult to play softly if you are gripping the pick too hard.
Listen to the balance of your strum. Do you hear mostly bass notes? Then your pick is not making it all the way through your chord or you are missing the higher strings on the up strum.
Are you missing notes or hearing a lot of buzzing. That could also be a fret hand problem. Play each note of your chord and make sure it sounds.

Here is the biggest tip of all – LISTEN. So often we reduce our music down to mere mechanics. We all need to be better at listening. Remember, we are in control of the sounds that come out of our instruments.

Let your ear be your guide!

Practice Tip: Repetition

2011-04-17T07:09:00.000-07:00

One of the ingredients in getting really good at anything is repetition. When a student says to me, “Why am I not getting this?” I usually find out that they just haven’t tried it enough, or they are trying it too fast (see Practice Tip: Go Slow).

Sometimes students think of repetition as a boring, tedious process and that it isn’t fun. I won’t say that repetition isn’t work, but I will say you can learn to enjoy the work! The key is to not lose sight of your goal. The goal is to play the song, for your own enjoyment, or better yet, to share with others.

Pick something today that you will commit to practicing until you get it. Set a goal for how many times you will try it on a daily basis. As the days go by, notice how you’re playing it a little smoother and a little faster. Celebrate those little victories!

As you sow the seeds of repetition, you will see the fruit of your labor show up not only in what you committed to practiced, but in other songs as well. Now, stop reading and go practice!!

Practice Tip: Go Slow

2011-04-09T09:26:00.001-07:00

When one of my students is having difficulty playing a phrase or switching between a pair of chords, I often find out that they are practicing it too fast (or, not practicing it enough – more on this later).

Let me ask a question. If you try something ten times in a row, would you like to get it right more times, or get it wrong more times? Of course, you would rather be more right than wrong. If you practice a passage faster than you are able to perform it, most likely you are getting it wrong 9 out of 10 times. The one time you get it right, you probably got lucky!

If you practice something slowly and repetitiously, you’re setting yourself up for success. By slow, I mean at a speed that you can accurately perform your musical exercise (phrase, chord switch, scales, etc).

A metronome will help you play at a slow and even tempo. For example, say you are having difficulty switching between a G and D chord. Set your metronome to 50 and switch chords every 4 beats (or 8 beats, if you need more time). When you are able to do this, see if you can switch chords every 3 beats, then every 2 beats. Get it?

Practicing slow is one of the short cuts to success in learning your instrument. It will make you a more solid and consistent player!

Lesson Twelve: Aura Lee

2011-04-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

If you think this song sounds like Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender," you're right. Here's what you should keep in mind when practicing this song:

This song plays best in the open position. That is the first three frets, including the open strings.
Be sure to learn the new chords - E and G7.
A basic 4/4 strum is all that is need to accompany the melody.
Try playing this song to the cool play along track found here https://public.me.com/play_guitar

Practice Tip: Think Small

2011-03-31T10:54:00.001-07:00

That's right, you don't have to practice everything. Pick something that you want to get good at. It doesn't need to be an entire song. It could be as simple as learning to hold a chord and getting all the notes to ring without buzzing (a D chord for those of you just starting. Bar Chords for all the advance players).

When you keep it small, you will neglect practicing other things. However, as a result you will master a specific thing rather than just being familiar with everything, but not able to perform it. When you master that one thing you have had a success! Little things add up over time.

Lesson Six - He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

2011-03-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

You need to learn the D7 chord to play through this song.
This song is in 4/4 time.
Keep it simple at first. Strum once in each measure and count to four (whole note). If a measure doesn't have a chord in it, strum the chord you're holding again.
Now, strum down on all four beats (quarter notes). Don't stop your hand from strumming.
Finally, try one of the 4/4 patterns given at the beginning of this lesson.

Lesson Eleven - Amazing Grace

2011-02-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoy playing this great melody. Here are a few practice tips:

Amazing Grace has an incomplete measure. Notice the first measure has only a quarter note. This is called a pick-up note and should be played on beat three.
Watch out for notes that are "tied" together. You can read about ties in Lesson Five.
All the notes for Amazing Grace can be found in the fifth position.
Strive to connect the notes and play smoothly - legato.

Study in A Minor

2011-02-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

This piece is found in the "Additional Music" section at the back of your book. Please keep in mind the following when practicing this song:

Use the suggested right hand fingering throughout the entire song - p i m i
Use a metronome and work on evenly spacing four notes for every beat (sixteenth notes)
Accent the note that is played with the thumb. It is the melody of the song.

Lesson Nine - The Notes "E", "F", and "G"

2011-02-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

Keep in mind the following as you play through the exercises and songs in this lesson:

The notes E, F, and G can be found on the first, second, and third string. For this book you only need to find them on strings one and two.
Try playing the songs Jazz Odyssey and One String Etude in the open, third and fifth positions.
Be sure to use the correct fingers. In some positions you will need to use your pinky. Be sure to use it. It needs a lot of practice.

Lesson Eight - The Natural Notes

2011-02-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

This lessons will teach you how to find the natural notes on the guitar. On the piano, the natural notes are all the white keys. Be sure to read this lesson and then fill in the neck diagram with all the natural notes up to the 12th fret. You can check your work by looking at the completed neck diagram at the end of the lesson. No peeking! Do your homework first!

Lesson Seven - Reading Music

2011-02-10T17:36:00.000-08:00

This is a great lesson to read especially if you have no background in reading music. This lesson will teach you about standard notation. This is the "industry standard" for notating music. Basically, this lesson has nothing to do with the guitar. It's more about music than it is about the guitar.

Be sure to do the note quiz at the end of the lesson.

Lesson Eleven - The Notes A, B, and C

2011-02-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

These notes are to be played in the fifth position. Here are a few practice tips:

In the fifth position play the following notes: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C
These are the notes of the C major scale. These are the notes of the first exercise on the following page.
I recommend that you play this scale as an exercise.
As a technical exercise, be sure you play on the tips of your fingers and keep your thumb low on the neck.
As a rhythm exercise, put your metronome at a very low speed and practice playing one note/click (quarter notes), two notes/click (eighth notes), three notes/click (triplets), and four notes/click (sixteenth notes). Be sure to use down and up strokes when playing more than one note/click.

Lesson Six - Scarborough Fair

2011-01-29T07:18:00.000-08:00

We are taking the "campfire" approach to playing Scarborough Fair. All we need are chords and a strumming pattern and we can make music. Keep in mind the following when practicing this song:

This song is in 3/4 time. Use a 3/4 strumming pattern.
Keep it simple at first. Try strumming once in every measure. This will give you plenty of time to get to the next chord. When you can do this, try strumming on all three beats, and then try a 3/4 strumming pattern.
I know its difficult, but don't stop your strumming hand even if you don't like the sound of your chords. Train yourself to get all the way through the song.

Lesson Thirteen - Andantino

2011-01-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

This is an excerpt from a Classical piece by Matteo Carcassi: Practice with the following in mind:

Play all the bass strings (6, 5 and 4) with your thumb ("p").
Play strings 3, 2 and 1 with fingers "i", "m" and "a".
Don't forget, the numbers in the tab are frets (not fingers).

The complete song shows up in that back of the book in the "Additional Music" section.

Lesson Six - Strumming Chords

2011-01-20T10:02:00.000-08:00

This Lesson is about putting a cool strumming pattern behind your chord. Call it a "groove." You will also work on what I like to call the "Campfire" approach to playing songs. Keep the following in mind when working through this Lesson:

Six strumming patterns are given at the beginning of this lesson (three 4/4 patterns and three 3/4 patterns). They are all good, but the best ones are the third and fifth patterns. I call them the "all purpose 4/4 strum" and the "all purpose 3/4 strum."
There are a few new chords in this lesson and you should memorize them. They are Am, D, and D7.

Lesson Five - Understanding Rhythm

2011-01-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

Please read through this lesson. This lesson is more about music than it is about the guitar. This lesson could be a chapter in any music book for any instrument. Here are the main things I would like for you to get out of this Lesson:

Be able to identify in music a whole note, half note, quarter note, and eighth note (and the corresponding rests).
Know what the top and bottom number of a time signature stand for.
Know the value of a whole note, half note, quarter note, and eighth note in 4/4 time and 3/4 time.
Try the rhythm exercises given at the end of the Lesson using the chord of your choice.

Lesson Ten - Ode to Joy

2011-01-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

Keep the following in mind when practicing "Ode to Joy":

This piece works great in the open, third, and fifth positions.
Learn it in the open position first and then try the other positions.
Melody is everything! If you can play all the notes in the right order, great! However, what did it sound like? Be sure to play legato (smooth). Try to move smoothly from one note to the next.

Lesson Four - Chords

2011-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Keep the following in mind when working through Lesson Four:

Memorize each chord. Know it by name and know how to hold it.
Check to make sure each of the notes of the chord work.
Play on the very tips of your fingers. Do not extend your fingers. Instead, bend each joint.
Use the proper finger!
When switching chords, be sure to strum the chord on the beat that it shows up. Even if you don't have it completely down, strum it anyways! You're not just working on holding chords, you're working on rhythm too.

Lesson Three - Tuning the Guitar

2011-01-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

I highly recommend purchasing an electronic tuner (especially one that includes a metronome). You should use your tuner as a training tool to improve your tuning skills.

How often should you tune your guitar? Every time you pick it up!

Be sure to memorize the note names for each open string on the guitar. From the six string it goes like this: E A D G B E. Maybe this will help, "Eat At Denny's Get Big Eggs."

Try the six-step tuning method that is given in this lesson and then check your tuning with your electronic tuner. How did you do?

Lesson Two - "Groovin' Blues"

2011-01-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

Performance Notes:

This song is written in Tablature
The top line is the bottom string. Numbers are frets (not fingers).
I suggest you use your first finger to play all the notes at the second fret. Play frets three and four with your second and third fingers respectively.
Each note should ring for the same length of time. I highly recommend you use a metronome and set it at a low speed (try 50 bpm). Play one note for every click of your metronome.
Memorize the first 8 notes and learn to play them before moving on.
The first 8 notes of the third line will require extra practice.

Practice Tip: FOCUS

2010-12-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel that you have so much to practice you don't even know where to start? I do!! Trying to practice a little bit of everything is not only overwhelming, but also not very productive. Here's what I do.

I remind myself that there is more music than I have time. By the way, this is a good thing. It's the reason I am enjoying playing the guitar more today than when I first started. There is alway something new and fun to learn. My list of songs, styles, and artist that I want to study is long. I will never get bored playing the guitar!
Pick something to get good at. In other words, FOCUS. Pick anything. Make sure its something small and manageable - like a single measure of music.
Practice that measure slowly and with a metronome and play it over and over. I don't know how many times you will need to play it, but I do know you will eventually get it.

Here's the great thing about practicing this way, you will feel like a better player when you are finished practicing than when your started. You feel like you accomplished something! You get to check this off your list and move on to something else. These little accomplishments add up over time. And, you know what the funny thing is? You get what I call the "spill over effect." All that work you did here show up somewhere else.

A Better Way to Blog

2010-12-23T07:12:00.000-08:00

As you can see, its been awhile since my last blog. As I have been teaching more and more classes it is becoming evident to me that using this blog for class updates and practice lists is not an effective way to use this blog. So, here's the plan. If you are in one of my group classes, you will be on an email list for that class. Whenever there is something to update about your specific class, you will receive that in an email. That way you will receive information that is relevant to you and your class.

Now, what about this blog? Here I will blog information that is relevant to all my classes and private students. I would also like to get ideas from you. What would you like for me to write about? Please feel free to comment.

Santa Clara Weekly

2010-10-13T13:15:00.001-07:00

Check out the article written about The Guitarist in the Santa Clara Weekly.

http://www.santaclaraweekly.com/1592.html

Practice Tips

2010-09-09T10:31:00.001-07:00

Here are a few PRACTICE TIPS that I have posted at the studio:

Aim to practice at least 30 minutes 5 to 6 days a week.

Accomplish something every practice session.

Use a metronome and challenge yourself to play each piece at the proper tempo.

Do not sacrifice quality for speed.

Inch by inch it's a cinch (work on small sections of music).

TV time is great practice time (work on bar chords, scales, etc).

Don't be hard on yourself (practice makes better - nobody is perfect).

Trying it one time is not practice. Play it 100 times.

Show up for lessons and classes.

Barre Chord Tips

2010-03-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

As promised in class, here are a few tips on how to play barre chords:

First, and probably the most important tip, except that learning Barre Chords will be a challenge. With consistent practice you will learn how to play Barre Chords! I've seen many, many students conquer the Barre Chord! Hang in there!
Make sure your thumb is low and pressing low against the back of the neck.
Your first finger should be somewhat parallel to the fret.
Experiment. Everyone's first finger is a little different. Maybe you need to move your first finger up or down a little. Maybe you need to roll it a little towards the head of the guitar.
Be sure you are playing on the very tips of your other fingers (non-barre chord fingers).
Don't press too hard! It's possible that your guitar may need to be "set-up." Let me see your guitar and I will be happy to give you my opinion.

Keep in mind that your progress will be gradual. If you can hear four out of six notes, celebrate and set your site on getting five out of six by next week.

Strumming Pattern 4/4 - DEMO

2009-10-11T17:53:00.001-07:00

This is the 3rd pattern on page 36. I call this "The all-purpose 4/4 strumming pattern."

Strumming Pattern 3/4 - DEMO

2009-10-11T17:52:00.001-07:00

This is the last strumming pattern on page 36. I call it "the all-purpose 3/4 strumming pattern

Blackbird intro and Verse - DEMO

2009-10-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

Here go. This is the verse and intro to Blackbird by The Beatles.

Dust in the Wind Intro - Demo

2009-09-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

Finally!! Here is a video of the intro to Dust in the Wind (slowed down).

Tequila Sunrise Strum Pattern (Demo)

2009-06-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate when you can play the strumming pattern in class and then forget when you get home? Here's the strumming pattern for Tequila Sunrise. Hope it helps!

How Much Should I Practice?? (Tip)

2009-06-18T07:44:00.001-07:00

I get asked this question all the time. At first you're probably fine with 15 to 20 minutes of focused practice 3 to 4 times a week plus attending a one hour a week guitar class. As you learn more material you will want to increase the time and frequency of your practice.

I also get asked, "If I haven't practiced, should I still come to my class (or lesson)?" You better!! If you attend my classes long enough you will figure out that I like to listen to you play more than I like lecturing. Class time is a great time for practice and learning.

Celebrate America 2009

2009-06-17T11:29:00.001-07:00

Please mark your calendars. There will be no evening group classes the week of June 29.

I will be rehearsing for this years Celebrate America. You're all invited. It will be held on July 3rd at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View. It is a free event (just pay for parking). Family activities will start at 4pm and the mainstage performance and laser show will start at 8pm.

Here I am breathing a sigh of relief after performing Mason William's "Classical Gas" at last year's performance.