fingerstyle

If you don't learn to play with your fingers you're missing something. Sure there are a lot of good pickers out there, especially in bluegrass and jazz, but when you use fingerstyle the sound changes completely. You can play a combination of single notes or grab an entire chord with your right hand and make it sound almost like a piano. Start out using your thumb on the bottom 3 strings and your first 3 fingers on the top 3 strings. You can play notes in succession or a bunch at once. Try using alternate picking with your thumb on 3 bass notes, while playing a little pattern on the top 3 strings with a full chord. Bye, Later. Dann

Guitar presentation

Guitar Licks and Spanish Language
Today (thursday) I had the chance to go to a local Jr. high school to give a presentation in front of two different band classes. The first was a 6th grade class and the second was 7th grade. I brought 3 guitars, an acoustic electric flat top, an Epiphone Broadway archtop electric, with two pickups, and my 1985 solid body Charvel, a strat copy. Each class was about 50 minutes, so I had lots of time to show off. I stuck with the acoustic electric most of the time, plugged in to my Fender stage lead amp. It was amazing to watch the boredom turn to smiles and some big eyes when I brought out the metal fingerpicks and smacked out some tunes. I went through the different sounds made on the three guitars, and I think they liked the flat top and the solid body the most.
There were lots of questions and everyone seemed to liven up enough for me to feel good about it. I had a little stack of bus. cards out, which went fast. When you explain things you think you're familiar with, sometimes you find better ways to get your points across, things you never thought out ahead of time. Anyway, I sure enjoyed it and I hope I'll get the chance to do it again! It's a good challenge to show off in front of a group of teenagers and try to keep their interest level up. I think I learned something!
Later, I'll leave the name and email of a great guitar repair guy I've known for years for any of you readers out there. Later, Dann.

Guitar Licks and Spanish Language

Guitar Licks and Spanish Language
We're not having our class today. Maybe in a couple of weeks. recently, a store owner asked me to give his employees a Spanish class. We learn terms specific for their particular situation. Also we cover some important verbs, and descriptive words. The students will be able to conjugate a verb, know where to find it in the "verb book" and how to use it. Then it's just practice. Later, DannyLee.

Spanish class

Nice, sunny day here. Just had my 6:30 Spanish class. I show the students what they need for the particular situation, not just grammar and more grammar. We had a little friend of mine visit us today. A 7 yr. old bilingual boy. Just a normal kid but he speaks both "idiomas". He had fun helping some in the class with their words. It's surprising to me how many gringos want to learn Spanish. We invite people from Mexico, or other Sp. speaking countries to visit the class, this way all can hear the accent first hand, get used to certain phrases, etc. Will write more later, DannyLee.

Opening

GUITAR LICKS I don't care how long you've been playing guitar, when you play a solo or a lick you do not want it to sound like you copied it from the record (OK, CD/ mp3). Learn all the licks you can in all styles and in time you'll be able to connect them up into your own style. If you don't have a style of your own yet, keep learning those licks and then change them a little and put them in different keys. You can download all the "tabs" you want but they're boring! A better way is to use a diagram of the neck (fingerboard) straight up and down so you don't have to break your neck to follow it! A soundclip to go with it is even better! Later I'll tell you where you can find this method.

SPANISH It's pretty obvious that there is a real need for good communication with the Spanish community in the U.S. in more than just the big cities. Even in our town there are people from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Cuba, etc. When I was in the bay area a while back a kid told me, "Those people should learn to speak English, we're in The U.S." I asked him, "What town are we in?" He said, "San Carlos." "And what street is this?" "El Camino Real." "What County?"
"San Mateo." "What's that big city over there?" "San Francisco." "Idiot." Sure they should learn to speak English! But how many of us are learning Spanish? Oh, it's too hard! Not really. There are lots of good sources where you can find tips on learning to speak Spanish. For those who say, "We don't need to learn to speak another language, this is our country!" I tell you that is one less conversation two people will have. Don't think like another redneck or bigot. Take the opportunity now before it's too late. If I get some response on this blog, I'll tell you where you can find some help on this. DannyLee