Radio Broadcasts from England
On Wednesday January the 4th, Jan S Johansen will present the first in a series of four radio broadcasts devoted to my career and music.
The first program can be heard on www.riviera.fm
from 5:00 pm to 7:00 PM EST on Wednesday January 4, 2012. The following programs can be heard each of the following Wednesdays at the same time – Wednesday January 11th, the 18th and 25th.
I hope you’ll tune in to these shows and share your reaction. You can reach me at ChuckAnderson202@comcast.net. I’ll pass your comments on to Jan and to Riviera.fm. The show is located in the South of England.
Read More10 Fundamentals To Learning How to Play Guitar
Introduction
Regardless of the resources you use to learn to play the guitar, it’s important to know what there is to learn and how that affects what you want to do. Whether it’s playing in a band, singing and playing or being a singer-songwriter. there are specific things to learn and specific skills to develop. Here’s an overview of the ten most fundamental things to learn.
1. Chords
The first thing that almost all guitar players learn is chords. A chord is played by holding down multiple notes simultaneously on the fingering hand. The opposite hand makes a chord sound by strumming it or finger picking it. There is nothing more fundamental than playing basic chords.
Read MoreWes Montgomery and Pat Martino
I recently wrote this in Pat Martino’s guest book after hearing an interview that he did about his experience with Wes Montgomery.
Read MoreJazz Guitar Solos
Today’s blog will be very brief but important.
Jazz guitarists are, like many other guitar players, obsessed with speed. Although speed is a good measurement of how much you’ve practiced, it’s not a good measurement of how musical you are.
Today’s advice is simple. Remember that whole notes , half notes, dotted half notes and quarter notes are not only permitted in guitar solos but are actually desirable.
Rhythmic variety is an important tool in making a guitar solo interesting.
To organize the topic of rhythm, visit www.modularphoneticrhythm.com or check out my site at
Read MoreNeo Classical Guitar
What is neo classical guitar? According to some, it’s a style of lead guitar featuring speed as well as “classical scales and arpeggios” such as the Harmonic minor scale and the diminished 7th arpeggio.
To claim that this has anything to do with classical or neo classical guitar borders on the ridiculous!
We certainly recognize the form called classical guitar as a nylon string instrument, played on the left leg, using the nails and fingertips of the thumb (p), the index finger (i), the middle finger (m) and the ring finger(a). This is the form made popular by Andrea Segovia. Its repertoire as well as its sound and technique stamped this form as classical guitar.
Read MoreThe Value of Formal Music Study
Should you study music with a teacher or should you “wing” it on your own? This question always comes up in this type of discussion about music.
An objective assessment of the two alternative approaches leads me invariably towards the formal route. Why? Because without guidance, there is a tendency to go in circles, What do you practice, when do you move to the next topic? When are you doing something wrong? How do you practice what doesn’t exist to you?
Read More