1. Do you think that someone’s technical ability on an instrument dictates how creative they will be?

Technical ability does not dictate how creative you will be. It does however allow you a potentially greater range and depth of expression. If we parallel this to language, a better vocabulary and command of language gives you an enhanced opportunity to express yourself. It does not however guarantee that you will have anything of substance to “say”.

2. Those who choose NOT to perform, although they may be competent musicians, are they selling themselves short in terms of fulfilling their potential?

I would say that they are not selling themselves short by choosing not to perform. Music comes in many callings. Musicians also don’t sell themselves short by not teaching or not composing or not writing books etc. The goal is to find the direction within music where you can do the most good and find the most fulfillment. Different directions can and should evolve over your career.

3. In order to empathize with learners, does being a  successful musician make you a better teacher or does being a successful teacher make you a better musician?

Probably being a “successful” musician contributes to being a better teacher than vice versa. A musician who has succeeded in his craft in the real world has many “real world” skills to bring to his or her teaching.

Of course, this assumes that we’re using the word “successful” as a synonym for being a good musician. You can be “successful” without being well developed at your craft. The world is full of successful incompetents. In a world where notoriety and marketing are often more valuable to the public than the development of art, success can be measured in many ways – money, fame, fulfillment, life style etc.

4. How would you measure success in musicianship?

My measurement of success involves the depth of a musician’s development and the fulfillment he or she finds within music. Commercial and financial success may or may not follow.

Some people only measure success with dollar signs. If you are a professional musician, you must earn enough to make your living. I do not believe in the “starving artist” model.

5. Many of the arts can be described as a lifelong learning experience;. Would you think this is true of music, or do you think that musicians reach a peak and then tail off?

Music is absolutely a lifelong experience. Musicians never hit a peak and tail off unless they stop pursuing knowledge, technical proficiency and creative development. There are few arts that encourage life long development more than music. Even if you start music at age 60, you have at least 30 years to develop your art and craft.

In my 48 years of teaching, composing and performing, I have never seen anything but growth. I also have never been more enthused about music and its importance in the world. I plan on this continuing for the rest of my life. Students who have studied with me for over 35 years would share the same thoughts.

Chuck Anderson in Concert

Tell me a little about your early years and how you got started in the music business.

I was born in Detroit Michigan. My mother bought me an Alto Sax at age 9. Private lessons came with the horn, and I started performing professionally at 15 years old with The Fabulous Counts, one of Detroit’s many legendary R&B funk bands. We recorded one of our largest albums “What’s Up Front that Counts” here in Toronto…some years after that I decided to make my home here.

While living in Toronto I’ve been able to have relative success as a musician, writer, composer, performer and actor.

What are some of your proudest accomplishments so far in your career?

Well, too many to mention here , but I must say the proudest accomplishment thus far in my career has been my musical collaborations with Mr. Stan Fomin. For the past 6 years now we’ve been writing, recording, producing performing and promoting our ever growing catalog of songs found at catesfomin.com

I was rather surprised to hear that you have IBM. When were you diagnosed with it and how did/has it affected your career?

It was quite a drag when I first found out. I had been an actor in the Toronto Production of The Lion King from 2000-2004. It had been a very physical show and we all had our share of injuries.

Around 2006, what I had thought was reoccurring injuries from the show turned out to be a rare muscle disease, Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM).

At the present it has only affected my career slightly. It slowly takes over the outer lengths of the limbs. It causes atrophy to forearms which causes the loss of the grip and atrophy to the quad and calve muscles of the legs which affects balance and coordination.

I am still playing my horns although I’ve had to continually build up the height of the keys which I play with the inside palm knuckle of my fingers. I have 60% of my grip thus far, I can still push those buttons.. Maybe not as fast , but I try to make up for it with emotion both from horn and vocal.

What kind of advice do you have for others who develop say any kind of disability that might prevent them from pursuing their interests?

Well, as I had mentioned, it was a drag when I first got diagnosed. But I’m growing to learn the benefits of a positive attitude. I know we always hear that stuff but the reality of it is this, when I think thoughts and see visions of myself sick or getting worse, I get worried, which makes me feel terrible mentally and physically.

But when I make myself see visions of me accomplishing my goals and stick to these visions… I feel better emotionally. I become calmer, in turn I think better and make better decisions…does that make any sense? It’s like you have a purpose…a destination. The way to get there may change…a detour may cause a change of course. But the destination, the purpose, hasn’t changed at all. So give it your all to stay positively focused.

Let’s talk about your current projects. What are you involved with right now?

Stan and I are promoting our latest EP Music For Your Soul. On this disc you’ll find the piano sax-driven opener and new single, “Dancing Waters” to be bright and addicting, “Just Fine” to be an engaging old-school R&B tune that features Demo’s sparkling vocal work, plus the Latin-flavored delight “Rain Man, some bluesy retro-funk on “Blue Cat,” and a piece of delicious smooth jazz ear candy titled “Barefoot.” Music For Your Soul is top-notch smooth jazz, R&B sultry soul from world class artists.

Finally, what do you have in store for the future, music wise?

We also have our next EP just about ready we don’t have a name for it yet (maybe “Music for Your Soul 2″)

but the songs are all chosen and are being prepared. I can say we are pretty excited about it. One favorite of mine is called “Hotel Brasilito”, an up-tempo Latin tune we will probably feature steel drums on this one also a couple of real sweet vocals. We’ll have that ready for early next year.

To answer your question as to how the project came about, we came to the decision that it was too expensive to produce a 10-12 song CD. The problem wasn’t providing material it was the cost of production and mastering. So we chose to do a series of EPs to promote our expanding catalog of original songs.

We are now capable of doing all productions in house including mastering if we choose to. The paradigm shift of the music biz has been somewhat more favorable now for the independent artist. The main focus now is getting more listeners to our music. And also finding good management and a good booking agent.

The challenge is choosing the right direction to take and then doing it. We our very hopeful. Hope is always a great anchor for the future.

More about The Cates Formin Project:

Demo Cates: Singer, sax player, composer and actor. Some of Cates’ writing credits include music and lyrics for the animated television series “The Busy World of Richard Scary”, “The New Adventures of Paddington Bear” and “Caillou”.Cates has earned the respect of Jazz musicians at home and abroad with his visionary method and superlative talents.

Grown and developed in Detroit, Michigan but exposed and revered in Toronto, Cates is a mature musician and vocalist who in his words, plays on emotions and allows the sax and his voice to translate inspiration in smooth and sensuous sounds’.

In 2005 Cates released “Smooth…Try Something New”. The single “I’ll Try Something New” reached and stayed No.1 on the Wave 94.7 Smooth Jazz Charts for two weeks. The CD was nominated for the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards that year as well as Cates for vocalist and instrumentalist of the year.

Stan Fomin: Born in Ukraine, classically trained in piano, music theory and composition. Upon arriving in Canada, he rounded up his education by studying contemporary film scoring and production with Glenn Morley at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He has scored music for Alliance Atlantis, CBC Nelvana, YTV, Barna-Alper Productions.

His orchestrating and arranging work includes CD “Classics Go Pop” for Parry Music ( BMG), two musicals “The Forest Song’ and “Little Prince” for Nazarov National Theatre in Moscow, Broadway Songs book published by Hal Leonard. In 2005, Stan released his first CD Smooth Session, showcasing as a composer, arranger and performer. The track Flight 111 made it to number one on the Wave 94.7 Smooth Jazz Charts for 3 weeks.

Stan was nominated in the “keyboardist of the year” category at the 2006 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards. Now, once again combining their talents, Demo Cates and Stan Fomin capture the listener’s attention with their new single,” Rain Man”, and guides them on a musical journey that touches the heart and lets emotion flow freely.

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.

The format that Jan uses is to feature not only the music of a jazz artist but also to weave the evolution of the artist’s career into the program.

We’re looking forward to hearing this broadcast. Please share this link and the program with anyone that you feel might be interested!

The album “Christmas Wishes” is my contribution to the Christmas season. It’s packed with twelve Christmas classics and two new originals.

The instrumentation varies and the arrangements range from traditional to anything but traditional. For example, Jingle Bells has been transformed into a jazz waltz featuring, no surprise, the jazz guitar. A Latin Rockesque treatment is taken on another song while four acoustic guitars provide the texture on still another track. Virtually every song has a different sound and a different twist.

In the spirit of the season, I’d like to give you the entire album as a free download.

Click “14 Tracks – Get it Now” and enter your E mail.The link to the download will be sent to you.

Click the link in the email, and it takes you to my store page. Click the Big Blue download button to receive your free tracks.

I hope you enjoy the music and the spirit behind the music.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Fingering

It has value to the reading guitarist because the guitar fingerboard is a treacherous trap of options. The same notes are in too many places. The same C note is on string two, fret one and string three, fret five and string four, fret ten and string five, fret fifteen. Unlike the piano which has one location for each note, the guitar compounds the problem with too many options and then throws in open strings to further confuse the issue. When reading is positional and stays within a four fret region, it’s much easier to read. However, writers and arrangers don’t attempt to stay within a four fret region of the guitar. They typically do not know or care about the guitar’s fingering option issues.

Fingering is organized by a series of motion principles that allow you to connect notes all over the instrument. These principles are: Basic – a four fret span with one finger per fret. Slide – the same finger used twice in a row on the same string at different frets. Pass – a reset of four fret span generally along the same string. It’s possible to use the reset principle as you change strings as well. Stretch – the lengthening of the four fret span resulting in a shift into a new four fret span. The stretch can also remain in the original four fret span. Contraction – the opposite of stretch. A contraction shortens the four fret span resulting in a new four fret span. Leap – the repositioning of the four fret span after using an open string. The leap can also be a non connected shift of position.

With an awareness of these principles, you can “work out” a good fingering for any reading situation. This is particularly helpful in reading Bebop heads which were not written with guitar fingering in mind. Although it’s a tedious process in the beginning, it does gradually become reflexive.

All these comments and principles apply to improvisation as well. A good guitarist moves smoothly all over the neck. The sound is connective and flowing. Without the application of the six fingering principles, solos are often limited because they suffer from the “box” restriction.

Learn the notes on the neck and don’t rely on tablature to get you through the maze.

If you consistently use the same fingerings for your scales, arpeggios or phrases of any kind, you’ll find yourself playing the same things over and over. One of the most effective ways of breaking into new creativity ground is to change your fingering. Don’t play in the same position or use the same fingering. The reason that this is so effective is that within a fingering, certain note combinations or riffs present themselves. Sooner or later, they become repetitious. When you explore new fingerings, the same old riffs are no longer available. You are forced to play something new!

Remember that fingering affects note distribution and that affects tone color. Just playing the same notes on different strings changes the timbre and therefore the color of what you play. Thicker strings are “warmer” and darker. Thinner strings are “thinner” sounding and brighter. The fingered note has a different color and sound than the open note which has a characteristic ringing tone. Open strings are more common in some styles. They are often characteristic of particular idioms. Bluegrass and Classical guitar styles rely heavily on open strings. Jazz guitar relies less on open strings. That being said, any style can use open strings but it’s more common in some style than in others.

Beyond tone color and resonance, you have new access to new note combinations.

So remember that fingering is not just a technical principle for practicing. It’s not just a tool for reading. It’s a dynamic and ever changing source for creative inspiration!

My methods are customized and drawn from an enormous background of teaching and performing experience.

Contact me at ChuckAnderson202@comcast.net for more information.

Music is divided into two large categories: Vocal and Instrumental. If you have a strong preference for either category, that’s a place to start. My personal preference has always been Instrumental. This explains to a degree why I’ve always been drawn to Jazz and Classical. I have never personally been interested in Broadway or Opera or Pop or Folk or …

This, of course, has nothing to do with your preferences. If you are interested in Vocal music, lyrics mean something to you. In that case, get a copy of the lyrics and follow them as you listen. You’d be surprised how many listeners misunderstand the words and therefore, miss the meaning of a song. Lyrics can be viewed as a story or as poetry or as symbols. It’s fascinating to unravel words and their meaning. Don’t be surprised if someone else has an entirely different take on the “meaning” of the lyrics. That’s the creative side of listening.

On the other hand, if you’re fascinated by abstraction, you’re a good candidate for Instrumental music. In music without words, you have only the title to give you a hint about the music. And even with a title, it is still often ambiguous. Since there are no words to guide you, draw mental pictures and stories about what you hear. Don’t think too hard, Just let your intuition and imagination run free. The Instrumental song is about what you feel it’s about. I never liked lyrics telling me what the story was about. Mental pictures, images and thoughts can flow easily as you listen. Don’t block yourself!

Keep listening and don’t be reluctant to listen a wide range of music. There is something in every kind of music to enjoy!

Jazz guitarists have never had a way to organize the subject of rhythm in a way that would systematically benefit their solos and their comping. Modular Phonetic Rhythm offers a solution.

The concept of rhythm is simple. It’s the duration of a note, a chord or a pattern. Rhythm is integrated into every facet of music. A melody is a sequence of pitches with rhythm. A chord progression is a sequence of chords with rhythm. Rhythm impacts Melody, Harmony and even Lyrics. It’s also a subject in and of itself. Rhythm is so intuitive, that it’s often overlooked as an independent topic of study.

The difficulty in the study of rhythm has always been its abstract nature – and its mathematical approach. Rhythm has traditionally been taught as a function of math, particularly fractions. Though accurate, this approach has missed one of the most fundamental facts of rhythm. Rhythm is a sonic language and is, as such, phonetic not mathematical in nature. The average student exposed to the math orientation of rhythm has rarely absorbed the essence of rhythm. He or she rarely becomes proficient at sight reading or using rhythm effectively. This often remains a lifetime barrier to the developing musician.

Though rhythm can be explained in mathematical terms, this approach does not give you a practical command of the sounds of the rhythms. Rhythm is a series of sounds! How can these sounds be organized?

“The Modular Phonetic Rhythm represents a fresh and innovative approach that helps bring the abstract into focus, examining the core of the real, linguistically aligned processes actually involved in reading, understanding, interpreting, and executing rhythm.”
Arthur Bernstein, Head of Music Department, Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts

This approach to rhythm is based on the concept of Modular Phonetics. Modular refers to the interchangeability of rhythm syllables and Phonetics refers to the sound of the rhythm syllables. Phonics has always been the key to sound in language. Without phonics, we could not pronounce words. We could not hear the sound of the words. Without Modular Phonetics, we can not hear the sound of rhythm. Without the sound of rhythm, it is difficult to use.

There is a strong correlation between the ability to spell and strong fundamentals in phonics. Phonetic skills allow us to “sound out” words, even words that we’ve never seen before! We understand the principle of sound as it applies to phonetic combinations. The “sight” of the letter combination triggers a reflexive “sound” reaction. If rhythm could be broken down into a system of phonetic units similar to the syllables of language, then rhythm would become an easily recognized and applied aural language.

To illustrate, take the word umbrella. This word could be expressed as 8 letters or as 3 syllables. Treating the word as 8 letters is similar to traditional rhythm teaching. A rhythm pattern could be described as a note lasting one half beat followed by a note lasting one beat followed by a note lasting one half beat. The “sound” of the rhythm is not part of this equation. But using the syllable parallel (umbrella has 3 syllables), the rhythm can be grouped into a phonetic syllable that does have a sound. Now, rhythm can be reproduced in the preferable “eye-ear-hand reflex” – the eye sees it – the ear hears it – the hands execute it!

Modular Phonetic Rhythm is based on 24 basic rhythm syllables. These rhythm syllables vary in length from 1 note to 6 notes and from 1 beat to 4 beats. The system is divided into 4 levels based on the subdivision of the beat. Level I does not subdivide the beat. This is the level in which all notes are struck only on the downbeat. Level II divides the beat into 2 parts. Level III divides the beat into 3 parts. Level IV divides the beat into 4 parts. The levels do not express progressive difficulty, just progressive subdivisions of the beat.

As you begin to use this material, you will find an expansive, new vocabulary which you can then apply directly to your jazz guitar improvisation, your composition and to your accompaniment.

Chords have traditionally been built in thirds i.e. every other note in a scale. Using the C major scale as an example, every other note from the root would produce C, E, G and B. This combination of notes is a Cmaj7 chord. If we used the scale C Dorian, every other note from the root would be C, Eb, G and Bb.This combination of notes is a Cm7 chord.

Quartal harmony builds chords in fourths i.e. every fourth note in the scale. Again, using the C Dorian scale, every fourth note would produce the notes C, F, Bb and Eb. This is a quartal chord built on the first note of the C Dorian scale.

Quartal harmony is especially effective when used with the modes. Apply this principle of quartal harmony to each degree of each mode.

Seven quartal chords will be available with each mode. These chords can be used as a specific effect or they can be used with the traditional chords.

My concert equipment is as follows: customized Gibson L5 guitar, Acoustic Image amp – Clarus series III, model IIR, two Raezer’s Edge Stealth 12 speakers which I elevate on speaker stands on each side of the stage.

I use virtually no effects unless the room requires some EQ or a little reverb. My picks are Fender Extra heavy and my strings are D’Addario EJ21 with some custom adaptations.

String gauges:

string 6 – 052
string 5 – 042
string 3 – .032
string 2 – .024

string 2 – .017 (instead of the standard .016)
string 1 – .013 (instead of the standard .012)