Fingerstyle Guitar Journal Issue 1.pdf

FINGERSTYLE GUITAR JOURNAL

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Contents

Workshops

Features John Knowles Troy Gifford

5 23

Departments From the Editor Young Artist Profile

4 39

Dream Guitars

109

Sight and Sound

111

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Roger Hudson

43

Tim Lerch

49

Stanley Yates

55

Nicolò Renna

60

Eric Lugosch

69

Dennis McCorkle

75

Dylan Ryche

81

Bill Piburn

83

Phillip Mahony

87

Tim Sparks

91

Lucas Michailidis

93

Sean McGowan

101

Editor’s Letter Welcome to the debut issue of Fingerstyle Guitar Journal.

I would first like to thank Claire Hampton for her kindness and time. Claire patiently taught me the InDesign software used to create the magazine. I may have given up without her guidance. I also want to thank Lori Phillips for the photo session and for use of the John Knowles images. If I were to make a mission statement it would be to bring you music and educational materials of the highest quality. My goal is to inspire, inform and encourage.

I also have a passion for bringing attention to deserving artists, who in many cases are overlooked. While Fingerstyle Guitar Journal will certainly feature well-known musicians this is not a fame driven publication. Artistic value stands alone, it does not need the trappings or distraction of fame. While this is not a beginners publication, I do recognize the need for a wide range of technical levels and will do my best to please. I ask for your support and encourage you to contact me. Hearing from you can only enlighten me. You can fill out the contact form on the website or email me at [email protected] Submit materials through email or send to Fingerstyle Guitar Journal, PO Box 8120, Gallatin, Tennessee, 37066 It’s a lifetime journey, we better get busy! Bill Piburn

October, 2015

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John Knowles CGP Play it and pass it on

I’d like to talk with you about your early days in Texas, your first influence from music and a little about your family.

The sound of a church choir, the buttons on an accordion and the plucking of the strings on a plastic ukulele were John’s first tactile and aural experience with music. Then at the age of thirteen he discovered the guitar and the music of Chet Atkins. This had a profound impact on John. Though he didn’t know it, the course of his future was taking shape.

My dad was a preacher so I was always around church. We sang all the old Protestant hymns like “I Come To The Garden Alone.” It was a big enough church that we always had a good choir and I would watch them rehearse each Thursday night. It amazed me they could take out each part and put them back in. On Sundays I would travel around the congregation sitting next to people looking to hear the different parts. So voice leading has always been fascinating to me. I didn’t know the names of the chords but I certainly had the desire to learn the parts. I remember everyone in the church thinking how sweet little Johnny was because I would go sit with everybody. They didn’t realize I was auditioning them!

When it came time for John to enter college he soon discovered that the academic community of the 1960’s was not very accepting of the guitar – John then turned his focus to physics and mathematics, earning his PhD in physics from Texas Christian University in 1968. John entered the work force at Texas Instruments working in their research lab. After two years his musical muse came calling. Though it was against conventional wisdom, John made the bold decision to follow his heart and devote his life to music.

Dad had a huge classical record collection that I grew up hearing. My mom loved country music so I’d hear that on the radio. Dad had a couple of uncles who loved music. Uncle Red served in World War II and was aware of Django Reinhardt, so I heard about a lot of different music early on.

In the years since, John has worked with such legendary guitarists as Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Lenny Breau, The Romero’s and Tommy Emmanuel. In 1996 Chet Atkins awarded John the first honorary CGP (Certified Guitar Player) degree and in 2004 John was inducted into the National Thumb Picker’s Hall of Fame. Through his many publications John has taught a new generation of guitarists the music of Chet, Jerry and Lenny. Today he is focused on recording a new project with Tommy Emmanuel, performing and occasionally giving a master-class as he recently did at Berklee School of Music.

By the age of six I started taking accordion lessons. We didn’t have room in the house for a piano and the accordion was the hip thing to do back then. In fact it was hipper than the guitar back in the day. (laughter)

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Because the buttons on the accordion are arranged like the circle of 5ths, I kind of learned how harmony is arranged. So without setting out to do it, I learned the basics of how harmony is organized. Being able to see the keyboard, you learn how to make

your way around scales and melodies. So before I ever touched a fretted instrument I could read music. I had a rich heritage of listening to music. I was surronded by people who encourged me and loved music. It would be hard to complain about any of that.

great harmonies. I mentioned my dad’s record collection; he loved the impressionists so I heard Debussy and Ravel. I also grew up listening to Brahms symphonies. I think the first time I got hip to any jazz sound was when I discovered Johnny Smith through a friend who had a few of his records. In the early days I would have heard Johnny Smith and a few Chet records. I also heard Les Paul and Mary Ford on the radio. At that time they were making hits.

Mom’s brother, Uncle Arthur, could play a few things. He had an old Gibson and lookin’ back it was probably a Kalamazoo model. It was one of the guitars you’d buy through Sears back in the day. He would sing, “My wife and I lived all alone, in a little log hut we called our own. She liked coffee and I liked tea – together we lived happily.” He’d laugh when he got to the chorus, “Oh, ho, ho you and me, little brown jug how I love thee!” I thought man, that’s the new benchmark! He was also into electronics and that interested me as well, so I hung out with him a lot. I think he’s the one who convinced me to try the ukulele and later the guitar.

None of my friends played the guitar at that time. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I knew anyone who played the guitar and that was in Houston, Texas! It wasn’t like I was out in the boonies. By the time Elvis came out I was already playing barre chords - I thought, “He’s no fun - He doesn’t even play barre chords!” (laughter) Since you brought up Johnny Smith please share your story about taking a lesson with him.

Do you feel it was an advantage to play others instruments before the guitar?

When I was seventeen or eighteen, Dad announced that the family was going to take a ski trip to Colorado Springs for Christmas. My first thought was, “That’s where Johnny Smith has his music store.”

Yes. My initial effort on the ukulele was to transpose what I learned on the accordion. I could see the keyboard of the accordion and I knew the next fret up on the ukulele must be like playing a black key. I started mapping out intervals and chords. I had to decode it because, as they put it, my plastic ukulele came with all three chords! I knew there was more. What do you remember being the first harmonically rich music you heard?

I guess it would have been the Bach Chorales I heard as a kid. I also heard things like “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” with all those

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So I wrote him a letter and asked if I could take a lesson. He opened his store on a Sunday and spent a couple of hours with me. He asked me questions and had me play things for him. Chords, voicings, scales, stuff like that. As we went along, he made notes about things I needed to learn. So the lesson was basically an inventory and a to-do list. I realize now that he was guiding the next steps in my learning but he was counting on me to do the work.

He played a little bit but it was mostly a conversation about music. I remember that he treated me like a fellow musician. And I remember how smoothly he moved on the fingerboard.

If I have some gifts it would be a natural curiosity and a love for listening to music. Another would be that I don’t frustrate easily. It has never bothered me that I couldn’t do something yet. I remember the first time I heard Chet. I thought, that’s impossible! Then I thought, well it couldn’t be impossible because he’s doing it.

When my dad came by to pick me up, he wanted to take a picture but Johnny said he hadn’t shaved. When dad asked him about paying for the lesson, Johnny said he wouldn’t charge me because we didn’t really do that much.

After about thirty seconds I said, okay let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work. I have always had a confidence factor that I would get it eventually.

Over the years, I’ve heard several players describe similar encounters with Johnny. And I’m not the only one who ever heard the “I haven’t shaved” excuse.

I believe people can be overwhelmed when listening to accomplished musicians because they are looking at the whole picture. They haven’t developed the ability to focus on the individual parts.

Access to material and the opportunity to see people play is certainly different today than when you began playing.

Yes, but I think a good players objective is not to have you think about the nuts and bolts, it’s to touch and delight you. As a matter of fact, over time I’ve had to learn to turn off my analytical inspector guy and just be able to dig music.

That’s true. In the early days you really couldn’t see many musicians on television. You had to depend on recordings and your ear.

I soon learned to play music with my eyes closed so I could concentrate on what I was hearing. I would then name and number the notes as I learned them to help organize and remember what I was playing. Eventually when I had the chance to study music theory I was kind of primed for it. There has always been a puzzle solver in me. I want to figure it out – if I can do it here, how can I do it there? I remember years later Jerry Reed once said, “The guitar is just options, lots of options.” I thought yeah, that is the gospel!

Well I’ve certainly been accused of that.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve still got a bad case of it. (laughter) Evidently it’s chronic, it doesn’t go away. But there is also pleasure in understanding how music is put together and where it’s going. To some that would be a chore but to me that’s the pleasure. It’s like if you’re somebody who cooks and you have a good meal, you say, “I wonder what seasonings they are using?” Me, I don’t know, I just eat it. (laughter)

Having a curious mind is a great thing and you obviously have that.

What intrigues you these days in your pursuit of music? 8

Well I’m always looking for something new. Along the way I’ve learned to listen to people who are artists but not necessarily musicians. I’ve hung out with theater people, filmmakers, and choreographers. The way they create and put things together is different than a musicians but the end result is not that much different. Songwriters here in Nashville are also high on my list. Songwriters are trying to tell a story and theater people also have that story-telling impulse. They’re trying to capture emotions with lighting and things like that. So when I’m arranging let’s say “The Nearness Of You,” I’ll look at the lyric and to me that song is not being sung at 11:15 in the morning. It’s being sung at midnight. The moon is out and nobody is in the room but two lovers - It’s a setting. If it were a film you’d know what it would look like. This tells you where there is drama and tension so you choose the harmony and voice leading that will set that up, It’s more than what chord do I play? Of course you have to know the chords and the melody, but it’s much more than that. There is a story to be told, a moment to be captured. I hear people from time to time use this phrase “chord melody,” that’s a mystery to me. I’ve never thought, play some chords and find the melody on top. That’s just not how I do it.

I’ll share a story with you that will reflect how I think when arranging. We had been down to New Orleans visiting our daughter soon after she had moved there. I remember hearing a saxophone player down on the levy by the French Quarter playing, “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans.” About three months later Katrina hit and all of a sudden that melody had a new meaning. I went back and listened to Louie Armstrong’s version on iTunes. It had a little piano vamp that I stole but I made it darker harmonically. I also made things a fret off because after a big storm like that I figure nothing is where it used to be. I even went so far as to take the bridge up a half step through the first half. So everything is kind of dislocated as a way to capture the feeling of where the city was at that time. On the second half of the bridge I move back down to where it was originally written. You almost don’t know it if you don’t know it. (laughter) It’s true, people who don’t know it won’t know it and I don’t care - I do care however that I’ve done something that affects the experience for the listener. It’s like going to the movies, people don’t notice the lighting but the lighting guy did Oscar level work. That’s his job and this is mine. There is a philosophy that art cannot live in a bubble and your stories on how you create music remind me of that. 9

In one of the old films of a Segovia class there is a guy from the states playing a Spanish piece and as he plays Segovia kind of backs up as if he’s going to get something on him. Finally he reaches over and puts his hands on the strings to stop him from playing and says, perhaps you should take a walk in the countryside, maybe have a little Spanish wine, perhaps look into the eyes of a young woman and then play this piece again. (laughter)

accomplished something.

Well a lot of musicians would be listening and thinking, I would have played that different; I would have played it faster, why did he play it in that key? It’s that musical horse race mentality that I can’t stand. When I first came to Nashville I realized that I was surrounded by more good guitar players than I even knew existed. At first it really freaked me out, but then I thought, I’m the only one with my viewpoint, I finally just let it slide. That gave me complete freedom to respect and admire what everyone else was doing without it being a commentary on what I was doing. I don’t mind being in a room with someone that overwhelms me as long as I’m doing what I do well.

If we only reveal what we’ve learned in the practice room, it’s not cool and not all that interesting. But if we use what we’ve learned in the practice room to reveal what we’ve lived and what we care about now, that’s cool.

I think that’s why no matter how complex you may be as a musician you can still be touched by Hank Williams or Lightin’ Hopkins.

One of the things that I love about playing with Tommy Emmanuel is that he is so clear about being Tommy. He leaves all the room in the world for me to be John. In the process we get something special, which is us together. I also love being on stage with him because I’ve never been on stage with anyone who is so confident and respectful of the audience. He also listens so well that there is no danger. He’s a great player and a great listener. People ask me, aren’t you afraid to be up there with him? I say, are you kidding, it’s the safest place to be. He loves doing it and he’s happy I’m there. What more could you ask for?

Absolutely! That’s true and no matter how complex you may get it’s important not to overlook that. Another thing is not to use everything you know in one tune. We all know too much for any one moment. Save some for the next tune. I used to watch Chet figure out stuff from Lenny Breau, but he just used part of it for an intro, turnaround or variation. He would sprinkle it around so he still sounded like Chet, but with a little something extra. We’ve all heard the musicians that play every lick they know in one chorus. Yeah, I’ve always thought it was best to forget about the guitar players in the audience and play for their sweethearts instead. If they enjoy what you’re doing you’ve really

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I once told him that it’s much easier to play with him in public than it was with Chet. He quickly said, “That’s because he was our daddy, you and I are brothers!”

Let’s talk about the first time you met Chet and the development of your relationship.

stuff reminds you that you’re just a normal person. How did you meet Jerry Reed?

When I first met him it was at the symphony in Dallas. A friend and I went to the rehearsal. Chet was so relaxed and off the cuff that I forgot he was my hero. Before long we were talking about this and that and then he handed me a guitar and said, “Well show me what you’re working on.” So I started playing what I was working on which was “The Entertainer” from the movie The Sting. Chet said, “Finish that up and send it to me.” When we walked out my friend said, “John you just played for the man!” To me it just felt like I got to hang out with somebody that I had grown up with.

That was through Chet. He had heard some songs I’d written and said, “Write some more songs and I’ll show them around.” I knew he was producing Jerry so I wrote a tune called “Red Hot Picker.” At the time I didn’t know Jerry wrote most of his own material but he liked it and recorded it! I thought, Well, this is some business! But when I moved to Nashville I found out it’s a little harder than that.

I remember watching Jerry play a lot of his instrumentals and by then Chet was recording many of them. This would have been in the late ‘70s. I thought, I’ll learn some of them and write them down so people could see what Jerry was up to. But Jerry wouldn’t show me how to play his tunes. He said, “Well did Chet show you how to play his stuff?” I said no, I was in Texas. He said, “Well I ain’t showing you anything. You learn them and show me and I’ll tell you if you’re right.” (laughter) So I got to work and would get together with him and play things for him. Jerry would say things like, “I know I didn’t do that.” He also said things like, “If it were that hard I wouldn’t have done it. There must be an easier way.” Then he’d show me what he did. Then it was like buttermilk to play. His stuff was about knowing how to put great ideas on the fingerboard in an effortless way. His knowledge of the guitar and his ideas were melded together in a way that I had never seen and haven’t seen since.

For the most part I was always relaxed around Chet, but every now and then I’d think, that’s the guy on the album cover! It would only be for a moment because he would not be doing anything to make himself look amazing. Chet just did amazing work.

He also did very ordinary things. I remember one time we went to lunch and then stopped by a hardware store. He bought some lights bulbs because he was going to change them at one of his rental properties; I think it was Mercury Records. It had kind of a high chandelier so Chet got a ladder out of the closet, climbed up and started changing the bulbs. He then leans over and says, “Do you have a good grip on the ladder? Don’t drop me, I’m a legend, you’ll have a lot of explaining to do.” (laughter) I think there is something about doing chores that always felt right to him, he grew up doing chores. I think doing normal

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Guys like Chet, Jerry and later Lenny were all one of a kind. I remember when I met Lenny

yeah that was at lunch. (laughter) I asked him what happened and he said that he had needed to get his shoes shined and the last guy he saw was downtown so he took a cab to the bus station.

- Chet called me and said, “Lenny Breau is in town! I didn’t know if he was dead or alive. I haven’t seen him in years. You got to get down here!” So I went down there and hung out. We had a spare bedroom so I let Lenny stay with us until he got a place. So for days we hung out, talked and played. I had heard his first two records but had no idea what he was doing until I saw him play.

Between the cab ride and the shoeshine his fifty bucks was gone. He didn’t worry about the things the rest of us worry about. He wasn’t thinking about anything except getting his shoes shined, not how do I make the money last. I told somebody once, “Lenny is like a national treasure. We should hire a park ranger to follow him around and take care of him.” (laughter)

Lenny was one of the deepest and greatest players to ever live. Did you gain any insight to him while spending time with him?

Well, Lenny is really hard to summarize. When he was just a kid he was learning entire albums by Chet in a matter of days while the rest of us were struggling to learn one lick. He then met the jazz pianist Bob Erlendson, who began teaching him the foundations of jazz. When I was around Lenny he was always listening to music. He had a suitcase full of cassette tapes. He would listen a lot to John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans.

I’ll tell you what though; he was the sweetest guy you could ever know. My kids just loved him and when kids love someone that says it all.

Please tell me the story about Lenny playing in Texas and the little girl that came up on stage. Yes! I took him with me to a community college back in Dallas because I wanted everybody to hear him. That evening, I believe it was in the campus coffee shop where Lenny played. There was a small audience of about seventy-five people.

Here is a funny story about Lenny - It was summertime and he was staying with us. He always walked around in an overcoat that he carried his Walkman and cassette tapes in. He would sit by the swimming pool in his coat with his headphones on while everybody else was wearing bathing suits. I said, “Lenny I could loan you a bathing suit if you want to swim.” He said, “No, I don’t think so, I’d get my tapes wet.” (laughter) I remember when Lenny had just gotten into town. Chet gave him fifty bucks to help him get through the week. That afternoon Lenny asked me if he could borrow ten dollars. I said, I thought Chet gave you fifty? He said,

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At one point he played “My Funny Valentine.” As he played he keep getting farther and farther out, it was the most spellbinding thing I had ever seen. When he finished nobody moved, nobody clapped, nobody coughed, nothing! The whole room had been hypnotized. He looked around and stood up, still nothing. Then a little girl about three years old ran up and hugged his leg and everyone started clapping. It took this little girl to break the spell.

All of us who knew him understood the kind of magic that was in the air, not a hundred percent of the time but when Lenny was at his best he was utterly captivating. He was one of the greatest artists who ever lived. To me it was like knowing Van Gogh.

Well, I don’t think any of us would be doing what we are doing without Merle Travis and all the Kentucky guys, that’s a thread without a doubt. As musicians they were all individuals but they never saw limitations in the guitar.

Tell me more about your friendship with Tommy Emmanuel and working with him.

I’ve always enjoyed the tune “My Little Waltz” that you wrote with Chet. It has a delicate music box quality. Tell me about writing and recording that piece with Chet.

The first time we played together was at Kirk Sands booth during the Chet convention. We just hit it off. Tommy invited me over to Germany with him for a week so we worked up some tunes and played a few in his show. We were both surprised how quickly we agreed on things and how it should work. We both grew up listening and thinking about Chet, though neither one of us sound like that now. I think that common background helped us. Later we did a Christmas record together. It’s a lot of fun working on arrangements with him. Tommy is never in town more than a few days at a time so you start working on a Christmas record in February. Then by July you hope you can play them. All the while you are relying on Skype and iTunes and an occasional cup of coffee to put the arrangements together.

That was the summer of 1976. We had just moved to Nashville. Chet called me and said he had started a tune and wanted me to help him finish it. He played the A-section of “My Little Waltz” for me several times until I could play it… more or less. We played around with a few ideas that day but nothing was delighting us so I told Chet I’d like to work on it at home and show him what I had the next day. At home, I kept playing the A-section because I wanted the B-section to sound like it belonged. And I wanted to keep the classical feel Chet had established. I was looking for something to contrast with the A-section that’s when I came up with the openstring, eighth-note phrases. Once I had a start, I could hear the rest in my head.

We are now working on an album of love songs. Our idea is to record love songs but not all romance songs. I don’t know what it’s going to be called, but we’re about a third of the way into recording it and half way through arranging it. We are trying to cover different styles and time periods. We hope to finish it this year but neither of us want to finish before it’s ready.

When I played him my B-section the next day, he liked it and learned it pretty quickly. Then we went looking for an intro. As I recall we just worked back and forth until we found what you hear on the recording.

Do you think there is a common thread between Chet, Jerry, Lenny and Tommy?

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Chet wanted to call it “My Little Waltz” because he had always liked “Petite Waltz” as a

tune and a title. A few days after we wrote it, Chet had recorded it. Now it had an ending. Chet had some ideas for a second part so I went to his home studio and played along with his track while he gave me an idea of what he was looking for. He sang some lines and said, “something like that.”

I remember, Leona hearing us at work and stepping in to sing a line that extended the B-Section melodically and set up Chet’s instrumental. We made a cassette demo in Chet’s kitchen.

I left town for a session of the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop. When I got back, Chet had recorded our tune. He asked me to sing background vocals with him… just that once.

I remember recording my part with my Kohno classical. Chet listened and said that my guitar sounded too good. He went back in his storage room and found a classical clunker… a refugee from a pawnshop. “Try this,” he said. That’s what you hear on the recording.

Tell me about other pieces you wrote with him and the story behind them.

When I heard Chet and George Benson were going to record, I started working on a tune with both of them in mind. I wrote the A-section around a 2-5-1 progression and was starting in on the B-section when I remembered Chet’s approach. I called him and we finished “Amanda From Barbados” together. Chet & George recorded it but most of the tracks from that project haven’t been released… yet.

What was the process like to write with Chet?

Most of the tunes that Chet and I wrote together started with one of us having an idea. “East Tennessee Christmas” was like that. He had the melody to the A-section and the opening lyric, “East Tennessee Christmas, callin’ to me.” He knew he wanted a song he could play and sing.

On the lyrical side, we just talked our way through it. Like… what are you anticipating? That leads to shopping, decorating, wrapping, etc. When we got to the B-section, I observed, “Sometimes we get a White Christmas and sometimes we don’t.” Chet immediately said, “It might snow but don’t cha know that I don’t care.” I responded with, “It will be the best of Christmases if you are there.” We were on a roll. Now it’s about coming home and seeing someone you’ve missed. “Too long without you, too much on my own, East Tennessee Christmas, and I’m going home.” We finished it up that evening at his house.

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Another time, I was playing Chet’s guitar while he was on the phone in his office. He heard me do something interesting so he put somebody on hold and said, “Tune the D-string down a fret.” That meant the open strings made an A9 chord. After he finished the conversation, he took the guitar and showed me how Lenny could play the blues with barre chords. Then I told him how the steel guitar player in my high-school Hawaiian band had one neck tuned to C9. We laughed and decided to write a Hawaiian blues tune. We worked for a little while and called it a day. When we re-convened, I had the A-section and Chet had the B-section to “Honolulu Blue.” I had written some fake lyrics to the A-section to give it a vocal feel. “Honolulu Blue, still missing you, I almost

cried, when you said goodbye.”

We were trying out pickups when Rich Barbera sent Kirk a sample. We put it my guitar and I wouldn’t let him take it out. It really captures the dynamics of Kirk’s design. And I use John Buscarino’s Chameleon speakers with a Clarus amp from Acoustic Image.

Have you and Tommy written anything together? If not have you discussed the possibility? Tommy and I have invested most of our time together coming up with duet arrangements. Recently, we started writing a tune. We worked on getting the chord progression and the form along with some key changes. Tommy recorded what we had so far on his iPhone and then headed for England. To be continued…

I worked a lot with Clyde Kendrick over the years and really developed an ear and an approach for matching guitars with electronics. This combination makes me feel like making music. What advice would you give to a young guitarist trying to find their way?

You now play the John Knowles model guitar built for you by Kirk Sand. Tell me about the design of this guitar and about working with Kirk on this special instrument.

There is more than enough material out there these days… books, videos, etc. You can learn all the stuff you need to know. The question becomes, how are you going to put that stuff to work.

Kirk and I have known each other and worked together over thirty years. He’s worked on all of my instruments and he’s watched me play. After I introduced him to Chet, I watched Kirk develop and build guitars for Chet, Jerry and Lenny. Kirk and I used one of my Kohno guitars as a starting point for my JK Sand. I liked the brightness of the Sitka spruce top because I can get a warm sound without trying. I love the balance and sustain of the Kohno so Kirk knew to go for those qualities. He designed the heel of the neck so that it blends into the cutaway. You can feel the cutaway coming as you move up the neck. The scale is 650 mm and the fingerboard is two inches at the nut… both pretty standard for a classical. But there is a little less wood on the back of the neck and Kirk added a slight radius to the fingerboard. We decided on tall frets… based on our experiments with the Kohno.

I think all of us learn from our heroes. They inspire us. But at a certain point, it is important to discover and develop your own voice. I remember hearing Les Paul ask, “If your mother heard you on the radio, would she know it was you?”

Your voice includes your touch… the sound you make. It also includes the music you choose to play… whether you write it or arrange it as well as your relationship with the listener. The listener can tell if you are authentic. You need the desire to reach the listener because you have something important to say and that their lives might be richer for it. It may be a heavy question but how would you like to be remembered both as a person and a musician? 15

Whew! I remember when I left my job as a research scientist at Texas Instruments. A lot of my friends thought I was crazy. I thought they would understand if I told them that I felt the universe needed me to be a musician more than it needed me to be a scientist. I am not sure that I convinced anyone, but it felt good to me… to hear my voice say it out loud. So that is what I am doing. I’m making music because it is deeply important to me.

It is also important that I share what I have learned. Throughout my life, other musicians have been very generous towards me… with their time and their wisdom. I can express my gratitude by being generous toward others. The music passes through us. We play it and we pass it on… http://www.johnknowles.com/

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Troy Gifford Doctor in The House Troy Gifford is an award winning guitarist and composer whose music synthesizes elements of Latin, classical, jazz, and rock styles. His compositions have been performed on multiple continents, including at festivals and concerts in North America, Europe and Asia. He has written music in a variety of settings, including pieces for guitar, voice, piano, orchestra, choir, band, and various chamber ensembles. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Florida Atlantic University and a doctorate in music composition from the University of Miami. While at FAU he was named the recipient of the Esther B. Griswold Award, an award given biennially to the university’s most outstanding music student. During his college years he performed in master classes for some of the world’s greatest classical guitarists, including Pepe Romero, Christopher Parkening, and Andrew York. Troy’s music has been published by Doberman Yppan and Mel Bay and performed by outstanding artists around the world. He has also written for both the stage and film and has created digital instructional materials on composing and arranging for the guitar.

Troy has taught at several colleges and universities and currently lives in Orlando, FL, where he serves as the chair of the music department at Valencia College. 24

You went from a kid learning rock guitar licks to now holding a Bachelor of Music and Master in guitar performance from Florida Atlantic University. You then went on to get your Doctorate in Composition from the University of Miami. Now that’s quite a journey! Please tell me about that journey, experiences and challenges.    It has been an interesting trip! My life has definitely taken some unexpected turns, and when I was a teenager trying to learn rock tunes on an electric guitar I never imagined my career would turn out the way it did. I don’t think I had any real idea of what I would do with music back then, I just knew that I loved it and I wanted to learn everything I could about the guitar.    I do remember a few moments in my journey as a guitarist that really affected me profoundly. One was hearing Phil Keaggy perform a live acoustic set in my late teens. That was the first time I had ever heard someone play an acoustic guitar like that and I was simply amazed by what I was hearing. That experience led me to discover Michael Hedges, who truly blew my mind and made me want to focus pretty exclusively on acoustic guitar rather than electric. Another key moment was when my guitar teacher recommended that I listen to Christopher Parkening recordings, which opened the world of classical guitar to me. It was magic to hear all these incredible guitarists for the first time, and every time I heard a new one I’d immerse myself in trying to play in that style until the next one came along, whether it was jazz, classical, blues, chicken pickin’, or alternate tunings. I never got really good at any of them because I would quickly move on to the next thing I heard! I think I’m still a little like that when it comes to composing

and listening to music. I’ll get very obsessed with something, whether it be a genre, musician, or composer, and then suddenly lose interest and move on to something else.   After high school I went to college to get a business degree. At that point I wasn’t sure exactly what I would do with my life or how I would make a living. After graduating and working in the “real” world for a couple of years, I slowly came to the realization that music was my one true passion and I simply couldn’t imagine not pursuing it as a career any longer. So I decided to go back to school to get a music degree. I had no idea at that point where it would lead me, but it was something I felt I had to do for my own psychological well-being. I knew a career in music probably wouldn’t be easy, but I kind of felt I didn’t have a choice in the matter. There’s a cliché about “you don’t choose music, it chooses you,” and in my case that actually was kind of true because I realized I was probably going to be unhappy doing anything else.   From there, one thing led to another. I enrolled at Florida Atlantic University, started studying classical guitar intensely and quickly realized I was where I belonged. I immersed myself in music, listening to the great composers and studying scores. Soon after that I began taking composition lessons and discovered a new passion. Everything was exciting and new; in a lot of ways it was like the experience of learning to play

the guitar for the first time.  I still had apprehension about how I would eventually make a living with music, but I absolutely loved what I was doing and ultimately it all worked out. It goes without saying that music theory of course would be part of your study but beyond that what other elements go into getting a Doctorate in composition?

Yes, theory is certainly a very big part of it, but in my case it also involved taking graduate courses in a number of different areas, including music history, music psychology, and graduate research. One of the most important elements of a composition degree is studying the craft in private lessons with an expert composer. Just like taking lessons on an instrument, the opportunity to get feedback and suggestions from a teacher who has mastery in the field is invaluable.  The degree also involves a lot of writing and ultimately completing a dissertation.    Outside of formal education what would be your suggestion to someone who wants to study those elements of composition?

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One of the most valuable parts of my musical development was spending a large amount of time studying scores and listening to recordings. Before I even started tak-

ing composition lessons, I used to go to the public library and check out scores, particularly if they also had a recording of the piece so I could listen and follow along. These days you can find thousands of scores on YouTube, which makes it even easier. I don’t think there is any substitute for learning what other composers have done so that you have something to emulate, especially when starting out.  My first attempts at composing were simply the result of hearing something that I liked and then trying to write in that style. Of course, those initial attempts were pretty amateurish, but over time you learn more and more about the craft, about what works and what doesn’t.  I tell my students who want to be composers that learning to compose is no different than learning to play an instrument. If you want to be good at it you have to spend a lot of time doing it. I strongly encourage them to just start writing, whether they think they are ready for it or not. You can’t master something you don’t do all the time.    I would always recommend that a beginner who wants to write music try to find a composition teacher, just like I would recommend that a beginning guitarist try to find a guitar teacher. But in the absence of formal instruction, I would suggest to simply carefully study the music you like and try to figure out what it is that makes you like it. You can look at any piece of music and

ask some basic questions. What is the formal structure? What is the harmonic language? What is special about the melodic ideas? Is there a moment in the piece that really stands out to you, and if so, how did the composer create that moment? These are all questions that can break down what can seem mysterious at first into something less abstract. After all, no matter how magical and emotionally powerful a piece of music may seem, it is ultimately just a collection of notes that a composer chose to put together. You just need to figure out why he or she made those choices.   Once you’ve figured some of these things out, you can try to recreate that idea or effect in your own music.  It might not be great at first, but now you’ve begun the process of learning and you will almost certainly get better at it over time. Eventually you will begin to find your own voice. I use a poor mans version of counterpoint in my arranging. I guess it not a true counterpoint just melodic content filling the empty spaces. It’s almost always below the melody and in short phrases. Can you suggest any directions for the study and understanding of counterpoint outside of academia? 26

Counterpoint is difficult and is something that can take years of study to even begin to master.  I think trying to add short melodic lines around the main melody is a good way to practice the concept. Practicing call and response and imitation in two voices will also help. If you can play a melody on your instrument and sing a countermelody at the same time, you are performing counterpoint.

in my life or encountering something that moved me. At the same time, I’ve written things on demand that I’ve been very happy with. Some of the most beautiful music ever written was on demand, so I don’t think you need to necessarily sit around waiting for a lightning bolt from the heavens to write good music. Many of the great composers wrote on an almost daily basis, so they couldn’t have always been “inspired.” 

You need to understand proper voice leading to write effective counterpoint, such as knowing that leading tones should resolve up and 7ths should typically resolve down (although if you’re writing modern music sometimes the old rules don’t apply).  For most people this is really only learned thoroughly by studying music theory. As a guitarist it’s easy to write in parallel motion too much when using two voices since that’s easier to play. And counterpoint can be used in very different ways. Baroque counterpoint is different than jazz counterpoint, for example. 

If I were to always wait for special inspiration, I might go through very long periods without writing anything. I typically decide in advance that I’m going to write a certain type of piece and then try out different ideas until I come up with something I feel is worth developing.  Sometimes it takes a long time to find it. Right now I have a backlog of a few different types of pieces I want to write, so I just have to sit down and make it happen.  Please explain your typical process when composing.

It’s not easy to play elaborate counterpoint on the guitar, which increases the challenge for us who play the instrument. We often have our hands full with just the melody and harmony. For someone relatively new to it, I’d recommend learning something like Bach’s Bourree in Em to get the experience of playing two independent melodic lines at the same time.

I try to have a plan before I begin to keep me focused. A lot of the initial ideas come from just messing around on the guitar or piano, but once I know what type of piece I’m going to write, I try to develop a solid idea of the structure and overall effect I’m going for before actually writing too many notes. Without a clear sense of what you want the piece to ultimately be, you can end up wandering kind of aimlessly. 

Are you a composer driven by inspiration only or can you compose equally as well on demand?

I’d say it’s a mix. I do think some of the best things I’ve written had some sort of inspiration behind them, whether it was an event

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In general, I’ll try to first write a rough sketch that functions basically like a skeleton, and then go back and flesh out the details. This is especially true for pieces with other instruments or something on a large scale. If you’re writing for a large ensemble like an

orchestra it can be paralyzing to see all that empty space on the score, so it makes things easier to start with a simple sketch on one or two staves. You can take something that seems very basic and with enough time and effort turn it into something really interesting. That’s where learning the craft of composition comes into play.

I actually find it liberating to write for instruments other than the guitar. It makes me think in a different way and there’s something freeing about not needing to worry about ever having to play it! Obviously, you need to know a little about the instrument you are writing for, such as its range and technical capabilities. There are orchestration books that can help with that. These days there is also a ton of information on the Internet about every instrument. You can even watch videos where performers demonstrate different sounds and techniques. In the old days you used to have to find an actual live musician to play things for you. Times have definitely changed!

A lot of times I’ll start something and then put it away for a while before coming back to it. Occasionally I’ll come back to something years later. And I have to confess I can easily get sidetracked. Sometimes I’ll start working on one piece and suddenly shift to something else. Last summer I had a goal to write a piece for concert band and somehow ended up writing piano preludes instead! That’s when writing on demand can be a good thing to help keep you on track.

It would be enough of challenge just staying on top of composing much less your guitar technique. How do you balance your time and do you have a practice routine?

When composing for the guitar do you compose with the guitar in hand only or also away from the guitar?

It’s interesting; if I’m writing for the guitar I almost always have a guitar in hand, but if I write for any other instrument I rarely touch the guitar. The guitar is such an idiomatic instrument that it makes sense to try things out on it when writing for it. At the same time it’s easy to fall into the same predictable patterns when you play an instrument, so you have to try to guard against that. I’ve written a few things on the piano and then arranged them for guitar, but that tends to be the exception. In general, I tend to think musically in terms of a keyboard more often than the guitar. I can picture the different lines more clearly on a piano.  Please explain the challenges composing for instruments other than the guitar.

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That is definitely one of the biggest challenges for me. Both composing and playing at a high level require a lot of time and effort, so it’s often hard to find adequate time for both. I tend to go in cycles, so I will sometimes spend a stretch of time mainly composing and not playing as much and then go through a period where I do the opposite. Musicians like Jorge Morel, Andrew York, and Roland Dyens, who are somehow able to be both prolific composers and truly elite performers, always amaze me.   I don’t have as systematic a practice routine as I probably should, but I try to work on scales and right hand arpeggio patterns frequently. I try to be as efficient with my time as possible and pick something specific to work on in each session. I do a lot of sight-

reading and explore new pieces whenever I can. I’m always looking for something new to play.

contagious.  In a one on one situation, I think it is important for a teacher to recognize the learning style of the student they are working with. That will enable them to figure out the best way to motivate the student to reach his or her full potential. Different students will respond differently to various teaching methods, so I believe the instructor should be flexible and adapt his or her teaching style to best meet the student’s needs…within parameters, of course. For example, some students respond well to and are motivated by somewhat harsh criticism,

You are currently the chair of the music department at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida. What are your duties in this position? There are quite a few different things that I do, but I’m lucky to enjoy my work and be surrounded by great colleagues and students in a vibrant and exciting environment. I teach music courses, give private lessons in both guitar and composition, and perform various administrative tasks. I also help organize special music events and try to bring guest artists to the college each year. This year we hosted a Master Guitarist Series for the first time, which was very exciting to be part of and something I hope we can continue to build in the future.  You’ve experienced academia from both sides of the fence in your opinion what makes a great teacher? Obviously mastery of the subject is necessary. The teachers who made the biggest impression on me when I was in school all astounded me with the breadth of their knowledge. In a classroom situation, the ability to make the material interesting is also very important if you want students to be fully engaged. Passion for what you do is something that makes a real impression on a student. The best teachers I know truly love what they teach and that passion is

while others can be devastated and discouraged by it, so the teacher needs to recognize that. There’s a lot of psychology involved in good teaching. 

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Just like composing and performing, becoming a good teacher is a lifelong learning process and I’m trying to get better at it little by little. The most important thing that I hope to accomplish with my students is to help get them to a place where they become critical thinkers and know why they make the musical choices they do. At that point they can make informed artistic decisions for themselves.

It takes decades of course for an artist to leave a legacy. Most never know in their lifetime the impact they have. What do you hope to be your musical legacy? Wow, that’s a tough one!  If any of my music or teaching makes a positive impact on others then that’s all I really hope for. I know many people that have inspired me to appreciate the beauty of music and art, so if I could ever do the same for someone else I would be very happy and humbled.  http://www.troygifford.com

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5 O'Clock Troy Gifford

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38

Young Artist Profile Olivia Chiang

Your father has been your principle teacher. In what way do you think it may be different for you than if studying with someone else? It is different because I am able to ask my Dad for help anytime. Also, I just think that there is a closer bond and less awkward. You received the Diploma of music performance from the Royal School of music at UK through their Associated Exam Board at the age of eleven, was that a graded exam? Is the Diploma honored here in the United States?

Olivia Chiang was born in December of 1999 and currently lives in Rowland Heights, California. At the age of five Olivia began studying the piano at the Yamaha music school. By the age of seven she began classical guitar lessons with her father James Chiang. Her first public performance came at the age of eight and at she participated in master-classes with guitarists Christopher Parkening and Roland Dyan’s. In 2011 Olivia was honored with the President’s Educational award from the White House. At age eleven under her father’s guidance she received a Music Performance Diploma from the Royal School of Music in London, UK through the Association Board Royal School of Music.

To get to the Diploma level, the levels prior consisted of 5 levels of a written theory test and 3 levels of a playing test/performance that was prepared beforehand, an oral examination where you have to sing what was being played with movable Do and a sight reading test. The Diploma test, however, consisted of a performance, sight reading test, and a Viva Voce (word of mouth) where you must talk to the judge about the songs you performed and the background of the composer, style and overall piece in general. The Diploma is not honored here in the U.S. but I learned a lot in many aspects through the exam. Though you’re only fourteen years old do you feel you want to make music your life’s work?

You began playing the piano at the age of five and the guitar at seven. I would assume that your time with the piano was a good beginning foundation. In what ways do you think it helped?

It helped me a lot with learning the music staff, sight-reading, chords and in particular, with ear training.

I am not certain at this time because it is not an easy career and not very financially rewarding, although it does make my life beautiful. At the age of ten you participated in 39

classes given by guitarists Christopher Parkening and Roland Dyens. Tell me about that experience and what you took away from it.

My dad wants me to pay attention to Paco’s picado and Ida’s apoyando technique; both are very personal yet outstanding. You’ve had several composers compose music for you. Please share your thoughts on this.

I got to perform a few pieces for both masters as they gave critique on my approach to the music and tips on how to improve. It was nice hearing opinions from a master, as they have more experience as a musician and are certain of what advice they give.

I am beyond honored. There is just an unexplainable feeling I get when I play those pieces. Since they are all fresh pieces, my dad asks me to sing them first and he helps me work out phrasing and fingerings.

You played Vivaldi’s Lute Concerto at the age of thirteen and Concerto de Aranjuez with the Walnut High School’s Symphony Orchestra, share some of your experience working with a large ensemble.

You did a beautiful video of Bach’s Allegro BWV 998 for Guitar Salon International when you were only twelve! Please tell me about that experience.

It was very enjoyable and less stressful and nerve-wracking because there are so many people on stage with you. I felt honored to be the featured artist. Playing with an orchestra is not easy for the soloist or the orchestra because you have to listen closely to each other. You have to know when to lead and when to follow as well as read the conductor’s gestures.

It was a very exciting and an honor to be asked. The guitars are all very high quality and built by famous luthiers from all over the world, It was wonderful! Congratulations on placing in the National Solo Competition of the American Strings Teachers Association. Tell me what you played, how you prepared.

Describe your practice schedule and what are you currently working on?

I played required piece of Giuliani, a free choice of Bach and “Homenaje a Tarrega” by Joaquin Turina, I over practiced the pieces and thankfully performed them with ease.

I practice an hour daily and a little bit more on the weekends; I do usual warm-ups of left hand independence, right hand arpeggio and scale exercises. Currently, I am reviewing old pieces.

Thank you for the conversation, I wish you all the best in your journey.

Who are your favorite guitarists?

I like Julian Bream’s passion and sensitivity. I also like John Williams’ dexterity through his effortless fingering. Also Paco de Lucia and Ida Presti’s interpretation of music.

Thank you for having me.

40

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Roger’s Roost Rainy Reprise

By Roger Hudson

The old saying, attributed to Oscar Wilde, goes “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness”. So what if you are imitating yourself? Maybe imitating yourself is the greatest form of sincere mediocrity. Maybe it is a form of laziness. Perhaps there are practical reasons for self-imitation. Or, maybe there is another way to look at it. In the case of my composition “Rainy Reprise”, imitation just kind of happened naturally as part of the process of recording my 2004 Guitar Peace CD. On the same CD, I wrote a composition entitled “Rainy Scene” that also appeared in Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine at least ten years ago. “Rainy Scene” was recorded first and was intended as a pretty easy piece for my students. It has withstood its brief musical history pretty well as students do seem to like playing “Rainy Scene”.

merely confuses people. What performers often struggle with is that eighth notes happen at the same frequency when switching between 3/4 and 6/8. Only the grouping, and thereby it is the accenting of the eighth note groups that changes. In 3/4, eighth notes are in groups of two and 6/8 they are in groups of three. Consequently, 3/4 time has three beats (3 groups of 2 eighth notes) per measure and 6/8 has two beats per measure (2 groups of 3 eighth notes). The Process

The Inspiration

“Rainy Reprise” started as sort of a nod to early guitar and vihuela compositions such as Gaspar Sanz’ “Canarios”. Santiago de Murcia’s works were also likely an inspiration for me at the time. These composers were fond of freely mixing simple and compound meter in the same piece. They also wrote simple but enchanting tunes. “Rainy Reprise” begins with a simple melody imbedded in arpeggios over A minor and E major (i – V – i). I wrote the entire piece with a 3/4 time signature although by measure 5 it is really in 6/8. I have found that often it is not helpful to change the time signature as it

43

So the compositional process in “Rainy Reprise” evolves with basically these two ideas related to the switching between 3/4 and 6/8. The first idea is measures 1-4 and the second is 6-9. There is a third idea that wraps up what I’ll call the exposition of the piece. Here is where I start imitating myself. At measure 10, I quote a phrase from “Rainy Scene”. I really don’t remember how or why it is in there (maybe I was just tired) but I thought it gave the whole thing a new purpose…or something. Without the echo of “Rainy Scene” at this point the piece is sort of a reenactment of an earlier style of music. So now by measure 13, instead of diving headlong into “Rainy Scene”, I repeat and vary the first two ideas by playing dolce (sweetly) over the fingerboard and change the melody by one note in the second idea.

Now, after I introduce the third idea (the “Rainy Scene” quote) do I go back and fully revisit “Rainy Scene” from measures 2138. This all makes sense in the context of the Guitar Peace CD track order: “Rainy Scene” is track 5, “Blue Sky” is track 6, and “Rainy Reprise” is track 7 - sort of a musical weather report. This gives the listener a chance to hear “Rainy Scene” again but in a different musical landscape.

playing all the notes clearly is a challenge enough. So bear in mind that the melody should be connected and sound as much as possible like a good singer would sing it. The biggest challenges for “Rainy Reprise” could be the rhythmic ones. The piece is in 3/4 and 6/8. It is definitely not in 4/4. Make sure that the accents happen in the right places. Pay close attention to the numerous hammer-ons and play them evenly so as to keep the whole piece flowing nicely.

Playing Rainy Reprise

“Rainy Reprise” is a simple piece of music but I think maybe a tricky one. It is not a physically demanding “super chops” kind of piece but it will test some basic guitar and musical skills. So now for the basics, I am pretty sure you will need to use all four fingers (no thumb necessary) of the left hand and p-i-m-a of the right hand. I have put some right hand and left fingerings in the music. I personally vary how I actually play it from time to time. However, I would say generally, make sure you are alternating on the right hand fingers. Alternation is simply making sure that you are not repeating a particular finger when a different finger could do the work. When your i finger plays, for instance, m or a should play the next note. This helps you to play with more fluidity and freedom. There are exceptions to the alternation rule but don’t entertain them very often! Make sure you do not mistake the “picking order” of notes. The melody is king 99% of the time. Bass notes are subordinate to the melody and chordal notes (fill in notes) are sometimes the most subordinate. This is difficult to do as a fingerstyle guitarist. wWe have more to do than most guitarists and sometimes just

To get the tune in your head, listen to and watch the video link or download the MP3 from my website www.rogerhudson.com. At the website you may find other pieces that you want to play. I have most of my music on the site as a .pdf download. There are other compositions of mine available from www.melbay.com also. Please feel free to contact me with questions! I like to hear from you! Feel free to contact me through my website www.rogerhudson.com for Mp3 music, sheet music, and booking. Also on Facebook, Twitter, iTunes, CDBaby…

44

Rainy Reprise

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Roger Hudson

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Open the door to a whole new guitar universe with this one-of-a-kind book/CD pack. You’ll discover how to navigate the fretboard in all tunings, how to cultivate new composing and improvising concepts, and how to broaden your fingerstyle skills and techniques. The CD includes 40 tracks for demo and play-along, and the book is fully integrated with an interactive online fretboard. 00695787 Book/CD Pack .......................... $19.95

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Acoustic Guitar Solo Fingerstyle Basics

Acoustic Guitar Private Lessons String Letter Publishing With the guidance of master teachers, you’ll learn to build simple melodies into complete guitar arrangements, understand fingerings that will bring intimidating chords within your reach, and put you at ease with country blues, classical techniques, Celtic music and more! The online audio features all the music played slowly then up to tempo by the teachers. Includes 11 songs to play, and standard notation and tab. 00695597 Book/Online Audio .......................................................... $14.99

The Art of Solo Fingerpicking by Mark Hanson

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Percussive Acoustic Guitar by Chris Woods

Turn your acoustic guitar into a full band with this comprehensive book/DVD set by guitar virtuoso Chris Woods. Providing detailed, stepby-step instruction on a variety of percussive guitar techniques, this book includes warm-ups, exercises, full pieces, and pracitcal “how-to” training that will get you slapping, tapping, and enjoying your guitar like never before. The highdefinition DVD reinforces all the material in the book and features Chris Woods himself as your personal instructor. 00696643 Book/DVD Pack ............................................................... $19.99

Power Plucking by Dale Turner

Musicians Institute Press If you’re a rock player and the world of acoustic fingerstyle has always seemed foreign and hard to grasp, have no fear. Power Plucking teaches the technique from a purely pop-rock standpoint. You won’t waste your time here learning classical pieces you don’t want to know. This book concentrates on the type of riffs you’ve heard from all your favorite artists, including Jimmy Page, James Taylor, Elliott Smith, John Frusciante, Eric Clapton, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, etc. You’ve never felt this comfortable treading new ground! 00695962 Book/CD Pack ................................................................. $19.95

Classical & Fingerstyle Guitar Techniques by David Oakes

Musicians Institute Press This Master Class with MI instructor David Oakes is aimed at any electric or acoustic guitarist who wants a quick, thorough grounding in the essentials of classical and fingerstyle technique. Topics covered include: arpeggios and scales, free stroke and rest stroke, P-i scale technique, three-to-a-string patterns, natural and artificial harmonics, tremolo and rasgueado, and more. 00695171 Book/CD Pack ................................................................. $17.99

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The Tao of Tunings by Mark Shark

From Leo Kottke and Michael Hedges to John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Page, alternate tunings have inspired some of the most creative and unique guitar sounds in the history of the instrument. This book and CD pack will provide you with loads of fretboard diagrams, fun playing examples, and practical music applications to help you navigate through a variety of tunings – from Double Drop D to DADGAD and beyond. Includes standard notation and tablature, plus 52 audio tracks for demonstration and play-along. 00696012 Book/CD Pack ................................................................. $19.95

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Eclectic Electric Systematic Inversions Part 1 By Tim Lerch

In this installment of Eclectic Electric I’m going to be discussing Inversions. Usually when we learn chords as beginners we associate very strongly with the root. Since the chord is named after the root and usually the root is in the bass as the lowest note in the chord. We occasionally encounter chords that have something other than the root as the lowest note for instance a G chord with B in the bass is relatively common in early guitar learning as is D with F# in the bass or even C with G in the bass.

notes duplicated in higher or lower octaves as well. For example the basic C Major chord in the open position is spelled CEGCE low to high and sometimes also contains a low G on the 6th string. You’ll notice that the whole fingering is spelled CEGCE, the first three notes spell a complete C major triad. The second group of three, EGC also spell a complete C Major triad and the top three GCE do as well. So right off the bat if you finger a basic C major chord and pluck the notes in groups of three adjacent strings from low to high you will hear the sound of one C major chord with the root in the bass and then a C major chord with the 3rd as the lowest note then one with the 5th as the lowest note. All of these inversions are available without changing your left hand fingering at all. EX1.

These chord voicings are known as inversions. We all know some of them but for some reason we often learn them piece meal or randomly and are a bit sketchy about how they come about. Hopefully this series will give you a handle on inversions that will allow free use of them to enhance your Solo Guitar playing and Comping.

The simplest definition of an inversion could be any chord that has a chord-tone other than the root in the bass.  Any chord that is made up of three or four notes (or more) can be played with the notes in any order from low to high, for instance a C major triad has the notes C E G. If we limit the possibilities to groups of 3 adjacent strings, these three notes can be organized CEG, EGC, GCE, it is also common to have some

So one quick and easy way to get some inversions is to finger your regular, garden-variety root position chords but don’t pluck the lowest note, rather pluck the middle three and the top three etc. While this is commonly done it’s not very systematic or organized. Since there is a great deal of redundancy on the fingerboard, being able to find and organize good fingerings systematically is of great value. 49

Let’s look now at a very thorough and

organized method of finding inversions for any chord type that I learned for the great Ted Greene. Not surprising that he called them Systematic Inversions. Staying with C major let’s play CEG in the open position think of the notes as 1 3 and 5 of a C major chord. Now move the C up on the 5th string to E, move the E up on the 4th string to G and move the G up on the 3rd string to C. We have now systematically inverted the original chord voicing from “Root position” to “1st inversion” the new voicing is still on the same strings as before, it has just moved up the neck and the root has gone from being the lowest note to being the highest note.

you might have leaned along the way to find the root position voicing that it is derived from. The purpose of this is to be able to see the fingerboard as organized by systems rather than in a random fashion. This method will work for all chord types but be careful with your big basic bar chords. Because of the redundancy in these 5 and 6 string chords the systematic inversions can sometimes be ungainly. Here is the assignment: Take all of your basic root position chords and apply the Systematic Inversion process to them write down all the inversions that you find and practice playing them in order going up and down the fingerboard. Ex.5

The root position chord is spelled 135 and the 1st inversion is spelled 351. If we repeat this process, the 3 will move up to 5, the 5 will move up to 1 and the 1 will move up to 3. The resulting voicing is 513 also known as a 2nd inversion major triad. If we do it again, it will come all the way around to the root position chord one octave higher on the same set of strings. EX.2

Stick with 3 and 4 note voicings to start, there are  plenty of wonderful fingerings and sounds to be discovered. Once you discover a system for a particular chord type and voicing, a very good way to solidify the new fingering is to play a harmonized scale using the new voicings. Ex.6

So we can systematically organize root position, 1st inversion and 2nd inversion triads by string sets. Whatever string set the root position chord is on just remember to stay on that set as you go up the neck for the inversions.

In the next few installments I’ll go into Systematic Inversion for 4 note 7th chords, using inversions in chord progressions, the importance of inversions for good voice leading, and using Systematic Inversions for rootless chord and other specialized voicings. Until then, enjoy learning these new inversions and using Systematic Inversions to create entire systems for every root position chord that you already know.

Here is what a major triad looks like on the next higher string set. EX3

You can also do the same for open voiced triads. As long as you move each voice up the next higher voice on the same string you’ll get the three voicings on that set. Ex.4

You can also reverse engineer any inversion

http://www.timlerch.com/

50

Examples 1 - 3 C root pos.

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54

Master Workshop Maria (gavota) By Stanley Yates Although the Spanish classical guitarist Francesco Tarrega (1852-1909) left us relatively few original compositions most of which were published after his death his influence on classical guitar technique, brought down to us through the concerts, recordings and writings of his students, has been very significant.

One important aspect of Tarrega’s guitar style is his preference for a melodic style of playing in which lines are fingered along a string rather than across the strings in a single playing position. His melodic conception of the guitar has a vocal quality and this resulted in his use of many expressive ornaments and glissandos (slides)—something that can make his music quite challenging to play. The piece “Maria,” named after his wife, is a good example of his melodic-glissando style. As you look through the music, you’ll find the piece is packed with them. To perform the glissandos well takes a bit of thought and practice. In general avoid sliding from the first note too soon, whenever possible. Instead, hold onto the note a little before sliding along the string to the next note. Also, when you arrive at the second note, hold on to that a little as well (this is usually a very expressive melodic note). Finally, there’s no need to actually pluck the second note—allow it to sound as a result of the slide.

You’ll also find a lot of barres in this piece. Be sure to fret only the number of strings indicated by the small superscript number as this makes the piece a bit easier to play. For example, in the first complete measure be sure to fret only the top three strings for the barres at positions five (V) and four (IV).

Tarrega provided us with several musical indications to help convey the expressive content of the music: rit., a tempo, dolce, P and F. Rit. Means to hold back the tempo for a moment, a tempo tells us to resume full speed. 55

The term dolce means to play with a “sweet” and soft tone quality (we usually

do this by plucking over the sound hole). The letters P and F tell us to play softly or loudly, respectively. Just before the end of the piece I added an indication to play at a slightly slower tempo (Meno mosso) to help set up the ending, which is played a tempo. The term pizz. (pizzicato) in measures 4547 tells us to mute the strings by placing the side of the right-hand palm along the saddle. The subtitle “gavota” refers to the rhythmic dance-like quality of the piece and I suggest a final performance tempo of around 80 beats per minute. “Maria” is a fairly challenging piece to play, but it’s also a lot of fun! www.stanleyyates.com

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56

Maria - gavota

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Master Workshop Sonata in E Major By Nicolò Renna “Sonata in E major” is a 2009 original composition for classical guitar. That year I traveled extensively around Sicily teaching and just during these trips by car I had the right inspiration to write new musical ideas.

and this is definitely one of the things that characterizes the piece.

I also tried to make the alternation of short scales and chords as varied as possible valuing the musical content. The bass part is often syncopated to give a much more enthralling groove feeling.

The Sonata in E major, with a A-B-A-C-A structure and has a decidedly classical matrix that comes from my studies in the Conservatory. During the course of the composition, however, also typically fingerstyle sounds can be heard, particularly in Part C of the piece from bars 52 to 57 where the thumb of the right hand makes executes the percussion on the sixth string.

I definitely suggest the study of the piece with the metronome to try to acquire a very stable rhythmic independence; this way you will have the opportunity to develop your groove making the performance more interesting and convincing.

I’ve always liked the acoustic guitar with all its musical characteristics, in fact I often try to place timbre and percussive elements, which are typical of the finger-style world in my compositions for classical guitar.

https://www.facebook.com/nicolorenna.guitarist

I chose the key of E major to make the most of the open strings thus getting a pleasant and soft musical result for the listener. The use of open strings facilitates, in some aspects, the performance of the piece especially for the left hand. The theme of this song fits perfectly with the harmonic succession of the chords creating a decidedly homogeneous musical bond; often one has the feeling that the theme and the chords are one whole thing only

60

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Acoustic Third Coast The Eighth Of January By Eric Lugosch

I’m excited and honored to be writing for Fingerstyle Guitar Journal. In the months to come I’ll be sharing some of my arrangements and the process I go through in making them, as well as some other ideas and helpful tools for students trying to expand their skills on the guitar.

keep playing the melody for a longer period of time before it starts sounding repetitious. Learning the melody in two octaves not only helps make an arrangement diverse and dynamic, it also makes you more fluent up and down the fingerboard.

The first tune I’m presenting here is one that most people know as “Battle Of New Orleans” sung by Johnny Horton.  Originally it was an old fiddle tune “The Eighth Of January”, which was presumably written as an instrumental tune by a soldier who was in battle on that date in 1815. Jimmy Driftwood wrote the lyric to it, and Johnny Horton made it a hit in 1959. I recorded this beautiful tune on my Black Keys Blues CD and over the years many people have asked me to teach it to them.  

Traditional fiddle songs make good material for arranging on the guitar. They are generally simple melodies that leave a lot of room for interpretation. There is an “A” section and a “B” section to this piece, and the ensuing variations that I do in the arrangement. My arrangement of “The Eighth Of January” is in G6 tuning (DGDGBE). G6 has been used by a lot of great guitarists, including Chet Atkins for his rendition of “Yellow Bird” and it’s easy to get around in. Since it just drops the two lower strings a whole step, you can keep your lexicon of chord shapes on the top four strings. Once again I suggest you start with the student arrangement and use it as a stepping-stone to the structural and harmonic understanding of the piece.

I always suggest they start with this student version first, before trying to tackle my fullblown version with all its variations. You can watch me play this full version on my YouTube channel along with the full chorus of birds in the background! I call all of my first drafts “student versions”. What I mean by this is that I am the student trying to understand the structure and melody of any given piece that I’m working on. I find learning the melody in two different octaves very helpful. This enables you to

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Before diving into an arrangement, take time to learn the melody inside out. I have marked the two sections clearly “A” & “B” on the student and advanced version. Both sections are played twice, and in different

octaves. I suggest trying to isolate the melody without the bass line. The left hand fingerings indicated above the staff will get you from position to position with a minimum of hand movement.

then again, in the lower octave on measure 33. Make note that I’m using a diatonic descending bass line to support the melody. Also note that there is a crooked measure of ¾ time at the end of all “B” themes. Crooked measures are common in traditional music and in this case it makes for a very natural transition back into the “A” theme. The phrase ‘crooked measure’ is commonly used in traditional music circles meaning an extra beat added or taken away.

The student version is a very good guide to understanding the advanced version. The student version’s passages will be evident in the advanced version and is a good example of how I incorporated the two together. I think the best way to look at the two arrangements is to see where the student version lies in the advanced version. This will make an easier segue into the advanced version and also a more natural transition into other variations.

The second variation of the “B” theme starts on measure 20. I do something different here with the bass line. I use a chromatic bass line this time to support the melody. It gives the melody an interesting ethereal effect. I use this harmonic device a lot in my playing. I also find it a good way to build an independent right hand thumb.

The “A” theme from the student version is recapitulated in both octaves on measure 1 and 29 of the advanced version. There is a difference though with the end of the phrase of the “A” theme that I use. I extend the 4 chord (C) in measure 3 with a big arpeggio. This is a challenging stretch but gives the arrangement a beautiful flowing effect that sets the stage for the arrangement.

The third and final variation, measure 33 (1:30 mark on the video), is exactly like the student version. I use a rhythmic and melodic sequence in place of the melody and follow through with a descending lick that uses the open strings and resolves itself to the first sequence of the variation.

The first variation of the ”A” theme occurs on measure 15. I take the middle voices from the chord and harmonize a phrase that mimics the melody…listen carefully to the YouTube recording. It occurs at the 0:40 mark of the video.

I hope you enjoy playing this arrangement and the way it was juxtaposed with the student and advanced versions. It’s a very enjoyable piece to play. I’ll be presenting pieces in the same fashion in upcoming articles. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions.

The second variation of the A theme starts on measure 42, at the 1:50 mark on the video. I break away completely from the melody with this variation and try to evoke a baroque feel to the arrangement.

The first “B” theme is identical to the student version. It occurs on measure 6 and

Eric Lugosch

http://www.ericlugosch.com/

70

The Eighth of January

Tuning: D-G-D-G-B-E A

5

œ œ

7

8

7 0

0

2

10 8

10 10 > 10 . . . .