Fun Has Six Strings

Guitar instruction has become big business. There's a proliferation of "how-to" methods that all, obviously, teach essentially the same thing. From printed tablature anthologies of the latest and greatest songs to Internet tab sites and YouTube videos, from guitar magazines and instructional DVDs to Estoban and iPhone apps, guitar instruction is readily available. And much of it is free.

This plethora of guitar instruction materials and methods got me thinking what effect this field of fretted pedagogy will have. I'm all in favour of someone learning to play a musical instrument. It's good for you. And now with all these ways to learn how to play the guitar, anyone with a modicum of talent can manage to bang out a few chords and amaze and astound their friends.

I am a self-taught guitarist. Compared to what is available today, in 1969 when I started it was a wasteland. There were printed guitar instruction methods like the venerable Alfred's series and the odd guitar teacher here and there, but that was it. I had a book and a guitar and a burning desire to be a musician. So, I taught myself how to read music notation and how to play a few chords and rapidly chewed through the meagre amount of materials I had. In order to go any further, I realized that I would have to resort to figuring out songs off records and the radio. In the beginning, a hugely daunting task that I was not looking forward to. It seemed impossible. How was I supposed to listen to a record and then magically play what I heard?

I discovered the technique of playing and re-playing the song over and over painstakingly trying different chords until I found the ones that fit. When it came time to learn how to play lead guitar, this skill was even more necessary. Eventually it became easier to do and, during my tenure as a road musician, it continued to be the way I learned songs. I was not the only one either. Every band and musician used the same method. The recording had gained supremacy as the primary text.

Fast forward to the present. Today's novice guitarist has, as I said, a vast amount of resources available. Whereas once upon a time I would have had to play a song like "Magic Carpet Ride" over and over to figure out what the guitar is doing, the new guitarist today can Google how to play it. Technology even makes it possible to slow down audio tracks without pitch loss to help decipher a rapid-fire guitar solo like Randy Rhodes' masterpiece in "Crazy Train." A far cry from hearing the solo and trying to reproduce it in real time, something that takes a lot of practice and is not easy to do. Moreover, the difficulty of this can be seen as a contributing factor to the rise of the fore-mentioned Internet tab sites and anthologies.

The "play it again" method helps develop the musical ear among other things. Popular music is formulaic and familiar patterns emerge after repeated listening. Something heard in one song can many times be found in others. Some songs cross genres and styles, so inadvertently by learning a rock song, for example, it's possible to learn the blues or country at the same time. As a result, listening to music takes on a whole new meaning. Songs become aurally deconstructed to reveal their musical secrets. There is much to be said for doing it this way.

You would think with the materials available there would be more people playing the guitar. But regardless of the amount or quality of guitar instruction, the simple fact remains that in order to play any instrument, one truism rises above the rest. You have to practice and unless you're a musical prodigy, the pay-off takes time. While today's guitar instruction methods have not resulted in measurably more people seriously playing the guitar, they have fostered a new sort of "hobby" guitarist. This guitarist can play a few chords, wank out a passable version of the "Sunshine Of Your Love" riff, and almost knows at least five songs. Almost. The hobby guitarist picks up his or her guitar now and then, using it more for relaxation or something to do to kill some time.

So, the hobby guitarist is what's driving the guitar as big business. And having more people interested in music education can only be beneficial, not only to the students but to the teachers and other musicians as well. Learning to play the guitar can create opportunities to hear a diverse amount of new music and, at the same time, generate an appreciation for styles that may otherwise be ignored. Whether it's learning by ear or by some other method, playing the guitar or any instrument can be immensely rewarding as a means of relaxation, a way of creative expression, or just plain enjoyment.

"I don't want you to play me a riff that will impress Joe Satriani; give me a riff that makes a kid want to go out and buy a guitar and learn to play." -Ozzy Osbourne

In Memory of Les Paul

Les Paul died on August 13. To guitarists everywhere it is more than just the passing of an icon and a gifted musician. Without his inventions and innovations, the popular music world might be a different animal. Unable to realize his musical ideas with the technology available, such as having a singer harmonize with his or herself, Les matter-of-factly created the technology to achieve his goals. His invention of multitrack recording and the subsequent ability to overdub, tape echo and its ensuing cadre of kin such as reverb and flanging, and, of course, the development of the electric guitar makes Les one of the most important figures in popular music history.

The duo of Les Paul and Mary Ford were very popular during the 1950s. They frequently appear on live television programs of the day and they had their own radio show. Check the clip below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQZojv_udMU&feature=related

There are hundreds of blogs and tributes to Les Paul. I can't say anything new that hasn't been said before. Consider Les' contribution to popular music and the industry, and his passing is made all the more poignant.

Rest in peace Les Paul.

The CCR Effect: How I Kept On Chooglin'

Last week I flew to Victoria to see John Fogerty. It was my third Fogerty concert, the first was in Toronto's Massey Hall a few years ago, and the second in July of 2008 in Edmonton's Rexall Place. Aside from some sound problems, last week's show was as entertaining and fulfilling as the others. In addition to the plethora of Creedence Clearwater Revival hits such as "Proud Mary," "Travelin' Band," and "Who'll Stop the Rain," the set list included two songs from the Blue Ridge Rangers album, John's first solo album after the breakup of Creedence, and hits from the trio-CCR period.

A departure from the sets he played at the Toronto and Edmonton shows, the eclectic choices might have resulted from the fact Victoria was the last date of the tour. Still, at 64 years old, John rocked with the best of them, working up a sweat and playing extended solos in "Born On the Bayou" and "Ramble Tamble." The band included session musicians Kenny Aranoff on drums and Billy Burnette on rhythm guitar, and faithfully reproduced the Creedence sound. John played for two hours and after the show I reflected on how much he has had an influence on my own style.

I started playing the guitar at 13 years old. I taught myself to read notation and learned all of the first position "folk" chords. By high school I could play barre chords and sing and play at the same time. (The latter may not seem like much of an accomplishment, but singing and playing at the same time is one of the more difficult tasks for a novice guitarist.) Becoming a musician was beginning to percolate my thoughts, as my guitar became my best friend. By 16, I had a "repertoire" of around a dozen songs, half of them were Creedence songs.

"Proud Mary" was the first Creedence Clearwater Revival song I ever heard. For hours I sat in my bedroom struggling through what I thought were the opening chords to the intro. I had heard the song so many times that figuring out the chord changes for the verses and chorus was relatively easy, not having access to the recording made determining the progression for the intro that much more difficult. After what seemed like months of trying, I finally learned the intro from a friend and it all came together.

Initially I would have to learn the songs by memory and trial and error. I did not have any kind of recording device and could only listen when CCR was played on the radio. Trying to remember how a song goes when you only hear it a couple of times can be a daunting task, and for me being a fledgling guitarist it was. It was not until my first year of high school that I finally managed to buy some CCR records. Southern Music, a jukebox supplier in Calgary, would sell the 45s that came out of the jukeboxes. Records with the fewest "plays" were replaced with new hits and more popular songs, then Southern would sell the "old" 45s for ten cents each. Twice a month my friend and I would ride Calgary Transit downtown to rifle through the new "old" 45s for sale. I was thrilled to come up with "Fortunate Son," "Down On the Corner," "Looking Out My Back Door," "Bad Moon Rising," and "Green River." And all on the green Fantasy label to boot! It truly was nirvana.

I played those CCR 45s over and over, painstakingly learning the chord progressions and riffs. By the end of high school I had my first band and could put my newfound skills to use. We were called Ek-Seption (I know, but it was the 70s) and had a "regular" gig at the local Eagles' club. I could play and sing a half dozen CCR songs, "Proud Mary" and "Bad Moon Rising" being two of my specialties, and along with "Down On the Corner" and a raucous version of "Cotton Fields" we burned up the recreation room on Friday and Saturday nights. I played Creedence songs for the next thirty years but never really considered the impact they had on my own style.

It was at the Massey Hall concert that John's influence became apparent. I had great seats, fourth row centre, and was so close I could see the fingerprints on the finish of his guitars, I could see how he fingered the intro to "Up Around the Bend," and I discovered that John tunes his old black Les Paul down a whole step, which is why the intros and solo sections of "Bad Moon Rising" and "Fortunate Son" sound like they do. I had no idea. It was during "Born on the Bayou" that I noticed the similarity of my rhythm guitar style to John's. This was a revelation as I finally realized how completely his playing had influenced mine over the years. I always attribute John as an influence, but until the Massey Hall concert, I never knew how much of an influence he actually was.

Every guitarist can tell you who they first listened to or which guitarist is their favourite, and over the years there have been other guitarists that have helped shape my style and sound, Albert Lee, James Burton, and Dave Holloway to name three; and along with CCR, the southern and country rock music of the late 1960s and early 1970s also helped shape my playing. Plus, there was not a conscious effort on my part to emulate John's sound and style, in other words, I did not set out to be John Fogerty II; but rather absorbing CCR during my formative musical years contributed to not only my performance practice and sound, but also the manner in which I conceptualize music. My understanding of music theory began with the CCR songs I played over and over to learn the chords.

If I ever meet John Fogerty I will thank him for what I learned. There has been a Creedence Clearwater Revival album in my pile of "records I'm currently listening to" for years now and the music has become comfortable. It's a big, warm musical comfy chair, but when I strap on my trusty Gibson S-1, I'm chooglin' baby.