The next stage

Most people who play an instrument will reach a point where they feel their playing has plateaued and they wish to progress to a new level. This is very true with the guitar which is a relatively easy instrument to play in a simple fashion but one of the hardest to play at a virtuoso level. The guitar is an extremely versatile instrument and perhaps this is what makes it so popular. There are many categories and styles of guitar including classical, flamenco, folk, finger-picking, pick or plectrum method, acoustic, electric, jazz, rock, latin and others and there are also many levels of acceptable proficiency on the guitar. For example, singers who accompany themselves on guitar may only know a handful of chords but this in no way hinders their ability to make pleasing music on a particular level. The main point is that some guitarists may be perfectly happy to stick with one style and one level of proficiency if this is what gives them their greatest musical enjoyment. Again, the guitar is an instrument of many levels. It is a true folk instrument.

The guitar has been the main instrument in the rock genre for over 60 years and shows no sign of losing its popularity. The essence of rock music is its simplicity and raw energy, its rough and rebellious nature. It is rhythmically exciting and can embrace high-energy tempos to down and dirty blues-style feels. Harmonically the basis of rock music is a fairly narrow platform, drawn in essence from the simple major, minor and dominant-seventh chords of the blues. Indeed the blues chord progressions together with the blues and pentatonic scales are the most defining sounds of rock music and are the standard weaponry of most reasonably proficient rock or pop guitarists.

Some guitar players become bored with the same old chord progressions and the same pentatonic-based scale sounds and look to broaden their horizons. Taking the next step involves an increase in musical awareness, an improved knowledge of harmony which includes new chord formations, a different approach to melodic line playing which usually involves learning and understanding new chord scales and arpeggios and a general increase in knowledge of the theoretical side of music. A long and exciting journey awaits.

Improvisation

I love improvising. I was drawn to jazz and latin music when I first picked up a guitar and it was the improvisational element that really resonated with me. The wonderful songs and melodies of the time were the foundations and I would always find myself singing alternate melody lines and "impro" phrases and seeing how far I could take it. The world of improvisation is a fascinating world indeed. In essence you need to be a composer. You need to understand harmony, rhythm, chord sequences, phrasing and the like. The more knowledge you have of these essential elements of music the better you will be at making music through improvisation.

As an improviser you are in fact a composer who delivers an idea there and then, in the moment. To do this successfully you need to be very familiar with your instrument. Good improvisation is singing your ideas through your instrument and so the heart, mind, hands, instrument connection needs to be established through lots of practice.

Musical equipment

I'm enjoying my new Roland Cube 80XL guitar amp. I have long been a user of valve amps but the lugging around got a bit tiresome due to the extreme weight. This new solid-state amp is lovely. It's about half the weight of the valve combos and packs a real punch. I love the on-board effects and amp modelling. It's an extremely versatile unit with plenty of tone control and sound options. Recorded a new YouTube clip on Friday using the amp and my '85 Fender Stratocaster with EMG pickups. I took the Beatle song "I'm Down" and gave it a bluesy shuffle feel. Check it out on my YouTube channel.

Guitar lesson specifics

One of the questions I always ask my students is "What music do you listen to?" This helps me to establish a good connection with the student. I then will ask "What is it that has attracted you to the guitar?" The conversations that follow really give me an insight into the musical awareness of the student and help me to formulate the best teaching program. I believe it is very important to not have too many preconceived plans about how you want to teach the guitar. It has to be a creative process. Of course, you must have a very firm method for imparting the basics of technique but it is very important that the student sees the reasons behind these disciplines and the benefits therefore attained. The student may love to listen to songs in the acoustic/singer songwriter folk style genre and so will respond well to any techniques directed to that particular style. If the student has never really heard music with long extended guitar solos then there is little point in commencing a program of detailed scale study. What works for one student may not work for another. As an extreme example, there is no point in setting about teaching someone a whole set of altered jazz-based chords if they have never listened to that style of music. Of course that is not to say that you never introduce your students to new styles of music. Some students who are very receptive and talented will really enjoy delving into different styles and more challenging concepts. Again, what works for one may not work for another.

For an in-depth look at my guitar technique method go to the link below.

http://knol.google.com/k/rory-o-donoghue/playing-guitar-with-a-pick/222g3fw3z5e9o/2

Holidays

I'm on holidays at present from my position as guitar tutor at Abbotsleigh School and during this time I'd like to add more material to my YouTube channel. I have many pieces that I'd like to video but we have tradesmen here at present doing some work on the house so it's a little too noisy to begin recording.

Last week I completed a new 45 sec music track for the Outback Spirit bus tours TV commercial featuring some spectacular footage of Lake Eyre. Prior to that I performed at a corporate event in Pyrmont for The Cancer Council with my daughter Jessica and son Ben and last Sunday Jessica and I performed at a wedding expo in Terrey Hills. There is footage of the Pyrmont gig on Jessica's YouTube channel

I did manage, during a lull in the hammering, to post a YouTube clip of a song with my new ukulele. It's a great little instrument and I have many more ideas of good material to do with it. My next video will probably be with my Fender Strat through my new Roland Cube 80XL, a hot little amp with some sweet sounds.