Posts Tagged stevie ray vaughn

Is Your Adolescent a Agreeable Prodigy?

In 1997 University of Melbourne Music Education Professor Gary McPherson about called 157 accouchement to accept and apprentice a agreeable instrument. McPherson was aggravating to analyze the ancestry of those accouchement who went on to become able musicians and those who did not. Expected indicators like I.Q., a faculty of accent and aural adeptness decidedly played no absolute role in whether a adolescent went on to become an able musician.

The all important question

When administering the analysis anniversary adolescent was asked alike afore selecting a agreeable apparatus a simple question. “How continued do you anticipate you will play?” It turns out the acknowledgment to this catechism was the best augur of their continued appellation success. Those accouchement who answered “Not actual long” did not become proficient. Those who said a few years became analytic accomplished and those who said they would comedy for activity became the top students. Acceptance who fabricated this charge alike afore acrimonious up an apparatus were seeing their future.

Visualising is believing

What such studies advise us is the accent of visualising our approaching success. About every abundant achiever had some eyes of themselves acceptable abundant afore extensive the akin of success they assuredly achieved. Olympic athletes don’t aloof get lucky. They are generally distinct absent all the way to the gold medal. About every abundant artist I accept apprehend about has followed in the accomplish of their heroes. Whether its Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Joe Pass, Segovia, Slash, Jimi Page, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Angus Adolescent or Joe Satriani the adventure is abundant the same. “When I saw or heard (their guitar hero) I knew absolutely what I capital to do with my life.”

Talent is not an indicator of continued appellation success

Studies like McPherson’s additionally acknowledge a actual important fact. Innate aptitude has actual little to do with continued appellation success. This has been apparent in abstraction afterwards study. If you set out a eyes for yourself and assignment at it that eyes will about consistently become a absoluteness provided it’s a astute vision. If you are age-old 60 and demand to win gold at the Olympics for the 100m dart it’s somewhat unrealistic. I anticipate we all apperceive the difference. I afresh heard the adventure about a adolescent boy active in Costa Rica who absitively he capital to go into space. Considering Costa Rica has no amplitude affairs his affairs were abutting to aught of anytime accomplishing his goal. Afterwards over advancing abounding hurdles he eventually fabricated it to America, learnt to allege English, became an astronaut and has to date aureate has been on several amplitude shuttle missions.

Learning to swim

For parents I accept you can advice your accouchement by talking in agreement of a continued appellation charge to music. Back we booty our accouchement to pond acquaint we don’t say “Hi. I would aloof like to see if my adolescent has a aptitude for swimming”; yet I generally actuality parents say back they go to accept their adolescent for guitar acquaint such things as “We anticipation we would accord a try but not abiding if she has any talent” or “Let’s do a appellation of acquaint and see what happens”. These affectionate of comments acquaint accouchement that if at aboriginal you don’t accomplish again accord up. If instead parents booty the access of allurement the catechism “So you accept absitively you are activity to be a musician. Do you apperceive what this means?” Again go on to explain that it involves circadian convenance and account lessons. Back you booty this access you are far beneath acceptable to see your adolescent bottomward out of music lessons.

Tags: , ,

My Top Six Great Blues Guitarist

Some of the greatest blues guitarist in the world never achieved greatness, but because their style is so unique and innovative, it has made that artist world renowned. Artist like Bonnie Raitt for example certainly does not have the speed and raw sound of a Stevie Ray Vaughn, but instead she creates beautiful tones and lyrics that made her what she is today and advanced her into the mainstream of blues music.

The following is a list of my favorite top 6 Blues Artist:

Muddy Waters, an amazing artist specializing in the acoustic guitar. Muddy Waters roots came from rural Mississippi and helped create the style know as the Chicago blues. This style exploded and helped pave the way for artist like Stevie Ray and Eric Clapton.

Robert Johnson, his innovative and unique sound helped create the style we know today as the Delta blues, this style and can be heard today in current blues.

Eric Clapton, his unique style today helped combine the blues from the 60′s and the more heavy rock sounds we hear today. Eric Clapton is truly one of the best of his generation.

Stevie Ray Vaughn, was known for his raw power and sound. His incredible talent reached new heights in the industry. You would be hard pressed to find any anyone today that could hold a candle to his style and power. Stevie was one of the most influential artists of his time and often compared to Jimmy Hendrix.

T-Bone Walker, helped establish the blues guitar as a lead instrument, and also had a very unique sound especially while playing the blues. This unique style is still widely used today. T-Bone Walker is truly a pioneer and an important influence in almost every great blues player from that generation on.

Jimmy Hendrix, known as the godfather of the blues, Jimmy had the most influence and impact on virtually every guitarist today. Although Jimmy was surprisingly humble, musically, his style and sound is one that is most imitated today. When anyone talks about the blues guitar it would be nearly impossible not to mention Jimmy Hendrix.

We only mentioned a few of the great blues guitar players in this article, but every one of these artist helps continue to shape the history of the blues and lives in every great blues player today.

Tags: , , , ,

Blues Slide Guitar

Slide guitar playing in blues music had been popular for many years but not many people understand how this guitar playing style originated and the techniques used to produce this fascinating guitar sound. In the early twentieth century many American blues players began their careers playing music on a single string instrument called a diddley bow. This was a kid’s toy consisting of a wire stretched between two screws. It seems logical that without access to store bought instruments the emerging adult musicians would develop an instrument based on what they played music on as children. Of course the early blues players did use conventional guitars but a guitar played with a slide made from a knife or a bottle neck more readily complemented the vocal style and blues harp techniques the people used to express their lives in music.

Blues guitar players who took up slide guitar and influenced other musicians to do so were Muddy Waters and Elmore James. Both of these guitarists were driven by the music of Robert Johnson, built on his legacy and further influenced electric blues players like Johnny Winter and Duane Allman. Elmore actually started his musical career on the diddley bow when he was twelve years old. A confirmed individualist, he played a modified acoustic guitar to sound like a solid body electric.

Many students of blues slide guitar think that Earl Hooker is the greatest slide guitar player ever. He sometimes uses wah-wah with his slide playing and often amazed other musicians with his ability to make the slide guitar “sing”. But Earl Hooker did not need electronic effects to make his playing great as people who played music with him praise his technical skills. Elmore James’ song, “The Sky Is Crying” was covered by modern blues legends Albert King, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and George Thorogood.

Arguably one of the most high profile slide guitar players is Ry Cooder. He is a skilled guitarist who enjoys injecting his own personality into traditional songs of many genres but he is remembered for his slide guitar on the soundtracks of “Paris Texas” and “Crossroads”. For these contributions alone he must be included in any list of blues slide guitar players.

Duane Allman was a great blues player of the late sixties to early seventies probably most widely known for being the “other” guitarist on the Eric Clapton song, “Layla”. His mastery of blues music is undisputed and there is a story of the joy he expressed the day he discovered how well a Coricidin bottle could be used as a guitar slide. The story goes he had never played slide guitar before but after that day his slide playing became an indispensable part of The Allman Brothers Band repertoire.

If you want to learn how to play blues slide guitar, you will probably need to learn to play using open tunings, maybe even get yourself a guitar with heavy gauge strings and a high action specifically for open tunings. But to learn slide guitar techniques you can begin with any steel string electric or acoustic guitar using standard tuning. You will need your index finger to damp strings that you do not want heard so experiment with your slide fitted to your middle, ring finger or pinky. You will also want to try out finger picking style playing combined with slide techniques.

Tags: , , , ,

How To Find The Best Blues Guitar Course For You

When looking for the best blues guitar lesson dvds there are two basic types. The first type contains limited but highly focused lessons that are based on learning blues music in the style of certain historical periods like the Delta, Chicago or 1960’s Rock Blues. Also, there are specialty dvds available that focus on learning to play in the style of certain artists like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughn just to name a few.

This article will focus on the second type of blues guitar course. The kind created for students that desire comprehensive training in the fundamental skills required to play songs of many popular blues periods. These courses typically cover the essential riffs, techniques and music theory. Often these courses teach how to build interesting solos as well as being a supportive rhythm player in a live band.

General Guitar Skills Required Before Learning Blues Guitar

To get the most out of these complete blues instruction dvds it is first critical to have some familiarity with the basics of playing the guitar. Specifically, know how to play many of the major, minor and dominant seventh chords. Understand a few moveable bar chord shapes and at least one moveable major scale and minor pentatonic scale pattern. It would also be helpful to know basic fretting techniques for slides, bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs.

What To Look For In A Good Comprehensive Blues Guitar Course:

The Instructor: This is by far the most important factor in determining the value of a blues lesson dvd. Ideally the instructor will be an accomplished guitarist that has played extensively in blues bands. It is also useful if the instructor is competent in many non-blues styles of music and has written and recorded songs.

The blues course instructor must also be a gifted and experienced teacher. He must be able to identify with the learning styles and thought processes of students at each stage of their development. An instructor that is formally educated in music is ideal.

The Course format: The dvds would ideally offer continuous video and not just short segments. The videos should be accompanied by a printed support book or at least an ebook that can be downloaded from the internet. They should be well organized so that the lessons can build skills and understanding logically from one to another.

The Video Production quality: Close up shots must reveal the fingers on the fret board clearly so there is no ambiguity about what frets or what strings are being fingered. The videos should be of high enough resolution so that you can view them on a large computer or television screen without the image becoming fuzzy. Often programs that are downloaded from the internet don’t pass the sharpness test.

The Lessons Format: would include verbal explanation, full speed demonstrations, slow speed demonstrations, practice with the instructor and practice with a recorded back-up band (often referred to as Jam Tracks).

The Lesson Topics: Should At A Minimum Include: open blues chords, moveable blues chords, chord progressions, 12 bar blues format, common blues scales, common picking techniques, common fingering techniques, common blues strumming patterns, a selection of standard blues songs and how to improvise solos with a band.

Electric Blues or Acoustic Blues Instruction? Its important to know what type of blues music and therefore what kind of guitar lessons will fit the bill. Some blues guitar courses are for electric only, some are acoustic only and a few cover both.

It is worth noting that when acquiring advanced or specialty guitar lessons it is almost always beneficial to be exposed to the course teachings of many different master instructors. Each successful blues guitarist learns from past and present legends then melds those lessons into something that is unique. The more influences you have the richer your unique style can become.

One of the great advantages of video blues guitar lessons on dvd is that you can efficiently and relatively inexpensively learn a broad spectrum of standard styles, songs and artists. Now you should have a good set of criteria for finding the best blues guitar lessons for your specific interests.

Tags: , , , ,