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Student Testimony: Thanks so much AlanP

I came to John with about 30 years of being self taught (kicked off by 1/2 dozen group lessons at age 18).

Having dabbled in a range of methods from finger style to conventional rock/pop/blues using books DVD’s and YouTube, I had reached a plateau in my DIY approach to learning (and in-grained a number of poor techniques!).

I now appreciate how critical it is to have a good teacher who can head off any incorrect techniques or approaches before they become limitations!

DSCF4773My goal is to progress as a “student” of jazz music (an awesome journey!).

John is a very accomplished musician and this coupled with his patience and creativity equips him with the ability to get to the root cause of any problems, and then follow through with solutions! This sets him apart as a teacher.

Also, there are very few players I have observed that can do what he does, playing any style! very inspiring!

A revelation for me has been learning the critical role of the right-hand in timing and feel.  “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing!”  I am now convinced that anything is possible with the right teacher and consistent approach to practice.

I highly recommend John to anyone looking to learn and improve their guitar technique and musical ability.

As the young folk would say, “Awesome!”

Rapt Student : AlanP.

 

Thanks so much Alan for this awesome testimony, which touches on so many things that I actually hold very dearly when it comes to teaching people to play their instrument of choice. In all this I believe that the up close and personal approach is the best way to go. If there is anything I have learned over the years, it is that every person is unique in their talents but also in their way of learning, in picking things up and running with it. Hence I have chosen for a relatively open structure and approach to teaching people how to play their instrument. Essentials will always stay essentials, but getting a good report helps to discover for each and every student how they can get the best out of themselves. Another student mentioned once that I seem to enjoy the lessons as much as they did no matter what they brought in. It is my belief that when you get ti know the student better and you look carefully at the things they want to learn, you will be able to find some consistency and system in there. Yes iit means more homework but fr the right reasons.

AlanP you are a joy to teach and it is an even bigger joy to see the look on your and other students when they played what they never thought they would be able to do, just like you earlier this evening. When that happens, yes!!!! I enjoy the lessons as much as the student. What more fun can there be in assisting people to be amazed by themselves!?

And if you the reader, no matter where you are is thinking “I want that!” just contact me 

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A Response from Easter pre-dawn Service

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Last weekend I had the privilege and joy to be involved in a pre-dawn Easter Service in Hagley Park. From 6.00 – 7.00 in the morning we gathered to sing and play hymns and spiritual songs and in between there was scripture reading. Great to be involved in this cross-congregational initiative through the Shekinah Trust.

Here is part of the response that came back:

I hope you have had a great Easter celebration and have had time to get some rest. This is one Easter celebration we will not forget easily. It will probably remain in our minds as the most memorable one – singing in a park, under electric lights and with a steady drizzle for overhead cover. Some attendees likened it to the ‘latter rain’ that will fall on the body of believers in the last days.

What amazes me is that the audience continued to remain seated unmindful of the rain even as the singers and musicians carried on with their singing.

It was indeed amazing to see all these people siting unfazed by the rain singing and listening. Never before I have been playing amplified in the rain, and while I said a little prayer asking not to be electrocuted, I felt at peace and joyous to be part of this very special celebration. Thank you Shekinah Trust for inviting us and thank you people that were there and stayed there for the whole service, thank you God for keeping everyone safe.

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Some late night doodling

I thoroughly believe that doodling is a valuable part of your development as a guitar player. This night I left the webcam on and doodled away some jazz standards.

Here they are.

Nuages

 

What I really like a lot about my Luna Trinity is that it has this nice gypsy sound to it.
My fingers are sore and stiff (I am getting older and wet weather has an effect) but this is
just so as to show the versatility of the guitar.

And Some More Noodling

  • A minor intro,
  • What Are you doing the rest of your life
  • People who need people
  • Polkadots and Moonbeams

This is my of refreshing my memory.

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Lesson: Walk that bass (G blues) first chorus

lafe004

This week a chorus of walking bass under a G blues. This is playable with a pick as well as fingerstyle.

The following chord changes are used as the basis:

|| G 7 | C 7| G7 | % | C7 | % | G7 | E7 | Am7 | D7 | G7 E7 | Am7 D7 ||

The chords used here are so called drop two chords, consisting of the third and the seventh of each chord. They represent the complete functionality of the chord: an approach that will be part of another lesson soon.

Here we go
G bLues chorus 1 1-4

In bar one the bass follows the major triad tones and chromatically walks back to land on the C root in the second bar. A chromatic approached is used to walk from the E note (third of C chord) via F and F# back to G. In bar four a chord sequence is applied on the bass notes. G7, Am, Bb dim,  B min. 

G bLues chorus 1 5-8

Bar 5 uses the C 7 drop two chord in position VIII, the bass consists of the chord tones. Bar 6 is a chord sequence C7, Bb6, Am7, G#7. The G#7 or Ab7 is the chromatic option that comes from replacing a  D7 dominant chord resolving to G with its so called tri-tone substitution. In bar the bass line chromatically ascends to E on the last beat. Similarly a chromatic descending last beat note is found in bar 8 which resolves to the Am7

G bLues chorus 1 9-12

In bar 9 the Eb note on beat four descends chromatically to D7, just like in bar 9 the G# (Ab) descends to G. Bar 11 and 12 are a so called turn around. Notice how the tritones are used for chromatic purposes in bar 11 and 12 on the fourth beat.

A pdf file is availble here >>>

Have fun.

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Free Lesson: Using the Lydian Mode

38954_422793518215_501308215_4610668_3753202_nSometimes we stumble upon the Maj7#11 chord in our musical ventures.

The maj7#11 chord is sometimes referred to as the Lydian chord associated with the fourth step in a harmonized major scale, at which we find the Lydian mode (major scale with raised 4th).

In this lesson we will look at 3 possible approaches, which will also work to color up a normal major triad,  maj7 chords, 6 chords, maj7 9, 6/9 chords or
majo 7/13 chords.

The raised fourth gives the mode an airy sound. Some players that use this as one of their favored scales are: Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Scott Henderson and John Scofield and Albert Lee. The scale is commonly applied by many jazz guitar players and modern rockers alike.

Lydian mode

The lydian mode to which the maj7#11 chord refers is the fourth mode of the major scale. So an F maj7#11 is associated with the F Lydian mode which is the C major scale but started on the fourth note. While some people prefer to learn and use the Lydian mode, I teach my students to play the major scales they already know and shift the tonal center/ root to F.

Below is an example of the E lydian mode played in the VI position on the guitar. Effectively however you can translate that back to the B major scale which has the E (lydian mode) on the fourth step. (E.g. B major scale over E).

Lydian 001

Below is a lick using the E Lydian (read B major scale) in the position VI.

Lydian 002

In one of the lessons we discussed the G major scale. In this lesson we found the lick the following G major lick.

Trying shifting this lick up four positions and play it over a E chord.

Pentatonic Scales

Most guitar players start their lead guitar playing and improvisation using the minor pentatonic scale. In this case the pentatonic approach offers some additional options where it comes to playing extended sequences 0r when you enjoy a more layered approach.

First of is the pentatonic scale half a step below the root of the chord. So of we go for E, that would make it the  D# minor pentatonic which has the notes D#, F#, G#, A#, C#. When we set off these notes against an E major chord the pentatonic scale provides us with the maj 7, 9, 3, #11 and 6/13.

Lydian 003

Why I like using pentatonic scales is because they lead easier into motive type of approaches with less of a risk of sounding like you a racing up and down a scale.

While the D# minor pentatonic scale is the preferred one for outlining the Lydian mode, the (E major) or C#minor pentatonic scale allows for outlining the major triad and 6 chord. The B major (or G# minor pentatonic scale) is another way of outlining the chord and is closest related to the underlying B major scale.

Here a D# minor pentatonic lick over E maj7

Lydian 004

Shifting around triads

Sometimes you will find the lydian chord represented as a slash chord.
The E maj7 may sometimes be written down as a F#/E (read F# with an E in the bass or F# over E root).

Similar as to indicated for the use of pentatonic scales, you could move around these two triads as arpeggios and it will create some nice lead lines.

Lydian 005

To add more possibilities you could opt to also include the two minor parallel triads of E and F#, being C#minor and D# minor.

Have fun and try out some of your general major licks as lydian licks by changing the underlying chord. So if you have some licks in C major, try what happens if you play these over an F chord, or some licks in G major over a C chord Likewise, if you have some A natural minor scale licks, play them over F, E natural minor scale licks over C etc.  You’ll be amazed how these same old licks get a new life when applied in a different context.

Have fun.

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