Help Provide Musical Instruments to the Men and Women Who Defend Our Freedom!

As Independence Day approaches, I am ever thankful for our men and women in uniform who are in harm’s way defending our way of life and the freedom we enjoy. I was watching FOX News the other day and I found out about something really cool: Operation Happy Note.

According to their website, Operation Happy Note is a volunteer effort to send musical instruments to our deployed service men and women throughout the world. Steve and Barb Baker from Fergus Music started Operation Happy Note after their son was deployed to Iraq. They had sent him a guitar and then one of his buddies wanted one. These soldiers were so pleased with receiving and playing these instruments that Steve and Barb wanted to find a way to get more instruments into the hands of our troops: hence, "Operation Happy Note." Since March of 2005 Operation Happy Note has sent hundreds of instruments, including guitars, mandolins, banjos, violins, harmonicas, and accessories. Steve also wrote a lesson program with CD for those who don't know how to play. "We can’t stop now!" says Barb, just because her son is now back home with his family. "There are just too many requests that keep coming in. these soldiers need the joy that music brings to them."

If you are interested in being a part of this wonderful effort, more details are available at their website at:

http://operationhappynote.com

What an opportunity to be a blessing to those who lay their lives on the line to protect us!

Django Reinhardt

One of the first major jazz musicians to come from Europe was Jean Baptiste “Django” Reinhardt, born in Belgium, January 23, 1910. Reinhardt was a Sinto, of a tribe of nomadic peoples related to the Roma (Gypsies). He spent his childhood in Gypsy camps near Paris, learning how to play the violin, banjo and guitar.

At the age of 18, Django was severely injured in a fire. With first and second degree burns all over his body, his right leg became paralyzed and his left hand badly burned. Although doctors thought that he would never be able to play guitar again, his brother bought him a new guitar and Django, with great pain and difficulty, trained himself to play solos using only the two fingers of his left hand that worked. He also used the two fingers to play some chords. He actually pioneered the concept of a “lead” guitar played with a backup of “rhythm” guitar. Django died of a brain hemorrhage May 16, 1953. Today Django Reinhardt is recognized as one of the most advanced guitar players of jazz music. Here is a rare video of Django playing some great “two-fingered” lead guitar:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=K6nkHJQnEPs

The Guitar of Norman Blake

Norman Blake is, without a doubt, my favorite guitarist. The above photo of Norman, with his wife Nancy, was taken by Scott O'Malley, http://www.somagency.com/, and is used with Scott's permission.

I first became familiar with Norman's guitar playing in the 70's when I watched videos of the 1974 Philadelphia Folk Festival on WQED in Pittsburgh. That is when I fell in love with this thing called flatpicking. After that I went to a number of his concerts which were often in a "coffee house" setting. His wife Nancy usually accompanied him during part his performance.

Norman Blake was born on March 10, 1938 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. When he was a year old, his family moved to Sulphur Springs, Georgia. This is where he was raised. Although known as an acoustic guitar flatpicker, he plays include the mandolin, 6-string banjo, fiddle, dobro and banjo. His wife Nancy plays the cello, mandolin and guitar. Norman has played with John Hartford, Vassar Clements, Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Red Rector, David Bromberg, June Carter, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, and Joan Baez, and many other musicians.

As I said previously, Norman is, and has been for 30 years, my favorite guitarist. He is not the fastest flatpicker in the world--but he brings the wood of the acoustic guitar to life. He doesn't play very much beyond the first five frets of the instrument, but that is why he makes one acoustic guitar sound like an ensemble! The drone of the open strings picked here and there provide an anchor for the tune he picks, so that one acoustic guitar, without any backup, is complete in and of itself. His crosspicking techniques add to the fullness as well. Yet his guitar playing blends very well when he plays with other musicians. There is a great video of Norman playing (many years ago) with his wife Nancy, and fiddler James Bryan, at:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KKLgXgVRqjk

Below are two great instructional DVD's by Norman. He not only teaches you how to play tunes, but he includes theory, information about the guitars he plays, and the historical background of some of the tunes he picks. Check them out by clicking on to:

Homespun Norman Blake's Guitar Techniques 1 (DVD)

Homespun Norman Blake's Guitar Techniques 2 (DVD)

Relearning the G Chord

In the mid 1970's, after I had played guitar for about ten years, I took a few lessons from Mick Martin, an incredibly fast and versatile flatpicker. It was these lessons that put me on the right path toward getting those fiddle tunes to sound crisp and lively on the acoustic guitar.

I was told I had to "unlearn" a number of habits in order to get going in the right direction. The first thing he told me I had to do was to change the way I played the most basic of all chords: the G chord!

I had spent ten years playing G the way many people play it. You know, your second finger is behind the third fret of the sixth (low E) string, your first finger is behind the second fret of the fifth (A) string, and your third finger is behind the third fret of the first (high E) string. (See top photo, courtesy of http://forguitar.com/.) What could be easier?

But being easy wasn't the point. I had to learn something that was going to be very hard at first, in order to make a lot of other things much easier down the road. Here's what I had to do: I had to put my third finger behind the third fret of the sixth string, my second finger behind the second fret of the fifth string, and "Mr. Pinkie" behind the third fret of the first string. (See bottom photo, by Frank Ford, courtesy of http://frets.com/.) The first finger was not even going to be used in the chord!

I tried and it was so unnatural. It was painful. I couldn't even push the high E string down with my weak pinkie. What could possibly be the purpose in all of this? Mick told me to discipline myself to learn this and the purpose would become apparent. How true his words were!

After weeks of learning to play G in this new way, I found that I could switch to the C chord with much more speed that ever before. I also found that when I switched to the C chord, I could, at will, just leave my pinkie behind the third fret of the high E string, which gave the C chord an entirely new dimension. Then I could leave it on the same way and go right back to G. I also found that playing the G this way left my first finger and my other fingers in an ideal position to go quickly into lead licks. Why not try this yourself? Take the time to get it down and you'll never go back!

Guitar Lesson Comparison: Best "Picks"

There is a lot of guitar teaching available on the internet. Some
of these courses are excellent, while others are a waste of time
and money. Here are some of the best things I've seen. This list
begins with very basic beginner's lessons and proceeds on up
through more advanced and specialized areas of guitar.

Guitar Made Easy
Louise Slavnic is the author of this easy, yet extremely effective
system to get you playing like a pro fast! This is for the
beginning guitarist or guitarists with experience who want to
eliminate bad habits and totally master the basics.
Click Here!

The Beginner's Guide to Unlocking the Guitar
There are some techniques Jared Crebs has developed that can
improve your guitar skills 150% in just one weekend. His system
includes "Press & Listen" files (no downloading required),
easy-to-understand chord charts, over 150 quality pictures, and
step-by-step instructions.
Click Here!

The Jamorama Acoustic Guitar Learning Kit
"Who else wants to discover the astonishing, step-by-step secrets
of how to play acoustic guitar like the Eagles, Jack Johnson, Joni
Mitchell, Ben Harper, James Taylor, Jewell ... and so on?" This is
the question that Ben Edwards asks as he introduces his
revolutionary new acoustic guitar course, The Jamorama Acoustic
Guitar Learning Kit. This product has me quite excited because it
is so different from anything I have seen in a long time. Jamorama
Acoustic comes in two books: Beginner and Advanced. These books
take the guitarist on a journey from having NO guitar playing
skills to being able to play and read guitar tab like a pro.
Jamorama Acoustic is based on the Jamorama Guitar Learning Kit, widely recognized as the best guitar course available. The Jamorama Acoustic Guitar Learning Kit specifically integrates the acoustic guitar player with 148 video examples and exercises and 26 Acoustic Jam Tracks for the student to play along with. Lots of Bonuses, too!
Click Here!

Jamorama Lead Guitar
Now Ben Edwards asks another question: Who wants to play lead
guitar like "...Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Chet Atkins,
Stevie Ray Vaughn, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, ... and so many others?"
This is from the same great teacher who authored "The Jamorama
Acoustic Guitasr Learning Kit," but this one is obviously geared
toward electric lead guitar playing. Includes 29 Jam Tracks for you
to jam along with in a wide range of musical styles including rock,
jazz, country, blues, hip-hop and dance as your guitar playing
skills sky-rocket.
Click Here!

Playing Through the Blues
Griff Hamlin walks you step-by-step with a guaranteed method to
master blues guitar! Play like Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, BB King,
Stevie Ray Vaughn, etc. Learn blues scales by which to create
awe-insoiring solos. This one is great for the guitarist at just
about any level.
Click Here!

Guitar Scale Mastery
Craig Bassett's approach is designed to permanently tattoo guitar
scales into your brain and fingers, while also improving your
technique, speed, improvising and musicality. It Works! This one is
a gem--a real organized and effective system.
Click Here!

The Guitar Scales Method
I don't like this one quite as much as the above, but it is very
good. "The Guitar Scales Method" is not for beginners only, but for
the intermediate or advanced guitarist as well. If you want to
develop top-class guitar scales and improvisation skills, the
Guitar Scales Method can be the means to your success. This system
takes you to the total mastery of scales, modes, and improvisation.
Click Here!

RiffMaster Pro Version 2
And don't forget this amazing lick, riff & run learning tool! Thisinstantly downloadable software lets you take a lick from yourfavorite musician on any CD, and slow it down without changing thepitch. Make a loop so you can listen and play to it over and overat any speed! It does other things too--Only $47!!!
Click Here!