Dr. Dave’s Guitar / Music Blog

Well the 2010 Montreal Guitar Show is now history but from all accounts it was a fantastic place to see and play some magnificent instruments. I could not get to Montreal this year, but fortunately for us our friends at Guitar Player showed up with video equipment. You can get some feeling of the show and a few of the instruments through the 10 video clips on the Guitar Player web site:

http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/barry-cleveland-/July-2010/116863

These are just a few of the HUNDREDS of exhibitors at the show.

I hope to meet some of you there in 2011.

Many of us know Laurence Juber as an incredible guitarist, and most know that he is a fine composer for the guitar. You may not know that LJ has been quite active as a film composer over the years, in addition to playing for films and TV.

I have just received this clip from NBC’s Dateline with LJ talking about his composing the score for Children of the Harvest. I think you will find it an interesting insight into composing for film:

http://www.clicker.com/tv/dateline-nbc/Behind-the-music-of-Children-of-the-Harvest-1011950/

There is nothing like the feeling of playing a song you have arranged yourself. Besides saving money on music books, and being able to play songs that there is no book for, you get a particular satisfaction with figuring it out yourself. You also have the chance to make it sound exactly as you want, and also to match it to your own skill level. It is also a great way to ease into writing your own songs.

But where do you start? The guitar can be a particularly difficult instrument to write for. Well I have just happened upon a site that shows you, step-by-step, how to create simple fingerstyle guitar arrangements. After you master the basics, there is information on making more complex arrangements as well. The author walks you through his own arrangement of Desperado, and as a bonus Blue Bayou.

I do not know who the author of this site is, so if you do please let me know. Whoever it is deserves credit for making such a good learning resource available free to all of us.

http://el-kay.com/guitar/Arranging1.html

There is a lot of hype around music but as I hope you have noticed I try to avoid it. This has two benefits: I can give my honest opinions, and when something really outstanding comes along the praise should mean much more.

Today is a day that I can pull out all the stops on praise. Gareth Pearson is simply one of the best fingerstyle guitarists and his debut CD Urban Echoes Vol. 1 is the most exciting new fingerstyle CD I have heard this year!

When Tommy Emmanuel brought 16-year-old Gareth to the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society in 2006 his playing instantly grabbed the attention of the fingerstyle community. Since then he has toured twice with Tommy, and as is obvious from this CD, he has worked very hard at both his playing and his songwriting. Both are fantastic, and this is a CD that you do not want to miss.

Even if you don’t usually read reviews, read this one! It has links to clips from the CD as well as more detailed information on each track. Read my review here: http://davewalkermusic.com/page2/UrbanEchoes1_Review.html

I have just received one of the most amazing guitar CD’s I have heard. I’ve been sick this past week or else I would have posted the review already, but I should be able to get it done in the next couple of days. In the mean time I thought I should answer a few questions that keep getting sent to me from different folks.

What to practise?

I have touched on this one before but since it keeps popping up I’ll give it a bit more detail. The best advice I have heard came from Laurence Juber in a terrific master class that he gave. Several students mentioned that they had full-time jobs and family responsibilities that only left them 10-15 minutes a day to play their guitars. What should they do in that short time? LJ told them to learn songs. Great advice, and surprisingly not all that obvious to a lot of people. Some of the reasons to do learn songs are: that’s what you want to do eventually, so why not now; there is nothing so motivating as learning to play a song you have always wanted to play; you will encounter the situations that will make any theory you might learn practical. Even if you can only play three chords, there are thousands of songs that you can play. Most important of all, it’s fun! (It’s also a pedagogically sound way to learn the guitar, but I will go into that at another time.)

How do I start writing songs?

I’m not sure if it’s something in the air (or water) but suddenly all sorts of people are asking me how to begin writing songs. There are lots of good books and learning materials on songwriting, but the best way to learn is … writing songs. OK, you may know that already, and a lot of people who ask me know it too. Their comeback is virtually always the same: “But my songs suck.” Word for word, I’m not making this up. My reply is that anyone who became a good songwriter started off writing crap, but stuck with it and got better. Just as one example, think of Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Love Me Do was their first hit, and hardly one of the great songs of all time, but it was a start and pretty good for the time. Certainly they progressed far beyond it and very quickly at that, but BEFORE they wrote Love Me Do they wrote dozens of songs that they admit were “pretty terrible”. (Paul McCartney has estimated that they wrote 70 songs before Love Me Do. Walter Everett has managed to identify 43 in his book The Beatles As Musicians, Vol. 1.) Writing should be fun, and if it comes from your heart other people will respond. Maybe not the people you want to respond, and certainly not everybody, but you will meet some very interesting people who like your music.

Where can I get more information on Lily Afshar?

We have had a tremendous amount of interest in Lily Afhsar’s music, which makes me very, very happy. Lily Afshar has a very informative web site at: http://www.lilyafshar.com/

I notice that Lily’s site is down as I write this. I have visited it quite a few times over the past few weeks, so I am sure that this is just a temporary glitch. If you cannot connect to it, just try again a little later. You will be glad you did.

Back on June 13 I wrote about the wonderful guitarist Lily Afshar. I have just had the opportunity to listen to her CD Hemispheres and I find her even more extraordinary. The degree to which she has expanded the repertoire of classical guitar, and guitar in general, is amazing. Her playing has inspired quite a few composers to write music specifically for her, and many of these fascinating compositions are given their world premiere on Hemispheres.

A performer of the highest echelon, Dr. Afshar is equally at home with western and Persian music, and where they meet is magical musical territory. This CD is truly a musical journey, and an experience that you really should not miss. Wonderful music, flawlessly played.

Read why I think so in my review here: http://davewalkermusic.com/page2/Hemispheres_Review.html

As more people start to recognize me as “Dr. Dave” I have heard the stories of a lot of interesting folks. One of the saddest, and one that I hear almost weekly now, is the “story of the abandoned guitar.” Someone bought or was given a guitar years ago; they never had time to learn; they are too busy for lessons and just want to play a few songs anyway; and most DVD’s are just too hard. Sound familiar?

If it does, then I just might have a solution for you. I have just gone through Broooks Williams‘ new DVD Blues Guitar Basics. This DVD is aimed at the absolute beginner, and will take you from knowing virtually nothing to playing simple blues in a very short time.

Blues is a great place to start learning the guitar because it represents so much of music in general: it is very easy to get started, and yet takes a lifetime to master. This DVD will get you started.

Read my review of Blues Guitar Basics here: http://davewalkermusic.com/page4/BluesGuitarBasics_Review.html

With the busiest travel weekend in North America just past, and vacations looming for many people the thought of travel guitars comes to mind again. A few years back, when I was doing a lot of international travelling, I tried out virtually every travel guitar I could find. Many of them were disappointing for one reason or another - size, price, playability, and poor sound quality. When I finally found one that seemed perfect, I bought it immediately and have never regretted it.

So today I will share this little gem with you in case you want to treat yourself, or a guitarist close to you. I will also add some serious caveats or warnings about these instruments, since it seems that nothing worthwhile comes all that easy.

Without further ado, here is the guitar I bought - a Steinberger Spirit:

The Good News

This is a full-size guitar - full-size for Steinberger that is - with a full scale neck. The lack of headstock and ultra-small body make it small enough to fit in an airplane’s overhead compartment, unlike most “travel” guitars. It is very light and quite comfortable on a strap. It also has a fold-out  stand on the bottom that makes it very comfortable to hold on your leg or lap. You can play it through a regular guitar amp, including those really good-sounding battery models that are around, or through a headphone amp. As you might guess, the neck is easily accessible right up to the top fret. The tremolo mechanism is top-notch and flies back into perfect tune - on mine at least. More on this in a paragraph or two.

The Great News

The great news is all about the one I got, as your mileage (or kilometrage) may differ. Again, we’ll get to that soon. I bought mine from a seller on eBay, and the item itself was actually better than advertised. It was also under $500, which is a great price for such a serious instrument. The seller, a very nice guy who takes exquisite care of his guitar collection, had upgraded the pickups to top-of-the-line Seymour Duncan humbuckers, and this guitar sounds just fantastic. No extra charge for an upgrade that set him back over $200, including installation! The result is a guitar that can scream for the loudest rock on the bridge pickup but is mellow enough for jazz with the neck pickup. The various blends of the two have more great sounds.

The Not-So-Good News

While I love my guitar, there are things you must watch out for if you want to find a good one. Right off the bat, there are a lot of people who know about these guitars and so the bidding on eBay can get frenzied. Don’t get caught up in it! These guitars come up for sale fairly regularly so another may be listed soon enough.

Just as important, Steinberger is not always Steinberger. The Steinberger company was bought by Gibson over a decade ago, and changes were made. Most of the Spirit guitars sold have wooden bodies, not the graphite ones for which Steinberger was famous. I think this is actually a plus, because I find the wood body to have a better sound while being just as durable. However, lots of buyers have complained about newer models made in the last 5 years or more (cheaper parts, poor construction, unavailability of replacement parts, shoddy workmanship being the main complaints). The older “Steinberger” Spirit guitars are virtually identical to the Hohner version, and sometimes you can find the Hohners cheaper since their name does not have the cachet of Steinberger. They share the same Steinberger input, the design of the instrument, which Hohner licensed. If the guitar says Steinberger on it, and you cannot verify the age of the guitar then I would suggest you walk away from the deal as some of the newer ones have serious defects and parts for them are virtually unobtainable. To be completely safe, you want one that was made in 1998 or earlier. Since it can be difficult to judge the age of the instrument, you are safest buying a Hohner. There should still be parts available for the Hohner’s and the older Steinbergers (which are virtually identical).

Prices will vary, but keep in mind that the worst models are often “dumped” on eBay for very low prices, say in the $200-300 range. You may still be able to find a bargain, of course, but be very careful. Check the seller’s rating and ask questions before bidding. If you can buy from an online store with a good return policy, all the better.

I am living proof that it is possible to get a great Steinberger Spirit guitar, but it will take some work. First, do some basic research into the models. A great place to start is at Harmony Central’s Steinberger Reviews page: http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Steinberger.

A great list of the different models and their characteristics is on the web site of Ed Roman Guitars: http://www.edroman.com/guitars/steinberger/models.htm. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and read the section titled “HERE’S THE SMALL PRINT.” It will tell you why to be careful about buying one on eBay.

The Bottom Line

I love my Steinberger Spirit, no matter who made it. I was fortunate enough to buy from a reputable seller, who coincidentally lived close enough to me for me to pick it up in person and actually try it out with the seller present. I also got a great price on an upgraded guitar. I researched the guitars for about two months and bid on auctions on eBay for another two months before I finally got this one. It took some work and perseverance, but I ended up with a great travel guitar.

I wish you good luck in finding one just as nice!

Maybe it is all the holidays at this time of year - July 1 is Canada Day, and July 4 is Independence Day down south of us - so I feel happy to be able to help some of you who have written in and also to showcase someone who you might not be aware of - Steve Vetter.

As you may know, I have reviewed a number of Robert Conti’s instructional DVD’s, both here and in Just Jazz Guitar magazine. I have said that I think they are great value and terrific learning resources for the jazz guitarist. Over the months I have had a number of comments about them, as well as questions. Until now I have answered these obliquely in the reviews, but this past week I received an email from a reader who requested that I answer it if at all possible. Well, it is, so first here is the email:

Hey Dr. Dave,

I read your reviews of the Robert Conti DVD Ticket to Improv and it sounds good, but looking around the ‘net I see a lot of rave reviews and criticism too so I don’t know what to believe! So can you tell me just this: would I get results from them and what would I be able to play in say a couple weeks?

Thanks for the great blog site, I read it all the time. Please answer this on there if its at all possible.

greyGuitarGuy

Well greyGuitarGuy, you know that I have said that you will get results if you put in the minimum of effort, which is true of anything but very true in this case. Of course these DVD’s will not turn you into a jazz guitarist overnight, but they will get you playing real jazz and give you a lot to work on to develop your own style. As for the raves and criticism you find online, I know how confusing that stuff can be. Personally, I try to find out the bias of whoever is writing, to see where they are coming from. Do they knock anybody who is successful, or are they choosy about what they like? If you can find a reviewer who seems to have the same sort of taste as you, then see what they have to say. My hope for this blog is that people will read it enough to see where I am coming from, and use that to decide whether to follow my opinions.

But even then, empirical evidence is better than opinion, and this is where Steve Vetter comes in. As I understand it, he got the Ticket To Improv DVD’s in early May, and has recently posted videos of himself playing solos from them on YouTube. I am told that he has a day job that leaves him little time for practice, so he is not already a jazz wizard. Here is a link to one of his YouTube performances. Take a look and listen and see if this is what you are looking to be able to do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTJ8rYS8hrA

And Steve, very nice playing!

They say that “Great minds think alike” and we just might be witnesses to the meeting of our time’s great guitar minds.

I have written a number of times about Dagmar Custom Guitars of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.These guitars are the brainchildren of luthier Pete Swanson whose revolutionary curve-sided guitars have sparked a lot of interest in the guitar world. To recap: Pete makes the sides of his guitars out of hundreds of keystone-shaped pieces of wood that he cuts out by hand and then re-assembles into arches, and then into the curved sides of his guitars. These sides give the guitars great volume and and really unique tone, but they also bear all of the stress of the neck and tailpiece, leaving the top and back to vibrate freely. They also look ultra-cool. (You can find out more about these guitars at the Dagmar web site: http://dagmarcustomguitars.com/)

Pete has just delivered the guitar he has dubbed “Vicky” to the proud new owner, Dr. Hans-Peter Loock, of Queens University in Ontario. Dr.Loock is the other great mind that I referred to above. His use for Vicky may be the most revolutionary advance in guitar amplification and recording of our time. First, here is a picture of Vicky that Dr. Loock was kind enough to send me:

So what is Dr. Loock doing with this guitar? He and his team are working on a new kind of pickup - the Photonic Pickup - that uses fibre optics to read the vibrations of the guitar’s top, to pick up the precise pitch being played with absolutely no electrical interference!

What follows is an extremely simplified version of my understanding of the technology: A tiny mirror-like reflective surface is embedded in a fibre optic cable that is attached to the guitar’s top. A tiny laser is then focussed on the “mirror” and its reflection is monitored. As the top moves, it stretches the mirror and changes the beam of the laser that is reflected. The intensity of the reflected light changes with amplitude (or volume) while the frequency of the light’s intensity is the frequency of the pitch. This information can then be converted to an analog signal to go to a normal guitar amp, or to a digital signal.

The advantages to this technology are that it is extremely small and light, has a flat frequency response curve, and is immune to electro-magnetic interference. The pickups are so small that even at this stage they have been put on harmonicas. The flat frequency response would mean a lot less fiddling with tone controls to compensate for the peculiarities of a magnetic pickup. And the freedom from EM interference would mean no more hunting around for the source of hums and buzzes affecting the pickups.

The Photonic Pickup is still a ways from commercial availability, with a few technological odds and ends to be figured out. Right now it is an intriguing glimpse into the possible future of the guitar, and one that is a lot of fun to ponder.