New Year Musical Self Improvements?

[Gary Rice]

Happy New Year's Day, good friends in Lakewoodland!

Here's a note that I just sent out to my guitar playing friends that I thought I might share with you: (This message was primarily intended for those who already play the guitar, so if you don't already play one, why not get started today?)

Yup, it's that time again when the diets and bathroom scales and resolutions and hangover-induced reforms hit the consciences of America. Seeking self-improvement is never a bad thing. If you are a working musician this New Years morning, chances are that you are not even out of bed yet, but I digress here.

The stories I could tell about playing music at New Years parties could fill a book. I'm just amazed that I made it home alive all those years. These days, I make it a point NOT to go out on New Years Eve, but that's just me. Having been solemnly initiated into the fraternity of Elderdom, my priorities are not what they once were, back in the days when the hot stage lights caused me to dress in totally weird clothing and dance around with a guitar or behind a drum set, in front of hundreds of drunks as the countdown began. Tenz, Ninz, Ate, Sev-(burp)en, Seexz, Fivve, Floor, etc...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Ah well....Actually, I was neither a drinker nor a smoker. All of this was, therefore, not much fun to me at the time, but it was indeed lucrative. New Years jobs paid better than any other musical work I could find at the time, so there was that, at least, but most of us musicians probably considered it to be combat pay.

If you're thinking about New Year's self-improvement, why not start with learning a new guitar-related instrument? Granted, some instruments take a bit longer to learn than others do, BUT, there are a couple of ground rules to remember here. First of all, learning a second instrument will be much easier to learn than your first one. Age does not seem to matter in the least, as far as being an impediment to learning. In fact, some of my best music students were in their 40's and 50's. Life experience can help the learning process greatly! Remember too that free (and pay-to-play) instruction videos are all over the internet, and this can greatly reduce the stress factor of sitting in front of an instructor. Still, that point offered, sitting in front of an instructor is still probably the best way to learn. At least you have many options with learning these days. Remember too that there are repair tips videos online too, so if you want to fix up Grandma's old mandolin, you might be able to do it yourself. Let common sense be your guide of course.

(There are several fine Lakewood music stores offering quality instruction and repair of musical instruments)

Let's look at several of the guitar's cousins (along with the drums) here, with the idea that you might want to expand your talents in the new year.

The steel guitar: Acoustic or electric, sometimes a simple resonator guitar, and sometimes with pedals added, this is a favorite in Hawaiian and country music. Not actually made of steel, the term "steel" refers to the slide used to play the instrument. Great fun indeed!

The mandolin: Essentially, a fretted violin that you pick, rather than bow, the mandolin and it's cousin, the lower pitched mandola, are tuned just like the violin and viola, respectively. The huge advantage with playing melodies on these instruments is the fact that they are tuned in 5ths evenly across the fingerboard, and you can find a whole lot of notes in just a single position. Chords are a bit of a challenge, but you can "cheat" too by just using double stops to suggest whole chords. Picking includes lots of up and down motions with "trilling" to hold out a note, as mando notes are staccato. (short in sustain) Rhythm mando parts in folk and bluegrass often play short "chop" chords on the after beat of a song, much as a snare drum does in rock.

Violin: Along with the viola, the fiddle is probably the most challenging of instruments. You MUST have a good ear, as well as good fingering and bowing technique, all of which can be learned. Technically, the term "violin" applies to classical music, while "fiddle" indicates use in folk and country. Sometimes a "fiddle" bridge is cut a bit flatter so as to play more than one string at a time. Although a bit daunting in the beginning to learn, the fiddle is an extremely satisfying instrument to master.

The electric or acoustic bass guitar: Basically a fretted miniature bass viol, the bass is so essential to virtually all types of music. Basic bass playing principles can be grasped in a few sessions with a good bassist. A bass is probably the easiest instrument for a guitarist to pick up.

Drum set: Here's an instrument that, with a bit of coordination, you can at least get the basics down very quickly. Your bass drum keeps the beat, your snare drum hits the after beat, and your cymbals tap along to the rhythm of the song. It does get more complicated than all this, but guitarists can generally nail down the basics of playing drum set rhythms fairly quickly.

The banjo family: 3 primary kinds here...

1) The 5 string, which is essentially a bluegrass or old-time instrument; can be picked or flailed. The 5 string banjo's picking patterns (called "rolls") can be very challenging to learn at first, but if you are serious, a 5 string banjo can bring a great deal of fun to your life.

2) The tenor banjo: (or it's longer necked cousin, the plectrum) Tenors are normally tuned in 5ths like fiddles or mandos, with similar advantages or disadvantages. Invented to play jazz, these are missing the high drone G string, making it easier to play in different keys. You can also tune these like a guitar (called "Chicago" tuning) These are making a BIG comeback in Irish and
Folk music.

3) The six string banjo: Tuned like a guitar, this version has been around for more than a century to fill out the voices in the old banjo orchestras. (And yes, there were even banjo basses!) This is a very valid and fun instrument, often maligned by other banjo players however, who may call it a "cheater" banjo. This is still one of my favorite instruments.

The ukes: About every 20 years or so this little instrument (available in soprano, tenor, baritone, and sometimes other sizes and versions, including banjo and guitar) makes a giant comeback, and that is presently the case in our country. Tuned similarly (but higher pitched) to a guitar, but with an octave string replacing the low string, the uke has a bright happy voice that makes you
want to hop a plane to the islands. Originally it was a small Portuguese guitar, but when the uke (really pronounced OOOK) hit the Hawaiian Islands, it found a home.

Why not give one or more of these great instruments a chance? Although I'm retired now, don't hesitate to ask me (or anyone in the world of music) for advice.

As well, there are plenty of places around to listen, and even participate in the wonderful world of informal or formal music. The Folknet website has a great calendar of monthly happenings in our area.

Happy New Year!

Gary Rice

[Jim O'Bryan]

Happy New Year's Day, good friends in Lakewoodland!

Here's a note that I just sent out to my guitar playing friends that I thought I might share with you: (This message was primarily intended for those who already play the guitar, so if you don't already play one, why not get started today?)

Yup, it's that time again when the diets and bathroom scales and resolutions and hangover-induced reforms hit the consciences of America. Seeking self-improvement is never a bad thing. If you are a working musician this New Years morning, chances are that you are not even out of bed yet, but I digress here.

The stories I could tell about playing music at New Years parties could fill a book. I'm just amazed that I made it home alive all those years. These days, I make it a point NOT to go out on New Years Eve, but that's just me. Having been solemnly initiated into the fraternity of Elderdom, my priorities are not what they once were, back in the days when the hot stage lights caused me to dress in totally weird clothing and dance around with a guitar or behind a drum set, in front of hundreds of drunks as the countdown began. Tenz, Ninz, Ate, Sev-(burp)en, Seexz, Fivve, Floor, etc...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Ah well....Actually, I was neither a drinker nor a smoker. All of this was, therefore, not much fun to me at the time, but it was indeed lucrative. New Years jobs paid better than any other musical work I could find at the time, so there was that, at least, but most of us musicians probably considered it to be combat pay.

If you're thinking about New Year's self-improvement, why not start with learning a new guitar-related instrument? Granted, some instruments take a bit longer to learn than others do, BUT, there are a couple of ground rules to remember here. First of all, learning a second instrument will be much easier to learn than your first one. Age does not seem to matter in the least, as far as being an impediment to learning. In fact, some of my best music students were in their 40's and 50's. Life experience can help the learning process greatly! Remember too that free (and pay-to-play) instruction videos are all over the internet, and this can greatly reduce the stress factor of sitting in front of an instructor. Still, that point offered, sitting in front of an instructor is still probably the best way to learn. At least you have many options with learning these days. Remember too that there are repair tips videos online too, so if you want to fix up Grandma's old mandolin, you might be able to do it yourself. Let common sense be your guide of course.

(There are several fine Lakewood music stores offering quality instruction and repair of musical instruments)

Let's look at several of the guitar's cousins (along with the drums) here, with the idea that you might want to expand your talents in the new year.

The steel guitar: Acoustic or electric, sometimes a simple resonator guitar, and sometimes with pedals added, this is a favorite in Hawaiian and country music. Not actually made of steel, the term "steel" refers to the slide used to play the instrument. Great fun indeed!

The mandolin: Essentially, a fretted violin that you pick, rather than bow, the mandolin and it's cousin, the lower pitched mandola, are tuned just like the violin and viola, respectively. The huge advantage with playing melodies on these instruments is the fact that they are tuned in 5ths evenly across the fingerboard, and you can find a whole lot of notes in just a single position. Chords are a bit of a challenge, but you can "cheat" too by just using double stops to suggest whole chords. Picking includes lots of up and down motions with "trilling" to hold out a note, as mando notes are staccato. (short in sustain) Rhythm mando parts in folk and bluegrass often play short "chop" chords on the after beat of a song, much as a snare drum does in rock.

Violin: Along with the viola, the fiddle is probably the most challenging of instruments. You MUST have a good ear, as well as good fingering and bowing technique, all of which can be learned. Technically, the term "violin" applies to classical music, while "fiddle" indicates use in folk and country. Sometimes a "fiddle" bridge is cut a bit flatter so as to play more than one string at a time. Although a bit daunting in the beginning to learn, the fiddle is an extremely satisfying instrument to master.

The electric or acoustic bass guitar: Basically a fretted miniature bass viol, the bass is so essential to virtually all types of music. Basic bass playing principles can be grasped in a few sessions with a good bassist. A bass is probably the easiest instrument for a guitarist to pick up.

Drum set: Here's an instrument that, with a bit of coordination, you can at least get the basics down very quickly. Your bass drum keeps the beat, your snare drum hits the after beat, and your cymbals tap along to the rhythm of the song. It does get more complicated than all this, but guitarists can generally nail down the basics of playing drum set rhythms fairly quickly.

The banjo family: 3 primary kinds here...

1) The 5 string, which is essentially a bluegrass or old-time instrument; can be picked or flailed. The 5 string banjo's picking patterns (called "rolls") can be very challenging to learn at first, but if you are serious, a 5 string banjo can bring a great deal of fun to your life.

2) The tenor banjo: (or it's longer necked cousin, the plectrum) Tenors are normally tuned in 5ths like fiddles or mandos, with similar advantages or disadvantages. Invented to play jazz, these are missing the high drone G string, making it easier to play in different keys. You can also tune these like a guitar (called "Chicago" tuning) These are making a BIG comeback in Irish and
Folk music.

3) The six string banjo: Tuned like a guitar, this version has been around for more than a century to fill out the voices in the old banjo orchestras. (And yes, there were even banjo basses!) This is a very valid and fun instrument, often maligned by other banjo players however, who may call it a "cheater" banjo. This is still one of my favorite instruments.

The ukes: About every 20 years or so this little instrument (available in soprano, tenor, baritone, and sometimes other sizes and versions, including banjo and guitar) makes a giant comeback, and that is presently the case in our country. Tuned similarly (but higher pitched) to a guitar, but with an octave string replacing the low string, the uke has a bright happy voice that makes you
want to hop a plane to the islands. Originally it was a small Portuguese guitar, but when the uke (really pronounced OOOK) hit the Hawaiian Islands, it found a home.

Why not give one or more of these great instruments a chance? Although I'm retired now, don't hesitate to ask me (or anyone in the world of music) for advice.

As well, there are plenty of places around to listen, and even participate in the wonderful world of informal or formal music. The Folknet website has a great calendar of monthly happenings in our area.

Happy New Year!

Gary Rice

Happy New Year Gary!

Thank you.

.

[Gary Rice]

Thanks so much Jim, and the same to you, yours, and all!

For anyone starting out with a guitar-related instrument, a good support group can do wonders.

One of the best of those, in my opinion, is the (normally third Saturday afternoons: 1-3) acoustic players song circle group at the Metroparks Canalway Visitors Center. This location is a part of the beautifully renovated Cuyahoga Valley former industrial area. The Center itself is a great place to see many species of birds, and even has an indoor partial replica of a canal boat that you and the children can go through!

In a song circle, people of all levels, from beginners to pros, congregate and go around the circle trading favorite songs. Each month generally offers a general theme (water songs, winter songs, etc..) Hop on the Metroparks website to check out the theme for this month.

Another great event is the second Saturday evenings (6:30-9:00) open mike at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Westlake. That's a really nice venue with coffee and food. Check out their website for more details.

Still closer is the (usually Wednesday evenings) 10X3 open mike event at Brothers Lounge on Detroit Ave. 10 players perform 3 songs each. Its a great place to catch both seasoned pros and upcoming acts.

There are many other places around here where similar events are held. Again, the Folknet calendar can be a big help. Memberships in groups like Folknet and The Cleveland Blues Society are great ways to really get connected with the fantastic and vibrant roots music scene here in Northeast Ohio.

Back to the banjo...

[stephen davis]

One of the best of those, in my opinion, is the (normally third Saturday afternoons: 1-3) acoustic players song circle group at the Metroparks Canalway Visitors Center. This location is a part of the beautifully renovated Cuyahoga Valley former industrial area. The Center itself is a great place to see many species of birds, and even has an indoor partial replica of a canal boat that you and the children can go through!

In a song circle, people of all levels, from beginners to pros, congregate and go around the circle trading favorite songs. Each month generally offers a general theme (water songs, winter songs, etc..) Hop on the Metroparks website to check out the theme for this month.

Gary,

I looked for that on the Metropark website. I couldn't find it.

Please post a link.

Happy New Year!

Steve

.

[Gary Rice]

Here's a link to Canalway events, although I did not see the song circle listed for January. Its possible that this was a simple oversight. A call to the Canalway people would certainly straighten all this out if anyone is interested in attending a great song circle.

http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main ... ter-2.aspx

[Gary Rice]

Hi everyone,

Sadly, I've just been informed that the Metroparks Canalway acoustic players circle will no longer be a part of their programs in the new year.

Hopefully, we'll see you all around the musical campfire, sometime in the future at some other location.

Back to the banjo!

Gary