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F Jazz Blues Chord Variations
In this guitar lesson learn how to play chords in a
jazz version of the 12 bar blues in the key of F.The 3 main chords of a blues in F are:
F7 (I chord
Bb7 (IV chord)
C7 (V chord)Charlie Parker.
However when jazz musicians play a 12 bar blues
they often add extra chords making the progression more harmonically
interesting and challenging to play. This chord progression is used for the
Charlie Parker tunes Billie’s Bounce and Now’s The Time. Here you will learn 3
different versions of a jazz version of a 12 bar blues in F that incorporates these
extra chords.The first of these additional chords is the B
diminished 7. Read More -
Modern Method For Guitar Volume 1 Duets
To develop students music reading skills we play duet pieces together to ensure that they’ve learnt their part while developing independent counting/timing. For these duets I like to use the pieces from Modern Method For Guitar Volume 1 by William Leavitt.
However since being in lockdown and teaching online Zoom guitar
lessons we’ve been unable to play in time due to the video conferencing delay.So to resolve this time delay issue I created a series of YouTube
videos for the duet pieces from Modern Method For Guitar. In the videos both
parts are played together then separately so if you have the book you can play
along with either part. Read More -
Song Writing – Why Neil Finn Beats Paul Kelly
When comparing these two great Australian/New
Zealand songwriters Neil Finns beats out a better tune than Paul Kelly for me.
Not to say that Paul Kelly sucks but I prefer to listen to Neil Finns songs
whether they be from Split Enz, Crowded House or his solo career.Why Neil Finn? The big reason is that when compared to Paul Kelly his music is much more interesting due to more complex and surprising melodies and chord progressions. Paul Kelly’s strengths come from his lyrics that make him a great storyteller however he generally uses fairly simple harmonic content/chords in his songs. Read More
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AMEB CPM Guitar Vs Rockschool Guitar Exams
In Australia the AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board) offers 2 types of exams for guitar students (apart from classical guitar), CPM (Contemporary Popular Music) and Rockschool. Students wanting to sit exams need to make a choice between the two syllabuses. Sitting guitar exams creates goals for students helping them to learn technical/aural skills, music theory and develop a repertoire. This article is written to help guitarists choose an exam format that would suit them best. 1
AMEB CPM has 4 levels called Steps while Rockschool has 7 grades. While there are less levels in CPM these exams cover more topics requiring more study and practice for the student. Read More
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Creating a Cult (of Personality Solo)
One of my students recently wanted to learn the hard rock song Cult of Personality by Living Colour. This is a great tune with a rocking riff and catchy chorus. While these parts are slightly fiddly to play they aren’t impossible to master. However the solos are something else! Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid is known for his “out” jazzy playing and his tendency to shred a million notes a second making it very challenging to learn his solos note for note.
To get around this I decided to create new solos for the tune that were more playable while following the spirit of Vernon Reid with high energy and fast phrases. Read More