Why do you teachTechnical Exercises.

     While the title may seem pretty straight forward, most teachers do not place emphasis on this subject.  We have our students play these exercises over and over... but why?  What is the point of these exercises and how will they benefit the student must first be asked.
     I do a few exercises as warm-ups with my students.  You wouldn't play football or run track without warming up, so then why would you play your guitar without a short intro.  Studies have proven that getting the fingers loose before playing can help efficiency and precision.  But how do you choose the approach?
     I remember one teacher who would say, "Play all the major and minor scales as fast as you can, and see if you can beat your previous time."  WHY, I want to ask him.  What is the point of this?  Choose exercises for specific reasons, not just internal bragging rights that lead to poor technique.
     So, I would like to talk about a few of the many exercises I focus on with my students.  For the right hand we have speed bursts, taken from Scott Tennant's book.  This exercise increases speed and technical precision.  But more importantly, we change the fingers we work with.  So many students do well when they are working with only the I and M fingers, and fall apart when the A finger is included.  This little exercise forces the student to make all fingers competent, and to be able to access them when needed.
    For the left hand, we have "contrary motion," from John Petrucci's book.  This exercise forces the left hand fingers to work independently of each other, in arrangements that are pretty common but rarely practiced.
    These are only two of the many exercises that come up during my lessons, and new ones are constantly being integrated as faults are identified.  In addition, make sure to express to students the point of these exercises.   This will help them grow as both a student and eventually as a teacher.

Thank you to the UTPB and PBG ensembles

     On July 2nd, the UTPB guitar ensemble, and the PBG guitar students paired up to perform the National Anthem and God Bless America for the Midland Rock-hounds.  These guitarists took time out of their personal lives to both practice new music, and meet at the music building to work with the ensemble.  So this post is dedicated to them.
     So, to my students:
Isaac- is my longest active student.  Been with me for more than a year, and I have seen tremendous improvements in his playing.
Jackson- We have had several talks over the past couple of months.  Has a lot of drive and determination to help spread the Classical Guitar. 
Philip- Parents once gave me a compliment on how much improvement they have seen since he started studying with me.  Had to partially disagree... I just gave him the tools, he is the artist.  So much potential.
Charles- Reminds me a little of myself.  Loves playing instruments, and wants to play every instrument in front of him.  He is one of my newest students, and has already been invited to play because of his dedication to learning the classical guitar technique.
Angel-  Yes, Really (lol).
George-  Turning into my sidekick... my right hand man.  Comes from the electric guitar world and did not realize what he was getting into.  Amazing that in a few months, has been able to pick up level 1 pieces.  Did an amazing job harmonizing the chords for God Bless America.
   If it wasn't for these students... my friends, then this show would not have been possible.  To take time out of their personal lives to help spread the Classical Guitar...
THANK YOU!!!

It never happened (The limited range of the Classical Guitar)

     A lot of times, a student will finish playing a piece for me, and we will start to analyze the music.  One of the most common things I bring up is the dynamics.  What does the P mean?  Piano or soft.  What does the F mean?  Forte or loud.  So I ask, why didn't you play that, and they will usually respond with "I thought I did."
     The Classical guitar is unlike most of the other instruments in their dynamic range.  Talking with a trumpet player, I asked him if he could play real soft.  Yes.  Can you play so loud you can make my ears hurt?  Yes (with a chuckle).  We don't have that advantage on our guitar.  Our instrument has a very (comparatively) narrow range from soft to loud with out destroying our tone.  So we have to adjust for this when we play.
     Therefore, exaggerate the dynamics and work on the balance from a relative, not decibel standpoint.  Leave no doubt to the listeners about the crescendos and decrescendos, and emphasize all the dynamics   After all, no matter how well you did the dynamics, if the audience did not hear them, then it never happened.

Community Guitar Performance

     I would like to take this time to congratulate some of my students.  They signed up for the group lessons a few months ago, and have been working like crazy to get some music prepared.  On June 12, they were able to put together all the music and do a performance at the local church.  I'm not going to post their names, but I will describe the concert.
     We first started with Baby Bumblebee.  This piece worked out perfectly because each guitarist was able to a capella the "cute" parts at the end... three verses, three students.  All of the students really amazed me at how much they worked on their music at home.  I had given them shortcuts to help them out, and to my surprise, they all went home and learned the chords properly.
     Next, we broke off into solos and duets.  The girl in pink played her acoustic guitar and sang "Mary had a Little Lamb."  Anyone who has ever played the guitar knows how hard it is to sing and play at the same time, and she did amazing.
     This was followed by a classical guitar duet between myself and the girl in the purple.  We played the traditional song, "El noi de la Mare."  The skill we worked on here was how to play with your fingers and without a pick.
     The last duet was between myself and the boy.  He played a swinging I IV blues progression, while I played a solo based off of the minor pentatonics... a skill that he will be learning soon.
     The final piece was another group song, "Jesus Loves Me."  However, we learned some power chords and were able to add a little twist of rock into this normally traditional song.  All three of students amazed me so much, and I am so proud to be teaching them how to play the guitar, and for welcoming them as part of my family.

Playing the Wrong Note the Right Way

     This post is not specific to the guitar, and originates back in my saxophone/band days.  When beginner musicians learn new songs, they have a tendency to play real soft or quiet, rather than with full tone.  Maybe because they are not confident in there reading abilities, or because they are scared of hitting the wrong note.
     I tell my students, "would you rather hear the wrong note played with a weak tone, or a wrong note played with a full tone?"  The point is that a wrong note is a wrong note, and they happen.  However, if you play the wrong note with a full tone, at least the note will sound full, wrong pitch but full.  And in the music world of complex chords, sometimes the wrong notes can be hidden within complex chords.  No one would have even noticed if you acted like you meant to play that note.  
     So, would you rather hear a wrong note played weak or full?

The Recorder, a gateway instrument?

     Remember during your elementary years, and you had to learn that ridiculous instrument called a recorder?  I do.  This small piece of plastic that looked like a toy.  Having to sanitize it in that bucket after we used the mouthpiece.  Placing my fingers over the small little holes.  Can anyone even name a professional recorder player (I know there are some out there)?
     So why am I bringing up this random instrument.  Simple, because of the number of guitar students I have that when I interview them, they say they have no musical background.  All of a sudden, I put some music theory reference charts in front of them, and they are sightreading accurately on there first lesson.  I could go on and on about the importance of music in the public school system, but that is a can of worms that I don't want to deal with.  However, this little instrument helps to provide the basic music fundamentals needed in order to play more advanced and complex instruments.
    So this makes me wonder, how many professional musicians, had it not been for this "elementary" instrument, would not have gone off to play and create some absolutely amazing music... even on recorders.

Sitting in the "Other" Chair

     I was working with a student on a Villa-Lobos' Prelude #1, a piece that I had learned years ago when I was an undergraduate.  We were at one of the measures and she looks at me and says that I played that wrong.  I looked at the music and sure enough, she was correct.  I felt a little embarrassed at first, worked out the new fingerings, and finished out the piece.  This really bothered me at first, and the thought ran through my head for days. 

     What I finally came to realize is the reason why I had learned this measure wrong was because when I first learned the piece, I was in the "other" chair... the student chair. As a student, you are trying to learn so many pieces each semester, and our teachers are trying to fix as much as they can.  However, they sometimes may not notice a misplayed measure for multiple reasons, especially in a piece as complex and intricate as Prelude #3.  

     So, regardless of where we are at in our professional levels, we need to go back and look at some of the older pieces that have been in our repertoire for years. What we may find is that we may have made mistakes on these pieces, and can fix them.

     Conversely, we might be surprised to see how we analyze the music much different now.  For example, on Villa-Lobo's Prelude #3, I found some areas that I could utilize my increasingly-efficient legato abilities to create some absolutely beautifully flowing melodic lines that I was not capable of years ago, which made me really excited to relearn and play the piece.

Summer Time, what to practice?

     For most students, summer means taking a break from school and having a little bit of fun.  Hopefully, most of you are still maintaining a regular practice schedule (which is a whole different set of problems).  As for teachers, we are giving advice as to what to work on, and hopefully setting goals.
      My view is that summer is like the "off-season" of sports.  You don't have the responsibilities of putting together a solid program, and/or constantly learning music.  My suggestion, take this opportunity to clean up your technique.  You have probably identified a few major/minor flaws in your technique that were exposed in some of the pieces that you have been playing.  You did not want to take the time out to clean that section up because that recital was nearing in on you, and memorizing the music was taking up a bulk of the time. 
     Now is your chance.  Whether the use of the A-finger, or the pinkie doing pull-offs/hammer-ons, find some technical exercises to help with the deficiency.  Ask for advice from your teacher, or read one of the several books published that cover guitar pedagogy.  When the fall starts back up, you yourself will be a better player, and might be surprised how some of the more difficult passages have become easier.   

First Night of Concerts for the West Texas Guitar Festival- Part 1

     The opening night of the festival featured a variety of guitar performances with just about as many different styles as were performers.  Being the host, I could not completely listen to and enjoy all the performances, so most of my reflections stem from running around like a mad man behind the curtains. 
     The performance opened with selections from Guest Performer David Brandon.  He played the music of Albeniz, Sanz, and Ervin Rouse.  I was able to listen to a few selections, and really enjoyed his ability to transform the guitar into an instrument of emotion.  The highlight for me was hearing Capricho Catalan from Albeniz.  So many times, performers feel that they must play the fastest/hardest pieces, and forget the artistry behind the slower elements.  Both guest artist made mention to the fact that slow pieces are harder to play successfully than harder pieces.  While Capricho may not be a very fast song, the artistry required makes the piece incredibly difficult; handled by David Brandon with ease. 
     From a non-traditional classical point of view, the "Train Song" was a huge hit.  Originally written by Ervin Rouse for the fiddle, Brandon did an amazing job recreating the sounds of the train on his guitar.  You would hear the sounds of the whistle blowing, the bells ringing, and the thrusting motion of the train as it began to move from the station.  The audience really enjoyed the arrangement, and this added some spice into the normally traditional classical concert.
     Michele Ramo was next up featuring his Mostro Hei-D Guitar.  An 8 string guitar with a range of 6 and 1/2 octaves, just short of the piano on the low end and a High D in the top range.  Living true to his jazz roots, Michele came up with a set list and adapted on the fly for the audience, eventually asking what country and style they would like to hear.  This was an outstanding way to showcase both the instrument and his ability to play a vast selection of musical genres.  I believe he ended up playing some Brazilian music, but unfortunately I was taking care of stuff in the back and could not catch the entire concert.  (On a side note, before he went up to play, I spent a lot of time staring at his guitar in amazement as it was perched, backstage waiting for its turn to amaze). 
     Wow, so much to say about the opening 45 minutes of the performances and I haven't even touched on the other acts.  I will take this time to break before continuing with the local musicians who played on opening night.

West Texas Guitar Festival- 1st round of competition

     With so many great stories, concerts, and events, ordering them by their accomplishment would be a task way to hard to decide.  So I will start with reflections on the opening day of the event.
The first round of the competition started a little late due to some technical issues with the PA system.  Luckily, we were able to get back on track and enjoy the first round.  The interesting thing about the selections was that there was quite a bit of variety in the selections.  The first year, everyone seemed to play the same piece, but this year, hardly a piece was doubled.  We heard selections from Tarrega, Sor, and Brouwer just to name a few. 
     The one piece that really caught my attention was Mussorgsky's "The Old Castle," played by the eventual winner of the competition.  I have only been familiar with Yamashita's transcriptions (referenced in a previous post), and this was the first time I had heard this arrangement.  After the contest, I even talked to her for a few seconds and was able to get a copy of the score, which I am currently working on the piece as we speak. 
     Another standout was a student who performed Afro-Cuban Lullaby.  An interesting story came out of our conversation.  I know the student, and I also know that he is not taking private lessons from anybody.  I asked him where he received his inspiration for the piece and he said, "Youtube."  Cool, was it maybe Brouwer playing, or one of the greats.  "No, he was some long haired guy playing in his room."  I had to let out a little chuckle, and am now searching youtube for a long haired guy who plays guitar (surprisingly, this doesn't narrow it down lol). 
      The final highlight were my students.  The first goes up and opens with one of Brouwer's studies.  He plays really well, until he lets his nerves get to him.  He stops, recomposes himself, and begins again.  While he may not have played the piece perfectly (C#!!!), his feel for the piece was awesome and really was able to bring out some of the more exotic rhythmic sounds. 
After him, my other student performed a Sor study.  Both guest musicians this year referenced how slower pieces are harder to play than faster pieces, and my students played the piece beautiful.  Very legato, and great presence for the style.  I made him listen to 3-voice choirs during one of his lessons, and he was really able to separate the voices when he was playing.  Great use of dynamics and bringing out the melody line, and musicianmanship, instead of sounding like a MIDI machine.
     Overall, the competition round went very well, with several wonderful surprises.  Next time, I will talk about the opening concerts.

Dennis Harris
http://www.permianbasinguitar.com/

Festival Recap

Wow, I know I haven't had a chance to update the blog lately but the festival completely succumbed my time.  So much to write about, could possible spend the entire rest of the year talking about the last 3 days.  I sit here and debate as to what to write about first; the generosity and great spirit of David Brandon... the jazz personality of Michele Ramo... the competition and the amount of talent in the youth, just to name a few.  Over the next few posts, I would like to open people to behind the scenes of everything that has happened in the previous few days.  Keep in touch since I will post pics as I get them.

Japanese Guitarist Kazuhito Yamashita

First of all, my thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan.  If you are anything like me, you have been following the aftermath of the tsunami in amazement and fear for the Japanese people.  I have decided to take a few moments and mention my favorite Japanese Guitarist, Kazuhito Yamashita.
I first stumbled upon Yamashita through YouTube and his recordings of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an exhibition. I quickly went out and bought the dvd "Kazuhito Yamashita plays his Favorites." The dvd is amazing!  which opens with a piece entitled The Song of Compostela; relatively simple compared to some of his works but absolutely amazing in musicality and technique.  I have spent a great deal of hours trying to find the sheet music for this piece with no luck.
A quick excerpt of his biography from his website:

"Kazuhito Yamashita began to study the guitar at the age of eight with his father, Toru Yamashita. In 1972, aged eleven, he won the Kyushu Guitar Competition. Four years later, he was awarded First Prize in the ‘All Japan Guitar Competition’. In 1977, he won three important international competitions - the ‘Ramirez’ in Spain, the ‘Alessandria’ in Italy and ‘Paris Radio France Competition’, being the youngest winner ever recorded. Yamashita has given solo recitals in concert halls around the world such as Vienna's Musikverein Grosser Saal and the Lincoln Centre and has performed with a variety of orchestras and conductors in Europe, North America and Asia. His appearance at the Toronto International Guitar Festival in 1984 was spectacular and the performance considered a milestone." 

For more information on Kazuhito Yamashita,  his website is
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/yamashita/kazuhito/disk_e.htm

Here is the video for Pictures at an Exhibition.

Meet the Performer Mr. Michele Ramo

"Guitarist, Violinist, Mandolinist, Composer, Teacher, Clinician

(Pronounced: Me-kel-ay), was born Michele Pugliese-Ramo in the Italian Mediterranean fishing town of Mazara Del Vallo, Italy - on the coast of Sicily. He grew up in a small village of 300. His playgrounds were vast grape-vineyards, rocky hillsides and olive orchards... sheep & rock-lizards. He played guitar with the barbers in the little town square and hid his school books in the fields of ancient volcanic caves because he only wanted to 'play music' - not go to school! At age 13 he entered music conservatory where he took up violin studies. By 17 he had his first professional contract with the Italian State Opera House "Teatro Massimo" in Palermo. After five years in various Italian state symphony orchestras at age 23, Michéle, always the 'independent doer', made musical shock waves within his circles by quitting and moving to the United States to pursue his work as a composer and instrumentalist in jazz. His first stop: New York City. Unable to speak English and soon out of money he went to Detroit where he knew a friend from his town. For the next twelve years Detroit was his home where he was befriended by Jazz greats such as trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, pianists Harold Mckinney, Ken Cox and Teddy Harris Jr., drummers Roy Brooks and Lawrence G. Williams ... It was here he continued on the guitar and put the violin away for ten years. He met singer Heidi Hepler who had been living and performing in Rome, Italy... She heard the violin one day... Well, it is out of the case now!"

More information can be found at www.ramomusic.com

In addition Michele has sent Jazz music that will be used to teach an intermediate to advanced level class on Jazz Improvisation.  Attendees will get a free copy of the handouts (including music) and will receive a special offer on his books and CD's.
I personally have looked through the music and am getting excited.  Here is an opportunity for even the most advanced guitarists in the Permian Basin to hear and learn from a true Jazz master.  In addition, where else do you get a chance to hear an 8-string guitar being played.

So far, here is my favorite video from YouTube showcasing Mr. Ramo

 

Meet the Guest Perfomer

In our small little town here in West Texas, we have the privilege of bringing in world famous musicians.  For the West Texas Guitar Festival, students will be treated to 2 world famous musicians.  Today, I introduce you to David Brandon.  Here is his biography from his web page.

"David Brandon has given guitar lessons in Lubbock since 1980, and his studio regularly handles hundreds of private students each week. He is a concert guitarist, EMI recording artist, internationally published author, and is on faculty as guitar professor at Texas Tech University. As owner of Brandon Guitar Studio, David's goal is to provide the finest guitar instruction in the West Texas area, helping students to reach their fullest potential and experience the lifetime rewards of playing this great instrument.

A student of the legendary Andrés Segovia (University of Southern California), David has appeared in concert throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. The Los Angeles Times called him "an outstanding technician whose precise control of details is stunning to experience." He toured extensively with America's preeminent classical guitarist Christopher Parkening for 15 years, culminating in the EMI recordings Virtuoso Duets and The Great Recordings. Guitar Player Magazine wrote, "The music sparkles with virtuosity, precision, and musicality." David also appears with Julie Andrews on her Hallmark Christmas album and has been featured in concert with Nashville guitarist Chet Atkins and jazz artist Dave Brubeck. The Washington Post described his music as "flawless" and "dazzling," and he was hailed as "technically brilliant" by the St. Louis Dispatch and "excellent" by the Boston Globe.

David began playing guitar at the age of eight. At thirteen, he attended master classes under Michael Lorimer. After a year of study and performances in Spain and England, David returned to the United States to study with Christopher Parkening at Montana State University. Parkening wrote of his protégé, "David Brandon is an exceptionally gifted musician and a brilliant guitar virtuoso." While studying classical guitar, David always maintained a love of popular music and performed 70 shows on electric guitar during his senior year of high school.

David is the co-author of internationally acclaimed The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method. He has conducted lectures and master classes at colleges across the nation and has been the NFMC guitar advisor and a judge for MTNA. David's latest recording, Legacy, is the definitive collection of his 25-year span of compositions and is available on iTunes or through this website.

David enjoys spending time with his wife and family, gardening, travel, and chess. He has a deep commitment to the Christian faith and loves to share his music through teaching, performing, publishing, and recording.

Former Students of Brandon Guitar Studio

While thousands of students from all walks of life have taken lessons at Brandon Guitar Studio, a few have gone on to pursue careers in music. These include Grammy award-winning Petra guitarist Pete Orta, Joe Satriani's rhythm guitarist Galen Henson, Sparrow recording artist Josh Wilson, Enrique Iglesias' bassist Brett Bass, and record producer Scott Faris."

More information can be found on David Brandon by visiting his website http://brandonguitarstudio.com/instructors.html .

In addition, you can also schedule a private lesson with Mr. Brandon.  There are only a few spots remaining, and I have already scheduled my private lesson. 
In addition, here is a video of David Brandon and Christopher Parkening performing Spanish Dance #1 by Manuel de Falla. 

Dennis Harris
http://www.permianbasinguitar.com/

Final Ensemble Guitar Piece for Festival

     The final mass ensemble piece has finally been chosen for the festival.  We have decided to perform El Noi de la Mare, which is a traditional Catalan Folksong.  I have taken on the task of arranging the piece for guitar trio.  While I have taken classes in arranging, this will be the first time others will actually be listening. 

     I am basing the arrangement of Miguel Llobet's version.  The piece is absolutely beautiful and can't wait to hear ~100 guitars playing at the same time.  Should be an incredible experience. 

      I have also included a video of Andres Segovia playing the piece from youtube.  I have been reading a lot of rumors that after his passing, El Noi de la Mare was on his music stand.  If this is true, then there is a possibility that this was the last piece he played before his passing (although I have not been able to find any definitive evidence or documentation stating that this was true).

Let me know what you think :)

Dennis Harris

www.permianbasinguitar.com

Incredible Words of Advice

Word of advice to all guitar teachers from the video Pumping Nylon from Scott Tennant.  He makes reference to the tremolo piece Recuerdos de la Alhambra from Tarrega.  In the video he states, "I actually had a student once who quit the guitar after playing for about a month, at least trying to play Recuerdos de la Alhambra for about a month.  And, I was being behind (?) her as a teacher instead and I should have just told her she wasn't ready but I didn't have the heart and I needed the money.  So basically she gave up the guitar." 
Why do teachers feel that beginning students need to play Recuerdos when they don't even have the basic skills found in easier music.  Not only are you possibly demoralizing them, but can cause serious medical issues due to lack of technique.  Speed will come, and Tennant even references that.  There will be time to learn the harder pieces, but a solid base in technique should be the primary goal.

Guest Jazz Artist Michele Ramo

Just got off the phone with Michele Ramo.  He is sending me some examples of music to look over.  He will be giving an intermediate to advanced level class on improving over Jazz lead sheets.  He also made references to Brazilian Jazz music, and more specifically Bossa Nova.  For more information on Michele, his website is http://ramomusic.com/home/ Going to be exciting!

Dennis
http://www.permianbasinguitar.com/

West Texas Guitar Festival

Lunch Meeting for the West Texas Guitar Festival

We just had a meeting for the guitar festival coming up March 24th-March 26th.  A lot of new classes are going to be going on this year, to include blues guitar, country picken (hopefully), and Mexican music.  In addition to Masterclasses being presented from Michele Ramo and David Brandon.  More information on these and other classes will be updated asap.  For more information, contact dennis@permianbasinguitar.com or for general information, please check www.utpb.edu/guitar

Welcome

Welcome to Permian Basin Guitar's Blog.  Here we will be discussing Composers and compositions, Technique, and Guitar related events in the Permian Basin Area.  If you have an event that you would like to promote, or technical issues that you would like for me to address, please feel free to contact me.  Welcome
Dennis Harris
http://www.permianbasinguitar.com/