And the first of some of the highlights from The May Workshop – with students playing lead and rhythm guitar in various rock and blues styles.
Special thanks to GregX who travelled all the way from London for the MasterClass on Lead Guitar Sequences which started off the event before nearly 3 hours of playing guitar with like minded people – some were making their debut playing with live drums for the very first time.
The next Workshop event will be in July – Details to follow soon.
Andre
Andres Guitar Academy – Wheere Students Have Fun & Get Results!
Pleased to announce the Next Guitar Workshop which will be a little different to the last one – to start with there will be a Masterclass from Top London Guitarist Greg X who will be sharing his ideas and approaches to Lead Guitar – including how he approaches Sequence Ideas, soloing and even talking through how he approached one of the solos on his debut album Dream.
After the masterclass session there will be the opportunity to Play with live drums in a safe environment – there will be no lights and no audience – only students in attendance – also whether You are plugged in or acoustic or not, you will be encouraged to play as much as You want to, and at volume as well – something that is difficult to do at home.
At the last workshop even when students were not on stage plugged in and playing, they were off stage playing along.
The timing will be 2pm through to 6pm – the masterclass portion will last approximately 1 hour – and there will be the chance for You to play for up to three hours if You want to – there is also a bar available for refreshments as and when You want to take a break.
If You
Are free on Sunday May 20th 2pm through to pm
Are in the Coventry Area on Sunday May 20th
Like the sound of having the chance to play with like minded people
Want the opportunity to play with drums
Want to be able to do this in a low pressure environment, without an Audience or Stage lights
Then reply to the email You have received or fill out the website contact form with your name, email address, contact telephone number and… In the comments field….
Put ” More Informtation about May 20th Masterclass and Workshop.
Spaces are limited to make sure everyone has the chance to Play…
You might enjoy playing Guitar and yet Do You find that sometimes when You play you find that what You play all seems to sound the same to You?
If that’s the case, then You’re certainly not alone, as You will quickly find out in this article, if You enjoy singing, maybe even go and visit karaoke nights, and enjoy playing Acoustic Guitar, at the same time, and You find that while Your singing perhaps sounds okay to You – there’s something not quite right with Your guitar playing – even though You’re fairly sure You’re playing the right chords – it still doesn’t sound quite right.
Your problem is likely to be nothing to do with Your technique, especially if You can sound the chords – it is very likely that instead because You are singing and playing at the same time – most of Your attention is on getting the vocals right – not just the words but also the pitches and flow of the song.
And this means that it is very likely You are treating Playing the Guitar as ” just an accompaniment” – which means that when You play the guitar – it doesn’t sound” like the record” – You are not getting the same attitude and conviction with your guitar playing that You hear.
If this is true for You – it is also likely that You know the vocals, and the words and can sing along to many of your favourite songs.
And yet it doesn’t matter which of your songs You sing – while the words are different, and perhaps the chords are different – what You play on the Guitar starts to sound at best “not quite right” to You and at worst it starts to all sound the same.
And Your Singing and playing at the same time is likely to be part of the problem, because while You have learned and trained to listen out for, hear and reproduce the vocals – You have likely not done the same with the Guitar Part – in other words You are hearing the Guitar as “just an accompaniment” to the vocals and are therefore Playing the Guitar “just as an accompaniment” to the vocals.
With students that have this challenge of songs sounding the same while singing and playing, that can already play Guitar – the first thing is to start to play without singing – because this way You can be more aware of the guitar parts and the other instruments that are being played around You.
Infact doing this one thing can allow You to make some quick progress in Your guitar playing – as You come to realise that Music Fans mainly listen to Vocals while Musicians who play (whether professionally or just for fun) really listen out for their instrument and how it fits in with all the other instruments – which could be the bass, drums, keyboards, other guitar, saxaphone etc etc.
Making this one shift in how You listen to Music can really help take You forward – that was Niamh’s experience as well, who as part of her Guitar journey got to play one of her favourite Bullet for My Valentine songs – one week after seeing her favourite band at the Download Music Festival.
The what and how You listen, not only to Guitar but also drums can really can make a big difference and take You away from Playing all sounding the same
Andre
Andres Guitar Aademy – Helping YOU Put You into Your Playing, stopping it sound all the Same!
And some more examples of students at different levels in their playing, getting the chance to play together and experience the Blues – one of the most influential modern music styles of the last 100 years – playing solos, and also getting experience of playing with drums.
The New Blues Immersion workshop, a chance to really play for a long time if You wanted to, went down really well with students – sometimes it can be difficult to find 2 hours to be able to play guitar – and at the Blues Immersion work shop – whether they were plugged in, or even acoustic – students just kept playing Guitar – making it a real fun and completely immersive experience.
Here’s a video from the weekend workshop showing students playing rhythm guitar – up on stage and even as weird as it sounds playing off stage while sitting down as You’ll see..
And as well as rhythm guitar – the first part of the workshop – Students also got the chance to play and even improvise their own solo ideas – here are some playing On Jailhouse Rock – Blues Brothers style…
A great fun event this weekend just gone – and really great for students that perhaps don’t want to play on stage in front of an audience or even stage lights – but still get the experience of playing with others and live drums!
It’s probably the top few questions that get asked time and time again…
Do I have to play On stage ?
Do I Have To play at a Workshop?
I’m just curious Do I have to be a professional?
The answer is while its not about Playing on Stage or even at a Workshop… at the same time it kind of is, though not in the way you think.
When John started Playing Guitar in his late 60s, he didn’t want to play on stage, or at any kind of workshop – and yet while he really just wanted to learn to play Guitar his way for his own pleasure, he did one thing that many people tend not to do, one thing that make a big difference in his playing, that made guitar playing more fun – and that one thing….
Was simply that John stayed open to possibility… and that’s what helped John really get the most from his lessons, and the more he got from his lessons – the more fun, the more pleasure and enjoyment he got from playing guitar, until the time came that he felt ready and actually felt that he wanted to play at a workshop.
And yet looking back, if John hadn’t been open to possibility, what You’re about to see would not have happened. In my privileged position I get to interact, talk with and teach many people from different backgrounds – and if there is one thing that does let people down, more than anything…
Well it isn’t lack of talent, it isn’t that they’re too young or they’re too old, it isn’t that they’re not musical or any other thing… its the lack of three words in their mind…
Its Lack of being Open To Possibility – its a lack of a small willingness – You see when You are open to possibility – You will progress and You will have a lot more fun playing Guitar… and that’s exactly what John, did at age 70 … It’s really inspiring what 3 small words can help YOU achieve… as You think about being “Open To Possibility as You watch John aged 70 in action at a workshop..
Til Next Time
Andre
Andres Guitar Academy – Where Possibility Thinking Leads to More Guitar Fun!
Maybe You even got to a great start – finally starting to learn to play Guitar, to become The Guitar Player that You always wanted to be, or getting back into the Guitar after some time away from Playing – that is what January and new years resolutions are all about – and yet here You are a month later and what has happened
Are You still as motivated and excited to Play ?
Is Your Guitar close to hand – or hidden in a corner now gathering dust – or worse still under the bed/ settee out of sight and out of mind?
Its all too easy to get motivated and excited and yet, like so many people seem to do with Gym memberships – they just become something that You stop doing.
Which of these Reasons Apply to You No playing
1. Life Got in the Way ?
All too easy for everyday busy life to seem to stop You from doing what You really want and need to do, which can include Playing Guitar. There can seem to be so many competing demands – whether its work/ career, our studies, making time for family and for friends and all other activites.
However This is NOT The reason You’re not right now taking action towards playing Guitar How You Want To Play – this may seem counter-intuitive – even if You think these are the reasons – just hang on in, continue reading – and You’ll find they are not.
2. You tried Guitar and Got Stuck ?
Maybe you tried online videos, books and perhaps other teachers and couldn’t make sense of what the videos and books tried to explain to You, what these teachers tried to explain.
This can make You feel like perhaps You are not cut out for Guitar – that you are more of a music fan, more a music listener than a player – or If You do play You might feel that You have to be stuck where You are in Your playing and just won’t ever be able to play beyond how You already play.
Even if all of this sounds perfectly reasonable, resonates with You – again, as strange and unusual as this sounds these are NOT the reasons – this might be a symptom of the reason, but its not – nearly at the reason, and yet there’s one more possibility..
3. You were going to start on Guitar, but it just never happened.
So You’re probably wondering well what are the reasons .
Well the answer is You did not have enough reasons to continue – and that has to be true – if You were still motivated enough – and had identified the Powerfull reasons why You wanted to either start playing guitar, or take your playing further – then You would be doing that – You certainly wouldn’t still be reading this.
And if its that You really really were going to play Guitar, but weren’t motivated enough – then its Not Your Fault. One of the reasons I have been privileged to have success with so many students is from taking the time to really understand where they were in their playing, but also where they wanted to be – to understand their frustrations and to get to know in detail, in depth what and how You want to really Play.
The sad truth is that most Guitar students, to start with at least, will spend more time thinking about and planning their holiday than they do their Guitar Playing – the result – You will be really excited and motivated about going on a holiday – because You have planned for it.
And in case You’re wondering but Guitar is a bit of fun – so well why aren’t you playing how you want to play? How come You’re not yet getting that sense that Your playing is moving forward How You want it to?
While it’s Not Your fault if this is the case, it is Your responsibility – many successfull students have found that working with a teacher to help at least define some goals is the number one motivating thing that they can do to take their playing forward – Ofcourse You can try and do this planning all by yourself – and yet the fastest way is to have the guidance and facilitation of someone that has already done what You want to be able to Do.
That was Student Rob’s thinking as well – and he is even a teacher himself as You will hear..
So while You’e feeling motivated – Now’s a good motivated time to take the next step – Fill out a form NOW!
Hi There – And just before the last show – the last part of the last workshop was dedicated to playing the Blues – a slow minor half way between Peter Green and the very modern Joe Bonamassa – our students got up one by one to play through two solos back to back – this was a chance for them to not only play with drums but also get the experience of playing at a louder volume, use guitar effects pedals to enhance their sound between the two solos – and get a sense of what it would actually be like to perhaps even Play a solo live on stage in front of family and friends.
A great chance for students to put into practice what they have been developing and working on in their playing in their lessons – as You’ll see and hear as you click on the video.
Hi There – And students Chris, John, Paul and Scott getting ready here for their second show of 2011 – at the workshop – above with 90s Eagle Eye Cherry Classic ” Save Tonight”..
