By Bruce Lamb

http://www.TheGuitarWorkShop.com

A guitar is probably the most popular string instrument of today. One common thing about modern teenagers who want are creative, have an artistic setup or just want to be ‘cool’; is that they love guitar as a playing instrument. The guitar has generally six strings and is popularly one of the two broad classifications: acoustic and electric, though it can have much more strings attached to it and can come in various types such as a Hawaiian guitar and it can have many mechanisms such as a double neck guitar etc.

But those are for advanced users! Typically a guitar may look stylish, trendy or cool, but guitar lessons for beginners can be tricky. If you want to learn to play guitar for a living or simply as a hobby and you are serious about it, you need to know that playing guitar is not easy, contrary to what it looks on the screen for the greatest guitar players playing it as a piece of cake.

Construction

In case of guitar lessons for beginners, it is important to understand the general construction of a guitar. The guitar has three main parts: the body, the neck and the strings; although number of strings, length of the neck and size of the body tends to vary from guitar to guitar. Strings are attached on the fretboard (a piece of wood on the neck) and some frets run orthogonal to the strings; while each fret produces different sounds.

Other parts of the mechanism may be understood later but for now it would be interesting o know what is the difference between two main types of guitars. An electrical guitar relies on electronic amplification to make their sound audible, while an acoustic guitar uses only acoustic methods to make the sound proceed via the strings. We can hear the sound form an acoustic guitar from the hole (a round hole or F hole) that is inscribed inside the body of the guitar.

Where to learn

If you want to learn guitar, the materials and resources will never be inadequate. Search for the keywords ‘guitar lessons for beginners’ or ‘guitar workshops’ and thousands of websites will be returned for free. Also if you want to be personally taught, you can avail the guitar lessons that are given in exchange for a reasonable amount of money. So the more important decision that has to be made is not where, but what!

What to learn

Guitar comes in a diversified array of classifications and culture. So one needs to decide what to learn; for example: learn acoustic guitar or electric, learn to finger pick (playing with bare fingers) or flat pick (playing with the use of a plectrum/pick) etc. and moreover the genres of music such as blues, rock, pop, jazz etc.

Learning a guitar may not be easy but once learnt, it is a great friend to the end of your days.

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Most airlines are now charging for the first checked bag a minimum of $25.00 and the second $35 and third bag is charged much more so customers are bringing bigger bags more than ever on board with them so these days the overhead compartments are at a premium. It’s a gamble traveling with a guitar and each guitar traveler will have to play there own hand by asking them selves these questions.

1. Q. How many bags including my guitar will I travel with?

A. Do the math two checked bags can cost you now $60 depending on the airline
carry on space is getting harder to get.

2. Q. Will the airline allow my guitar on board in a gig bag and will there be enough
Room?

A. The airline my have a policy to allow your guitar on board when you call them up
but it only depends if there is enough room, or how many regular bags are in the
overhead at the time you board. It is entirely up to the crew members on the plane.
They may take your guitar and gate check it which means your guitar goes onto the
pile of luggage below. Most damage to guitars on planes is from being damaged
due to excess weight on top of the guitar pushing the top or bottom of the case in
cracking the back or sound board of the guitar.

3. Q. Will they let me on with my hard shell case a bigger gamble?

A. Probably not!

4. Q. Should I buy a flight case for my guitar if I only travel one or two times a year?

A. To protect your guitar you should have a case made for air travel. Regular hard
shell cases are for transporting around town in your car etc. and not designed
for other people who don’t own the guitar. They really don’t know how fragile the
guitar is inside the case and may not know they are abusing it. They think that its
bullet proof because its inside a hard case.

5. Q. How do I know what to look for in a Good Flight case that will protect the best?

A. There are 4 things that break guitars in cases finding a case that avoids the
following problems would be the best case to travel with when flying on airlines.
Shock waves, such as what happens when a guitar case is mishandled or is
dropped or thrown and hits a hard surface. And crushing in the sides of the case
as mentioned above. And excess weight, the heaver the case the more shock it
transmits when it hits a hard surface.

Shock snaps the head stock off the neck of the guitar. The tuning keys add extra
weight to the neck and if the case is dropped and hits a hard surface the momentum
of the sudden stop and added weight to the headstock snaps the neck. This is very
common problem when traveling by air.

Most so called flight case builder use the same materials like plywood, or fiber
glass to build extremely stiff and heavy cases and haven’t re-thought or invented
or improved on the original idea. They continue to build these cases and
they don’t add enough padding inside the case to absorb shock. The excess
weight that is built in also causes the case to break it seems and snaps the hinges.
And because of the stiffness and excess weight they don’t flex enough and can’t
absorb any shock.

When picking a flight case at the very least start with this test if possible. With the
heal of your palm of your hand push against the top of the case with a guitar inside.
Most case will flex if you put pressure on the case just over the bridge of the guitar
inside. If you can feel any flex at this point it is not really a good case for air travel.
If anything hit the case at that point will destroy the top of your guitar near the
Bridge and probably case a crack in the sound board.

With the guitar inside the case make sure there is a tight fit with no movement.
Make sure the head stock has padding over and also underneath so it won’t move
or rattle around.

In closing a guitar flight case needs to be able to be light in weight, flexible to help absorb shock if possible and have more than just enough padding inside. The only solution for this is the material and design would have to be slightly larger than a traditional guitar case to provide all of these features. This type of case could also have extra room inside to hold other things like clothing etc. we have seen this type of case and to our knowledge is the only one of it kind. It is called the Clam Case and can be seen online.

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Taking guitar music lessons can cost a lot of money and making sure you are getting your money’s worth is necessary. Learning a new instrument like guitar or taking vocal lessons will benefit you or your child but here are some tips on how to ensure you are getting the most out of your lessons.

Do make sure you are choosing a reputable school or instructor. It’s true with the saying, “You get what you pay for.” If you find individuals advertising their musical expertise teaching their lessons from their home studio, it’s ideal to ask for references. As a business, they should be able to lead you to clients who can give you their experience taking lessons with them. It’s a safe move especially if you have never heard of them before.

Going through the yellow pages or searching online will give you a head start on what lessons or schools have been running for awhile now. They usually have specialized programs and have been in business practically forever. When you talk to them over the phone, they are knowledgeable and helpful. Music schools that have a long standing can usually be costly and their lessons run year long.

Choosing a private class which is usually just the music instructor and the student can be a great choice since the instructor will be giving you all their attention. Most private classes can range to an hour or less than an hour. Depending on what choice of instrument you want to learn, these types of lessons can be cost effective.

There are many group band options and guitar music lessons that are available at music schools. If you’ve always wanted to be in a rock band, here’s your chance. There are places where you can learn the electric guitar and even drums in a group setting. Canvas around and check out the band settings and price. Music schools know the appeal of wanting to be in a band so the prices can vary depending on location.

For children who are interested in taking music lessons, there are private classes and group settings depending on their ages. Start with something small with music lessons each week to see if your child is eager to pursue it. For pre-schoolers, there are now pre-school music groups where they learn songs accompanied with a keyboard. At the end of the music program, there is usually a recital for the children to perform what they have learned which is exciting for them and the parents.

Getting the most out of your guitar music lessons isn’t hard. You just have to do your research on the music schools providing the lessons. Always take a guitar music lesson on the type of music that you are interested in and don’t let anyone talk you out of it. If the cost of the lesson is pricey, there are some music schools that offer discounts or scholarships. Ask them if there is a discount if you sign up for a year. As well, checking through the yellow pages for coupons and searching online in your local city for guitar lessons is also an option. Good luck and have fun with whatever music lessons you decide to go with.

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With the diversification of instruments and musical styles, it stands to reason that there are an equally diverse amount of possible gigs. What instrument you play may limit your success. Some of the more basic ones will be covered here but do not limit your horizons by not trying out other avenues that may present themselves. I will mention several types of instruments in the following article. If any are unfamiliar to you, may I suggest a trip to your local library where taped samples of the various styles and sounds may be observed.

The Guitar is now possibly one of the more requested and versatile instruments that can play so many types and styles of music. Most commonly used in restaurants, cocktail lounges, parties, one-man-shows, and any type of show where the guitarist also is required to sing, such as a coffee shop. Sometimes they may have an electronic drummer and possibly bass pedals for rhythm. Happy hour gigs will sometimes use a guitarist, but more commonly it is a keyboard artist.

Playing keyboard is probably one of the most versatile instruments around, since it will fit in to most musical styles and arrangements.

Finding solo gigs such as small parties, cocktail lounges, waiting areas, restaurants, receptions, churches, studio recording, classical, ragtime, jazz, airports, backup for singers is a good place to get started.

Joining or accompanying another musical act or being part of a trio for another group of singers in any style is a joy.

It is not uncommon to have two keyboard artists playing in the same group. While one plays piano, the other may simulate a variety of other woodwinds, brass, flute, stringed instruments or special sound effects. Most times the player will be coordinating the arrangements as the group is playing, all without the use of a musical chart. Keyboard players are the most versatile musicians in the industry, so they have a lot more opportunities to work and are a valuable source of referrals and recommendations for bookings.

Two guitarists accompanying each other on pop tunes, playing for vocalists and other types of instruments, in clubs, restaurants, and the occasional casual get together is great fun.

Being a bass player has several opportunities available for performing. The field of classical music, concerts, jazz, and in combos with piano and guitar or brass always seems a good fit.

Rhythm is the basis of all music, and a good drummer should be able to handle many styles and variations of them. Drummers work in small combos as well as the larger bands and symphony orchestras. The more successful players are also able to sing lead and the drummer who plays well and sings will more often than not get the gig before the non-singer will.

The stringed instruments have been primarily used in the classical format for hundreds of years, but the natural evolution of music has led to more diverse uses for violin, viola, and cello. Nowadays it is not uncommon to see one of these specialty acts perform at a wedding, in a shopping mall, or a private party The three types of stringed instruments have made great advances in the jazz, rock, and pop music categories. Most trio and larger groups are handled by a booking agency that specializes in this type of music.

The Woodwind category would include clarinet and sax, flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn, bassoon, and their like. Generally, the type of work involved can include symphony orchestras, studio work, jazz ensembles and large show acts. The musicians who can “double”, that is, play more than one instrument will naturally be in greater demand and usually work more than one who plays an instrument exclusively.

Brass Players in this category include ones well versed in trumpet, cornet, tuba, horn, trombone and the like. The normal types of work available may include Dixieland, jazz symphony, big band, theater acts and orchestra, and even the player that announces the parade of horses at the racetrack. Most of your gigs will come from referrals from bandleaders, agents, or contractor calls. Another way to break into the business is to get referrals from your instructor.

Being a singer In general, the vocalist should be able to perform many types of music variations just to be versatile enough to continue to work. When filling in at a gig, it may be beneficial to bring arrangements of songs that you perform well, and any styles that you are comfortable with. Vocalists do whatever work they are trained to do, and can do it a professional level.

In closing picking what instrument you have decided to learn and what type of music and the portability of the instrument you choose will make a big impact on your success at making it in music.

www.TheGuitarWorkshop.com

I have had the amazing pleasure of taking guitar lessons on finger style guitar blues and ragtime, lap style and Slide Guitar lessons from one of the best teachers out there and her name is Mary Flower. I have also had the pleasure of producing three DVD’s for her in their different styles of guitar mastery.

I first met Mary Flower at the guitar seminars work shop that was run by two other astounding guitar player Woody Mann, and Bob Brozman and I also want to mention Trevor Lawrence who pretty much ran the back end of the workshop and is also a great player.

The three DVD’s I produced for Mary teach three different styles of blues guitar. The first one in on playing blues guitar in the Key of E. The second DVD is playing Ragtime Style of Blues guitar. The third DVD is playing guitar in Dropped D Tuning.

Many blues guitarists feel that the key at E is both the most accessible and expressive key for deep blues sounds. Blues in E is a sound as old as the blues themselves. In this video, Mary shows you how to reach deep into the blues bag by teaching the licks and tricks that have kept this genre interesting and fun.

Going beyond mere role demonstration, she also explores the 12-bar blues structure and offers tips on creating your own arrangements. Starting with the Delta style where the thumb pounds out ifs steady, compelling bass, Mary shows you how to add single notes, up-the-neck bends, moveable chords, and powerful boogie-woogie patterns. Then she walks you through a plethora of blues turnarounds, the figures that add color and spice o your arrangements when you use them as fills between vocal lines.

Mary mixes classic and contemporary songs to add variety to her teaching and help you diversify your own repertoire. In this video, she uses Leroy Carr’s “;Midnight Hour Blues”; and Big Bill Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway” (made famous by Eric Clapton) as well as her own tunes to show you how blues techniques and structures really work, and how to make them work for you.

True to Mary’s style of teaching, songs and techniques are presented in progressive order of difficulty. This video is geared to the intermediate to advanced player as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Mary Flower has carried on the tradition of roots music for over three decades, specializing in the blues. A longtime favorite in Denver, Colorado, she took to the road after her children were grown and quickly achieved national prominence

Mary now lives in the Portland Oregon area where she still teaches, performs locally and travels around the world playing the blues.

Today she is best known for her many CDs, concert and festival appearances, and as a prizewinning contestant in the National Finger picking Guitar Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival.

http://www.TheGuitarWorkShop.com

In order to make a living on a regular basis, you will need to play your guitar well. The better you are at your respective instrument, the more demand there will be for your services, and the more opportunities will present themselves. The better that you can read music, the more bookings will be available to you. This is virtually a mandatory requirement for the higher paying professional gigs.

You should have an extensive song list in the style that you play. If you can sing and the more tunes that you can accompany vocally, the better. If two equal musicians audition for the same gig, the one that can sing the lead in more of them will usually get the booking .If you have this ability to play by ear it will also increase the amount of work you can get.

Make sure that your equipment is set for the appropriate volume levels and is properly tuned. Get to the gig early and get your equipment set up. Go to the gig before you actually have a date to get started and listen to the room. Get a feel for the audience and maybe ask who ever is playing at the gig about there amp settings while they are on a break.

You must always make certain that you are on time and dressed for the gig. Always be polite and remember the more people that like you at the booking, the more chances you will get another by referral. Always try to understand and know what will be expected of you and provide it.

The more that you enjoy what you are doing the more others will enjoy you. This leads to more work. Always be a team player, you are there for the enjoyment of the audience, not yourself, well not totally. It is always better if you’re in it for your own enjoyment. Sometimes you just have to find a happy medium. Always work together to make the magic work, and convey that to the audience.

With the diversification of instruments and musical styles, it stands to reason that there are an equally diverse amount of possible gigs. Some of the more basic ones will be covered here but do not limit your horizons by not trying out other avenues that may present themselves. Solo gigs or small parties, cocktail lounges, waiting areas, restaurants, receptions, and churches, on busy street corners in busy cities are always great places to find work. Put out a sign if you play for free saying you are for hire and give out your contact info. Have some business cards made up. FedEx , formally Kinkos you can get cards made in less than five minutes for under twenty bucks, so there is no excuse for not having them and taking responsibility for your way of making a living.

If you enjoy playing a certain type of guitar music try and find a venue that likes that type of music being played. Unless you have a huge list of the songs you have written and have played them in public for others to enjoy and have received critiques on them or people have commented on them don’t play your own stuff until the gig and audience knows your stuff and likes it. In other words don’t assume that everyone will like your own compositions.

http://www.TheGuitarWorkShop.com

In general, a freelance musician or guitar player is one who is not working for any one particular place of employment and is usually not restricted to an individual job. They work when they want, where and as often as they wish. If you decide to be one, you’ll be responsible for your own taxes, like any other self-employed person. To freelance, you should have a higher skill level and that may be developed by playing with groups, school bands, and other musical ensembles. During this time, the talents necessary to make it in the business can be developed, songs can be learned, and getting used to working with others will give you a lift up along the ladder to success. This is the period of time necessary to learn the tunes that other successful groups are playing.

You can find a place to work anywhere that people get together. It could be a social event, a party, or someone’s home. If there is a floor there, musicians can set up to play. You can get a booking on a ship, in a shopping mall, at a club, church, shopping center, parking lots, on a bus, department stores, offices, at the beach, sports stadiums, trade shows, virtually anywhere people congregate or listen to music.
One very important aspect of making money in this business is to try to book gigs yourself, or have one member of your group appointed to get the word out and handle all aspects of the bookings.

There are many different types of bookings for the right music. Generally, you should see what type of atmosphere that particular establishment is trying to specialize in and play accordingly. If you are with a country band it would not make sense to book in a rock and roll c lub or blues club and vice versa.

Country fairs, fund raisers, and amusement parks are great places to start. There are many opportunities for a varied source of musical expression. The larger amusement parks hire full time musicians to entertain the day to day crowds, and those groups may specialize in classical, country, rhythm and blues, or big band era music. All you have to do is call them, see who hires the various groups, and arrange for an audition.

There are many people in the business that put on a number of productions during the course of the year. These may include dance recitals, musical extravaganzas, plays, or any of hundreds of other possibilities. Each of these may be an opportunity to find work. Weddings are a great place to get work. Among them are background music before the wedding reception, processional and recessional music, dinner music, dance music, and ethnic specialties.

Playing at private parties are great gigs because you usually get a free meal. These types of bookings can be very broad based, from a cruise on a private yacht to a six year olds birthday party, a store’s grand opening, or a trade or fashion show.

Ethnic oriented party music for a specific segment of the population may require some extra diversification into other areas of music that you may not be called on to perform often. If you are at a Hispanic wedding, you may need to play some Latin American songs as well as the traditional ones in your repertoire. If your group can be versatile, it can only help you to book more jobs in the future.

Churches and Temples In general each will employ a director of music whose responsibility will include acquiring an organist, soloist or other type of musician such as a keyboard artist in order to facilitate the proper completion of services or social gatherings. These bookings usually result in long term employment.
Many opportunities are available to the group or individual that can be versatile and has a higher level of expertise in playing his instrument. Not everyone can play at the same level so they cannot possibly do the same kind of work. In addition to the bookings mentioned earlier, there are a myriad of other opportunities including; Sporting Events, Rodeos, Ballet, Beauty Pageants, Theater, Political Rallies, Comedies, and even TV and Radio. Lately, the Internet has come into play with musical opportunities to showcase your talents and test market new arrangements and material.

In order to keep yourself working and earning as much as possible, it will be necessary to become as versatile as possible and know many differing types of music.

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If you have been playing guitar for any length of time you have most likely thought how much fun it would be to play in front of a real audience. Now what I mean or my definition of a real audience is playing in front of people you don’t know. Many people find it is easier to play in front of people they don’t know rather than play in front of their own family and peers. Many times your peers and family can be very critical and brutally honest when it comes to critiquing someone’s playing abilities.

If you are one of those persons who has the musical skills necessary to play one or more instruments and have grown up around people who played guitar or other instruments you may have acquired the desire to perform in front of other people early on in your life. On the other hand you may not even know it because it is an unconscious desire. Many people don’t even begin to play guitar whether it’s from fear of embarrassing them selves or don’t think they cold possibly be as good as others in the household or the immediate area they are in.

Weather its an acoustic guitar or electric guitar starting to play in front of people will improve your playing each and every time you do. If have the desire to become a professional musician or work in a related field I encourage you to just do it and get over any fears that are holding you back. My intent here is to give you an insight into how you can achieve those goals and subsequently may even earn a comfortable living or at least some spar change. Its an amazing thing when your playing and someone drops a buck into your guitar case for the first time.

One of the most fun ways to get started playing in front of people is to pull out your guitar where ever you are and start playing. Now I don’t mean just anywhere, like indoors at public places like the library but outside in a park. I started playing at an outside car show where I had my 58 Desoto on display. You will find that most people will just walk by smiling and really won’t give it any thought anyway.

Playing in front of people should be done immediately. Don’t hesitate to start this exercise just as soon as you can put two or three chords together. It’s ok to have your music or song book open in front of you on the ground or on a music stand because people will know you are learning and quite frankly most people will feel envious of you because you are doing something that they only wished they could do.

Try and pick an easy song that is not too radical for the crowed or people you are playing around. This is your call and you have to be the judge. Don’t start out playing something that the people you are around don’t really want to here. It’s like when I go to the gym and they are playing rap music I don’t really want to hear it so it cuts my work out short and I get mad at my self. Just because you can play the song well it doesn’t mean you should be playing it.

One of the very first songs that I learned to play was the song Black Bird by the Beatles. As it turned out this song and many others is very easy to play and it really sounds difficult to the ear but once you find a cool song keep playing it over and over again. I got really good at it and it was the only song I played for a very long time. Most people just walk by and don’t stay around for the next song. Playing the same song over and over again will give your fingers the strength they need and flexablity to make changing from one chord to the next smoothly with a fluid motion. And another thing your finger tips will start to develop calluses that will help the soreness in your fingers to go away and you will be able to practice and play longer.

The most important thing here is to get over your fear of playing in front of who ever is in the area. Get over this useless emotion. I heard it said once that embracement is the least useful emotion so get over it and enjoy your guitar more by playing it in front of people. It will help you grow much faster at this beautiful hobby. And who knows you may earn some money at the same time.

www.TheGuitarWorkshop.com

If you want to learn to play guitar there is nothing holding you back and all the information you need for learning guitar is out there and can be found by using the internet. If you want to learn blues guitar, rock guitar, country western guitar, Fingerstyle guitar, flat picking guitar, or Hawaiian Slack Key, you just have to get started. The key to learning guitar is practice, practice and more practice learning guitar is different from learning to play a violin or a trumpet. If you want to learn to play guitar you have to make a personal commitment.

My theory of learning to play guitar is try and pick a guitar that sounds great to begin with. This unfortunately means a guitar that cost more. If you strum several guitars in a guitar shop find the one that sounds best to you. Try and find a guitar that has great action. What this means is that the strings are close to the frets which are the little metal bars that go across the neck of the guitar. If you have great action or strings that are close to the neck you won’t have to push very hard to make a solid sound with out squeaks. .

Many people start out with a nylon stringed guitar. These types of guitars are primarily used to play classical music. Which is usually played using just your fingers and not using a guitar pick. This is called finger style guitar playing. The thing about using a classical style guitar is the neck of these type of guitars are quite thick across and the strings are spaced further apart to accommodate the rapid finger style of playing.

Learning to play guitar is easy compared to learning piano. But one thing is that they have common similarities. After you have been playing guitar for awhile you will start under standing these similarities if you have a piano to plunk on. I won’t get into that at this time but its true. Learning guitar is an adventure and an amazing way to pass the time away.

It’s really fun when you first learn a cool guitar lick and play it in a music store and then just put the guitar down and walk away. I have an instructor who I produced his DVD on beginning blues guitar and he actually teaches a lick that he calls the guitar store lick. This lick is so cool and you can learn it in an hour of your first time ever picking up a guitar and it will blow your friends away.

Learning guitar does take some time, a lot of time. Some times you will get frustrated but you must be in it for the long run. Learning guitar isn’t about the intricacy, tone, or rhythm; but these things are most important but that all comes with a few months of practice. Learning guitar is about learning to enjoy the instrument, learning to listen to the songs you’re trying to learn.

Listening to me is the most important part. Getting frustrated is going to happen and does with everybody. Some times I just can’t get into it when I pick it up and just let it go for awhile. It is amazing to me how many times over the years I have tried to learn a new song and can’t seem to get it so I quit. Then a few months will go back and I’ll try and play that song again and it comes to me very easily.

For some people the best source of learning guitar is a professional guitar player or someone who earns a living at it and maybe teaches on the side. This can get quite expensive and the lessons usually only last an hour. It is in my opinion that you will forget most of what you are shown during the hour lesson. Watching a DVD, of a lesson or having a membership to an online guitar lesson site is the best way to go. Then you can take your own time and watch the part that you need to review over and over again.

So don’t be afraid to start your learning adventure playing guitar. You’ll have fun for the rest of your life entertaining yourself and experiencing the joy of entertaining others.
Once when I was young one of my friend’s older brother brought and old beat up guitar home and said he was going to fix it up and learn to play guitar. Me and my buddy started laughing at him and said you’ll never learn how to play that thing. Some 40 years later and he has written some of the top songs for the Eagles  like (Peacful Easy Feeling)  and (Already Gone_ and other well know artist. So it goes to show you if you want to learn to play guitar just get started you have everything to gain.

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 by Bruce Lamb

If you have read one of my earlier articles on how I got started playing guitar and in particular Hawaiian Ki ho ‘alu Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar I mentioned how us young teenagers livinge in Hawaii on the Island of Oahu would gather on the corner at night under a big mango tree and share our different music. I also mentioned we would play the popular music that was on the radio. Acoustic Blues was always my favorite style of music:

  I liked the deep pre-war acoustic stuff that was mainly played by some of the older black community. I think the only reason you could find this music in Hawaii at that time was that the late nite DJ was a black Guy.  And as it turned out most of the lyrics and progressions were remade by the hot new bands at theat time. Bands like the Rolling Stones were doing some of those old black songs like I can’t get now satisfactions, and I followard her to the station.  Also Eric Burden and the animals were also redoing old blues songs. Ok I know I’m showing my age now at 60 years old and it’s hard top believe that those songs by these new artist are over 45 years old now.

  Then i mentioned that the Hawaiian guys would always end the evening with a more traditional style of music by retuning their guitars. I could never get them to show us how or what they did but there was a siolent code between them.  While one guy was talking story or noodeling around with his guitar the other guy would be retuning. before long they were both in this new tuning. I think it gave them great satisfaction in keeping this secret from us.  As it turned out both guys would be in tune and would begin to play and sing Hawaiian songs. It was so enchanting and captivated me and I really wanted to try and play along but I could never figure out why my guitar was always so out of tune all of a sudden. It took me almost the entire summer to realize my old Stella guitar could be tuned in this magical type of tuning.

Finally the big secrete was revealed to me. I was working after school at the Marine Base in Aiea Hawaii as a janitor cleaning up the enlisted men’s club which is a bar for the young Marines. It was strange that at that time in Hawaii the drinking age was only 18 years old. Anyway I worked with an old hawaiian guy named Sammy. While we were on our lunch break I pulled my guitar out and Sammy said to me “hey bradda Bruce try pass me the guitar already” in his style of pig english. I handed him the guitar and he immediately began to retune the strings. Then the secret was revealed to me. Sammy began to tell me how many families in the Hawaiian communities actually had their own tunings that they played exclusively. The families would not share or teach anyone outside their immediate family this tuning because it was passed down from generations before. It was theirs for the keeping and is what made there families music different sounding from others. Its kind of like I guess how a magician won’t show how a magic trickh is preformed. The tuning that old Sammy showed me was the Taro Patch tuning.

The Taro Patch tuning is the most common tuning in most of the Hawaiian songs.  As it turned out I began to realize that this tuning was also used in many of  th old blues songs that I heard from the old records that I had. It was also known as open G tuning that many bottleneck blues players would use. This tuning is a major tuning. The guitar is tuned to a major G chord or has a major chord within the tuning. To achieve this tuning you have to lower the tension on the standard tuning o rknown as standard Spanish Tuning which is (E-A-D-G-B-E) on your guitar , from the lowest to the higest pitched string. To get the Taro Patch tuning you have to change the pitch of the guitar strings to (D-G-D-G-B-D) which when you strum across all the strings it is the sound of a G major chord. I srtongly suggest you use a electronic tuner to achieve this because you may break some strings untile you understand the tuning.

Well go ahead and give it a try, I’ll show you more of these tunings next time. Watch and learn these tunings at our website by our Grammy Award winning Slack Key Artists and instructors at http://www.TheGuitarWorkshop.com