Group lessons week nites and saturday mornings!

Shawnvs · 2009-04-06T09:13:18+00:00

What is your oppinion on group classes. I tried this last year, and my students at St.Stithians could not care less. My dream is to one day have an entire field of guitar students warming up playing rudiments. (just like the Bruce Lee karate movies where the monks practice and medidate) Is that too much to ask for?! If you have input, pls reply.

evolucian

Shawnvs wrote Hold on a minute there. Now I have been facing this disgusting fact for a while, and deep down I understand how artists feel about the craft of creativity and trying to better yourself.

The issue with popular music becoming more accessible has been a problem since before the dark ages. Be thankful that more human beings are now being afforded the chance to experience what only "artists" can experience.

Fact, there are crap teachers out there in every sector of industry. Whilst I sit and teach kids how to play over changes, some teacher in Windhoek is sitting with slip-slops and dirty toenails teaching kids to play nirvana power chords. In each of those situations something extraordinary is happening; another human being is afforded the chance to touch an instrument and it is a profound experience that'll touch him for 30 minutes, or move him forever.

This artist banter reminds me of every musician I've met that whispers behind my back about me muting like crap, or being unable to play over Coltrane changes and phrasing badly whilst I have done 600 corporate gigs more than them. I have eternity ahead of me to study music further JUST LIKE YOU, and so does that guitar teacher in Windhoek.

Music belongs to the world as a means of modern communication, not to the select few who feel you can't play and appreciate music if you can't read. So next time you see your infant child dancing to the tv, smack her and wash her ears out everytime you hear a flat5.

That is such a nice way of putting it. Music is a gift, yes, and accessible to everyone... by everyone... but the lazy thingimajigs would rather claim being tone deaf than have to play anymore. Regardless, they will have been moved... even if it was their bowels.

Playing over Coltrane changes is hectic (done correctly that is, and not done in a usual way of i'll add a chromatic here to make me look clever... I can't even play over the first chord)... and over 600 corporates means you have experience in getting people on their feet and women shaking those wonderful hips... so yeah, you have eternity to learn it, but do you really wanna learn something that only a select few in the world would enjoy while sipping some expensive liquor. You don't have to be a good instrumentalist to make people happy... so don't pay attention to the people who say that your technique is terrible. They paid to get to your gig, so who's the daft one?

(really needs Keira's specs and a ruler) Yes, the flat 5 is EVIL!!! Protect your kids now!!!

Shawnvs

Oh, those people ripping me off are musicians that I play with (sorry for the confusion) ?. The 600 corporates were not jazz gigs, in fact, they were covers with a pop band. Funny isn't it, I have had 5% of my work where I used skill, and the rest are all shows where I play things I could have learnt myself.

evolucian

Shawnvs wrote Oh, those people ripping me off are musicians that I play with (sorry for the confusion) ?. The 600 corporates were not jazz gigs, in fact, they were covers with a pop band. Funny isn't it, I have had 5% of my work where I used skill, and the rest are all shows where I play things I could have learnt myself.

Hahahaha... bummer man. You know your guitar can fly right? It can accidently unstrap itself and fly to the bassists hand or the drummers kit... it could... work accidents are scary sometimes ?

Keira-WitherKay

Shawnvs wrote I have had 5% of my work where I used skill, and the rest are all shows where I play things I could have learnt myself.

yes in fact almost every session i have done in last 20 yrs has ended up with the producer wanting something pretty "simple"
simple works in most music......... and is where the money is......... but playing simple, and with good feel,tone,expression is where the trick lies........... i often ask students to just strum me an open position Am chord ..... and they all play it correctly but most do it very mechanically and forget that even when just strumming one chord....... one can do it with musical feel .. so maybe embrace those simple gigs..just use em to practise playing with feeling and on time....... cos in my mind intermeadiate players and pro's basically have same "head" knowledge but how they execute what they know separates the pro's

as tommy emmanuel says.....you can teach a monkey to play fast . but can you teach him to play with feel

anyway just a post to say the simplest of music at gigs can be played with the utmost feel, and even use those simple gigs to practise your feel.......... and "this is where the rubber meets the road " as my mother would say .

evolucian

Keira WitherKay wrote anyway just a post to say the simplest of music at gigs can be played with the utmost feel, and even use those simple gigs to practise your feel.......... and "this is where the rubber meets the road " as my mother would say .

Fully agree... the simpler the better. I love simplicity

Shawnvs

Absolutely.

Thanks.

I just need to say: Artist should embrace the fact that more people are learning music and being exposed to it. It does not matter if they play badly, it is beautiful.

Seeing a C.P child trying to smile is profound. Seeing an amoeba move is profound. Seeing a student play Power chords with passion is profound. Seeing fellow session guitar players shred like their heroes to show off their balls, is pathetic. Being ripped off coz I apparently cannot play Scot Henderson licks with my butt is irrelevant to the rest of the universe and I couldn't care less.

evolucian

u can't play Scott Henderson with your cheeks? I'd also rip you off

Shawnvs

i guess ? someone post a clip of scott henderson cheeks

evolucian

lol... i don't think he'd like that very much... and apparently this is a family channel... I might get banned for putting his cheeks up here.

But I heard a little story tho... A guy from SA went to GIT and a private lesson with Scott... he asks him to just play... so the guy shreds and does all these tricks and stuff.... afterwards scott asks him: Can you sing that?
the guy says No
"then why did you play it"

***** whether or not this actually happened... the moral is still there

[deleted]

So next time you see your infant child dancing to the tv, smack her and wash her ears out everytime you hear a flat5.

Well, I have plenty of experience in getting infant children to enjoy music. I dare say I serve as a role model for some children and I've created many an aspiring guitarist. I get calls from their parents as to what will be the best route for their future music studies, will they have to learn piano first, will it get in the way of learning something else, basically assuming that every choice will somehow scar them for life. And I tell them "music is a form of enjoyment for them, they can express themselves and as long as they remember that they'll do well". Note: I do not teach them to read music, THEY ARE 2-4.

So that is miles apart from the person who's so scared of failure that they dare'nt even try lest they fail. Now imagine as a teacher, you can either try to convince them that they are more than capable if they put in the effort, or you let them swim in the paddle pool for ever.

Not really talking about the music here, but more the social dynamic behind it.

Shawnvs

Awesome.

I have some staff members that will wet themselves knowing that you are not teaching our students how to read. This is just the whole point, music is communication, and for people and infants to learn how to communicate we as teachers have the right to make it fun and accessible. You will see when someone is able to move forward, and willing to learn more. If a teacher can't provide what the student needs, the student will leave to find his own path, and that path will obviously lead to a better more able teacher. However, that teacher cannot go laugh what the previous teacher did.

It's like ex students of mine that had lessons with a bearded slipslop wearing teacher that played in a famous S.A rockband and could only read TABS and taught no "apparent" technique. The kids come to the Art School and laugh that they learn more in a term than three years with the slip-slop dude teacher. But the fact that they have NOT been turned away from that teacher should be appreciated. This slipslop guy inspired them, he was not the "Russian piano teacher that whips your hand every time you arch incorrectly" type teacher. These apparent virtuoso musicians that start teaching have done more harm to music than anyone else. They are sour musicians that turn old and grey because they made the bad decision of practising instead of trying and learning to make money and feed a family with their incredible talents.

[deleted]

I have some staff members that will wet themselves knowing that you are not teaching our students how to read.

Ooh, maybe don't tell them then. Seriously, I have a lot of students that wet themselves, it's not fun for all involved.

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