Playing Guitar and Summer Fun...

Playing guitar and summer fun can seem to be at odds with one another sometimes, but they don't have to be. It's just a matter of having a strategic plan and making an effort, however small, to stick with it.

I live in the northwestern part of the United States, so when summer finally does come, I like to be outside playing with my horses, riding my bike, hiking and just enjoying the great outdoors...

In addition to these activities, I also spend time working and taking care of daily chores just like most people do. Well, there are only so many hours in a day, so my summer fun and other responsibilities can sometimes leave me with little time for playing my guitar!

Know what I mean??

If you're anything like me, you probably don't want to stop playing guitar and risk losing the abilities you have worked so hard to acquire. So, I'd like to share a basic outline I came up with to keep me playing throughout the summer...

It's quite simple really, I just use the days of the week to create a focal point...

Monday [Music]- On the first day of the week I like to focus on music notation and sight reading skills while playing guitar. This most often involves reading sheet music for classical guitar, but it can be anything.

Tuesday [Bluesday] - Tues rhymes with Blues, so my focus is on blues guitar and rock stuff since they are closely related.

Wednesday [Windham Hill] - I have a Windham Hill guitar book that I use to learn the compositions of fingerstyle guitar players like Alex DeGrassi, Andrew York, Eric Tingstad, Edward Gerhard... I practice playing my own fingerstyle guitar arrangements on this day too.

Thursday [Theory] - Time to review chord theory, guitar scales, different rhythm patterns, techniques, etc.

Friday [Folk/Fingerstyle] - This is a good day for playing different fingertstyle songs and arrangements (such as Celtic music, etc.) that I didn't get to on Wednesday.

Saturday [Songs] - On Saturday I like give myself time to learn a new song or practice ones I already know. The internet is a great place to find free guitar tab for the songs you might want to learn.

The plan I use is not set in stone. It is only meant to give you some ideas. Feel free to modify it in order to suit your own needs.  Perhaps you can come up with something more creative.  It's okay to be flexible. The important thing is to have something in place so you will keep playing your guitar while you are enjoying the summer fun!

Till next time...

Keep practicing!

Kathy Unruh
Free Guitar Lesson

Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence

One of my all time favorite songs is The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel. Here is a very early clip of a performance they gave in Holland back in 1966...

The Sound of Silence - Guitar Tab

Great artists like Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel do not need a lot of gimmicks. Their sound was (and is) poetry in motion, pure and simple; yet deeply profound and thought provoking. 

This song was written over 40 years ago, but it still has staying power as you can see from the following comment I found on YouTube about it...

"too bad there arent any artists like these today :( i am 16 and i enjoy this much more then lady gaga or justin bieber :)"

James (my better half) recently found a really cool DVD that Simon and Garfunkel put together in 1969 called Songs of America.  James said...

"After searching everywhere I could think of, without any results,  I finally found it at thevideobeat.com.  I was especially excited to find that the DVD included significant extra features: Simon & Garfunkel performing live in Holland in 1966 and a rare ATV special in the UK in 1969 naming John Lennon as Man of the Decade."

The Video Beat website specializes in vintage media footage. You can find 1950s & 1960s Rock and Roll movies (concerts, interviews, etc) on DVD. This was our first time buying from them, but the service was fast and the film, Songs of America, is excellent. We both highly recommend it... especially if you're a musician!

I gave you the guitar tab for The Sound of Silence earlier. You can download the chords & lyrics for free by clicking the link below:

The Sound of Silence - Guitar Chords & Lyrics 

This is a pretty easy song to learn, but if you find the Guitar Tab too difficult,  just use the Chord and Lyric sheet instead!  Put them together and you've got the whole enchilada!

Till next time...

Keep practicing!
K.Unruh

Django Reinhardt & Gypsy Jazz

Have you ever heard Samson Schmitt and the Django Reinhardt All Star Band?  If not, you're missing out on some fun stuff!

Last weekend James and I went to the Montana Folk Festival with some friends and got a chance to hear lots of really good music, but the Django Reinhardt All Star Band was my favorite.

Samson Schmitt plays a mean guitar and is helping to keep the music of the late, great "Gypsy Jazz" guitarist... Django Reinhardt alive...



Gypsy Jazz is a term used to describe the style of guitar playing that originated with Django Reinhardt. One of the most common and basic gypsy licks is easy to play and goes something like this...

High Part: (/=slide)

----------------------------5-5---
--------------7----------6-------
------------7------/-7------------
------/-7-------------------------
----------------------------------
----------------------------------

Low Part:

------------------------------
------------------------------
----------------------7-7----
----------7-7------7---------
-------7-------8-------------
-/-8--------------------------

Listen to this guitar lick here...

Recently I came across a guy who teaches this style of guitar playing. His name is Robin Nolan and he lives in Amsterdam. Rob decided to create a "Minor Swing" Master Class online in order to introduce guitarists to the world of Gypsy Jazz Guitar.

The course looks really interesting and takes beginners step-by-step through the classic Django tune "Minor Swing". In addition to learning the tune, chords and harmony, students will also learn soloing concepts and the gypsy rhythm.

You can watch a video of Rob playing Django's "Minor Swing" and learn more about the course at...

Rob Nolan Jumpstart Masterclass Videos

If you're looking for a way to jazz up your summer, you might think about giving this really hot style a try!

Whatever you do, make sure you have fun and...

Till next time,

Keep practicing!
K.Unruh

The Abc Learn Guitar eBook Now Includes Video!

In case you haven't heard, my Abc Learn Guitar eBook has recently been updated and now includes 40+ videos!

This ebook has turned out to be a very popular resource for beginners, who now, should find it even easier to learn how to play the guitar. =)

In addition to videos, the guitar lessons inside the Abc Learn Guitar eBook also include PDF tab files which can be printed and studied offline away from your computer.

I don't know about you, but when I'm practicing my guitar I like to have my sheet music and tab on a stand in front of me.  It's much more comfortable than trying to read something on a computer screen. 

Which leads me to mention that I think my ebook might have a small advantage over guitar lessons that are entirely online.  For one thing, once you download it, you own it.  That means you can print out any page you want to and refer to any lesson over and over again until you have it down cold.

And... I'm happy to let you know that my eBook also includes: The Guide to Tab Notation absolutely free!  So, if you want to gain a better understanding of how to read and write tab, this is the resource you need!  It covers all the basics of reading tab and goes into great detail about symbols used in tab, hammers and pull-offs, bends and slides, note length and more.

The Abc Learn Guitar eBook is an affordable, proven method, for learning how to play the guitar. But don't just take my word for it, read the user comments and check it out for yourself...

Learn How to Play Guitar Today!

Till next time...

Keep practicing!
K.Unruh

How To REALLY Learn Guitar...

Did you know that I get asked to review guitar courses all the time? You never even hear about most of them because they usually don't measure up to my standards.

However, if you really want to learn how to play guitar, you might be interested in what I am going to tell you about today...

Here's the deal. Jamorama recently contacted me about a promo the are running through the 4th of July. They wanted me to let you know about a special 50% discount they are offering on their "Ultimate Guitar Learning Package."

Here is a summary of what the course includes...

•  Beginner’s course covering all the essential topics and skills in step-by-step lessons that get you sounding good, fast...
• Advanced course that teaches you advanced strumming techniques and introduces dynamics to your playing.
• Chord and Riff kit designed to give you instant riff recall to get you playing in any situation...
• Tuning guide and software tuner
• Acoustic focus lessons including finger-style and country music.
• Lead licks lessons that get your repertoire up so you sound like a pro.
• Advanced learning techniques course that get you learning efficiently, dramatically decreasing your learning time...
• SongPond ‘Starter Pack’ that gives you a membership to the song lesson website SongPond and 12 free song lessons. They have license to teach famous artists songs like the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and all the classics. (very cool)
• Software Learning Games and Tools Package including games that get you reading and recognizing music and chords instantly so you can play songs right off the radio!

Just a casual reading over that list shows that there is A LOT of good stuff. So, if you really want to learn how to play guitar, I think this course will help you get there. And with the special discount, it's a no brainer!

On the negative side... I'm told that some of the camera work isn't that great. But the videos have animated chord changes and strumming patterns that make up for that, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Overall, I think this is an amazing deal, but you need to hurry because it will only be available for a short time. Just click the link below to get all the details...

Jamorama 4th of July Special Discount

All the best to your guitar playing success!

Till next time...

Keep practicing!

Musically yours,
Kathy Unruh

p.s. Remember: You can ONLY get this special discount during the 4th July promo. So, don't wait for a week or you will miss out!