GEORGE HARRISON - His Music Remembered

One of the gifts I received for Christmas this year was a Life magazine titled: Remembering George Harrison 10 Years Later.

It seems, no matter how much time passes, the Beatles continue to remain a part of my life in one way or another.  Which is okay with me.  I've come to terms with the fact that some things are just meant to be. Besides, I give credit to The Beatles for my love of music and desire to learn how to play the guitar. So, I'm grateful for that. 

There actually was a period in my life after I became a Christian when I tried to "give up" the Beatles. It didn't last very long because people kept giving me posters, albums and other Beatles paraphernalia for some reason.  I even have friends right now who think I'm some sort of "expert" when it comes to Beatles trivia. 

George Harrison was considered to be a "late bloomer" as far as his Beatles career and songwriting talents were concerned, but I always liked his songs; even his early ones. However, I think everyone,  including myself, was surprised by the talent that emerged from this "quiet" Beatle after the group broke up.

It is my personal opinion that the first album George put out in 1970, All Things Must Pass, far surpassed the individual efforts of either McCartney or Lennon (even though I was a big Lennon fan).   A musical master piece of it's time,  All Things Must Pass held the #1 spot for 7 weeks in the US and 8 weeks in Britain. This was the first triple album ever released by a solo artist. Certified platinum 6 times in 2001 by the Recording Industry Association of America, it still receives critical acclaim today.

One of the most popular songs George Harrison ever wrote is Here Comes The Sun. Below is a clip of George playing the song in concert...



Here Comes The Sun - Free Guitar Tab  (Capo 7th Fret)

Among the other popular songs he wrote are...

Something
My Sweet Lord
While My Guitar Gently Weeps



George Harrison had a long career after his life with The Beatles and he wrote and recorded a huge catalog of great songs. This set of songs covers much of his output all the way from his first album, All Things Must Pass, to his last, Brainwashed, works in a little of his beloved ukulele, and includes a song he wrote that was a hit for his buddy Ringo.

Some Interesting Facts About George Harrison Include:

•  listed at number 11 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"

•  organized the first major benefit concert for charity in 1971: The Concert for Bangladesh

•  founding member of the Traveling Wilburys with Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison.

• session musician and a film and record producer

• close friend of Eric Clapton

• impressed John Lennon by playing the guitar solo to the song "Raunchy" and was accepted into the group that was to become the most famous band the world has ever known.

The bass lick that Paul is playing in the clip is easy to do and goes like this...

             ---------------------------
             ---------------------------
             ---------------------------
            ---------------------------
            -----------0----3--3--0---
             ---0--3-------------------
count:        3     4       1   2     3   4      1   2

Then the chords:  D  A7

(add a little vibrato when playing the note on the third fret)

Although I never did get to see The Beatles perform live, I was privileged to see George Harrison in concert with Ravi Shankar back in the 70s. As kids, my brother and I used to talk about going to England someday and seeing where the Beatles lived. In 2003, while in Liverpool, this dream came true for me and I was able to visit the homes of the Fab Four... John, Paul, George and Ringo.

George Harrison was born February 25, 1943 and died of lung cancer on November 29, 2001. His musical legacy still lives on "10 Years Later" and will likely continue to be enjoyed and discovered by music lovers and guitar players for generations to come.

Till next time...

Keep practicing!
K.Unruh

Two Easy Rhythm Patterns For Guitar...

There are two easy rhythm patterns for guitar that I would like to show you how to play today.

One will use a technique that is often referred to as a "boom chuck" strum, the other will introduce a simple finger-picking technique. 

Both of these patterns will be played in 3/4 time, which is also known as a waltz rhythm, using the Major chords A D and E.

 *Notice that the first finger plays the same string on all three chords:

* Try to leave the first finger down as you move from one chord to another.

You can also add the Dominant 7th chord [E7] to this progression, or use it as a substitute for the E Major chord. It's easy to play an E7 chord.  All you have to do is lift up your 3rd finger when you are on the E Major chord and you will have an E7 chord!

A 3/4 waltz rhythm is counted:  1 2 3

When playing these waltz rhythm patterns you will strike the bass note which identifies the chord first.  So, if you are on the chord A, you will strike the 5th string on the first beat and then play the remaining two beats of the chord. On the chord D, strike the 4th string on the first beat, and on the chord E [or E7],  strike the 6th string on the first beat.

Watch this video to see how it works...


Now, if we rearrange these chords into a different progression we can play the Christmas song Silent Night...

Free Download:

Right Click the following link and choose Save Target As to save this file to your computer so you can practice it later...

Words and Chords to Silent Night

Watch this video to play along with me...


Have a Wonderful Christmas!

Till next time...


Keep practicing!
K.Unruh

Phil Keaggy - Best Fingerstyle Guitarist In The World...

Last Tuesday evening I had the privilege of watching Phil Keaggy perform during a "live" online guitar session hosted by Steve Krenz.  It was awesome!

Phil is considered by many to be among the best fingerstyle guitarists in the world, and not without good reason. Even Jimi Hendrix reportedly said that Phil Keaggy was the best guitar player he knew of!

Shades of Green by Phil Keaggy...

If you watched the video above you may have noticed that Phil is missing the middle finger of his right hand. According to Keaggy, he lost his finger when he was four years old in a freak accident involving a water pump...

 "We lived on a farm in Hubbard, Ohio, which had a big water pump, and I was climbing up on it. As I was kneeling on top of the platform, it broke and the faucets came crashing down on my finger and cut it off. I can remember it very vividly—as if it happened yesterday..."

Evidently this "handicap" has not hindered him from reaching his goals and becoming one of the Best Fingerstyle Guitarist's of our time.  A good motivational lesson for the rest of us who are endowed with all 10 digits!

At first, Phil was interested in learning how to play the drums.  But after his brother gave him a Silvertone guitar and taught him how to play a few chords, he was hooked.  Keaggy caught on quickly, picking up songs and licks by listening to records and jamming with friends.

Phil Keaggy played in several bands throughout the 1960s and, like many of his contemporaries, began experimenting with drugs during this time too...

"...the 18th year of my life was very dark; I was into drugs by now....back in '69 I was experimenting with LSD. I had done some trips and it was terrible, I thought it might enhance my creative ability in music, but it didn't. I once heard a tape of me playing when I was high and it was awful. I sang weird and I played badly. I thought I was doing such a great job, but it was a deception. People I was supposedly very close to, who were close to me, were turning on me. It seemed really strange...I was experiencing such fear...it was just...terrible...During these days I would take naps in the afternoon because I'd be so tired playing at night, staying up till 4 in the morning, getting up early and napping again in the afternoon. I'd wake up having nightmares...I had "Peace" written on my wall and I went around giving the peace sign, but I didn't experience peace in my life. I didn't know what peace really meant; it was just a cliché"

His mother was killed in a fatal car accident on Valentines day, 1970.  On that same day he was also badly hurt by an LSD trip. While he was suffering from the onslaught of these tragic events, his sister told him about Jesus and he became a Christian.

Welcome Inn: A Phil Keaggy Christmas

Phil Keaggy has a long list of achievements, some of which include...

• Being frequently selected as one of the best fingerstyle guitarist in the world by readers' of Guitar Player Magazine

• Being a 2-time Grammy Award nominee for Best Rock Gospel Album of the year

• Being a 7-time winner of the GMA Dove Award for Instrumental Album of the Year  

To top it all off,  in the '90s Keaggy was invited to play for the wedding of Paul McCartney's sister-in-law, Laura Eastman.  Afterward he fulfilled his lifelong dream and jammed with McCartney in a bedroom at the Eastman family estate.  Now wouldn't that be cool!

Phil enjoys experimenting with sound and admits that The Beatles took him in a "new direction" musically. He likes backward licks... "there not evil" he jokes, and said that he often reverses his own.

Listed among the effects pedals he likes to use are...Tremelo, Swell, Tone Freak, and occasionally an overdrive pedal.  He uses the same pedals for both his electric and acoustic guitars.

Phil also likes Schubb capos and uses Line 6 for Looping his tracks.

His best advice is to learn how to lose your self-awareness by listening to the tones of music and feeling the emotion. Develop your own voice and creativity.

So, if you need some more musical inspiration, be sure to check out the Live Guitar Lessons Every Tuesday Night...

Like Steve Krenz  says... "We're all on the path"

Till next time...

Keep practicing!
K.Unruh

Various Types of Guitars

When it comes to guitars there is no one size fits all. There are several types and varieties of guitars to choose from and each have their own genres and sound. This is why so many people who sell guitars do not ask what type you want. Rather, they ask what kind of music you play. The answer you give is what is going to help you decide whether you want to play acoustic guitar, classical guitar, electric guitar or any of the other variety of guitars that you can choose from.

The acoustic guitar is one of the most popular. Made of thin wood they are used in all types of music but are best known in folk, country, and acoustic rock. It is hollow bodied which means that it doesn't need amplification, although it can be added to an amplifier to send the sound out further. It is not considered to be an electric guitar however because you can play it without amplifying it and get the same exact sound. If you do not amplify an electric guitar it sounds very different and ends up with a twang type of sound. An electric guitar has a solid body although some are semi-hollow which gives it a warmer sound then the solid body guitar. An electric guitar is known for its harder sound such as what you find in rock and roll. Both acoustic and electric guitars also have varieties within the genre itself.

The classic guitar, also known as a nylon-string guitar is used for classical style music. This simply means that it is great for folk songs, flamenco style playing as well as ballads. They have a warm, full bodied sound which make them great for chord plucking and nail strumming. They are slightly smaller than a traditional acoustic guitar with wider necks and strings made of nylon rather than steel.

The hollow body guitar is a form of an electric guitar. Simply put, they are electric guitars with chambers that are cut into the body which gives a more resonating sound. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes just as the electric guitars do. They are perfect for playing jazz and blues music because of the deep, loud sound that comes from them when played.

Another great variety of guitar is the steel guitar. Furthest from the traditional guitars, it takes the most training to learn how to play and is one of the hardest guitars to play in general. It is played flat on its back rather than holding it up, and the strings stand about half of an inch above the fretboard. This gives it a sound that is quite different. In fact, it is more of a crying sound then it is a warm sound. The steel guitar is used a lot in the old style of country music but can still be found in some of the country music bands that are playing today.

Again, the variety within these groups is vast. You can play a steel acoustic guitar with either 6 or 12 strings. Then there is the acoustic bass guitar, the electric bass guitar and so many more. When choosing any guitar, the music you want to play will lead you in the right direction to choosing the best guitar for you.

Steve Krenz is the instructor for Learn and Master Guitar.
 He is a active guitarist playing and records professionally in Music City USA, Nashville, Tennessee.

He is a sought-after speaker and guitar lessons teacher conducting guitar-playing and music workshops in churches and venues across the United States and abroad, reaching as far as New Zealand and South America.

 Steve is also the guest author of today's blog post and I just want to thank him for sharing all these great tips about the various types of guitars that are available to musicians.

I think anyone who's considering what type of guitar to get for themselves should use Steve's advise to their best advantage and then be kind enough to pass it on!

Till next time...

Keep practicing!
K.Unruh