Use Your Ears!
Dear Guitar Friends,
I hope this reaches you in good spirits and that you are able to find time to practice the guitar and listen to music amidst work, schoolwork, or other commitments.
This is my monthly newsletter, which will contain guitar related information that I believe will be useful and enjoyable for you.
I’m happy to say that I have seen tremendous growth in all of you! Online lessons are working well, and I have been very surprised at how well. I now think they are, perhaps, more effective than in person lessons, esp. for children. The Premier Guitar Magazine August edition has interesting views on the future of private lessons and the benefits of online lessons that line up with what I’m experiencing. (see article here)
One thing is for sure, this new pace of life and time at home has pushed many people to pursue their musical interests and to use this opportunity to start or re-start the journey of learning an instrument.
During this unusual summer, I found some time to re-explore my own musical goals and began to tackle a strategy on how to set forth to achieve them. In my case, I have had to de-clutter and re-organize a lot by sorting through method books, going through much accumulated gear (guitars, amplifiers, pedals etc), and figuring out how to keep things simple and functional. I recommend this clearing out process along with getting your guitar restrung and any repairs taken care of. It makes a huge difference holding an instrument in your hands that feels and sounds good. Having a quiet spot to practice, record, or just play for fun for some undisturbed time is critical! Early mornings and late evenings seem to be ideal for me...hmm, does that have anything to do with homeschooling 2 children at the moment?
One of my goals is to regularly record. Thanks to my wife, Hannah, who happened to be browsing through a guitar magazine that featured the Spire Studio recorder, I have found a very user friendly and great sounding recording device. For all of you who are also interested in taking up basic home recording and do not want to deal with too much recording software technology on the computer (like me), I highly recommend the Spire Studio recorder.
Lastly, who would have thought that the Covid Pandemic would start a revival in guitar playing that has caused record sales of guitars. Here’s what the NYTimes has to say about it.
So, if you know of anyone who’s experiencing their own guitar revival send them here, to my website.
Also, thanks to those of you who’ve checked out my new website and Instagram (chrisdimondguitarlessons). There, in addition to musical things, I’ve also enjoyed sharing what’s going on in our vegetable and flower gardens and what our new bunnies, Blossom and Petal are up to!
I’d like to end by reminding all of you to please make some time to actually listen to guitar related music. This requires some time commitment, but it really is a huge part of the learning process! Put aside some designated time each week to listen to an entire album with your full attention. This could even be turned into a family, bonding event. Listen to what is going on and let yourself be immersed in the sound. Try to imagine how these guitar players are getting all the notes and sounds and listen to the song structures and the production of the album. Talk about what you heard, what you imagined and how the music made you feel.
Here are some listening recommendations for this month:
Manuel Barrueco (Nylon & Steel Duets)
The Atlantics (Now It’s Stompin’ Time)
B.B. King (Singin’ The Blues)
Pat Metheny (Bright Size Life)
Happy guitar pickin’ for the month of October!
Chris
P.S. Always remember to use your ears!
