January 2023 Guitar Newsletter: The Enriching Cycle Of Learning And Teaching
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Over the years, being a guitar teacher has morphed into a larger dimension. Of course, the act of teaching, playing, practicing and performing are still at the heart of it. However, the passing on of knowledge about music can go much deeper. With the arrival of 2023, I am looking forward to enriching my students’ lives with all I can learn from my interest in music. Educating them in unexpected ways and keeping them curious is my goal as their teacher.
For example, last month a student of mine expressed interest in the guitar solo of a song by Carly Simon called “You’re So Vain”.
It is a big hit of hers and has a delightful, brief guitar solo starting at starting at the 2 minute mark by a guitarist that was unknown to me: Jimmy Ryan. With a little bit of research, I not only discovered that he is on dozens of other albums I treasure but that he now is a resident of Fairfield IA, which is about 70 miles away from my home! Besides his steadfast work for Carly, his guitar skills brought him into the company of very successful musicians such as Paul McCartney, Cat Stevens and Rod Stewart. This short guitar solo that caught my student’s attention happens to be the one Jimmy is most proud of (interview). He also has a biography full of stories about being a sideman behind legendary songwriters!
When a student brings material like this to the table, it compels me to dig around a bit, and I end up discovering all sorts of interesting facts. On a practical level, this guitar solo is a perfect example of using the A minor pentatonic scale with some very tasty blue notes. I point this out because many guitar solos are based on this so-called minor blues scale, and it is remarkable when somebody uses it in a new and creative manner.
I was intrigued by his bends and microtones, his perfect use of space in between the notes and especially by the second part of the solo. If you listen closely it sounds a bit different, yet everything flows together so smoothly. I was leaning towards him using a slide, also called bottleneck guitar, in a less obvious way than it is usually played. Indeed, at the very end of the guitar solo, Jimmy plays a low note that then steadily goes higher and higher in pitch. It sounds like a balloon floating away into a blue sky, and that sealed the deal since this effect can only be done with the use of a slide. Check out the video and if you zoom in closely you can see Jimmy holding a shiny object in his left hand. That's a slide!
All of this requires intense repeated listening. Guitar players obsessed with tone will also start asking specific questions like: what type of guitar is this played on, what kind of slide is he using, is that some kind of phaser or wah-wah effect on the second half of the solo? Admittedly, this is time consuming, but this innate curiosity and drive to figure things out is why I love teaching the guitar and sharing my insights with my students.
As I was listening to the song, I also had to admit that I really liked the sound and feel of the rhythm section backing Carly’s commanding voice. Well, no wonder, all the musicians on that recording are top shelf! Klaus Voorman on bass, drummer Jim Gordon and backup vocals by Mick Jagger! What a lineup! Not only did I get introduced to a fantastic session guitarist, who happens to live in Iowa, and a myriad of albums he plays on, but I made another odd discovery along the way. I had a twilight zone moment when I read that Klaus is now residing in Starnberg, Bavaria, which is equally about an hours drive from my childhood hometown in Germany. Pretty weird to think that the bass player and guitarist of a song I was asked to check out are now residing very close to the two locations I spent most of my life in! It’s a very small and connected world when you take a closer look into the lives of folks in the music industry. All the links within it make it an adventurous puzzle.
This little anecdote is an example of how music enriches our lives far beyond the sheer pleasure of sound waves hitting our eardrums. It all started with a student's spark of interest in a guitar solo, which opened up all sorts of musical avenues. This simple inquiry greatly expanded my horizons. Taking time to dig a little bit deeper and explore has its benefits. Wishing you a 2023 that is filled with the joy and excitement of learning and passing on your new revelations to others,
Chris
