Guitarator

I'm seeking beta testers for my new Guitarator Toolbox application software. The Guitarator Toolbox is an application for Microsoft Windows that allows you to look up any chord or scale you can dream up, find the proper fingerings in any tuning, and hear what they sound like.

For a limited time, I am offering a free download of the Guitarator Toolbox. All you need to do is register. After the initial testing phase, the software will be available for sale.

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Previously, I presented an easy fingerstyle guitar version of When the Saints Go Marching In. Now I'll try and take it to the next level, by adding some synchopation, bass runs, and a slightly more complex chord progression. I make no claim to be a fingerpicking virtuoso, but I believe this demonstrates some useful techniques. I find it lots of fun to play, and to my ear it sounds pretty good. If you haven't learned the previous version, I suggest checking it out now, as this lesson builds on that. If you find this one to be too big of a jump from the last one, stay tuned, as I will be posting some more intermediate songs, or check out some of the books listed below. Read the rest of this entry »

Note: This is based on a message I originally posted on the Harmony Central Forums. Revised and extended.

This is a topic that seems to come up quite often, both in online forums and in talking to people. Does learning music theory take away from the ability to simply "play what sounds good?" Can learning proper vocal technique remove the raw emotion from singing? Does learning more about the established techniques in a field (like songwriting) remove true creativity and make us all sound alike?

I've thought about this a lot, and I'm going to say no. And here's why.

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I've published the first beta version my latest tool for musicians: Eddy's Metronome Machine. It's a downloadable application for Windows that you can use as a simple metronome or as a way to experiment with complex poly-rhythms.

» Check out Eddy's Metronome Machine

One of my favorite ways of playing acoustic guitar is country-blues fingerpickin'. Also known as Cotten pickin' (after Elizabeth Cotten) or Travis pickin' (after Merle Travis). The style consists of a steady bass line played with the thumb, accompanied by a synchopated melody line played with the fingers. The combination of the driving bass and the melody that seems to float in space over it creates a sense of movement and lets a solo guitar sound like more than a solo guitar.

The best way to learn a technique is to learn songs in that technique, so that's what this lesson is for. A good song to start with is Oh When the Saints, because it has a simple melody that we all recognize, but still has a lot of room for elaboration. That way, we can start simple and add embellishments as we go along.

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