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Q: What was your experience at the Berklee College of Music like
and what is your opinion on going to study music at a university? -
from Adrien
A: I think Berklee College of Music is perhaps the best place to go if
you want to be a contemporary musician. They have an incredible
reputation which is well deserved. I would recommend anyone to go
there if they want to be a full time musician. Having said that, I
believe Leeds College of Music (in the north of England) is the best
place to go in Europe. Leeds' reputation is growing stronger every
year. If I were young and living in UK or Europe I would definitely
favour Leeds over Berklee. Studying music at University is another
good option, perhaps the best one because you learn more about other
things, not just music. Provided you can get a good teacher I would
say this is a route worth pursuing.
Q: Do you know a good music school I can go to? I thought maybe I
could go abroad and study music in another country and improve my
knowledge to be a good guitarist. - from Alfredo
A: My advice to you would be to do a summer course at the Berklee
College of Music in Boston, USA where you can be among musicians from
all over the world who want to do the same as you. You will learn a
lot there and make many connections.
Q: I am practicing chords, scales, and playing along to music to
incorporate what I have learned, my question is with regard to not
falling into the same groove all the time. I'll go from for example
Sting, to Stevie Ray Vaughn, to Clapton, to jazz, to classical, to try
to change my approach, but while I change my tempo and key, I like to
fall into a familiar rhythm most of the time. Am I following a good
course? - from Kevin
A: What you are doing is only natural. I also wish I could do or say
things but I can't. I think it is good to mix up styles. Try learning
a new style of playing you haven't tried before purely as an exercise.
Then you might discover something you didn't know and might even
incorporate it into what will become your style. Basically the more
styles you play the more unique and distinct you will become.
Q: I like to fool around with the classical guitar, just as a hobby. I
am using the Frederick Noad Solo Guitar Playing book. I was wondering
if you were familiar with it and if you thought it was any good? Are
there other books you would recommend? I know you recommend Sor and I
got some of his stuff off of the internet. - from Erik
A: Sor is great for practicing. I am not familiar with the book you
mention but I am sure it's good. Practice slowly!
Q: My girlfriend is to buy a guitar but doesn’t have the time to go to
a/my teacher so I’m going to try to the teach her the basic stuff. I
will read your advices in the choosing guitar section but now what I’d
like to ask your advices is about teaching. I think I'll explain her
the basic musical and rhythm theory first and I might be wrong but I'm
thinking of starting with some simple country songs just to feel the
music and practise to read, etc. And then we’ll have really got into
the music what do you suggest to learn for a nylon string? - from
Andris
A: I think the best music to practice and learn guitar (or nylon
string guitar) is the music of Fernando Sor. It's simple but really
nice. He was a guitar teacher in his day so this music was designed
for learning to play.
Q: My training in music has helped to develop my ears, through which
I've been able to gain a fair amount of facility on the instrument.
Bottom line, though, I want to take it to the next level. I've studied
from many method books for saxophone (my first instrument), but do not
know of one for guitar that gives proper fingerings for scale patterns
and technique-building exercises. Would you be able to recommend one
to me? I know that you are big on studying Bach, which I would love to
get to, but... I really want to speed both hands up. - From David
A: I know of a book by the teacher Hector Quine (who was my teacher)
which is really simple and effective. I think you are going in the
wrong direction if you want to "speed up both hands" (this goes
against all my principles). If you can't do it slowly you will NEVER
do it quickly. Rome wasn't built in a day!
Q: Do you think it's worth studying different areas of music? I heard
you studied in London at a music school, is that something worth
checking out? I can barely read music (but am prepared to learn), I do
everything by ear. I'm still in high school, I start applying to
universities next year so I'm trying to decide what is priority. Just
a regular university or a specialized one for music. - from Sarah
A: My advice to you would be to NOT go to music college but to a
normal one and perhaps do music as a major. The reason being that one
needs outside influences other than music to grow even as a musician.
It's important to find a good teacher and learn as much as you can
about theory.
Q: About a decade ago I saw Larry Coryell at a club here in DC and I
met him briefly before the concert. I told him how much I had enjoyed
his recording of the Pavane on his acoustic LP 'The Restful Mind' and
asked him if he would do it that night. He said, "you got it" and
performed it beautifully. A very gracious gesture on his part and
certainly one of the highlights of my concert going life. I recently
purchased a transcription of Antonio Lauro's Natalia with the
intention of starting work on it over the upcoming spring break. Any
tips before I start? - from Kirk
A: You are obviously serious about your music and everything it seems.
That's a great story about Larry Coryell. I would love to learn that
piece and do some kind of arrangement. My advice with the Lauro is to
TAKE IT SLOWLY. I find the best way to learn his (or anyone's) pieces
are to learn a line each day with the emphasis on which is the best
fingering to use, ie most economical but effective. It could (or
should) take a couple of weeks to learn one of these pieces to get it
right. Then it's a question of finding the groove which is definitely
there. Kind of like an undercurrent. I know this may sound boring, but
try using a metronome at ridiculously slow speed. You'd be surprised
how accurately you will end up playing it. My philosophy on practice
is to practice without emotion or dynamic. Save that for the playing.
It's a discipline which really works.
Q: Which Bach transcriptions do you recommend for the classical
guitar? - from Alan
A: The Bach Cello Suites are really good for the guitar.
Q: I'm a guitar student at Berklee college of Music in Boston. I was
wondering if you could give me some advice on how to successfully
explore the modes and realise their full potential. As you would
imagine I've received many great tips but I'm interested to hear the
way in which YOU discovered them since I greatly admire your playing
and many people have interesting paths to the same end. - from Doug
A: You might be surprised to know I went to Berklee (briefly) in 1976.
I have never studied modes but recognise their role in almost every
genre of music. In fact any scale is in effect a mode. I have always
relied on my instincts to play around with different modes. Jazz
musicians are the ones who really go deep into this concept. I think
the way Joe Zawinul uses modes is really incredible. He will play a
simple phrase that sounds completely unrelated to the key he is in but
still sound beautiful and meaningful. These are the times I might
"study" this concept. I try to work out the root and then what scale
he (or many others, like Herbie Hancock etc..) are playing in relation
to the key. Usually it is a very simple major scale. But which one!
And why! I think the best way to learn more about modes is to listen
to the great jazz musicians and try to get into their way of thinking.
Different players will use different patterns. The beauty of the
position you are in is you can take the elements you like and then put
them into your own package. This is how you will eventually create
your own style and then people will be trying to figure out what you
are playing and why. I hope this is of some use to you.
Q: After playing rhythm guitar in a few bands, I aspire to become a
lead guitar player. However, I am not very fluent when it comes to
soloing. This has become a frustrating problem because I feel as
though I cannot truly express myself on an instrument I love so much.
I have a very basic knowledge of music theory and have never taken a
guitar lesson, so I learn, play, and write music only by ear (even
though I am able to read music). I wanted to know your thoughts on
soloing. Is taking theory and guitar lessons the key to becoming
better at guitar soloing? - from Zach
A: It is very useful to learn scales on the guitar. The modes like
pentatonic are great for blues. The more modes you learn the easier it
will be to express yourself. It's like learning a different language.
You can't just start speaking Italian without learning the vocabulary.
The scales are the vocabulary. Then you can say what you want.
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