There are a lot of great guitar players in town, and Stan taught most of them everything they know. Phenomenal doesn't begin to describe his playing. Complete mastery of the six-string is more accurate. Michael Henningsen Albuquerque Alibi (2000)	"Blues Guitar Workshop Manual" Is now completed and being used at the workshops I am giving. If you can't make one of then or can't afford one, you can still get this manual from me. Most of it can be an easy "self-teaching" method for those players who already know a little about playin' the guitar.To order the manualGO TO SNAIL MAIL SECTION OF CD PAGE. (or e-mail me) COST is $20 (includes shipping) Guitar lessons in Albuquerque When I'm in Albuquerque I have a teaching studio there. Not just blues guitar lessons. Actually I teach almost all styles of guitar. Electric as well as acoustic. Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Pop, Slide,whatever. (I love it all). Also --Theory--composition, etc... e-mail me stan@stanhirsch.com Feel free to go to my blog.(Stan Hirsch Guitar Blog)-there you can read a bunch of stuff about music in general, about learning guitar, gigging, jamming, learn-guitar-lessons,12-bar blues form, rhythm guitar player, music theory light,etc.... You can also download free guitar lessons in PDF format, on stanhirsch.com/blog. stanhirsch.com/blog Workshops Along with my regular acoustic blues guitar lesson workshops, I have recently been doing blues bottleneck slide lesson workshops. Guiness Blues Fest-(Warrenpoint N. Ireland)---- Telluride Blues Fest. Telluride Colorado.---- New Mexico Jazz Workshop actually these are six week courses, once a week(one and-a half hours).Albuq. N.M.(MY Home)---- Augusta Heritage Arts Blues Workshop, West Virginia Thanks to all my students who attended the workshop be sure to feel free to e-mail me any questions. Love you all! Thanks, Stan Stright Six Publishing( a division of Blue Falcon Music)is going to publish some instructional material for me.There will be some written material along with CD. Note: I am finished with a "Blues" guitar method. The Blues Guitar Book..."Thumpin' Thumb and Fiery Fingers"..(or flyin' flatpick). The concentration is on independent thumb / finger(s) a nessesary ingredient for most solo acoustic guitar styles.But,most of the material is aplicable to flatpicking and elec. guitar as well. Basically the stuff that most blues styles are made of,-- No BS, just the basic foundation to understand and play and jam in that stew. Or check out my "BLUES GUITAR WORKSHOP MANUAL" which is sort of an abbreviated version of this. Thanks, Stan "Rapping, Ranting and Raving" Notes To The Students The student will say "I've been working on that part for ten minutes now and still can't get it to sound right"! The teacher replies: Don't worry--"Do it for another ten hours and it will sound much better". The point--it is difficult for the student to realize how much practice (repetition) it takes to sound like the artists they listen to. They "The Masters" are like Olympic gold metal winners, --they eat, breathe, and sleep it. And even the most talented had to spend a lot of time learning to just go from chord to chord in "unbroken time" with no goofs or pauses. ("Unbroken time"--pauses--I'm not talking here about getting up and grabbing another beer out of the fridge, (although a break might help). You know what I'm talking about ----That "clock" organizing the sounds, --- Organized sound --- yes------MUSIC! We all forget how much time and effort it took to learn how to walk across the room without stumbling or falling back down. Or how much time and repetition we put into learning each word that built our vocabulary now used to speak in well formed and brilliantly articulated complete sentences. Is there any reason our musical language abilities should take less work? (Well --a--yes-- in a way--I mean -- you know -- we sort a got like --you know--the hang of it--and-- Stan's well organized teaching method at hand!) Don't worry about what you can't play, just keep working at it. Take that which you can play, and make it as "musical" as possible. Put it into solid time! Develop the "groove"! Maybe just one note boppin' along! (As in Lesson #1) Once you get the feeling of playing in time, it's easier to plug in the new things you've been working on. In other words--- Build the foundation--then the house--then start hanging stuff on the walls. Our minds are so ready to focus on the glittering details we may easily dismiss the simple elements that are holding the music together. Rhythm is a function of time. Time organizes sound into music. The more you are "plugged into" the rhythm, the more musical your playing will sound. Owning Or Renting? Simplicity or complexity are not gauges of musicality or measures of artistry. Dig into your limitations, strengthen them,-- Your style must conform to them! Be "sure footed" in those things you know will work for you. Groove on a little chord change that you got goin'--and own it! Make it yours! (Work till it's easy to play-so you go beyond the technique.) Dig that little "lick" you've been working on! Put it here, put it there! Use that little sucker whenever and wherever you can! Own it! If you need to "open the book" to refresh you memory as to what those notes or chords were or where they go--You're renting!-- (And that's ok.) It's like a word you know exists, but can't pull out and use in conversation. That's what dictionaries and sheet music, and music books are for. We are in the information age. So much information is readily available to us. We're not just talkin' dictionaries and music books here. You know the rap. So then; What does "Style" and "Musicality" have to do with limitations? And what does that have to do with owning or renting? Let's look at it this way---- How many chords do you need to know in order to create great blues music? Answer; One!--(If you're John Lee Hooker) (p.s, that is not all he owns.) Why? Cause he can put it into one heck of a deep groove! How? Cause he really, really owns it! So why don't you write a blues method book all about just one chord? Cause nobody would buy it. (The simple and "easy' don't seem valuable.) With so much information around we tend not to value little tidbits, little morsels of information. We don't grab it, cherish it, swallow it, absorb it and make it ours. We know we can go look it up in that book over there. There is always something more fascinating to move onto. Some info that is really going to do it for us. That special ingredient to create great music. Bottom line; Have confidence in those few chords, that little rhythm groove, those couple of "high notes". Put your heart into it and play. Make music with those things you own. Rent the other stuff for now. Take those things that really "melt your butter". Use what you own to create your style! Don't worry about your limitations. Step past the technique and into music making! RIGHT HAND & VOCALIZING RAP Why do we use our strongest hand for the strumming or picking ? Because we need that accuracy and strength for the most fundamental and important part of music making; The rhythm! Most of us forget this because we become unavoidably preoccupied with the fretting hand and all the flashing, shinny, glittering details. You know--this little "lick", running up there! (This includes the camera men shooting music videos.) For most of the lessons I recommend damping the strings (by lightly placing your left hand on them) and working your right hand on the "strum". This will create a percussive sound and really bring out what that right hand is doing. We want to do that because this right hand --playing in good strong time--is the dictator! (Unless you're left handed.) This is the hand God gave you to create the groove. The left hand (and all them notes, chords, etc...), need to fall in line with that. Of course when you're learning new chords, licks, scales, stuff, whatever; attention has to be directed to your left hand fingers. But don't start thinking that this is the important part. Figure out what you need to do, then direct that attention back into plugging that stuff in line with the right hand: You know, where the music is made! In fact I talk to my right hand a lot! It's my good friend. Vocalizing-- Your voice, the act of vocalizing things, has a very unique pathway to and from your mind. Vocalizing is a direct link to thought--and to creating reality. (Hearing the music then having it materialize as sound.) It is a way of placing musical patterns firmly in your mind and then coaching your hands. If you can vocalize the rhythmic patterns alone or rhythmic patterns attached to arranged notes (melodies, "licks" "stuff on top" lessons) then you've got it! All you have to do now is teach it to your hands. (Not always quick or easy.) All musicians who play any music (complex or simple) that sounds solid can vocalize what it is they are playing. From the basic rhythm to the most complex arrangement of notes. This does not mean they can "sing" them in perfect pitch (although some can), but they can vocalize the phrasing (rhythm). They hear the part (inside their head) and can bring it out into the physical world by vocalizing it. Then play it on their instrument. How do you replace your Drummer and Bass player with your thumb|||Learn about "THUMPIN' THUMB and FIREY FINGERS"----- If, you are playing solo acoustic guitar, could you get everybody up and dancing? |||---- If you know these 6 chords ( A, C, D, E, F, G,), You should be able to write your own chord book! |||---- Instant lead guitar patterns explained in 10 min.. Is that poss.? |||----- If you are playing solo acoustic guitar, could you get everybody up and dancing? |||---- If you know these 6 chords ( A, C, D, E, F, G,), You should be able to write your own chord book! |||---- What does Hendrix " The Wind cries Mary" have to do with playing country guitar licks? |||----- Does it help to drink the whiskey first before using the bottle neck for slide? |||---- What does a Chinese pentatonic scale have to do with blues? |||----- A few E-mails from students. I've taken lessons from a number of people and none have approached your ability to break concepts into their fundamental units and make them easy to grasp. "Daniel E. Pearcy" dpearcy@supersmilz.com ------- Your playing and knowledge are an inspiration. And you are pretty damn funny too. "jim neil" jencanty@msn.com ------- Stan, Honestly I thought your class was over the top! I usually gravitate to my electric, but after your class I had to go out and get a better acoustic! "Sabert Lewis" sabertlewis@hotmail.com ---------- Stan, I really enjoyed the workshop.I think all the different blues styles and songs that you used as examples was very informative. Looking forward to next workshop! Larry Compton--lcompton59@aol.com ---- Stan, I enjoyed your class a lot. The one thing that opened up new territory for me was using the right hand (actually thumb and fingers) for bass notes and chords (and licks) played separately. Guess I always knew that was out there but never had been shown how to make it happen. Thanks! Harry Bertico---bertico@aol.com---------- Stan, I can feel the blues, I can hear rhythm, but I’ve had a hard time getting that to my fingers. (the way you explain is of course the key.) Having the style shown to me one step at a time. Also the atmosphere was very relaxed. Only a teacher’s personality can create that. I’ve taught thousands of people (more than a hundred at a time), and I’ve found that a relaxed atmosphere and some laughter is very conducive to absorbing and then retaining information. You did a good job in creating that atmosphere. Enjoyed your class immensely, & hope to do future workshops with you. Jay Barnes--jaysblues@earthlink.net --------- Stan, I enjoyed your class immensely. In the almost 40 years I’ve been playing, I had absorbed in bits and pieces. Before your class my understanding of the blues was disjointed and complicated. You taught me the essence and structural underpinnings. You’ve pushed me beyond learning and forgetting licks-to actually making music. "TonyWilliams" --tonyw@pozzisouthwest.com------ Quotes and E-mails from workshop directors who hired me. Stan, Thanks for all your hard work, you were stellar as usual! ..a consumate professional at all times, and a very nice man to boot.If I weren't the director of this camp, Id' be sitting at your feet in your classes and soaking up your knowledge. Mark Galbo-Director-Telluride "Blues Fest." Guitar camp. mark@rockandrollacademy.com- ..Stan receives rave reviews from his students who go away from his classes inspired to play and practice with plenty of info. to work with. Stan presents his teaching materials in a clear and concise manner and demonstrates both his love of the blues and his love of teaching in every class. -Maud Beenhouwer-Education Coordinator-New Mexico Jazz Workshop -- nmjwoffice@flash.net - Some famous students Although Mcfadden learned many of his diverse styles through listening and osmosis, he credits an old teacher, Stan Hirsch, with giving him the self-assurance to tackle new things. "I'd listen to Jimmy Page and say-I can't play that".McFadden remembers."But he would prove me wrong by showing me that I could. He gave me knowledge and confidence" Interview with Eric McFadden (Guitarist with George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars, also, Guitarist with Eric Burton.) Guitar Player Magazine-June 2000
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