The Open-D Tuning Guitar Spot

Back in the GTA

2009-09-14T08:17:00.004-04:00

Yep, not quite back in the USSR, but definitely back - to the Greater Toronto Area, after a 10-year stretch in Windsor, ON.

Quite happy to be on home turf again.

I have begun advertising private lessons (in open-D tuning, of course), for those aspiring guitarists that feel the need the extra little help in getting going on Guitar.

From my commerical site, you know that my system is designed to be self-taught; it's simple, way easier than standard-tuned guitar, and very intuitive. Great especially for, say, singers who wish to accompany themselves, or frustrated novices looking for a simpler re-start on guitar, or for anyone interested in an easy alternate tuning. But, repeatedly I get requests for private lessons, so there must be a demand.

In response, I am offering in-your-home guitar lessons, in the Greater Toronto Area (I reside in the north GTA - York Region). Let me know if it's of interest.

Richie Havens and Open-D Tuning

2009-04-18T08:18:00.002-04:00

Not that I had any idea when I developed Guitar-eze, but open-D tuning has been utilized to tremendous effect by Richie Havens.

His site reveals all his playing secrets, all in open-D tuning.

I had heard of Richie before Guitar-eze, even had the Woodstock album, and had seen him in the movie. I never made the connection, though, that he was playing in an alternate tuning - probably because of the mesmerizing performance itself. But Richie on his site demonstrates how easy guitar can be to learn in open-D, and he, like me, developed his own unique approach.

I could never play like Richie Havens. But Guitar-eze is another approach to the same tuning, just about as intuitive, but slightly more rooted in traditional guitar technique (although I am no technician as a player either!).

Richie Havens - one more reason why open-D tuning rocks.

Free Guitar Lessons Online

2009-03-15T08:04:00.004-04:00

That's a hot one.

How can they possibly do it - give away free lessons on guitar?

There are several answers, and none of them are particularly inspiring or refreshing to me:

1) Most "free" lesson sites are exceptionally limited in what they actually offer free. I've seen the most silly "lessons" out there, from holding the guitar, to listing off the parts of the guitar, and on and on. It's obvious why the lesson is "free" - it's virtually pointless and could be found anywhere free.

2) This makes their "free" offerings a teaser strategy to get you to sign up for - what else - paid online lessons. Let's face it - the "com" in .com stands for commercial. They all want to sell you something. Even if they are giving all their lessons away, they probably want you to buy something else of theirs on the same site.

3) In the rare instance where the lessons may all actually be free and comprehensive in scope, then the site it likely cluttered with all sorts of advertising and other offers - from Google AdWords to banner ads, to pop-ups, links and anything else trying to grab your attention away from what your were seeking - which was free guitar lessons.

4) The reason for all those banners, AdWords, and pop-ups is that the owners of the site get paid for displaying them. So their generous nature is actually a front for a money-making venture of another type, designed, really, to distract you away from their site so they get paid. Nice.

At Guitar-eze, at least I'm fairly direct at what the site wants you to do - which is buy Guitar-eze. I offer up a lot of information about what the method is all about, what you get when you buy, how open-D will help open up the world of guitar for you, but I don't hide behind a facade of "free" anything. I'm also happy to report that to date, I have resisted all forms of outside advertising on any of my pages (except a very limited links section at the bottom of my Testimonials page). I hate all that stuff when I'm surfing (as I'm sure you and everyone else does), but particularly on guitar sites.

Maybe in some future post I'll rant about how generally pointless it is to try and learn guitar while sitting in front of a computer screen...

So, to conclude, "free" anything online should be taken for what it generally is - nonsense - and nowhere is this more true than the wonderful world of guitar on the internet.

Open-D Recordings Now Available

2009-03-14T16:10:00.002-04:00

I have decided to show the world what I have done with open-D tuning, recording-wise. It occured to me that I have some remaining stock of recordings made with my two bands, the Highway Hepcats (1993-1999) and the JumpKatz (2003-2007) Both bands recorded original material, the vast majority of which was played, by me, in open-D tuning.

The recordings, I feel, chart both the versatility and fullness of sound when playing in open-D, as well as my personal growth and development as a guitar player (and vocalist).

I'll have them on offer on the site, until they're sold out.

Playing By Ear in Open-D Tuning - Part 2

2009-03-07T14:08:00.003-05:00

The other way open-D tuning is superior for the ear player is in the area of experimentation.

Now, for the experienced (standard tuning) guitarist, experimentation may not be a big deal. After all, for those folks, with the background, the theoretical knowledge, the experience with chords, harmony, etc., experimentation is readily achievable, with all that you already know (surprisingly it does not apply to all experienced guitar players).

But for those inexperienced, novice, frustrated guitar types who feel like they have music in them, but just cannot get over the hump of priming needed in standard tuning, open-D tuning offers a nifty by-pass. The neat thing about a tuning such as open-D is that you need virtually no musical background out of the gate. Your guitar is tuned to such a user friendly starting point - a beautiful, common, usable D major chord - that the door is held wide open for you to get playing guitar, by ear, right away.

What do I mean by this?

Consider it - you strum your guitar, and you have a common major chord, with no fingers to fret. All it takes to create a second usable chord is to add one finger to one fret - and it matters not which - any string, any fret (heck, even any finger!). You have another new chord. An actual, playable, legitimate chord - and you really don't need to know the name of it (although Guitar-eze does get into a minimal amount of theory for those who may desire it).

Add to this the fact that a single finger can replicate that starting D major chord all the way up the neck of your guitar, creating Eb, E, F, F#, etc., and you have opened up a world of guitar, with an absolute minimum of technical or theoretical knowledge. For an ear player, or experimenter, or intuitive guitar player, it's heaven.

That's what open-D tuning is - heaven.

Playing By Ear in Open-D Tuning - Part 1

2009-03-04T11:05:00.003-05:00

What does it mean to play guitar by ear? Different things to different people, I suppose. I apply the term differently, even to my own personal situation.

On the one side, I play guitar by ear. That means I don't need to read music notation (which I can, actually), or tab (which I can't for the life of me)to play my guitar(s). I can figure out chords, chord progressions, melody lines, solos, all without the aid of written music. I generally learn from recorded versions of the songs I like.

Open-D tuning has been a true door-opener for me in song learning, especially by ear. The versatility of this particular tuning is well documented (if greatly under-utilized) in the guitar playing world, but generally not for learning songs. But open-D tuning is a terrific way to unlock your favourite tunes. For example, just getting the basic "roadmap" of a song down - that general progression of chords, verses, choruses, codas, endings, etc. is achieved with relative ease in open-D, because at the start you can just use your lowest D string, or even the three low (D-A-D) strings, to parse out the basic chords. At first pass, you may not get all the nuances (majors, minors, sevenths, etc.), but you will be able to quickly pound out the basics of the song, and then go back and refine. During this refinement stage, open-D tuning once again shows its adaptability. In no other tuning can you "feel" the chords of a song out like open-D. If you've got a song in the key of G for example, and the the progression moves from a G to an A chord, it is quite simple to discern whether that A chord is a major or a minor, with a simple finger movement. Because the strings in open-D are tuned to a major triad, things like minors, etc. tend to jump right out at you.

So that's one side of ear playing that open-D can really help bring out. For a working musician, who learns songs to get paid with, or just to perform in general, it is a genuine guitar playing aid.

There's another type of ear playing that is just as exciting and perfectly suited for open-D tuning as well. I'll get into it next post.

Songs I Love to Play in Open-D - Tequila Sunrise

2009-02-24T11:25:00.003-05:00

I'm not an Eagles-ophile by any stretch of the imagination, but they wrote some terrific melodies and chord progressions, set to some pretty melancholy lyrics, that seemed to personify all the excesses of 1970s LA. One of my all time faves to play by them has to be Tequila Sunrise. It is a truly spectacular assemblage of chords, in any guitar tuning I suppose, but in open-D - wow!

Starting with the opening four-bar move from G to G6 (almost hinting at a Gmaj7?), which I play on the low A string (third finger, 7th fret, while barring on G) to give is a more bass-y feel, you really don't anything more than your acoustic guitar to set the feel for the whole tune.

Then for the verse, the progression moves from the G-G6 to D7, then to Am ("'cross the sky"), then back to D7 before landing back on that G-G6 pattern. The Am can be played to tremendous effect on the 7th fret position, with just the D-F#-A strings held down (A-C-E), allowing the open-D to occasionally ring (for and Am-add4).

This progression continues for another verse, before the first bridge comes in ("Every night when the sun goes down..."), which vamps on C to Em and returning on an Am-D7 and back to the verse projection. The C to Em progression can be played beautifully in the base position and both chords can also leave the high open D string ringing for effect (C add 2, and Em7 respectively).

Then comes another verse on the original progression (G-G6, etc.), and an instrumental on the same pattern (which the Eagles gave a mournful Tex-Mex treatment on guitars that might have been trumpets).

The climax of the tune comes after the instrumental, where a different bridge is introduced with the pattern of Am D Bm E Am B7 Em A ("Take another shot of courage..."), before returning to the original progression and verse ("It's another Tequila Sunrise...").

I like to vary up the second bridge part by playing the D and E chords way up high (12th and 14th fret), the B7 standard on fret 9, and then that last Em back on the bottom. The chords, melody line and lyrics all mesh amazingly throughout this section before returning home to the original progression and lyric, except at the end, "this old world still looks the same, another frame".

It's a wonderful composition (these guys were pros), but you can really give it a treatment, with just an acoustic guitar and your voice - in open-D tuning.

Playing Along to Backing Tracks

2009-02-21T10:07:00.004-05:00

I've had two kicks at the cat performing (guitar and vocals) along to backing tracks. First was about 10 years ago now, with a sequencer and drum machine (actually a Roland DR-5, which gave me a whole rhythm section - bass, drums, keys). It was a little canned sounding, but the tracks weren't atrocious, and I had the luxury of being able to arrange the songs the way I specifically wanted - length, endings, key changes. I played solo this way for about three years, to unhostile audiences, before I totally go sick of it, started (unintentionally) missing gigs and generally got bummed out.

I formed a band instead.

More recently, with the advent of ubiquitous MP3s of all types online (including backing tracks), I decided to get a laptop and try out the solo thing that way. In short order, I found over 500 tunes I could do, got some cheap editting software, and hit the stage about two years ago. While my song base was vastly expanded (I never had more than about 120 with the sequencer), and again never a complaint from an audience (God, they can be gentle and forgiving), I eventually felt the limitations of canned arrangements, unfriendly keys, less than perfect sound quality (from freebie track downloads), etc. Currently I'm on the fence with the whole concept.

In between these times of solo performance, of course, I led two bands and played sideman in innumerable more. While machines are nice slaves, and don't talk back, unfortunately they also don't talk at all, so "interaction" with your "band" is non-existent, unless dealing with computer glitches counts.

At the end of the day, I love to play guitar and sing for an audience (all in open-D tuning), with band or without. I've even had a try at 100% acoustic, which is a different thing altother, not unlike playing and singing with no clothes on. I'm not quite down with that yet, but who knows...

Hey, Folkies

2009-02-18T13:39:00.006-05:00

On the site, I always mention the styles I play guitar in, and the many styles suited to which open-D tuning is perfectly suited. Guess which one I never seem to mention?

Folk. As in, folk guitar. As in, acoustic guitar, which is often referred to as - folk guitar.

Make no mistake - open-D tuning is beautifully suited to all songs folky. Just think Joni Mitchell and Bruce Cockburn, to name two relatively obscure open-D-ers.

Or, Bob Dylan - I shall be Free, Corrina Corrina, and Oxford Town on his very first album, and all of the album Blood on the Tracks - all open-D.

As a matter of fact, the folkie in me seems to be surfacing, the more I strum my acoustic guitar in open-D. For the past couple of years, I've even dropped the pick in favor of finger picking (or attempting to). Now, I'm no finger picker, but I do know that open-D just sounds wonderful played this way. For a more percussive attack, of course, the pick is the way to go, although some of the intricacy of a multi-finger attack can be diminished.

So in short, folkies owe it to themselves to give the folk guitar a re-tune to open-D and see the beauty of this tuning in action, in folk music.

Hey, Guitar Teachers

2009-02-17T11:58:00.003-05:00

Many years ago, when I first contemplated the idea of commercializing a guitar learning system based on an alternate tuning, I did quite a bit of research. I first learned what the predominant tunings were out there (standard, E A D G B E, by about a zillion, then all the others), and settled on open-D, which is the guitar tuning I actually learned to play guitar on. The alternate tunings were, and are, but a footnote in most of the guitar-playing world.

It was in this sea of standard guitar tuning that the little bobbing cork of open-D was launched. It's not a particularly rare guitar tuning. In fact, among alternate tunings, it does have its fair share of enthusiasts, mostly at the pro or even moreso the famous level - Keith Richards, Joni Mitchell, Elmore James, for example.

As I got around to launching Guitar-eze, though, I wanted to solicit the opinion of guitar teachers, to see what they might think of an alternate guitar tuning as an alternate starting point, for beginning students, say, or frustrated novices, or anyone else seeking a fast track to guitar.

I went online and found guitar teacher sites and polled a number of teachers. I found, to my dismay, that the ones who were good enough to respond were generally down on the idea of learning guitar in an alternate tuning, at all.

Most acknowledged that, yes, alternate tunings exist, and yes, they can come in handy. But that was it. There seemed to be no opinion or enthusiasm for the idea that starting on an alternate guitar tuning could be of help to some aspiring guitarists. It struck me odd that this should be the case, but upon reflection, it does make some sense. Consider that the majority of guitar teachers probably play in standard tuning, or with a bare sprinkle of alternate tunings on an as needed basis. Why should they see the need to teach in an alternate tuning if they needed to learn it first themselves? Also, resource materials for any alternate tuning (Guitar-eze's open-D included) are scarce, usually warranting only a footnote in some magazine article, or a chart outlining some chords.

Despite the tepid response from a random sampling of guitar teachers, I soldiered on and Guitar-eze was born, and continues to this day. I feel it's the easiest way to learn to play guitar. I encourage guitar students to bring the topic up with their guitar teachers - maybe shake a copy of Guitar-eze in their face and insist, "See - there is an easier way to learn to play guitar!".

Combining Guitar Methods

2009-02-15T16:28:00.003-05:00

I know that my system, Guitar-eze, works.

I know primarily because it worked for me. And, I know I am a lot like many other frustrated guitar players, who just couldn't get going in standard guitar tuning. Therefore, I believe, there are millions of people just like me, who would love to play guitar, gave it a try. and failed. But, they still want to play guitar. This is one niche perfectly suited to the wonderful world of open-D tuning for guitar. You are among the folks who would benefit most from the simple flip to open-D.

Think about it.

You may have a guitar in your possession, unused. You may have some songbooks, or even original song ideas, lying around. You may have a method book, which covers musical theory.

Most importantly, you have that burning desire to learn to play guitar, left unfulfilled.

Open-D tuning gives you the chance to resurrect your dream, and put all the guitar stuff you have lying around to use once more. By this I mean combining what you already have with the switch to open-D. Because anything you have learned in standard tuning is one hundred percent applicable to open-D tuning. It's just that in open-D, everything is simplified. Most of those tricky nay impossible chord formations, for example, are reduced to a single finger. You can play in any key. And that's just the beginning.

Combining systems means that you take your existing resources, be it a method book or whatever, and apply it to what open-D simplifies.

My system, as I say on my site, is 100% stand alone. I cover the basics of theory, tuning, strumming, scales, and then encourage the beginner to take flight on guitar. I've taught many students personally who do just that. The testimonials I get on my site say the same thing. But - if you have those other resources, by all means make use of them. They can still come in handy. So, dust off the books, and the guitar, and get playing in open-D.

Vocalists and Open-D Guitar

2009-02-14T15:32:00.002-05:00

There are some amazing singers out there, who should be playing guitar. I know many would love to do just that - sing and play guitar at the same time. But the guitar playing part of the equation, too often, is elusive.

You've got a great set of pipes. You deserve to be able to sing and play guitar at the same time.

Vocalists like you should give open-D tuning a try. Open-D and singing go together like a hand and a glove. Th reason is that, if you haven't quite got the manual dexterity standard guitar tuning requires, open-D is a terrific (and terrific sounding) substitute: Your starting point requires no fingers on the fretboard, basic major chords require just one finger on the fretboard, and many, if not most other chords can be formed off that one-finger starting point.

It doesn't get any easier than this.

On top of it all, open-D tuning provides an excellent visual aid for composition, if that's your bag (and it seems to be for many a vocalist). The basic triads are right at your finger tips; the modulations and passing chords a finger or two away.

Open-D tuning also happens to be very friendly to both acoustic and electric guitar, too. Stylistically, you go where you want with open-D as well, from folk to country to rock to blues and probably every other genre in between.

We're not talking about just a substitute simple strumming thing here, either. Open-D allows faster progress in all aspects of playing, I've found. Right hand (or strumming hand) progress actually can be faster because of the simplification of the left hand work. In my case, leads were absolutely out of the question until I made the flip to open-D.

For vocalists, then, who aspire to be singing guitar players, the advantages are many; I've mentioned just a few here. For a vocalist who has always wanted to play guitar at the same time, and perhaps experienced difficulty, I would urge them to consider reading up on open-D tuning to see if it might be an angle to pursue.

Nice Comments

2009-02-12T10:28:00.004-05:00

I like to re-print nice comments I get on my website; this one somehow slipped through the cracks so I'd like to post it here:

"I am writing primarily to thank you for your excellent
Guitar-eze program. It has truly unlocked the guitar
for me. For years, I've had the melodies and lyrics
for four original songs, and have been looking for the
right instrument with which to play and record them.
I had always had difficulty with guitar, until I
learned about your program. Thanks to it, I have been
able to write guitar accompaniments for my songs, and
I've begun practicing them with an eye toward
recording.

You have made a real contribution with this method,
and I can't thank you enough. I have a question: In
order to accelerate my progress, I'd like to take a
lesson or two (or more) with an instructor who really
understands and appreciates the value of open D, and
isn't interested in making the guitar more complicated
than it has to be. In other words, I want an
instructor who understands that I'm mainly trying to
learn my own songs, and that I see the guitar as a
means to that end rather than an end in itself.

If I lived anywhere near your part of Ontario, I'd
happily sign up for lessons with you, but I'm in the
Washington, DC area, I was wondering if you knew of
any instructors in DC, Northern Virginia, or Maryland
whom you'd recommend.

I greatly appreciate your assistance, and I am deeply
grateful to you for doing so much to help me and
others learn how to make music with the guitar.
Please know that you have created something of genuine
value with this product, and that the benefits of it
will be with me for as long as I make music."

Wow.

I really wish I had a network of instructors across the continent who would be willing to take on opportunities like this. One day, I hope. As the message says, a sympatico guitar teacher is worth his weight in gold.

I really like the fact he mentions "a lesson or two (or more)" - in my experience with open-D tuning, sometimes 1 or 2 sessions is all it takes for lift-off.

In the mean time, I probably should really get to work on those supplemental lesson packs.

Slide Guitar and Open-D tuning

2009-02-11T18:57:00.002-05:00

You probably don't need me to tell you that open-D tuning is terrific for playing slilde guitar. But I'll tell you anyway - open-D tuning is terrific for playing slide guitar.

It's so terrific, in fact, that I marvel at the guys who manage acceptable slide licks in standard guitar tuning (except you guitar gods out there - you guys can do anything!), something I've never managed. It's kind of a back handed compliment to standard, I know. But I see guys doing it, and I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that there is a small built-in open chord in standard, which would be the D G B - a G major triad, in an inversion. If they are not utilizing this to get a chordal thing going on slide, then they are sticking to single note slide leads, again an admirable undertaking, given the unorthodoxy of standard. That must take one heck of a lot of string damping.

Nonetheless, open-D offers all the convenience you could ask for in slide, on both acoustic and electric guitar. Single note leads are no problem of course, but as a bonus, let'em all ring, and there's no sweat - you get the sweet sound of a major chord! Want to hear the main riff from Dust My Broom the way Elmore James played it? Just slide up to the octave (12th fret) and hit the lick.

I have learned that electric guitar seems a lot more forgiving that acoustic when it comes to unwanted noises. I'm no bottleneck virtuoso, but I have learned a thing or two, and that is one of them.

Guitar-eze does not delve specifically into slide technique - maybe one day I will include a section, or provide some supplemental material at some point. Suffice it to say, for a slide guitar enthusiast, open-D tuning is a great place to start.

Guitar-eze www.easierguitar.com is back up and running

2009-02-10T10:45:00.003-05:00

We're back up and running at the mothership.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Web Site Down Temporarily

2009-02-09T12:44:00.001-05:00

Wouldn't you know it - just as I make a bunch of improvements to the site, with a whole bunch of new blog entries, the thing goes down. It's all in the hands of my service provider and hopefully will be up shortly.

Til then please e-mail me at info@easierguitar.com - I think that is still functional or try me at foxx.frank@gmail.com

Tuning to and from Open-D

2009-02-08T13:57:00.002-05:00

It's a relatively simple task to switch to and from open-D and standard tuning. I've done it for years, but then again, I went through a whole discovery process to get to open-D in the first place.

That was because of my utter failure as a guitarist in standard tuning. To this day, I'm hopeless in standard tuning, as proven a few weeks back when a friend handed me a guitar of his to try out. Yeah, I fumbled through a few first position chords and attempted a Chuck Berry lick or two, but true to form, I did not impress.

To get back to the point, I made the flip to open-D from standard through experimentation and some background research. I settled on this wonderful guitar tuning because of its marvelous simplicity, and the fact that I could actually get music out of it.

As I progressed in my new found tuning, I still periodically flipped back, just to see if there was any discernible improvement in standard (there never was). But I did learn to become adept at the re-tune and I would encourage anyone to give it a try. Contrary to popular belief, retuning a guitar is not a particularly arduous task; as a matter of fact, one of the benefits of open-D is that tuning the guitar to itself is actually simpler, because of the repetition of strings (D and A). Combined with the fact that open-D and standard tuning share the same middle A an D strings, retuning is not a huge stumbling block. I have even done it on the fly during gigs.

I would encourage anyone to try their hand at a re-tune from standard to open-D tuning and back again. I do it just confirm that I'm a hopeless guitarist in standard tuning. For you, there may be more useful reasons. :)

To Read or Not To Read - Music, that is

2009-02-07T13:47:00.002-05:00

Many of the guitar greats couldn't read a note.

I read somewhere that Stevie Ray Vaughan had to learn to read music when he recorded guitar parts for David Bowie's album Let's Dance, but never had a need for it afterward.

I personally read (elementary and highschool band), but have not found reading necessary in pursuit of my musical ambitions. The basics may come in handy for reading chord charts (at least what time signatures and bars are for). I promote the fact, on my web site, that reading music is unnecessary for learning and enjoying guitar.

So I guess my opinion is - "Nah, you don't need to be able to read music to enjoy playing guitar."

Picking Techniques

2009-02-04T10:36:00.002-05:00

Lately my picking technique seems to be improving by leaps and bounds, both with pick and fingers.

I've always felt my pickng/strumming (i.e. right) hand has been the stronger of my two. Weakness or lack of dexterity in the chording (left) hand is a typical stumbling block for many an aspiring guitar player, and I was no exception.

Now it seems, the older I get, the better I am becoming at various strumming and picking techniques, including, of all things, fingerpicking. It's only within the last year or so that I find myself being able to co-ordinate more than one finger at time on various strings - very much an impossible feat for me prior. How jealous I was of the kids (kids!!) who decades ago could pluck out the intro to Stairway to Heaven, while I was still stuck on that third-finger-on-the-third-fret G major chord my brother taught me when I was eight. Not only was I hopeless at the chord formation, there was no way I could get my right hand to do the (intricate) picking part.

Well, guess what? I can now play the intro to Stairway to Heaven. In open-D tuning. My God, it's beautiful. I mean I can really play it.

I believe things really started to come along for me when I stopped practicing guitar on my electric(s). I kind of forced myself to have an acoustic lying around for strummin' purposes. This in turn led me to strum and/or pick without a pick - as there wasn't always a plectrum handy.

Keep in mind, to that point, my acoustics stayed tuned to standard. Open-D was my electric specialty. Even on stage, when with the Highway Hepcats we would to an acoustic miniset, I was strummin' in standard tuning (no leads).

Finally, at home, many years after the Hepcats, I decided to retune my acoustic to the D-A-D-F#-A-D. This was revolutionary for me, and rather alien feeling for me, given my decades long standard tuning third-finger-on-the-third-fret G major chord experience. But as I got comfy with open-D on acoustic, and stopped having a pick around, lo and behold, my fingers started to get to work.

I'm no finger-picker yet, I must emphasize. But my new found capability combined with the sweet sounds of open-D tuning, makes me feel like a new guitar player altogether. I just have to move on from Stairway to Heaven, that's all.

Howdy TO - I'm on the way back

2009-02-02T13:51:00.003-05:00

After a 10-year stint away, my family and I are on the way back to our home town of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

We've had a terrific decade-long run in southwestern Ontario (Windsor, to be specific). But the time has come to return to our roots.

As I've mentioned in my site blog www.easierguitar.com , there will be absolutely no impact whatsoever on the operation of my popular open-D website.

One thing that has repeatedly come up has been the possibility of private guitar lessons in Guitar-eze open-D (which I have offered locally in the past). After careful consideration, the answer is: YES! SURE! WHY NOT? If you are in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and are interested in learning guitar the easier way, hit me with and e-mail.

Looking forward to the permanent move back, but just so you know - I am already in the Toronto area most weekdays. So let me know if you are interested in the lessons thing.

JumpKatz No More

2007-03-09T09:04:00.000-05:00

The JumpKatz folded as of the end of 2006. I am now pursuing a solo thing, both acoustic and with backing tracks. Of course, I'm always looking to jam, but forming a band does not rate high on my priorities for right now. The Katz were a four-year run, with hundreds of (paying) gigs. There will always be something else coming along, I'm sure.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Working on Supplementary Lessons in Open-D

2007-03-09T08:31:00.000-05:00

I've decided to take the plunge and develop supplementary lessons for my guitar learning system, Guitar-eze.

I've resisted doing this, as one of the primary marketing thrusts I've used is the simplicity of the program does not require it. I still believe this. In my 50-page book, which includes a CD with recorded examples, along with the Chord Book, there should be plenty to get anyone going on the system.

I believe also that my niche lies partly (or mainly?) in the "frustrated novice guitar player" category. Presumably these folks have had some previous background, either in books, online resources or guitar teachers. For the most part, they would have received a primer of some sort - and had little or less success than they wanted. For this type of candidate, what's included in my books should be more than adequate.

However...

I repeatedly get requests for "lessons". My guess is that people like the structure of a lesson path. It's sort of like the routine of heading to the music school every week at a designated time for a half hour. I can appreciate this. Offering lessons (which I plan to voice-record onto CD with printed examples, etc.) allows me to expand on certain points I feel could use it, and offer the encouragement students sometimes like and need.

I'm basing all this on my previous experience as a guitar teacher.

So, if lessons you want, lessons you shall receive. There'll be about thirty by the time they're all complete, along with a special 5-pack of "Kid-tar-eze" lessons for extra young or fragile beginners.

Guitar-eze Site Re-vamp

2007-02-28T07:38:00.000-05:00

Please take a look at the revamped site. If I do say so myself, it does look a tad more sophisticated, and I have a testimonial and comment page.

I take comments from here too, so feel free to leave one.

Got to get more regular with posts here!

For Guitar Lovers of All Stripes

2007-01-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

Have this on my book site, but feel I should post here:

INTERESTING NOTE ON MY GUESTBOOK!!
If you take a look at my guest book, you will see an interesting entry, from Dec. 17/06. I just noticed it myself and thought I should comment, but first, here it is reprinted in its entirety:

"To the owners of this site: you guys have really outdone yourself, created a $1 book and selling it for $35, you can't learn how to properly play a guitar in open tuning, and you really are just exploiting people who gave up because their fingers hurt... hey, play me a major pentatonic scale in this tuning and then tell me how well it works compared to standard. oh wait, how about you tell me how to look as cool as frank foxx"

I will address these concerns step by step, as I feel it is important to do so.

1) "a $1 book selling for $35" - if you can find a book on guitar for $1, I would urge you or anyone else to buy it. Books of any type cannot be produced and delivered for a dollar, no way, no how. As I point out in my FAQs, even an e-book would cost you a lot more - to print on an inkjet costs about .25 per page, so a 60-page book such as mine (with chord book) would cost about $15, just to print out, and that doesn't include the price of paper. The CD I provide, alone, costs about $2-3, copied and put in an envelope! One thing I've learned from this site is - I'm definitely not getting rich off it.

2) "you can't properly play a guitar in an open tuning" - if that's the case, I guess Joni Mitchell, Keith Richards, Muddy Waters, Ry Cooder, Bo Diddley, Elmore James and I are not playing guitar properly. But gosh, we have fun at it.

3) "you really are just exploiting people who gave up because their fingers hurt" - fingers hurting tend to be the least of people's frustrations with guitar, in my experience. The difficulty is usually mastering all the fingerings and memorizing positions. Depending on how far you want to take it, and the quality of your guitar, your fingers can hurt like heck no matter what tuning you're in. I've never viewed teaching people to play guitar as an exploitation.

4) "play me a major pentatonic scale in this tuning and then tell me how well it works compared to standard" - well, I did just that. I've never had a use for a major pentatonic scale, but just to see, I transcribed one off a poster I have, and by golly - IT'S ACTUALLY EASIER TO PLAY in open-D, especially on the higher strings! Does one need to play a pentatonic scale in order to enjoy guitar? I'd never needed one in 20+ years, but just in case, they're there in open-D and very playable, as, I would imagine, any other scale out there.

5) "oh wait, how about you tell me how to look as cool as Frank Foxx" - ummm..... impossible!

Hope this answers all the issues. I will leave that entry in the Guest Book for all to see, but I will but in an entry directing readers to this blog entry for my response.

Thanks from Guitar-eze... oh, and any and I mean ANY questions and comments are welcomed and appreciated!

On Previous Post - Just Kidding, Honest!

2006-07-31T13:25:00.000-04:00

I was only joking on the last post, with regard to "snotty teenagers", etc. My daughter happened to standing over my shoulder, bugging me to go on the compu, so I told I was busy and let her read as I typed.

She is truly interested in guitar (and bass), but also truly doesn't want me to show her how, in open-D! I can always teach her in standard tuning. We have a slew of axes around the house also.

Guitar is the most wonderful instrument in the world, no matter how it is approached.

Thanks for the comments, well intentioned all.

I believe on the whole that young people are probably more open-minded to stuff like alternate guitar tunings, and the like. Experimentation happens to be the backbone of the way I play. Guitar-eze is the manifestation of my experimenting.

Love the comments.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Adults Don't Let Your Kids Tell You How To Play Guitar

2006-07-25T19:01:00.000-04:00

Those snotty teenagers, always thinking they know everything.

I have a fifteen year-old at home who wants to learn guitar, but insists, "my way" isn't "real guitar". Instead she wants me to pay for guitar lessons. For her!

Forget it kid. Learn to play in open-D like your old man.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Oh, Baby, It's Been Too Long

2006-07-20T08:24:00.000-04:00

...but here I am.

The mother-site has been humming with inquiries and orders and such, and one thing has come up specifically which bears mention here too. Several inquiries lately as to whether or not I exist!

Yep, it's actually me, Frank Foxx, founder of the Guitar-eze guitar method, based on the alternate guitar tuning of open-D. The site tells in detail about the history of Guitar-eze, but to tell you a bit more about me...musically, that is -

I developed my system because I wanted to play guitar. I played bass successfully since I was 17 (along with trombone and baritone since age 10), and although I had access to a guitar since about age 6, nothing came of it - I didn't get it. Once I discovered the secret I am now sharing, a whole new musical world opened up for me. Though it took me several years to develop the chops and self-confidence to actually play guitar in a band, for money, I eventually made it. By the time I was about 21 or 22 I had the rudiments of my system down. I practiced like heck and by the time I was about 28 (yeah, it took about 6-7 years!), I felt confident enough, and knew enough material (instrumentally and vocally) to front a band. This happened 1993, in Toronto.

For the next seven years, I led the Highway Hepcats, a 3-piece roots rockabilly band. I also did side gigs on both guitar and bass, in many different styles of music.I relocated to Windsor, Ontario in 1999 and struggled to form a new band in this smaller town. I bounced from side gig to side gig, but finally got a 3-piece band together in 2003, whiched evolved into my present outfit, the JumpKatz.

In 2004-2005, I revved up Guitar-eze and started offering private lessons, which allowed me to refine and develop my system further. So there you have it. A real person. A real music lover. A real guitar lover. Frank Foxx.

http://www.easierguitar.com

"I Just Want To Play Guitar!"

2006-06-07T08:59:00.000-04:00

How many times I've heard that war cry.

Whether it's Sweet Home Alabama, or Home on the Range, or Bo Diddley, or Whole Lotta Love, or whatever, so many of us just want to play guitar. We don't want to have to learn to read music, or learn harmony, or learn theory. We don't want to follow tab.

We just want to play guitar. It's a sentiment expressed from ages 4 to 84, by men, women, boys and girls, all over.

So they buy a guitar (usually red for guys..(?)), and some slick music store owner signs them up for a bunch of lessons. ...and they get nowhere with it. So guitar gathers dust in the corner, or in the case, or in the furnace room. Or worse - it gets SOLD.

A tragedy played out every day across the world.

Okay, I'm getting a bit maudlin here.

The reason is that the music shoppe is probably not out for your best interests. They are out to make money. They make a ton of money selling you the lessons (never mind the guitar, if they get get $1,000 a year out of you - 50 lessons at $20 a pop). Multiply that by a few hundred students and you start to see why they are in the teaching business. So don't get me started on music stores. I turned down a job offer from one once.

So they start you off slowwwwwly. With theory. With goofy exercises. With useless single string stuff. For those students it doesn't hopelessly confuse, it bores the living daylights out of. Sound familiar?

What if you could play a chord right off the bat - strum something that sounds like something right away? Would that motivate you. That's what you get with Guitar-eze. Browse the rest of the site.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Whoa, Has it Been this Long? So, about Standard Tuning for Guitar

2006-05-31T12:03:00.000-04:00

Yikes! For those of you waiting with bated breath, why didn't you say something??

All is well in open-D land. Clearly there is interest in the guitar world, in the areas of:

alternate tunings
experimentation
alleviation of guitar frustration

At least that's what all the inquiries and comments tell me.

A few people seem to view my promotion of open-D as some kind of cheater's way to the guitar. I say - well, you know what I'd say. In fact, the same people may actually think there is little or no benefit to learning guitar in any other way but standard tuning. Hmmm.

Here's my thinking on the relationship between standard guitar tuning and open-D, and where I feel open-D is the best fit.

First - if you are a wizard, stop reading now, unless you want to be a wizard in another tuning too. You have been blessed, and you probably don't need Guitar-eze, or anything else to help you along in guitar. That's because you're a wizard.

For the rest of us, who from time to time, or all the time, experience difficulty playing guitar (see, I still sometimes tune back to standard tuning just to confirm that I'm inept at it), there is a simpler path. That path, I've found, is open-D tuning.

One reason I believe it's the alternate tuning of choice for beginner guitar players or frustrated guitar players is that, actually, the two tunings are fairly closely related. In fact, there is string duplication between the two:

E A D G B E standard guitar tuning

D A D F# A D open-D guitar tuning

Notice that if you want to flip back and forth between the two guitar tunings, two of your strings don't move at all. That's one aspect of the relationship. Another important one is that in standard tuning, you do have a little tiny major chord built in, among three strings - D G B - that's a G-major chord, all by itself, with all open strings (inverted unfortunately). It's there but it's nowhere near as useful as a fat, six-string open-D major.

One of the strongest things going for open-D on the other hand, from theoretical standpoint, is that the six open strings are all part of a major chord. Manipulations from this starting point actually show you why a chord becomes a chord - i.e. why a D-augmented is what it is (in the example, it's because you augmented the A to A#). Playing in open tunings like open-D is a virtual theory lesson every time out.

So how do I tie all this in?

For these categories of aspiring guitar players:

absolute beginner
frustrated novice (some playing experience or lessons)
vocalist
parents of aspiring youngster guitarist

...open-D is the perfect place to start (or start over). Easier on the fingers, easier to visualize chords and chord changes, easier to play by ear, easier (MUCH) to tune, and so on and so on. Consider open-D like a primer to the more advanced standard guitar tuning text book. It's a little like walking before you can run, or learning to read before attempting War and Peace. Keep in mind, that a lot of what you learn in open-D, can be relayed directly to standard tuning (finger strength and manipulation, and so on). That's to say nothing of the right hand (or strumming/picking hand). Keep in mind, guitar is played with two hands. Most people stumble on the chording hand side. But, there are intricacies to strumming and picking that generally are insurmountable until the chording side is figured out.

Summary: aspiring to becoming a whiz at standard guitar tuning isn't a bad thing. But it isn't the only thing. And one way to get there, especially on the four categories I listed earlier, is to start on a simpler path, to get you where you want to go eventually. For me, I've found I'm perfectly comfortable, actually, staying on the road I'm on. Oh yeah, it's not cheating, either!

What's new at Guitar-eze

2006-04-27T11:15:00.000-04:00

Wow, too long since my last post. But several interesting comments and questions have been coming in. I interpret this as a definite interest (and need) out there for this sort of alternate guitar tuning thing.

Lots of folks tell me they are frustrated, to which I can relate, as aspiring guitarists. This of course is a primary target of mine. It's where I came from. Plus, I've witnessed the transition of others from frustrated guitarists to happy ones.

It also interesting to hear from players just looking for something different. My eyes were opened to a really cool tuning D A D A D F#, which I tried out and loved. If you have the hang of D A D F# A D, it's a simple transition and really cool, for folksy sounds (a bit limiting for rocking out because you don't have a hand D A on the highest strings.

Others have told me about other excursions into open tunings, all of them interesting. There are a few reply posts on some previous entries here. Check them out.

I also post interesting notes and questions on the site blog.

I am looking at customized lesson packages for students; so that if they like, they can have a structured plan (say 5 half-hour blocks on a CD) to keep them on track. Just the time and expense of creating them.

http://www.easierguitar.com

A Letter I Got On Learning Open-D Guitar

2006-04-08T07:43:00.002-04:00

"I saw on the internet the information reference your open-D instructional material. I have played guitar, in standard tuning, for seveal years, but never really progressed past the early intermediate level. A couple of years ago I began playing in open-D, both slide and fingerstyle. My progress has been considerably faster, however instructional material in open-D is hard to come by. I am looking forward to obtaining your instructional material."

http://www.easierguitar.com

Frustrated Guitarist

2006-04-08T07:26:00.000-04:00

Here's an article I submitted to a guitar site that got some interesting reactions. It's meant to encourage guitar players who just "aren't getting it". For all you fast-fingered geniuses, you can skip it if you like.

Frustrated guitarists. How many there are. How many I’ve met, and played with. How many I’ve taught.

It’s a shame. That most wonderful instrument of all, the guitar. The most common instrument in our culture. The one you can sling over your shoulder without a case. The one that can be strummed with your thumb, picked with a bread tab or a dime, finger picked (with finger picks – or not). The one that can be played as quiet as a mouse or as loud as a jumbo jet. The one that can sing, whine, roar, or tinkle. The one that can be chorded and melodied at the same time. The one so many get frustrated with and leave in the case.

It’s a shame. It happens too much. It nearly happened to me. But I found a way to play guitar. I got good enough to go onstage with it. I even got good enough to front a band with it. I got good enough on guitar to show others how to play. But what a journey it was and continues to be.

My first exposure to guitar was when I was about eight years old. My older brother pestered our parents into submission. He talked them into getting him an acoustic guitar, with no case, and he used a bread tab to play it.

He stunk.

In fact, he got nowhere with it. So I gave it a try.

I stunk too, worse than my brother.

But I persisted and made maddeningly slow progress, to the point where I learned about five chords. I figured out about three pages of our EZ Book of Guitar. I was in my teens by now. The learning curve was a bit slow.

By my mid-teens, I had developed a somewhat accomplished musical background, having played horns (trumpet, trombone and baritone) through elementary and high school. A chance to play in a paying situation steered me towards bass guitar. I picked that up reasonably easily. I got the paying gig.

Still, success on guitar, my first love and ambition, evaded me. By my twenties, I had barely progressed beyond those five chords and three pages. But, I thought to myself, how can this be? Here I am, a horn player, bassist, even a passable vocalist, and I can’t get anywhere with the world’s most popular instrument (and the one that gets the chicks!). I was determined to make this happen. So I started reading and researching, mostly guitar magazines. I discovered in every one, in every issue, they brought up the topic of alternate tuning, in some form or other. I was intrigued. I had a vague knowledge this existed, but never paid it any mind, thinking, if anything, it would make learning guitar even harder. After all, the EZ Guitar Method never mentioned it. But here it was, and what an impressive list of names was being bandied about – Jimmy Page, Ry Cooder, Joni Mitchell, Elmore James, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson. This alternate tuning thing seemed to reach back a ways. I became even more intrigued.

Several tunings caught my interest. I began to experiment with them. Right off the bat, it became clear that some tunings definitely made the guitar sound more… musical, at first strum, anyway. That is, those open tunings seemed to ring nicely. Reading and re-tuning, reading and re-tuning, I got to know a few of these alternate tunings (though I still could play hardly anything). The one that was easiest, I concluded, was open-D. Finally, I felt, I found I way I could actually learn to play guitar. The transition from standard tuning E A D G B E, was easy enough, to D A D F# A D. Playing chords suddenly became easier. Gone were the multiple finger positions I’d been struggling with, on just the simplest bottom position chords. Here was a major chord I could play, up and down the neck of my guitar, with just one finger. I went to work on open-D tuning with renewed vigor.

Take the following examples, as a preliminary exercise: An E chord in standard tuning, at the bottom of the neck, requires your first, second and third fingers on the A string (2^nd fret, 2^nd finger), D string (2^nd fret, 3^rd finger) and G string (1^st fret, 1^st finger) to create the chord. In effect, you are “tightening up” those three strings to raise the pitch to match the remaining open strings, E (low), B, and E (high). Contrast this with open-D tuning. To get the same E chord, you place one finger on the second fret, across all six strings. You’ve just “tightened up” all six strings, with a single finger, to create exactly the same chord. Index finger is generally recommended, at least at first – the same finger you use to create barre chords in standard tuning. Now, you’re creating usable chords with only your index finger. Manipulations from this basic starting point become as simple as adding a finger (or fingers) onto any adjacent fret to create a new chord. For example, on that newly created E chord with one finger, add your 2^nd finger onto the next (3^rd in this example) fret of the high A string. You’ve just created and E augmented (E+). Change that to your 3^rd finger on the next (4^th) fret, and you’ve created an E sixth (E6).

I get asked many times, by prospective students and fellow teachers alike – what about the re-tuning process? The fact is it is a relatively simple transition. Two of the strings in standard tuning stay the same – A and D. The rest is a matter of slackening the other four strings to create the D major chord. Any guitar player who has experimented with drop-D tuning D A D G B E, will be almost half way there. Tuning the guitar to itself in open-D is actually simpler, in that you hear the major chord as you tune your guitar – the duplication of strings (three Ds, two As) is a benefit in the tuning process. The slight wildcard is the G to F# move – but this is only a semi-tone and quite readily accomplished.

Technically oriented issues might include guitar performance – intonation and so forth – as a result of the slackened tuning. I personally never noticed any issues, electric or acoustic. Very recently, however, a reputable repairman suggested a re-set on my electric intonation if I was staying in open-D. I had that done, but honestly didn’t notice a difference.

I didn’t get “good” at guitar overnight. The transition to open-D is no magic pill, or substitute for regular and diligent practice. I don’t think I’m that “good” a guitar player to this day. But – I got good enough to play guitar. Isn’t that what a lot of people want? Not to be a wizard, or a star, or a god. Just to be able to play some guitar.

That’s what I got out of open-D tuning. The fact that I could play anything at all was the confidence boost that kept me going, to a greater degree of competence. The “getting going” part is what I’m convinced frustrates so many aspiring guitarists. Age, by the way, is irrelevant. I’ve had students of all ages who would just love to “get going” on guitar. I found a way to do it, even after being frustrated.

Tuning to and from Open D and Standard Guitar Tuning

2006-03-24T07:27:00.000-05:00

I frequently get asked about tuning a guitar, to and from open-D from standard guitar tuning, or tuning the guitar within itself, in open-D. Teachers and students both have expressed concern over “how to tune this way”, as if there was some complicated technique involved. Or, that it is somehow more difficult to tune in open-D than in standard tuned guitar.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Tuning in open-D is at least as simple, if not simpler, than tuning in standard guitar tuning. Let’s look at some scenarios.

Re-tuning from standard guitar tuning.

One of the neat things about open-D, especially versus some other alternate tunings, is that it is relatively friendly to make the switch from standard guitar tuning. It's important to remember: your A and D strings as they are in standard tuning stay the same. From there, it’s a matter of adjusting the other four strings:

low E becomes low D
A stays the same A
D stays the same D
G becomes F#
B becomes A
high E becomes high D

I do it by taking the D in standard and getting the low and high Ds tuned to it. Then I use the low A string to adjust the B to A. Finally I bring the G down a half-step to F#. Once you get used to it, it’s a breeze. So, step by step:

using your existing D in standard tuning,

1) re-tune your low E string to D (lower it a whole tone)
2) then re-tune your high E string to D (lower it a whole tone)
3) use your existing A in standard tuning to re-tune your B string to A (down a whole tone)
4) tune your G string down to F# (down a semi-tone)

Four simple steps to re-tune your guitar from standard tuning to open-D tuning. I always remind students that once you are done, a strum of your guitar should produce an in-tune major chord. This is one of the main differences from standard tuning. Even with no tuner at hand, you should be able to hear if your guitar is in tune, at least with itself (which I touch on later in this piece). The simplicity of re-tuning to open D is the repetition of strings. You have three Ds and two As to work with. The trickiest part becomes the G to F# step. Keep in mind, though, that this move is what completes the D major chord of open-D tuning. This last move will play a big part as to whether your guitar is in tune.

To make the switch back to standard guitar tuning, I generally use the age-old "tune one string to the other approach". Your A and D strings (5th and 4th) are already there. Use your D string with finger on fret 5 for find G. When you have G back, use that string with finger on fret 4 to find B. When you get B back, use that string with finger on fret 5 to find E. Finally use the high E string to bring your low string back up to E.

Here are some other potential scenarios.

Tuning the guitar to itself. This is the easiest of all in open-D tuning. Say you have no reference pitch to tune to, but you think one of the Ds you have in relatively in tune (keeping in mind that in open D, you have three Ds to choose from – D A D F# A D). First thing I do is get the three Ds in tune with one another. This is not unlike tuning your two E strings in standard guitar tuning, only it’s easier. The gap between each D is an octave. Once you here no “wowing” or vibrations between your in-tune D and the other, they are in tune. Then tune the third D. Next I would take one of my two As and get it in tune with the closest D string. Again you listen for the vibrations between the notes, much like a violinist does. Finally, I would bring the F# in with the other now in-tune strings. The simplest way to do this, I find is to strum an open-D chord and adjust the F# string until it sounds like a nice, clean in-tune chord.

Another way to tune the guitar to itself. Supposing you still have that one in-tune D string. You can tune the guitar to itself similar to how standard tuned guitars can be tuned, string to string. The fret pattern is just a little different in open-D (outlined in the end-notes of my book Guitar-eze A Simpler Approach to Playing Guitar:

Starting with your lowest D,

hit a note holding down fret seven (A) to tune your open A string
When that’s in tune, hold down fret five of your A (D) string to tune the open D string
Then hold down fret four of your middle D string (F#) to tune the open F# string
Next, hold down the fret three of your F# string (A) to tune the open A string
Finally, hold down the fret five of your A string (D) to tune the open high D string

Tuning with a tuner. Unfortunately many of the least expensive tuners are made to only tune to standard tuned guitar E A D G B E. this obviously neglects all of the other tuning possibilities for guitar. There are many, and getting more popular all the time. If you’re stuck with one of these, at least you know that the A and D on this tuner correspond exactly to your own A and D strings, which are exactly the same as the A and D in standard guitar tuning. Then tune the rest of the guitar to itself from there.

Much more practical are chromatic tuners which have every note available to tune your guitar. A little more expensive, they are well worth it. Happy tuning… and by the way, give it a try – open-D: D A D F# A D .

http://www.easierguitar.com

Children and Open-D tuned Guitar

2006-03-22T16:21:00.000-05:00

I have found that kids really take to open-D tuning while learning guitar. I've had different type of child students. Some were brand new to guitar. Others had lessons in traditional standard tuning. Both types of students benefit from open-D.

By far, the more interesting case study seems to be the children transitioning from standard tuning to open-D. In my experience, these kids are generally a bit older, say 10-12 years of age. Usually they've had some exposure to guitar, by way of lessons, or in the odd case, self-taught. Most that I've encountered have been frustrated. That's the reason they or their parents sought an alternative guitar teaching method in the first place. Often, I have been shown method books, and lesson plans, and I've received demonstrations of what they've learned and played to date. Then, I'm often told what they want to learn to play. How different this can be! They've struggled with "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and such. They want to learn White Stripes, Nirvana, or Led Zeppelin, or Black Sabbath...

Lack of progress on guitar generally translates into lack of fun, which evolves into lack of interest. It gives me great pleasure to see the turn-around, once we re-tune the guitar to D A D F# A D. I like to throw the lesson plans out, at least at first, and just show the child, how much simpler it is to strum in open-D tuning. I show them that a major chord can be played with as few as three strings, by holding down a single finger; and that the same finger can be moved up or down the fret board of the guitar to create new chords. I also demonstrate the fat "rock" sound (electric or acoustic guitar - it doesn't seem to matter) of the low D A D strings. I'll show a simple D D6 D7 pattern right at the bottom of the guitar neck to show how even open strings can sound cool with the simplest of manipulations.

I ask all students of my system to read through all of my (48-page) book, before they play anything. Not only does this cover all the basics of Guitar-eze's open-D system, but it also offers philosophical advice along the way. I stress the importance of experimention. I have some hard and fast rules, of course, such as the necessity of strengthening the index finger at the start (although this rule can be broken and I do break it personally all the time). The purpose of the initial read is to try to reinforce the visual nature of open-D. This way, students can start to see how and why their fingers change the sounds the guitar produces.

It gives me great personal satisfaction to see students (of any age) "get" guitar, even after they've experienced frustration or a lack of progress in the past.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Songs I Play in Open-D Tuning

2006-03-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

Most guitar sites I visit treat alternate tunings as a pleasant, but relatively insignificant sidebar. Lest anyone be misled into believing the myth (that alternate guitar tunings are strictly a one-off specialty item), here are some potential songs and genres I play in open-D tuning.

First and foremost, I should clarify – I am primarily an electric guitarist, who plays almost exclusively in open-D tuning (D A D F# A D). I do come from the school of thought, however, which states guitar chops should be built on acoustic guitar. Thus, I do one heck of a lot of practicing on acoustic guitar. Most of my experimentation on alternate tunings, therefore, comes on acoustic guitar.

All joking aside, open-D is a fantastic medium for rhythm guitar in polka music (stop snickering). During my (profitable) years as a sideman (all you starving artists), I played a considerable amount of rhythm guitar, often in oom-pah bands. As I was still discovering the miracle of open-D tuning, I did many gigs in standard (E A D G B E) tuning, struggling with the changes, memorizing rather than feeling the song structures. Somewhere along the way, once I’d felt confident enough, I tried the switch, to open-D tuning. I never looked back. Once my left had was freed from constraining finger positions and difficult chord transitions, I was able to concentrate on my right had stylings. Believe it or not, in polka music, rhythm guitar is an art, and one I never quite had the hang of, until I finally flipped over to open-D. By simplifying the left hand work, my right hand got more subtle, and my strokes developed more variety. I was even able to develop a greater range of chord fingerings, away from the typical I-V7 most polka players use. End result: a much more varied sound, embellished even more by the fact that with open-D tuning, you can reduce or add the number of strings you hold down (with one finger on a mjor chord) at will, from as few as three strings to all six strings.

Admittedly, this (polka) intro to the advantages of open-D might sound off-putting to a long-haired rocker or spiky-headed punk. Believe it or not, though, stroking polka rhythms is just a hair away from much rock rhythm guitar. The closest of all genres to polka guitar strumming has to be ska music. The um-cha um-cha um-cha pulse of that jittery proto-reggae style can be beautifully captured in open-D tuning. Red Red Wine, the old Neil Diamond classic, as done up by UB40 is a perfect example of a song I play this way. Another is a ska’d up version of Bob Dylan’s It Ain’t Me Babe. Just listen in your head for that um-cha um-cha to the I-IV-V pattern of the song.

If the offbeat just isn’t your thing, consider how you can rock out with that DAD bottom of open-D tuning. That full grind (distortion on or not) simply cannot be done better than in open-D. Ask any drop-D tuning fan. Only in open-D, you have the rest of the chord to throw in also (in major keys) without any bum notes dropping in by accident. The Chuck Berry chug of Johnny B. Goode and so many other rock ‘n’ roll songs, alternating between the V and the VI on the low end, is dramatically simplified from how it has to be fingered in standard tuning (something I never got). The move is one finger, two frets up. That’s it. Drop that little movement and you’re back to a typical hard rock eighth note riff, with just on finger on the fret board. Any tempo sounds great, from dead slow to hyper speed punked. Plus, you can duplicate the motion on your other A string (second highest), for a different but equally pleasing texture.

Moving back into the realm of off-beat playing, one that I’ve found which sounds simply terrific is the swinging offbeat shuffle. This is simply stroking chords on the off-beat, to a swinging beat, with a walking bass line. There’s a whole encyclopedia of potential material and songs here, from swing, to blues to country. Think of Pride & Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan (without all the amazing lead fills – we’re talking about me playing here); Caledonia by Big Joe Turner, Guitars, Cadillacs, by Dwight Yoakam, you name the swingin’ song and tempo – open-D tuning sounds fantastic as an accompaniment. Jazzing it up means adding a finger two frets up on the A string to create a major sixth (e.g. G6). What you're doing, to terrific effect, is emulating the pumping sound of boogie-woogie piano, on your guitar.

These are just some of the styles and songs I play in open-D. That’s not to mention the Rolling Stones stuff, the Chicago Blues, the slide (e.g. Elmore James), and so many more. Blues stylings alone in open-D could be the topic of a whole article to itself.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Great Jam on Sunday the 5th

2006-03-07T07:41:00.000-05:00

Took me two days to recover from it - maybe our biggest turnout of jammers ever - a whole sax section, with Chester on trumpet, was the high point.

Had a great harp player drop by for his first time - he was terrific; our special guest from last week came back and wailed on guitar and vox.

A couple whole bands came out to take the stage - just one great combo after another, so much so that the bar didn't want us to stop - so we carried on an extra hour - til 9:30.

I had a bottleneck out and ready to rasp out some slide, but it mysteriously vanished (under the stage?), so much for that. Dave Whitehead came up to make up for it.

Just a wild ride all afternoon and into the evening.

I found a bit of a problem with my guitar set up - it had fallen at a gig the week before, and I noticed some higher frets sounded out of tune. Due to the miracle of open-D tuning, a few quick adjustments and I was able to reset it on the fly!

Guitar Open Tuning Explorations – Open D and Open G

2006-03-04T09:05:00.000-05:00

Guitar Open Tuning Explorations – Open D and Open G

One of the most pleasant surprises a guitarist discovers once immersed in open-D and open-G tuning is their similarity. This might sound a bit strange, considering the disparity of the two guitar tunings in interval. Incredibly, though, once you’ve got one, the other is well in reach. Following is an exploration, with a few examples, the close relationship of open-D tuning and open-G tuning. Both tunings are widely known, particularly as blues or roots tunings. Open-D in particular is frequently cited as a fine alternate tuning for acoustic guitar. I thought I would discuss the useful relationships found within open-D and open-G, which seem to make them not-so-distant guitar tuning cousins.

I took the “open-D first” path to find my way in open G. Let's take a look at some mechanics of open-D first.

Open-D tuning allows you to play a complete triad with an octave with no string manipulation. That is, you can play D major chord with no finger to fret. The four high strings on the guitar in open position are D F# A D. Similarly, major chords are formed up the fretboard of the guitar using one finger on the same four strings. Two frets up, or a whole tone, for example, becomes an E-major chord; three frets up is an F-major; and so on, up to the twelfth fret which once again, as the octave, becomes D-major.

In open-G tuning, you still have a major triad, but only three notes worth, on your high strings, G B D. This note relationship also continues up the fretboard, second fret becoming A-major, third fret Bb-major and so on. The octave appears, once again, at the twelfth fret, or G, for a G-major.

Once I started to find my way around in open-D tuning, exploration in open-G yielded some incredible similarities. Before you discover anything, however, you have to find where the two tunings coincide. That's where the relationship (and the fun) begins.

Taking our starting point open-D again, and working up the fretboard five frets brings you to G major. The triad, using the four highest strings of the guitar, is G B D G. Here is the coincidental meeting point of open-D and open-G tuning. That G B D is identical to the open-G starting position – G B D. You literally have open-G tuning at your fingertips, while in open-D!

Whatever licks and patterns you develop at this point, fifth fret, in open-D, using those three notes - G B D - you can translate them to open-G tuning, on the three high strings which are exactly the same – G B D.

Here's a practical scenario: If you were on stage for instance, and you needed open-G tuning for a song, changing guitars, or even re-tuning would become unnecessary. You could simply make the fifth-fret barre chord your starting G-major, or capo on the fifth fret to get that same G-major starting point. Even letting the high G ring isn’t a problem; it’s part of the chord.

Similarly, and this is where can become really useful, the same rule applies up the fretboard. Your second-fret A chord in open-G can be exactly translated on the seventh-fret A in open-D tuning. In short, anything you play on your middle strings in open-D (D F# A) can be replicated exactly, five frets up on the three high strings in open-G.

One classic example of a riff that springs from this relationship is the Rolling Stones’ Live With Me, (live version from the Get Yer Yayas Out album). The main riff is a manipulation of A major and open-G major (Keith Richards' adopted tuning of preference, at least in that era). In the song, the riff starts on the A-G lick and then morphs to a similar D-C riff on seventh and fifth frets. The whole thing can be re-produced, to great effect, in open-D tuning, starting on frets seven and five (A and G) and then jumping to the twelve and ten frets (D and D) – an exact replication. Learning one tuning gives you a door-in to another tuning.

When I surf different sites looking for references to alternate guitar tunings, I often find that alternate guitar tunings are mentioned within the context of acoustic guitar. Notice that the example I provide for comparing open-D to open-G tuning is a killer, classic electric guitar riff. Electric guitar players (as well as acoustic) stand to benefit a great deal by becoming familiar with some of these excellent alternatives.

I heavily promote the versatility of open-D tuning for guitar (the raison d'etre for the blog). This is another facet of it – learn one, and another opens its doors to you. My path was open-D first. I don’t think it matters which end you start at, though. I was drawn to the open-D tuning because it gave the complete four-note chord up front. But for any open-G players out there, flip over to open-D and explore the similarities (and the differences!) of two great alternate guitar tunings.

What About All the Other Guitar Sites and Systems Out There...

2006-03-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I keep hearing that one.

Frankly, they scare me - a lot of them do anyway. When you have a computer situation as tenuous as mine has been (three wipe-outs within a one-year period), you tend to get a little cautious in how you surf.

But, as I was firing up Guitar-eze again for its re-launch, I surfed a lot of guitar sites to get a feel for what was what on online guitar.

I was frightened. I say so right on my site homepage. Without going into a lot of name-detail (do any search and you'll find them all yourself), too many (if not most) guitar websites are:

1) hopelessly cluttered
2) filled with ads
3) have scary pop-up your machine prefers to block or at least warn you about
4) are generally filled with lots of graphics but little content
5) offer "free" lessons
5) offer tabs

(By contrast, Guitar-eze has none of this, although the site's sole raison d'etre is to sell my books and promote open-D tuning. More on this later.)

Some of the forums I've surfed have continuous entries which have nothing to do with guitar, like porn, and other assorted spam. Some of the forums, on the other hand are amazing.

Some of the sites I looked at are a one-page advertisement for a guitar self-teaching downloadable system, which you scroll, scroll, scroll down, until you get a price (anywhere from $29.99 and up) and a buy button. They tend to be filled with incredible testimonial claims.

I find it all a little frightening.

One common search result, which I have not quite figured out yet, offers a "comparison" of four different online downloadable guitar learning systems, and rates them, and offers a link to them.

I've tried many of the sample lessons offered on the guitar sites I've researched. Some of them are actually pretty good guitar lessons. In fact, so as not to appear like I'm bashing all guitar sites, some of them are very good, informative websites. By that I mean there is less clutter, less advertising, no pop-ups, etc. The lessons found on these sites tend to be good. But they seldom, from what I've seen, offer much for the absolute beginner, or for someone who has been struggling on guitar. For a "guitar player" with some experience, there's a huge range of good material, and the range of free stuff is really cool, too.

Conclusion - there are tons of guitar sites on the internet. Some are good. Some are awful. Many are trying to sell you something. If they're not trying to sell you something they are attempting to make money with advertising they hope you will click on.

Guitar-eze does none of this. But I am selling something, aggressively.

The purpose of my site is help anyone play guitar more easily, in open-D (something many guitar sites mention, but seldom promote). I offer information on the site blog as well as this one, but the idea is to get people to take up guitar in open-D through the purchase of the Guitar-eze books (that's right, no downloadable stuff, for now, anyway). I offer after sales support, naturally, for any aspiring guitarist who buys. I also offer a free evaluation before purchasing. Prospective buyers can tell me their personal guitar situation and guitar aspirations, and I'll reply with a custom commentary and strategy based on their input. This is different in the world of guitar websites, and I'm proud of it.

My site blog also answers any questions and comments received, so the whole world can hear the answer - the assumption being that many people think of the same guitar questions, but few actually have the nerve to ask (by the way the e-mail is info@easierguitar.com ).

There you go. Some thoughts on online guitar. Happy surfing and check out Guitar-eze if you can.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Like, Who Created Standard Guitar Tuning, Anyway?

2006-03-01T14:46:00.000-05:00

I'm going to do the research, but be interested in any quick answers all the same, guitar lovers. It was probably some medieval sharpie lute teacher or something who saw the opportunity -

"hee hee hee, If I just re-set some of these strings, there's no way to play a decent chord right off the bat, hee hee hee...."

Really, there has to be a reason why the ol's 6-string has this peculiar, virtually alien starting point EADGBE. The DGB part makes some sense, I guess, that's a semblance of a chord (an inversion, anyway), but then - why throw in an E on one side and a A on the other, for gosh sakes?

Here's a comparison I intend to publish in a future article, as an illustration:

open-d guitar tuning – number of fingers D - 0
standard guitar tuning – number of fingers D - 3

open-d guitar tuning – number of fingers E - 1
standard guitar tuning – number of fingers E - 3

open-d guitar tuning – number of fingers F - 1
standard guitar tuning – number of fingers F - 4-5

open-d guitar tuning – number of fingers F# - 1
standard guitar tuning – number of fingers F# - 4-5

open-d guitar tuning – number of fingers G - 1
standard guitar tuning – number of fingers G - 3

... and so on. You get the pick-ture (that's a guitar pun). Keep pickin' and check back!

http://www.easierguitar.com

Frustration - the Slow Progressing Guitarist

2006-02-28T15:17:00.000-05:00

Frustrated guitarists. How many there are. How many I’ve met, and played with. How many I’ve taught.

It’s a shame. That most wonderful instrument of all, the guitar. The most common instrument in our culture. The one you can sling over your shoulder without a case. The one that can be strummed with your thumb, picked with a bread tab or a dime, finger picked (with finger picks – or not). The one that can be played as quiet as a mouse or as loud as a jumbo jet. The one that can sing, whine, roar, or tinkle. The one that can be chorded and melodied at the same time. The one so many get frustrated with and leave in the case.

It’s a shame. It happens too much. My belief is that it happens too much for the wrong reasons. Too many lovers of guitar give up before they really give learning guitar a fair shake. The complication at the outset often stems from the maddening complexity (or so it feels) of the guitar and its standard tuning. Those without excellent manual dexterity and aptitude are behind the eightball immediately. Ditto those with the proverbial "tin ear", as the mechanics of standard tuning are not visually friendly. Personally, I had the ears, if not the hands; but I was very put off by an ongoing lack of progress. I was close to giving it up.

But I found a way to play guitar.

Evenutally, I got good enough to go onstage with it. I even got good enough to front a band with it. I got good enough on guitar to show others how to play. But what a journey it was and continues to be. Open-D tuning turned around a decade-plus long guitar losing streak.

My first exposure to guitar was when I was about eight years old. My older brother pestered our parents into submission; he talked them into getting him an acoustic guitar, with no case, and he used a bread tab to play it.

He stunk.

In fact, he got nowhere with it. So I gave it a try.

I stunk too, worse than my brother.

I persisted, though, and made maddeningly slow progress, to the point where I learned about five chords. I figured out about three pages of our EZ Book of Guitar. I was in my teens by now. The learning curve was, admittedly, a bit slow.

By my late teens, I had developed, surprisingly, a somewhat accomplished musical background, having played horns (trumpet, trombone and baritone) through elementary and high school. A chance to play in a paying situation steered me towards bass guitar. I picked that up reasonably easily. I got the paying gig.

Still, success on guitar, my first love and ambition, evaded me. By my twenties, I had barely progressed beyond those five chords and three pages. But, I thought to myself, how can this be? Here I am, a horn player, bassist, even a passable vocalist, and I can’t get anywhere with the world’s most popular instrument (and the one that gets the chicks!). I was determined to make this happen. So I started reading and researching, mostly guitar magazines. I discovered in every one, in every issue, they brought up the topic of alternate tuning, in some form or other. I was intrigued. I had a vague knowledge this existed, but never paid it any mind, thinking, if anything, it would make learning guitar even harder. After all, the EZ Guitar Method never mentioned it. But here it was, and what an impressive list of names was being bandied about – Jimmy Page, Ry Cooder, Joni Mitchell, Elmore James, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson. This alternate tuning thing seemed to reach back a ways. I became even more intrigued.

Several tunings caught my interest. I began to experiment with them. Right off the bat, it became clear that some tunings definitely made the guitar sound more… musical, at first strum, anyway. That is, those open tunings seemed to ring nicely. Reading and re-tuning, reading and re-tuning, I got to know a few of these alternate tunings (though I still could play hardly anything). The one that was easiest, I concluded, was open-D. Finally, I felt, I found I way I could actually learn to play guitar. The transition from standard tuning E A D G B E, was easy enough, to D A D F# A D. Playing chords suddenly became easier. Gone were the multiple finger positions I’d been struggling with, on just the simplest bottom position chords. Here was a major chord I could play, up and down the neck of my guitar, with just one finger. I went to work on open-D tuning with renewed vigor.

Take the following examples, as a preliminary exercise: An E chord in standard tuning, at the bottom of the neck, requires your first, second and third fingers on the A string (2nd fret, 2nd finger), D string (2nd fret, 3rd finger) and G string (1st fret, 1st finger) to create the chord. In effect, you are “tightening up” those three strings to raise the pitch to match the remaining open strings, E (low), B, and E (high). Contrast this with open-D tuning. To get the same E chord, you place one finger on the second fret, across all six strings. You’ve just “tightened up” all six strings, with a single finger, to create exactly the same chord. Index finger is generally recommended, at least at first – the same finger you use to create barre chords in standard tuning. Now, you’re creating usable chords with only your index finger. Manipulations from this basic starting point become as simple as adding a finger (or fingers) onto any adjacent fret to create a new chord. For example, on that newly created E chord with one finger, add your 2nd finger onto the next (3rd in this example) fret of the high A string. You’ve just created and E augmented (E+). Change that to your 3rd finger on the next (4th) fret, and you’ve created an E sixth (E6).

I get asked many times, by prospective students and fellow teachers alike – what about the re-tuning process? The fact is it is a relatively simple transition. Two of the strings in standard tuning stay the same – A and D. The rest is a matter of slackening the other four strings to create the D major chord. Any guitar player who has experimented with drop-D tuning D A D G B E, will be almost half way there. Tuning the guitar to itself in open-D is actually simpler, in that you hear the major chord as you tune your guitar – the duplication of strings (three Ds, two As) is a benefit in the tuning process. The slight wildcard is the G to F# move – but this is only a semi-tone and quite readily accomplished.

Technically oriented issues might include guitar performance – intonation and so forth – as a result of the slackened tuning. I personally never noticed any issues, electric or acoustic. Very recently, however, a reputable repairman suggested a re-set on my electric intonation if I was staying in open-D. I had that done, but honestly didn’t notice a difference.

Obviously, there is no really good fast track, guaranteed to be the answer to all your guitar playing prayers. To play guitar is to aspire, and to be inspired. My personal experience was one of perseverence, and it will likely be anyone's who want to get somewhere on guitar. In any tuning.

I didn’t get “good” at guitar overnight. The transition to open-D is no magic pill, or substitute for regular and diligent practice. I don’t think I’m that “good” a guitar player to this day. But – I got good enough to play guitar. Isn’t that what a lot of people want? Not to be a wizard, or a star, or a god. Just to be able to play some guitar.

That’s what I got out of open-D tuning. The fact that I could play anything at all was the confidence boost that kept me going, to a greater degree of competence. The “getting going” part is what I’m convinced frustrates so many aspiring guitarists. Age, by the way, is irrelevant. I’ve had students of all ages who would just love to “get going” on guitar. I found a way to do it, even after being frustrated.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Wow - Guitar Evaluation - Great Concept

2006-02-27T12:44:00.000-05:00

So say the many who have taken advantage of my new free service at Guitar-eze. You give me the particulars, I give you feedback, on how you might approach guitar. Whether you're a beginniner, frustrated novice, frustrated guitarist - period, intermediate, advanced, singer, teacher, it's a good way to a get an unbiased handle on how you might improve or at least change your approach. Sure, I may sell a book or two from this, but I think it's a guitar service unique in its scope.

I've had frustrated beginners, people looking to "get back into" guitar, parents looking for a way to get their kids playing guitar.

Lucky for me (and them) that Guitar-eze is so versatile, and therefore, so plausible a course of action for so many guitar enthusiasts. Makes no difference what the skill level or background - if traditional guitar systems have posed a problem or stumbling block for the aspiring guitarist, you almost owe it to yourself to give an alternative (as in alternative tuning - open-D) a try.

As far as musical styles in open-D, as many have asked, there are virtually no limits. Anything goes in Guitar-eze aka open-D tuning. Lord knows I've made use of it in rock'n'roll, blues (especially slide), country, classic rock, hard rock, polka, ska, reggae, and on it goes.

Be interested to hear from some guitar teachers seeking guitar teaching aids. I cannot think of a more useful one than exposing a student to another, perfectly viable, guitar path than an open tuning, any open tuning, but open-D for sure. What an eye-opener it can be.

Give the free guitar evaluation a try - or tell a friend who's thinking about playing guitar, or improving on guitar.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Open-D Tuned Guitar - How I Got There

2006-02-25T09:27:00.000-05:00

My repertoire of songs is 300+ and they are all played in open-D tuning. I've played this way (almost) exclusively for over 20 years.

Virtual ineptitude on guitar led me to where I eventually got. As with most good things in life, it happened largely by chance.

A perpetual neophyte on guitar, I had switched to horns and then bass from my pre-teen years through to my early twenties, always with an eye to the axe sitting, unused, in the corner of the rec room.

Playing bass in a band around 1984, I was advised by the guitarist that he couldn't duplicate the solo in the Stones' Hang Fire, because the guitars were tuned differently. To that point I only had a vague knowledge that guitars could be tuned differently.

Out came the guitar magazines. Sure enough, Keith Richards did play in alternate tunings - a lot. Thus I came along an article describing how he had been experimenting open-D tuning, acoustic guitars and cassette tape recorders, around 1968. Legend had it that this was how Jumpin' Jack Flash born, and Street Fighting Man.

Open-D tuning?

A re-tune of the guitar in the corner was in order. I found it (it wasn't that difficult, being that the D and A string stay right where they are). I strummed it.

The lightbulb, as they say, came on.

I had been strumming in standard tuning for long enough. But to strum this way - pow! There was the opening chord of Street Fighting Man! A two finger manipulation (I got the wrong one at first, but I learned) and pow! There was the progression - that classic Stones I-IV progression.

From there, rather than a lightbulb coming on, it was more like a series of Christmas minilights, igniting one after the other. An E chord played with one finger. A G chord played with one finger. An A chord played with one finger (whoa! A to open D - there's another I-IV). So on, and so forth, until I hit that B with one finger. Boy, did that sound familiar. More fritzing, then bang! B, E, A, one after another, all on one finger - there it was, Jumpin Jack Flash (sounding its best with guitar slung around knee-level). It was only hop and a skip from there to discover the only real way to play Elmore James' one riff on slide (Dust My Broom et al); and from there to Bo Diddley's chop in just about any key you like.

I felt like I had just discovered the cure for the common cold. Why wasn't this information plastered on billboards across the nation?

This all happened while I was in my early twenties. It took a few more years before my confidence and chops built to the point where I could take any of it on stage. Keith Richards, for his part, never played JJF the same way again, having subsequently switched to open-G as his alternate tuning of choice. But for this aspiring guitarist, let's just say I was hooked - on open-D tuning, hook, line and sinker.

As for the 300 songs - we'll talk, I'm sure.

http://www.easierguitar.com

Guitar-eze Offers New Evaluation Service Free

2006-02-24T14:31:00.000-05:00

My site, Guitar-eze, has got a new service up and running. It's a free evaluation for any guitar loving visitor. If you're considering buying my book package (including CD-ROM and Chord Book), but want to check your compatibility/the system's usefulness, I encourage potential buyers to fill in a form telling me a bit about their guitar situation - whether or not they play yet, acoustic or electric guitar, styles they are interested in, etc. From there, I reply with a personalized recommendation, based on what they supply me.

If Guitar-eze is a fit, I tell them. If not, then not. No hard feelings.

I think it's a cool thing. Gets people thinking about where they are really at. It also helps identify players from newbies, singers from teachers. All of these niches I think are great potential targets for a guitar system that is different, versatile, unique and most of all, easier. Traffic to the site is steady and growing, so I hope people use this service while it's on and available. If traffic gets too heavy, I may have to restrict the evaluation to only purchasing customers as a value-added service. We'll see how it goes, but for now, it's open to everyone.

I'm looking forward to the response. It's great to learn about people and their interest in the guitar. I love offering up opinions and advice too, so the fit is perfect!

Check out my site Guitar-eze, the Easier Way to Learn to Play Guitar .

Vocalists Can Learn Guitar Easily - Article

2006-02-23T18:17:00.000-05:00

Vocalists need accompaniment – it’s a fact. Acapella is fine – to a point. Accompanists are great too – when you have one handy. For those times when a chord or note is needed, there’s no handier instrument than guitar. After all, you can’t sling a piano over your shoulder on a strap. Guitar accompaniment for a singer need not be a daunting task, either. Too many have given up the prospect of self accompaniment on guitar because the start-up phase – the critical one which builds self-confidence – was too difficult. In sets frustration, due to slow progress, and ultimately, defeat. The shiny new guitar sits on the stand or lies in the case, untouched.

Those who find success are those who may be more technically dexterous or adept. Those initial hand and finger positions are crucial to success on guitar. For singers more challenged in this area, or for those looking to expand their horizons, there is an alternative –as in, alternative tunings for that under-utilized guitar.

Long before I learned to warble, I yearned to play guitar, with little success. Strumming wasn’t the problem. Fingering was. There were too many to remember. Too many to master. Guitar seemed out of reach. To my surprise, I discovered, with a little research, that guitars could be tuned different ways. I made the connection that perhaps it was the tuning of the guitar that was holding me back. A simpler tuning may just provide the breakthrough for an aspiring guitarist.

After much experimentation, I found one tuning to be most useful. Open-D is a simple alteration of standard guitar tuning:

Standard guitar tuning (low to high strings) - E A D G B E

Open D guitar tuning (low to high strings) - D A D F# A D

Notice that two of the strings on your guitar stay the same (A and D). That’s your starting point for the switch. The rest become a matter of adjusting the other four strings lower, to become a D major chord. From there, let the strumming begin.

Notice that now the four highest strings represent at D-major triad (with an octave for a nice complete arpeggio). That chord can be transposed up the neck of your guitar with a single finger (index finger recommended but some people feel their middle finger is stronger). This is the backbone of open-D guitar playing. It’s also the major simplification. There are now, for major chords, no fingerings to memorize, no technique to learn, no acclimatizing fingers to various curves and stretches. Your training, at the outset, is getting one finger to press straight against as many or few guitar strings as is comfortable. It doesn’t get any easier than that, anywhere in the guitar world.

Now the versatility of open-D guitar tuning should start to become apparent. Changes to that basic major chord are just another finger away, on any string. You can create new chords through sheer experimentation, although I have written a fairly comprehensive Chord Book which goes along with my method book Guitar-eze – A Simpler Way to Approach to Playing the Guitar. Chords can be built off that one-finger starting point, limited only by your imagination. With the repeating strings (in open-D, you have three Ds and two As to work with) many different chord textures and sounds can be created with just a simple string shift of one finger. The big bonus is that you can see the changes you’re creating. Knowing that each fret on your guitar represents a semi-tone, you’ll now “see” how the shift of one finger on a particular fret creates that new chord . Augment, suspend, major sixth, etc., to your heart’s delight.

For composing, I find that open-D tuned guitar is even more useful than a piano (and a little more portable, for those sunny days out in a meadow or down by the seaside). Truly a versatile way to play guitar, and far simpler, especially at the outset. For vocalists, it might just be the guitar breakthrough they’ve been dreaming of. Get that guitar out the case, re-tune it to open-D and get strummin’.

website http://www.easierguitar.com .

easierguitar Gets Hits

2006-02-21T10:02:00.000-05:00

Yay! People seem to be finding http://www.easierguitar.com ...

I've written a few new articles I hope to post on some sites and here as well. One is on tuning and re-tuning to and from open-D and within open-D. It's really quite simple, I point out. Also finished off a dandy little short article on the merits of vocalists trying it out even if they've failed on guitar in the past.

Let's face it, if you even have just a bare-bones rudimentary understanding of the rudiments, open-D, as outlined in Guitar-eze, is a breeze to understand. The chords structures are right in your face. You're playing many of them with one finger! It's a beautiful thing.

Not to say limited either. Up and down the neck of your guitar, there are inversions and voicings you never dreamed possible and would likely never find on standard guitar tuning E A D G B E. Never. Seriously.

Once again I was the only open-D'er at the jam on Sunday - played a little Chicago-style slide, in the best possible tuning for Chicago slide. This coming Sunday, Dusty is joining us. Wonder if he does any alternate tuning stuff? Click the Katz site to see what's what with the band.

How to Run an Unsuccessful Jam

2006-02-20T17:13:00.000-05:00

In response to many inquiries (mostly from myself), I offer this quick guide on how to run an unsuccessful jam, guaranteed to fold after 2-3 weeks:

make sure you get the nod from a bar owner who is totally disinterested in live music;
always short-sell the band especially on fee; this ensures the bar has nothing much to lose in canning you; plus other bands can get ripped off in future;
leave it absolutely vague that you expect the bar to contribute in any way, including promotion, creation of awareness, enthusiasm of any type or level; incentive to encourage attendance;
be sure to give priority to your friends when it comes to jammers getting on stage;
be suspicious of any new or unfamiliar jammers;
ignore your audience whose drink/food purchases are paying your fee;
play good and LOUD from the very start;
make sure vocals are inaudible;
use a crappy PA whenever you can;
large guitar amplifiers are best for driving people out of the room;
be surly to all bar staff and management;
extra long breaks work best at minimizing interest and clearing out a room;
a long first set by the host act followed by a long break always helps dissuade jammers;
smoking dope during breaks ensures questionable quality of performance afterward;
lots of alcohol intake will translate to interesting performances also;
be sure to stick to the narrow confines of one style of music only;
play LOTS of long, slowwww songs;
host players always take the longest solos;
when a jammer is really good, cut them off quickly before they get too much attention or applause;
on a slower night (like say week 2) quit nice and early but ask for the same lousy money;
complain about the bar owner a lot, both to band members and anyone else;
play the same material every week;
repeat songs whenever necessary (as in "often");
try not to look like you're having a good time;

These points should crash your jam pretty quick. Please let me know any other tricks of the trade you've used to kill off a jam in the past.

Oh yeah, play in open D tuning a lot http://www.easierguitar.com . This won't kill your jam but it's fun to do.

Oh year, too, want to see a great jam run by a great band - come to Place Concorde (Windsor, Ontario, Canada) Sundays 4-8 pm.

Got a Gig Tomorrow - Sunday Feb. 10, 4-8pm

2006-02-18T17:49:00.000-05:00

That's right, not just another pretty face with a guitar website - also a workin' musician. The Katz head into jam #20 tomorrow at Oasis in Place Concorde (Windsor, Ontario, Canada). We JumpKatz host the thing and what a blast it's been since last fall, and going strong. Every week features a different guest who wails with us - tomorrow it's vocalist Kim Atherton.

You wanna see open-D guitar (Guitar-eze, as it's known) in action all afternoon, that's where I'll be.

It's s'posed to be a blues jam, but lord knows we stretch the limits a titch (or two). With a 300 song repertoire, 12-bar alone would be a little confining. But we have lots of great players (blues and otherwise) show up every week, so it's never a dull moment. Last week positively rocked with Brian Smith on harp and vox, Dave Williams on keys, Dave Whitehead (Keef Riffhard), oh man, some of the combos up there were hot. Also lots of sax players tend to show up so if you're a lover of horns come on out. I always get to throw in a little slide guitar which is fun even though I hold the guitar a bit too low to really be effective.

The week before (Superbowl Sunday) was extra-neat because guest Tom Lockwood and I both brought National Steel acoustics for some howlin' acoustic slide guitar. Tom specially tuned down to open-F for me so I could sing easier... What a night that was, football and all.

My Favorite Keys in Open-D

2006-02-17T17:59:00.000-05:00

One of them has to be "A" - partially because it nicely suits my (oh so limited) singing range. What a happy coincidence!

But reality is, "A" (major or minor for that matter) is a beautiful thing in open-D.

For one thing, if you're soloing on electric guitar, it is a nice zone for the fingers - not cramped like up at fret 12, and not ringing all over the place like on the lower end. But, if your tune has anything resembling a major 4th (the IV as I call it), hint-hint a 12-bar blues, hello! You are at D - as in open-D. That means you can take your finger off the barre and riff away at fret seven with all those open-D strings ringing right along with you - a cool effect. People are always telling me they hear harmonics coming out of my playing, that, believe me, just seem to happen. Only recently have I (a) tried to control or mute them and/or (b) noticed them at all as I play. But they simply happen and they are amazing.

Come to think of it, that D being the IV in the key of "A" can also be played on fret 12 - here you can tell if your axe is in tune with itself (3 Ds especially but also the 2 as) as well as your intonation. But hold a couple strings on fret 12 and let the open ones ring and again! Harmonics and overtones out the wazoo!

People on the site www.easierguitar.com have e-mailed about slide an open-D or Guitar-eze as it's called. Topic for another post while I gather my thoughts...

On a Mission to Convert Guitarists

2006-02-16T09:05:00.000-05:00

Here's a little something I'm looking to submit wherever I can...

I’m on a mission. To convert.

To convert guitar players and aspiring guitar players to open-D. It’s the tuning so important to guitar in the last number of decades, but too often, so overlooked by the mainstream. Standard tuning has a stranglehold on the business of learning guitar. The reason, to me, remains unclear.

As a starting point, an open tuning is clearly the logical choice. What easier way to begin to play guitar, but with an open, major chord? How much more confidence could an aspiring guitarist (of any age, but more on that later) need than to be able to play a nice sounding chord without putting finger to fret? That’s what you get when you start with an open tuning.

My personal story went like this. Frustrated novice guitar player (“novice” for years on end!). Gets nowhere with guitar for years. Does research (i.e. reads guitar magazines). Realizes many of the greats played in alternate tunings (K. Richard, J. Mitchell, E. James, R. Johnson, R. Cooder, J. Page, etc, etc.). Re-tunes guitar until he finds one that works – open-D. Presto! Light bulb comes on, a better guitar player is hatched.
Open tunings are mentioned, frequently enough, in magazines articles, transcriptions, books and the like. But very seldom or never have I seen an outright promotion of their use as a stand-alone approach to guitar (my god, even Keith switches to standard tuning every now and again!). And open-D, the most logical of all starting points, is rarely mentioned at all. I have yet, in 20+ years of public performance, have anyone come up to me and say – “How about that – you play just like I do, in open-D”. People do come up, but the comments are almost always, “You sure use some funny chord positions” or “Are you playing in a different tuning”. Amazingly, many guitar players associate “open tuning” with “more difficult”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, to make the transition from standard tuning is a bit of a learning curve, but once you’re there, POW! You’ll never want to play any other way (although just adding proficiency on an open tuning to your standard tuning is a giant leap).

Which brings us back to beginners. No matter what the age, a beginner, whether 6 or 60 years old will find open-D an easier way to start playing guitar. It is so obvious. Focus on the strum without any fingers on the fretboard, and then work your way up to one finger on the fretboard (the basic major chord in open-D is just one finger). What a way to develop early confidence. The truth is, and I am living proof, you would never have to make the flip to standard tuning. But if you wanted to, it’s just small tweak up to standard – sort of drop-D tuning with three other minor adjustments back and forth, to and from standard E A D G B E, to D A D F# D.

One question that arises – why open-D, then, of all the potential starting points? The absolute simplest choice may be, for easier understanding of theory, keys and harmony might be open-C C G C E G C, but that gets a tad floppy sounding, as the guitar strings are so slackened. Going the other way to open-E E B E G# B E might be going too far the other way, though it’s used. Open-D seems the perfect choice! For singers wanting to accompany themselves, of course, it becomes an issue of vocal range tied to the guitar tuning. A capo may be in order.

I’m such a fervent believer in open-D, I’ve written a book – Guitar-eze A Simpler Approach to Playing Guitar, with a companion Chord Book, as well as a website http://www.easierguitar.com/ and a blog http://open-d.blogspot.com/ dedicated to helping guitarists and aspiring guitarists see the light. Who knows? Maybe some day open-D will be known as “standard tuning”.

Open up the Open-D Guitar Spot

2006-02-15T17:28:00.000-05:00

Here it is:

D A D F# A D

I believe it's the easiest way to play guitar and possibly the most versatile and effective. So much so that I started a blog to talk about it and a website to sell a book about it.

I play guitar in open-D almost exclusively. I can strum some in standard tuning. I also use open-G, open-F, and a little DADGAD all of which evolved out of that most versatile of guitar tunings - open-D.

The site is called Guitar-eze and can be found at http://www.easierguitar.com

The world seems quite wrongly entrenched in standard guitar tuning so here is my little attempt to set it straight - all guitars should start by tuning to open-D - D A D F# A D. Lord, would there be more happy guitar players out there if we all just made the switch! lol.

More on that as we move along. Love to hear your thoughts, especially players.