Guitar Lessons in Glasgow West End for the Over-50's

28/08/2024

Instrumental - "Wring That Neck"

The other day there - out of the blue - my brother who is a guitarist as well, asked me if I still had HIS Deep Purple single Emmaretta with Wring That Neck on the B-side?

Turns out I do. The original single.

"Can I play it?"

Mmme.... "Bits". I replied honestly. It is stunningly complicated towards the end.

Brought back memories of a school friend of mine Tom Hannan (who sadly passed away a few years ago) and I, both of us mad about guitars and tried to learn to play this (from the record) in the early seventies. It is quite difficult. And WAY beyond us at that time. Now? Still quite complicated but at least I now recognize and know the E flat diminished and E flat major scales used by Ritchie Blackmore in the 'chaotic bit'.

If you are a guitarist, have a listen, have a go. Much of this is in G blues and minor but E flat pops up (which was written by Jon Lor the organ player). Well worth a listen even if you are not a guitar player.

This is the second track from Deep Purple's second album, Book of Taliesyn (1968). It is an instrumental.Lineup (Mk I) - Rod Evans: lead vocals, Ritchie Blac...

28/08/2024

If you are in the West End, if you are a guitar player, and you are interested in getting better at guitar and you like Oasis and would like to play their tracks....

I can help.

Oasis guitar parts are not 'simple' as some would have you believe, if you are inexperienced or new to lead or rhythm guitar you won't get far using TABS or (most) You Tube Videos. But in a personal one-to-one lesson. You will.

(High Flying Birds tracks covered as well!)

Coming winter I have slots for both home visits and studio one to ones.

Kenny

Gigs will mark 16 years since Liam and Noel Gallagher split after festival bust-up, but no plans to make new music

22/06/2024

Listen to this (especially after 51 seconds), note the bass on the background... Then pick up your guitar and play it....

Clue: Starts in F...

Don't forget to wait for the intro being over after 51 seconds.

Billy Taylor Trio - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, from I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, a live album released in 1968.

13/01/2023

"EXOTIC SCALE" Demo - Another snippet of a HOUSE TRANCE DRUM MACHINE with Funk and Arabic Scale Improvisation.

Exotic Scales such as the one you will hear me demo here are very easy (make that VERY VERY VERY EASY) to play (when you are shown how...).

While you might not want to listen to this stuff all night - they can add spice and a bit of colour for a few bars or one number. The 'theory' is simple, much simpler than blues or rock and roll or jazz scales. There are many variations on the basic intervals - unlike learning songs "note for note" this type of guitar playing is much simpler to pick up and play around with, if you want a demo or a lesson in Guitar, music theory or accompaniment please get in contact with Guitar Lessons in Glasgow West End for the Over-50's

Please share! Kenny

11/01/2023

Just heard,

BBC News - Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.

07/01/2023

https://youtu.be/zKuYCII3ldM

Blues Fills not using scales but Dominant 7 arpeggios.

While I do most of my follow up demos on What's App - I was trying out a guitar that had been repaired and so I combined the vid to include revision for a blues pupil on fills using arpeggios. That is to say NOT SCALES.

These are chords but picked not strummed.

Listen then try yourself.... They really are SIMPLE and EASY.

If you want personal one to one instruction give me a call...

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Have a listen - quite flash but SIMPLE

Answering a Question: The degrees of the scale for the run (if you can't follow by the sound) are 1 #3 b7 (no fifth!), Then down to 5 b7 #3 (no root!) Then just repeat, higher and higher....
There is no "KEY" here, or actual chords, just tonal centres. Like A then D then A then A then D and back to A - typical blues "progression".

This is NOT a key or chord progression it's blues. The whole tonal centre shifts temporarily from A to D then goes back etc.

For example in A actually just means the tonal centre is A, not that you play an A chord! And a run of A C # G, then (down to from the G) E G C # (then down from the C # to the) A C # G for was long a run as you like. This is just a standard chord shape. Beginners know this shape.

When you change to D being the tonal centre you simply play the same degrees but now in D. eg 1 3 b7 is D F # C natural, and 5 b7 3 is A C F #... This in music theory is called a REAL SEQUENCE, as opposed to following a key which is a diatonic sequence.)

Shorty demo for a pupil - example of using not a SCALE but a dominant seven arpeggios as a fills in old time 60's and 70's style guitar playing. Arpeggio ju...

25/12/2022

con man. posted fake review.

21/11/2022

LEFT HANDED SCOTTISH DOUBLE BASS PLAYER WINS!

Yes Ewan Hastie: Kirkcaldy double bassist named BBC Young Jazz Musician 2022

Thoroughly enjoyed watching the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the year final last night on BBC4.

And delighted that a young musician studying in Glasgow took the top prize.

You don't see (well at least I haven't) many left handed double bass players. So worth a look.

They each played a few numbers an original and standards.

Ewan played his own composition Impulse, and arrangements of Tricotism by Oscar Pettiford, and Chick Corea’s Humpty Dumpty.

I thought the other competitors were all pretty good, including a guitarist in his early twenties who had a FABULOUS first number then sort of petered out and had issues with his pedal board sand voice volumes, a pianist followed then a sax player who had only taken up the instrument four years ago. She was astoundingly good technically but not (I don't mean this as a criticism) that original.

Another pianist Nick Manz followed the bass player - and he REALLY knew how to play....... at first, he got the best reaction in the hall that night and if he'd stopped after two numbers he may have won, however to my ears it all went a bit wrong when he did his "standard" a Thelonious Monk number called Ugly Beauty. This number was a little beyond Nick's splash timing and I think he knew it when he wandered all over the place losing the coherency of the piece, it's all very well being able to improvise and stick within a framework, but when you are trying to imitate one of the greatest players of all time - the cracks begin to show if you're nervous or if your technique is a bit contrived. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't nearly as good as his previous numbers and that showed, ending on your weakest piece I think cost him. Great player however for his age.

Five emerging stars of jazz compete for the title of BBC Young Jazz Musician 2022.

14/11/2022

Flashback to Saturday.
Glasgow Guitar Exhibition
I gave a Masterclass on how to learn guitar solos. Here's a wee reminder of the room and the day. The young guy beside me is 17 yr old Ross Neil Reid is lead guitarist with up and coming band the Sankaras.

Thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many would be lead guitar players!

Kenny

14/11/2022

Not particularly to do with Music, but maths is so important in our art, counting time, tuning and temperament systems, rehearsal schedules, forgetting and learning curves, target times and levels - it's all mathematical and I'd hate to think that what mathematics teachers are being asked to do (de-colonialism) might be asked of music tutors as well. It's like saying you can't tell people the blues was developed by black people singing white people's songs in the tones of their own people.... And we stole their music..... To put on TV adverts.

Mathematicians in British universities are now being asked to ‘decolonise’ the curriculum. This autumn, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) – an independent charity which reviews university courses – launched a consultation that urged universities to teach a ‘decoloni...

03/11/2022

Specialist Spotlight: In addition to well-known international guitar and equipment brands we also have specialist, local niche companies coming along to the Glasgow Guitar Show on November 12th.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/glasgow-guitar-show-2022-tickets-413978891007?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

North Star Pickups is a new venture that aims to provide players with upgrade options that unlock their instrument’s potential. North Star specialises in tapped single coil pickups and bespoke wiring looms that give players access to an array of new pickup combinations.

North Star designs allow you to get 3 distinct tones out of a Precision Bass, 12 sounds from your Telecaster and up to 41 pickup settings from your Stratocaster. This level of versatility is unparalleled in the industry and allows players explore a huge array of new tones without breaking the bank.

https://www.northstarpickups.co.uk/