Bucky Teaches Guitar

11/03/2024

Only one student today. We will be working on singing and playing Complicated by Avril Lavigne. Complicated!
Yesterday my 16 year old prodigy metal player worked on the Crazy Train solo. Easy for him! Also, another dip into the beautiful Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson. I cannot play anything my young prodigy can play, but we did go over the modes of the major scale. He wants to freshen up his own improvisation. Sweet! I love teaching music theory.
Other songs were: The Mess We're In, PJ Harvey, Ain't it fun, Paramore.
Tip of the day: guitarists who are right handed can improve their left hand coordination by doing everyday things with their left hand, and vice versa for left handed guitarists. I am right handed, and since I play classical guitar, I use my left hand as often as I can to protect the needed nails on my right hand. Oh, and I have a couple of acoustic guitar player working on Tarrega's Lagrima. They are learning it in tablature.
Earworm of the day: I love pop/dance music of the mid oughts and from today. Katy Perry wins this time with The One That Got Away.
Link of the day: Lagrima. A classic not-too-difficult Spanish-y work.

. Tarrega - Lagrima, performed by Tatyana Ryzhkova.Join me at: https://www.patreon.com/tatyanaGuitar is made by M.Brück.Sco...

10/27/2024

There is so much that can go wrong with crowdsourced tabs. I'm so picky, though. I like to transcribe first, then find a chart that agrees with my transcription ha ha! Then I doctor up that chart so it matches the recording.
Ultimate gets it right most of the time in the Pro version, but I've seen them make some colossal mistakes. For example, Olivia Rodrigo's song Scared of My Guitar (great song!) is in open D. Not the weird tuning they came up with.
Trust your ear if you think something's wrong, because it probably is.
Rant over.

10/24/2024

On the Music Stand today: Doesn't Remind Me of Anything, Audioslave; Dido's Lament, Jeff Buckley's version; original songs by Myoshen; Paparazzi, Lady Gaga; Lagrima, Tarrega; Obsession, Olivia Rodrigo. Love the hook: "I'm so obsessed with your ex!"
Earworm of the day: after working on it with a student, Dido's Lament wins. "When I am laid in earth/let my wrongs create/no trouble, no trouble/in thy breast..." Heartbreaking.

Tried my best to enhance this recording of Jeff Buckley performing Dido's Lament at the Meltdown Festival,1995.

10/23/2024

On the music stand today: three country blues songs (played by my fingerstyle/slide student), Broke Down Engine, Blind Willie McTell; the Cuckoo, traditional; Hard Time Killing Floor, Skip James. Other songs include Hey Hey, My My, Neil Young; Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, New Riders of the Purple Sage; Shadow on the Sun, Audioslave; I Think I'm OKAY, mgk. As always, lots of variety, as my students are getting ready for our monthly Guitar Pull this Sunday.
Earworm of the day: my new song, Heyday, which I hope to record soon. My roommate, Stacy Christie, says it's sticky. That's always a great sign!

The original record of killin' floor by Skip James. Noticed it wasn't on YouTube so I thought I would add it. Enjoy!

10/22/2024

On the music stand today: Either Way, Chris Stapleton; Dust in the Wind, Kansas; Pink Pony Club, Chappell Roan; Orphan Girl, Gillian Welch; Cover Me Up, Jason Isbell; Lagrima, Tarrega.
Earworm of the day: it's gotta be from the music stand: Pink Pony Club.

Chappell Roan – Pink Pony ClubDownload/stream "Pink Pony Club": https://ChappellRoan.lnk.to/PinkPonyClubIDDirector: Griffin StoddardProduction Co: DreambearE...

10/21/2024

On the music stand today: two students learning the basics. One, a voice student learning new vocal exercises, and another playing and singing with the metronome in order to prepare for recording. I still practice with a metronome, because timing is everything.
I worked on my own song called Heyday. I kept singing "payday." Ha!
Earworm of the day: Roundabout, Yes. Yes, really. I miss Album Oriented Rock radio stations. A thing of the past.

10/20/2024

On the music stand today: excellent, mature songs with singable melodies by one of my high school students. Plus, I'm teaching her how to transcribe songs from the recordings. She's got a great ear. And an excellent voice. She's got it all!
Earworm of the day: You Belong With Me, Taylor Swift.

10/16/2024

On the music stand today was: Personal Jesus, Johnny Cash's version; Either Way, Chris Stapleton; Electric Touch, Taylor Swift; Fearless, Taylor Swift; Down on the Corner, CCR; Perfect, Ed Sheeran; I Am the Highway, Audioslave; Say It Ain't So, Weezer; Orphan Girl, Gillian Welch; I Choose You, Steeldrivers. Various country blues songs, both slide and fingerstyle. Whew!
Earworm of the day: Baby Please Don't Go, Lightnin' Hopkins.

Lightnin' Hopkins performs Baby, Please Don't Go. From his Vestapol DVD collection Lightnin' Hopkins - Rare Performances 1960-1979 https://stefan-grossmans-...

10/15/2024

On the music stand today: Traveling Alone, Jason Isbell; Wagon Wheel, Old Crow Medicine Show; Payday, Mississippi John Hurt; You and Tequila, Deana Carter. It's a short day here at Maple Street Guitars, but all good. I'll practice my new song, Heyday, when I get home!

Maple Street Guitars' instructor Bucky Motter worked up an arrangement for the Old Crow Medicine Show song, "Wagon Wheel." We filmed a video of Bucky teachi...

10/10/2024

On the music stand today: Somebody's Problem, Morgan Wallen; Bad Moon Rising, CCR; Paparazzi, Lady Gaga (on Uke!); Malaguena, Spanish Traditional; Lagrima, Tarrega; I Love Rock n Roll, Joan Jett; Million Reasons, Lady Gaga.
Earworm of the day: Dissolved Girl, Massive Attack. (Bummer. The Massive Attack concert in Atlanta has been postponed.)