TESTIMONIALS FROM STUDENTS,PARENTS, AND PEERS

“Is Karl a good guitar teacher? No, Karl is a great teacher.

How do I know this? Over the 35 years I’ve been playing guitar, I’ve probably studied with a dozen or more teachers. I studied at Berklee, at local schools, with Steely Dan alum Wayne Krantz, and with a bunch of guys around town. Karl is right up there with the best of them. He’ll not only show you how to play—he’ll show you how to play it with conviction—he goes a level deeper; so you *feel* the music, you don’t just make the sounds. He’s not only knowledgeable—he’s a walking encyclopedia of music (and the only guy I know who can talk knowledgeably about both Doc Watson and Venom!). And on top of all that, he’s a super nice and approachable guy, who makes the lessons fun.

Karl rocks! Check him out, you can’t go wrong.”

Charlie Kramer

"Karl knows more about music theory and songwriting, and explains it better, than anybody I know. I have watched him captivate rooms full of caffeine-deprived adults (at Saturday morning workshops), shy songwriters (comparing the story arcs of, say, John Cheever and Stephen Foster), and elementary-school guitar
students not much bigger than "the size of a carpet sample," (to quote one of his lyrics). He is a superb songwriter, guitarist and singer who, in another era, would have been the king of Tin Pan Alley or the Brill Building (and may yet be). For now, we're incredibly lucky that he's here in DC. He has the knowledge, the sense of humor, and most important, the generosity of spirit, that make a teacher great."

Mary Battiata
Singer-songwriter and bandleader (Little Pink)


"Karl is an amazing artistic teacher. I've learned a lot about starting out playing guitar and he makes me feel like I can play even more every day." (Zoe, age 9)

"What a great teacher to introduce a child to guitar. Karl is patient, encouraging, emphasizes fundamentals, and adds an element of fun. His teaching style has kept my daughter engaged and interested in continuing to practice and learn. He has great rapport and has really connected with my daughter to foster a commitment to music." (Zoe's mom)

"Karl brings the perspective of an experienced craftsman to his songwriting classes. Deconstructing the melodies, rhythms, and harmonic and chordal arrangements of classic popular songs from multiple genres (whether Berlin, Beatles or Bacharach) to illustrate his concepts, Karl provides his students with a variety of principles, “rules” (with, of course, exceptions) and strategies for song composition in a supportive environment. Students are encouraged to present works-in-progress for evaluation, feedback and polishing from Karl and fellow students. While some grounding in fundamental music theory is helpful, Karl will patiently explain the more sophisticated theoretical concepts. Students should also be prepared for thoughtful digressions exploring the historical, social and cultural forces that shaped the songs being studied. Whether you are relatively new to songwriting or even if you are a experienced composer, Karl’s songwriting class will sharpen your skills, give you new approaches to songcraft and enhance your own body of song."

Ed O'Connell, songwriting student.


"Karl Straub is a very talented music teacher. He has a broad knowledge base and draws from many methods, always adding his own innovations. He has a unique teaching approach to a wide range of topics, from sight reading to songwriting. Karl manages to make difficult concepts and techniques interesting and accessible to his students. He is unfailingly positive and encouraging and expertly tailors each session to his student's work rate and availability for learning. The result is a happy and growing music student who looks forward to each lesson."

Peggy Higgins-Rhodes, parent

"My lessons with Karl have been simply invaluable. I have learned so much about music, finger style guitar technique, and the craft of songwriting. As a result, I am well on my way to writing and playing songs that I am proud of.

Karl's teaching style is patient and non-judgmental, which enabled me to learn and to feel comfortable when I first began taking lessons. Additionally, he demonstrates a willingness to be flexible and a steadfast, committed professionalism, which I greatly appreciate."

Monique, student

"Our daughter, Sophia, has been a student of Mr. Straub's since age 6.
Although she was very young, Mr. Straub allowed for a short trial period
to see if she was truly interested and physically able to play. In the
past four years, Sophia's growth as a guitar player has been amazing.
The dedication and patience shown by Mr. Straub has paid off not only in
the quality of Sophia's guitar skills but in fostering an interest in song writing as well. She has written and performed music for her
school concerts. In addition to his teaching skills, his easy going
manner has fostered a bond that encourages Sophia to grow as a guitar
player at a pace that always keeps her interested and enthusiastic about
improving."


Mark A Gull, parent

(more to come-- i'm just in the first stages of posting these. PLEASE NOTE-- IF YOU ARE A CURRENT OR FORMER STUDENT OF MINE, AND WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOME COMMENTS HERE, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT KARLSTRAUB@HOTMAIL.COM. I'D LOVE TO PUT YOU ON HERE! THANKS.)

( MORE)

ELEVEN MOST IMPORTANT GUITAR CHORDS

This is a handout I give to beginner students. Except when I can't find it, which is always. So, here it is on the site-- now you can click on it and print it out.
( MORE)

FINGERSTYLE GUITAR-- "FREIGHT TRAIN"

If you're looking to get into fingerpicking, here's a classic song I use with students new to fingerpicking-- my template is a bare-bones arrangement of "Freight Train," the Elizabeth Cotten fingerstyle classic. It's here for anyone who wants to try it on their own-- but if you'd like to take some lessons, I can show you the basics of this style without too much stress. (CLICK ON THE MUSIC TO ENLARGE)

My basic fingerstyle approach here is as follows-- quarter notes in the bass part, and mostly half notes in the top voice (melody). Once you can play this arrangement as written, you can spiff it up in various ways-- adding notes in between the top and bottom parts (this usually involves the G string, which is mostly not used in the melody part) or syncopating the melody, adding more notes to the melody, etc.

I'm not a fingerstyle specialist-- my strategy for getting the maximum result with minimum result is to be pretty repetitive with the bass/accompaniment, then add melody on top. I may put up more complex variations later, but for now work this arrangement up. It's a bit stiff, as you'll hear, but it's rhythmically repetitive to make it easier to absorb.

A few tips-- use the thumb for the root on the F chord. I sometimes finger chord notes that are not in the notation-- it varies with different chords. I leave out the A string notes unless (as in the case of C major chord) the root is on the A string. With the G, E, and F chords, I'm leaving out the A string. This gives you a less cluttered sound in the bass, and in most cases makes the chords easier to play. I'm often fretting a G string chord tone, even though it's not in the notation-- this is so I can add that note in later for rolls, etc. (The G string can give you a thicker texture, moving you away from the stark sound of bass plus melody.)

( MORE)

TRANSCRIPTIONS AND TABLATURE MADE TO ORDER BY KARL STRAUB

CONTACT ME FOR INFO ABOUT TRANSCRIPTIONS AND TABLATURE. (I CAN DO TRANSCRIPTIONS IN TABLATURE OR STANDARD MUSIC NOTATION. I CAN ALSO RECORD VIDEO OF ME SHOWING YOU HOW TO PLAY THE PARTS. karlstraub@hotmail.com)

There is a ton of guitar tablature available on the web, as you probably know. My students bring in tablature all the time, wanting me to help them learn guitar parts from records. Some of the online free tab is accurate; occasionally it's excellent. However, the vast majority of it that I've seen is flawed. I've seen everything from small mistakes to huge ones; some of the tab online is so wrong it actually works against you. (An awful lot of it is posted by novice players; in many cases I wonder why the person thought they were qualified to post tablature at all.)

The main problem is, unless you already are a pretty good player with a good ear, you're not going to have any idea whether you're looking at good tablature or lousy. Another problem is that most of what's online is current mainstream stuff-- this is not a problem if you're 15 years old and only know the music that's sold to teenagers. The rest of us are aware of an endless avalanche of other music out there, new and old, much of which is not transcribed online anywhere.

That's where I come in-- I have a music education degree, and 25 years of professional playing experience. When I transcribe a guitar solo, I know what I'm doing.

If you're serious about playing music correctly, I'm available to provide quality transcriptions of whatever you're interested in. please contact me at karlstraub@hotmail.com.

Here is a partial list of players and styles I've transcribed in the past--

• Chuck Berry


• Bo Diddley


• Freddy King


• Clarence White


• Norman Blake


• Tony Rice


• Dan Crary


• Jimi Hendrix


• the Beatles


• Keith Richards/Rolling Stones


• Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin


• Black Sabbath


• Angus Young/AC/DC


• B.B. King


• Albert King


• Eric Clapton/Cream/Bluesbreakers


• Roy Nichols/Merle Haggard


• James Burton


• John Cipollina/Quicksilver Messenger Service


• Magic Sam


• Otis Rush


• Jeff Beck/Yardbirds


• George Barnes


• Hank Garland


• Eldon Shamblin/Junior Barnard/Tiny Moore/Bob Wills


• Charlie Christian(Benny Goodman)


• George Benson


• Mick Ronson (David Bowie)


• Nokie Edwards (Ventures)


• Marc Bolan (T. Rex)


• Peter Green/Danny Kirwan (original Fleetwood Mac)


• Hubert Sumlin (Howlin' Wolf)


• Don Rich (Buck Owens)


• Grady Martin (tons of old country records)


• and tons more!

( MORE)

SONGWRITING CLASSES

If you are interested in writing songs but don't know how to start, or you've been writing songs for a while but want help taking your writing to the next level, I recommend taking my songwriting classes. (Private lessons are a good option as well.)


In my classes and lessons, you will learn how to:

• MAKE YOUR MELODIES CATCHIER
  
  
  
• INCREASE THE EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF YOUR SONGS
  
  
• WRITE IN VIRTUALLY ANY STYLE OF MUSIC
  
  
  
• FIT WORDS TO MUSIC, AND MUSIC TO WORDS
  
  
  
• WRITE SONGS THAT PEOPLE WON'T FORGET
  
  
  
  
  I teach a lot of guitar lessons, but as a musician I'm better known as a songwriter than as a guitarist. My songs have been recorded by numerous artists, including Eric Brace and Last Train Home, the Grandsons, Little Pink, and Virginia Coalition. I teach private songwriting lessons as well as songwriting classes. I basically teach two kinds of songwriting classes,
  
  Beginner Level (fundamentals), and Intermediate/Advanced Level (how to improve your work in every area)--
  
  
  
  
  
  1. Intermediate/Advanced class. Students in this class need some music fundamentals/music theory background. Class builds on basic fundamentals, covering song structure, melody techniques, chord progressions, rhythms, matching lyrics to melodies, and much more. To illustrate these concepts, we use a variety of songs-- different artists, styles, genres. We've analyzed music by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Richard Rodgers, and many more. I also use my own songs to show various songwriting approaches. Students also bring in their own original material for class discussion, and are encouraged to suggest music for the class to study. If you're trying to figure out how your favorite songs work, bring them in and we'll find out!
  
  2. "Beginner" or "Fundamentals" class. The purpose of this class is to prepare a student for the more advanced class. We cover fundamentals and music theory, in order to build a foundation for more advanced discussion of the craft of songwriting. If you have always been intimidated by music theory, don't worry! It's not nearly as difficult and complex as people think--
  --and it can open up all kinds of doors in your songwriting. Anything you want to know more about, from chords to melodies to how to match words to music, can be made easier with a little theory work.
  
  The intermediate/advanced class meets Thursdays from 7 to 8:30. Tuition is $150.00 per month. Please contact me at karlstraub@hotmail.com for details about beginner/fundamentals classes and private lessons.
  
  for more thoughts about teaching/learning the craft of songwriting, please see this other post--
  guitarteacherstraub.blogspot.com/2009/06/songwriting-private-lessons-and-classes.html
  
  ( MORE)

DIRECTIONS TO STRAUB HOUSE

Q. HOW DO I GET TO YOUR HOUSE?
A. I'm teaching at my house in Alexandria, which is two minutes south
of the border of Arlington and Alexandria. if you take 395 south
to King street east, go maybe a halfmile and take right at Quaker Lane.
(intersection just past Bradlee shopping center on your right)
take Quaker a few blocks to Janney's Lane, a left at the light. (note-- Janney's Lane is Seminary--it changes its name on the other side of Quaker Lane. janney's lane is between king and duke. there are also various other ways to get here, from the duke street or seminary road exits from 395.) a few more blocks, past MacArthur school, right on Cloverway.

the address is

KARL STRAUB, 406 Cloverway, Alexandria, Va, 22314.

At front door, let yourself in (no need to knock if you are arriving at your scheduled lesson time), take immediate left, and go down the hall to the teaching room.
( MORE)

BUYING A GUITAR

this information is copied from the "frequently asked questions" section. It's a lot to read, but I've seen many people quit playing guitar because they bought a lemon. Buying the right guitar is crucial.

Q. SHOULD I PLAY ACOUSTIC GUITAR OR ELECTRIC GUITAR?
A. This is always a confusing issue for newcomers. In general, i recommend steel-string acoustic guitars to start with, as the steel string guitar is portable and traditional pop music often features this sound. Many songs sound good with just a strummed acoustic (beatles, dylan, joni mitchell, folk music, etc.) If you're getting an acoustic, i recommend steel string rather than nylon string (classical guitar.) The nylon strings are easier to play in some ways, but are made for playing classical music and sound wimpy when strummed. (I do recommend nylon string guitars for younger students who may find the soreness that comes early on from playing steel strings to be a dealbreaker. I also recommend nylon string guitars for anyone who is specifically interested in playing classical guitar. If there are people out there who want to play classical guitar, I wish they would contact me! Very few of my students ever want to play classical music on the guitar.)

With a steel string acoustic, the issues of quality (see below) are a bigger deal than with electric. This is because you can make a decent electric guitar cheaper than you can make a decent acoustic. Thus, an acoustic guitar can be more expensive (and harder to play) than an electric. On the other hand, with electric guitar you need an amplifier, which is an additional expense. Unless they have no access to rock and roll music, the internet, or other teenagers, teens will also quickly discover the wallet-draining (and ear-splitting) world of guitar effects, which are essentially accessories to help you sound more like your favorite guitarists. I am happy to guide students through this world when they ask about it. I don't have much advice about a starter amp except this--- don't get an expensive one until you or your child have been playing for a while seriously. An amp upgrade is a good "carrot" to encourage serious practice. there is a website called harmony central, which has customer reviews of all kinds of equipment. This can be a helpful research tool. if you or your child are ready for a better amp, I can advise you.
PLEASE NOTE-- Sometimes the best reason to pick electric over acoustic is the desire of the student. If a young (or not so young!) player listens to electric guitar music, and wants to play and sound like that, an acoustic guitar purchase may result in no inspiration and no practicing. I'm happy to have a student begin on electric, if they are motivated and eager to practice.


Q. WHAT KIND OF ACOUSTIC GUITAR SHOULD I BUY?
A. The first thing you should do is figure out your budget. you can get a
starter steel string acoustic guitar in the 300 dollars and down range ,
for a new guitar-- for more money you can get a better instrument, but if
your budget is in that area, speak to me and i can make some
recommendations. Cheap guitars are problematic in some ways, but to get
a significantly better instrument you usually have to jump to more like
600 and up. I don't recommend used guitars to anyone unless they already
play and can make an informed decision about whether a used instrument is
worth the money. (NOTE-- If this is your first guitar, an inexpensive instrument is probably the right choice. If you've been playing for a while, and you're sure you're going to be playing for the next twenty or thirty years, a higher quality acoustic guitar may make more sense. In this case, if your budget can handle it, you may want to consider an acoustic in the thousand dollars and up category. If this sounds right for you, I recommend taking at least two or three months for the process, and window shopping at several stores, including guitar center. I don't recommend buying instruments there, as I explain elsewhere, but they have many instruments on hand and it's a good place to see some of what's available. I am by no means an expert on guitar companies, models, etc. but if you find something that interests you feel free to email me or ask about it during your lesson and i can give you my two cents. )
There is a very cheap(under 100 dollars) guitar sold on the
website. Here is the link for the guitar--

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/search/detail/base_pid/511192/sourceid=qIbKQl04CXE2ASsKGo3E/befree_site_id=0019597850

A few of my students have bought this
model, which i consider a remarkably good instrument for the money. any
guitar you buy, new or used, may need a setup done by a repairman. This
can add around fifty dollars to the price. Sometimes stores will agree to
do a setup included in the price. not all guitars need a setup, so i
usually recommend that people buy a guitar and bring it to me, and i can
evaluate whether it needs the work done. (A setup is like a car tuneup,
guitars need it annually and some guitars need one right off the bat
because they've gone out of adjustment when shipped.)

A WORD ABOUT CHEAP GUITARS
It's important to remember, a cheap guitar should be thought of as a starter instrument. some cheap ones are usable (in other words, playable and they stay in tune) and some are not (very difficult to play and keep in tune.) All guitars, cheap or not, need setups periodically (just like cars need oil, etc.) It doesn't take long for a cheap instrument to be a liability, for two reasons.
One-- paying fifty dollars or more to get a hundred dollar instrument more playable doesn't make sense economically.
Two-- some cheap guitars are so awful that the student never really manages to get a decent sound out of it, and some are really unplayable even for me. I've seen students give up on guitar, mostly due to the low quality of their instrument. In the past i've tried to be tactful with students about their instruments-- at this point, I'm more inclined to be straight with people upfront. I hate to see someone quit playing when a better instrument could make it more fun and productive for them. (My general advice boils down to this-- if you think that you or your child will continue with the instrument, don't buy the cheapest guitar you can find. It's okay to start with the cheap one, but I recommend upgrading if you can afford it as soon as you know you are committed to learning the instrument.)

Q. WHAT KIND OF ELECTRIC GUITAR SHOULD I BUY?
A. Most of my answer here is about what not to get, so let me say at the outside-- if you have a specific guitarist or guitarists whose sound you like, talk to me about it and I may know what kind of guitar they use. Using the same kind of guitar as, say, Jimi Hendrix, won't make you sound like him-- but it's a start.

There is an electric guitar that my students often come in with. The
Fender company has a budget version of their famous Stratocaster guitar,
part of their budget Squier line. I get the impression music stores have
been recommending this instrument for the past few years, it's inexpensive
and often comes in a package deal with an amp, and some accessories. For
the price, this deal has its advantages, but a few words of warning.
budget line or not, stratocasters have a bridge assembly designed for a
device called a whammy bar, and this often has a negative impact on tuning
and playability. To be more clear, Stratocasters, especially Squier
models, often don't stay in tune and they're hard to play. If you are
committed to buying a Stratocaster style guitar, Blair Richey at Foxes
music (see above) tells me he can set up a squier stratocaster and
minimize these issues. For bargain-priced Gibson-style guitars, he
recommends the Samick line. There is also a Fender Telecaster style guitar
in the budget squier line.

All of the electrics i recommend here should be available at Foxes, or
orderable by them.

To clarify some of my comments above, there is a cheap Squier amp that is often sold in combination with a Squier Strat. I've seen this deal in stores and online for around $200.00. It's hard to beat this deal for the price-- but I advise you to remember you may need to get the guitar set up to make it more playable, which may run another $50.00. I do not guarantee that dealing with Foxes will result in no problems, but I will say that I don't recommend Guitar Center, and I and my students have had mostly good experiences at Foxes.


There are also some guitars out there with a bridge involving "locking
tremelo," or floyd rose/kahler style. these were very popular in the 80's,
especially with heavy metal players like Eddie Van Halen. I don't
recommend buying one of these, as tuning them and changing strings is
complicated, and often involves buying a small allen wrench . (A tiny, and
easy to lose, item.)

My comments above regarding setup are even more important for electric guitars. It's also important to know that new guitars are usually sold
with extra light strings, making the instrument easier to play but harder
to keep in tune. I recommend buying three sets of strings right off the
bat, and changing the light strings to a .010 gauge. there are plenty of
good string brands, but I recommend ernie ball . I also recommend buying
a pegwinder at the music store, which costs about 2 or 3 dollars. It's
also a good idea to buy wire cutters at a hardware store, if they don't
have them at the music store. these run ten dollars or less. (If the music
store is willing to do a setup for you initially, ask them to put .010
gauge strings on. )

(For child size electric guitars, i recommend .011 gauge strings. )
( MORE)