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.)

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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!

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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
  
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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.
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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. )
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LEARNING GUITAR FROM VIDEO AND/OR NOTATION

here's a link to an article I'm writing on this topic.


karlstraubguitar.blogspot.com/2009/04/learning-guitar-from-video-andor.html
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RECORDED LESSONS

I now have the technology to give students something they can take away from the lesson and use at home. Here are the options--

1. I can do short video of me playing musical examples, and then email students a copy that they can either view on their computer, or even put on their Ipod/Iphone.

2. I can write notation/tablature out on computer and print copies for students while they are here.

PLEASE NOTE-- video and computer notation take time, so depending on the length or complexity of what you want recorded, it may take up a chunk of your lesson. (Short and simple ideas usually don't take too long-- I can give you an estimate before we begin the lesson.)
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MAKEUP LESSON POLICY

STUDENTS AND PARENTS PLEASE READ!
I'm happy to answer followup questions, but I do ask that students and parents please read about this and my other policies before asking. I wish I had a helpful secretarial staff on the premises to answer questions for my customers, but I can't afford to pay them. Not yet, anyway!

Q. WHAT ARE YOUR POLICIES ABOUT MISSED LESSONS AND MAKEUPS?
>A. If I have to miss a lesson (this is rare, but happens once in a while),
I will do my best to provide you a makeup. I teach four lessons each month,
and when there are five Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays in a month,
I don't teach on the fifth. (This means i don't teach on the 29th, 30th, or
31st of the month. ) If I have missed a day, I will usually make it up on the fifth occurrence of that day.

(i.e. if I take off the second Wednesday, I make it up on the
fifth Wednesday. ) PLEASE NOTE- if I schedule a makeup for you, and you miss
the makeup lesson, I cannot reschedule the missed makeup lesson.
I charge students full tuition each month to be on my schedule, whether they miss lessons or not. There are no refunds for lessons that a student has to miss; if a student has to miss a lesson, I will do my best to schedule a makeup but makeups are not guaranteed. (Please note-- I can no longer do makeups for students who have dropped off my schedule. In other words, you can't miss a bunch of lessons, and then stop paying, and come free for a few weeks! Makeups, when I'm able to do them, are for CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENTS.)
(Taking lessons from me is similar to taking a college class-- you are paying for me to hold the slot open for you. Please note, my makeup policy is consistent regardless of the legitimacy of a student's reason for missing a lesson. I hope everyone reading this understands that I have this policy because of years of experience dealing with these issues-- I do know that people often have very good reasons for missing lessons. The problem is, when I was more flexible about this, people were constantly asking me for refunds. I worked at a teaching studio that went under, largely due to their unwillingness to enforce a strict policy. Unfortunately, I can't afford to operate that way anymore.)
If you tell me in advance that you'll miss a lesson,
I will be happy to try to find a makeup time for you, but makeups are NOT GUARANTEED . Makeups are subject to the vagaries of my schedule. (PLEASE NOTE- I cannot try to schedule a makeup lesson unless i hear from you 24 hours in advance that you will miss a lesson.)

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TEACHING METHOD/STYLE OF TEACHING

My teaching approach is fairly flexible; I try to work with the student to find the material and methods that best fit his/her interests and learning style. My typical method falls into the following categories. (It should be understood that the ages and other defining characteristics of each group are flexible. I work with parents and students to find the correct category for each student-- in many cases, we may work in more than one approach.)

YOUNG STUDENT
(approx. age 6-12)

I don't have an age cutoff, and generally accept young students. It's important for parents to be realistic about their expectations for a very young student, however.
I've found that young children are sometimes ready for structured lessons and home practice, and sometimes they are not. I like to keep parents informed about a child's progress early on, so that we can all determine the value of continuing with lessons.

With this age group, I usually use music notation. Students learn songs, pieces, and exercises from the book Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method, Grade One.

www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=93200

(note-- with the very youngest students, I recommend having no concrete goals aside from giving a student an introduction to music. I can discuss this at greater length with any parents who have questions about it.)

Students learn basics of reading and playing from standard music notation. This provides an excellent foundation for the student to go in just about any musical direction. In this age group, students are usually not physically developed enough to play chords. When students express an interest, I supplement the Mel Bay book with melodies I write out for students. (These melodies include simplified versions of pop song melodies, Beatles songs, Christmas songs, etc. I have some arrangements like this available. Sometimes students have requests for other songs and I can prepare arrangements for them during class time if the material is appropriate for their skill level.)

Some students are interested in composing their own melodies and songs. I can work with students on this, eventually printing out their work for them. At some point I will post some student melodies on this site.

When younger students start asking me about rock music, I have some exercises that we work on to prepare them for "rock" guitar technique. A lot of rock guitar (particularly chords) is physically beyond students whose hands aren't as big as they're going to be later, but sometimes kids with real dedication can surprise me with what they can do. For this reason, I have material that we can experiment in this "transitional" phase. It takes a while to develop from the Mel Bay single note melody material to being able to play rock music, but by the time a young student has made that transition, he or she has a grounding in fundamentals that most rock guitarists never get.

NOTE: with students in this younger age group, some of the physical challenges of playing guitar can be daunting. The guitar requires left hand fingers to press down hard on a string, and with steel strings (less so than with nylon strings-- please see my info about purchasing a guitar) it can cause fingertips to get sore. I've had some young students who gripe about sore fingers early on, then develop calluses and the problem goes away. Regular practice is needed to develop calluses and fix this soreness problem. Some students don't want to practice because of this soreness, which unfortunately sometimes ensures that they won't develop calluses, and as a result the soreness never goes away.

Sometimes a nylon string guitar is a good idea for a young students-- it minimizes the soreness issue.

TEENAGERS

With teenagers, I take a different approach. Most teen students in my experience are unenthusiastic, even unwilling, to study music fundamentals, note reading, theory, etc. For this reason, I usually don't push any of that material on them unless parents ask me to. In some cases, a student's personality and development suggest to me that they might be amenable to working on fundamentals; in that event I will talk to the student about it and see what they think. (Note: I am very willing to focus on fundamentals with a student, if parents ask me to. I will be happy to discuss these issues with parents and students if desired. I believe a student who learns fundamentals is much, much better off than a student who doesn't-- I just don't like arguing with teenagers!)

With most of my teen students, I show them a few quick basics and then we work on any kind of music that interests them. If I can get them to learn some fundamental stuff along the way, I will do that whenever possible and appropriate.

ADULTS

With adults, it's pretty much anything goes. Some people bring in records and ask me how to play specific parts, solos, etc. Others ask me to show them some blues or country licks. Others ask me to show them some fingerstyle approaches. The list of styles and artists I've worked on with students is absurdly eclectic, including flatpicking, rock both hard and soft, classical, jazz, blues, folk, old, new, etc. The guitarists we've looked at include Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Roy Nichols, Roy Buchanan, Mick Ronson, Angus Young, Dan Auerbach from the Black Keys, Jack White from the White Stripes, Jerry Garcia, and countless more players that I can't remember. I can write guitar music out in notation, tablature, or both. We can talk about music theory, ear training, technique, how to get the best sounds out of your equipment, tuning tips, pretty much anything guitar-related. Any student who is interested in composition or songwriting can work on that with me as well.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

STUDENTS AND PARENTS PLEASE NOTE!
I assume that students and parents have read and understood my policies before committing to lessons. (This is particularly important regarding the policy about missed lessons.)

If you don't see your question here, or if I don't completely answer it to your satisfaction, please post a comment with questions, or email me at karlstraub@hotmail.com.

Q. HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE FOR YOUR LESSONS?
A. Beginning April 2008, tuition for weekly half hour students is $135.00 per month.
Tuition for weekly hour students is $250 per month. Tuition for my weekly songwriting classes is $150.00 per month. Students pay in advance for each coming month.

Tuition is always due on the 25th of the previous month-- i.e. April tuition will be due on March 25. I try to make time to
send out reminders when tuition deadline is coming up, but it is the responsibility of students and parents to remember to pay on time each month. I suggest getting in the habit of paying in the middle of the month.
Payment can be mailed to me, or dropped in my mail slot. Dropped-off payments must be in an envelope with your name and my name on it. Cash is preferred, but checks are fine.
Please write on your check "tuition for (month) guitar lessons." I charge a ten
dollar late fee if I receive tuition after the 25th. (If I receive tuition a week late or more, there is an additional tendollar late fee, for a total of 20 dollars.)
Q. HOW DO I CHANGE MY STRINGS?
A. I can show you in your lesson, and do it for you, but in the meantime here are some videos that are very helpful.
www.juststrings.com/howtostring.html

Q. WHAT IS YOUR EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND?
A. I have a music education degree from Howard University. Before I struggled to get that, I'd played mostly by ear for about fifteen years. I've played rock and roll, country, jazz, classical, all professionally. I've played in many bands, and many artists have recorded and played my songs.
I've taught full-time since 2002. I've taught at music stores and at my home, mostly private lessons, but also guitar classes at a middle school, various music theory and guitar classes at the Duke Ellington School for the Arts, as well as group songwriting classes, guitar workshops, composition workshops for high school A.P. English students, a songwriting "camp" for teens, and songwriting workshops with the Songwriters' Association of Washington.

Q. DO YOU TEACH BEGINNERS?
A. Yes, I've taught tons of beginners. I'm happy to teach students at various levels of experience, as well as different age groups and music styles.


Q. WHAT ARE YOUR POLICIES ABOUT MISSED LESSONS AND MAKEUPS?
>A. If I have to miss a lesson (this is rare, but happens once in a while),
I will do my best to provide you a makeup. I teach four lessons each month,
and when there are five Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays in a month,
I don't teach on the fifth. (This means i don't teach on the 29th, 30th, or
31st of the month. ) If I have missed a day, I will usually make it up on the fifth
of that day. (i.e. if I take off the second Wednesday, I make it up on the
fifth Wednesday. ) PLEASE NOTE- if I schedule a makeup for you, and you miss
the makeup lesson, I cannot reschedule the missed makeup lesson.
I charge students full tuition each month to be on my schedule, whether they miss lessons or not. There are no refunds for lessons that a student has to miss.
(Taking lessons from me is similar to taking a college class-- you are paying for me to hold the slot open for you. Please note, my makeup policy is consistent regardless of the legitimacy of a student's reason for missing a lesson. I hope everyone reading this understands that I have this policy because of years of experience dealing with these issues-- I know that people often have very good reasons for missing lessons. The problem is, when I was more flexible about this, people were constantly asking me for refunds. I worked at a teaching studio that went under, largely due to their unwillingness to enforce a strict policy. Unfortunately, I can't afford to operate that way anymore.)
If you tell me in advance that you'll miss a lesson,
I will be happy to try to find a makeup time for you, but makeups are NOT GUARANTEED . Makeups are subject to the vagaries of my schedule. (PLEASE NOTE- I cannot do a makeup lesson unless i hear from you 24 hours in advance that you will miss a lesson.)

Q. WHICH HOLIDAYS DO YOU TAKE OFF?
I do not teach on what I consider "big" holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Day. I also take off July 4th because it is my son's birthday. I send out email reminders about these holidays. I do not take off holidays such as Arbor Day, Presidents' Day, and the like. I mean no disrespect to these holidays, but if I took a day off every time schools and government did, I would not be able to make a living. It's a modest enough living as it is!
If a holiday not mentioned above is approaching, please assume I will be teaching on it, unless you hear otherwise from me. If you want to make sure, feel free to email me to check, but I strongly suggest doing this a week before the day. This is because when I am not teaching, I have a lot of other freelance work to do and I don't have a secretary to respond to my email all day long. I am happy to respond to all emails, but I don't always get to them on the day I receive them.

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.

Q. WHAT IF I ARRIVE EARLY FOR MY LESSON?
A. I am in the process of trying to make it more comfortable for early arrivals. I will probably put a few chairs in the front vestibule for you, but we are still arranging our house. I'll get it together as soon as I can!
PLEASE NOTE-- IF YOU ARE DROPPING OFF YOUNG CHILDREN BEFORE THEIR LESSON TIME, YOU MUST MAKE SURE I AM HERE BEFORE YOU LEAVE THEM! I sometimes run errands between lessons, and get back home right before a lesson. If I'm teaching without a break, it's okay for students to wait here until their lesson, but if you bring a young student early, you need to wait with them if I'm not home yet.

Q. DO YOU JUST TEACH GUITAR?
A. No, I also teach electric bass, songwriting, and music theory.

Q. HOW CAN I GET IN TOUCH WITH KARL STRAUB?
A. Because I teach at my home, it's best for me if incoming phone calls are
emergency only. I ask students and parents to communicate with me through
email. If you have a situation where talking on the phone is preferable for you,
please email me about it first and I'll be happy to find a time to talk. Email is karlstraub@hotmail.com. Please email me for my phone number.

Q. HOW CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR MUSIC THAT YOU WRITE AND PLAY?
A. There is information about this in various sites online. Some of them are listed as links on the main page here, at the right. Here's one--

karlstraubmusic.blogspot.com/

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.


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. )

Q. WHAT KIND OF STRINGS SHOULD I BUY?
A. Sometimes my answer to this will be affected by the student, the student's guitar, etc. In general, here are my guidelines.

1. For electric guitars, buy sets with .010 gauge on top.
2.For acoustic steel-string, buy medium or light gauge.
3.For "child-size" or 3/4 scale, buy strings a little heavier (for electric, buy .011 gauge on top.)

Q. WHERE SHOULD I BUY GUITARS AND ACCESSORIES?
A. GENERAL ADVICE ABOUT MUSIC STORES-- Virtually any music store, even the ones i like, is capable of treating beginners and novices with less respect than they deserve. The mildest form of this includes things like charging you more than your initial repair estimate. the worst treatment (see guitar center comments) includes selling you junk and then becoming abusive if you come back later to complain. I strongly advise that you go to a music store with a clear idea of what you are looking for, and some knowledge about different brands, etc. If you are just browsing, please be very careful about what you let music store employees talk you into. They are running a business, and they will recommend stuff to you based on their need for money rather than your needs. It's pretty common for my students to buy stuff that I would have strongly recommended against if they had asked me.



Be wary of chain music stores, especially GUITAR CENTER!

A general word of caution about music stores, even including the ones I recommend below-- I do not know of any music store that has never disappointed someone at one time or another. My recommendations are not guarantees that you'll always be happy with your experience-- it helps to remember that music stores are like any other business; they are trying to make money. Their advice and policies are there to serve their own interest. The stores I recommend are here because I've had good experiences with them, but none of them are perfect.

I should point out that one of my students had a very bad experience buying a guitar at Guitar Center. They bought a guitar that was not in what I consider to be
playable condition, and when I suggested they take it back for a setup
Guitar Center was less than helpful. Based on what they told me, i cannot
recommend that any of my students shop there. (It is, however, a good place to go to try out instruments, equipment, etc. I just don't recommend you buy there or take things there for repair. I shop there only when i know exactly what i need, and i can't find it elsewhere. )



ACOUSTIC AXIS
DEL RAY, ALEXANDRIA, VA.

phone-- 866-794-2947
acousticaxis.com



I have a professional relationship with a guitar store called
Acoustic Axis, located on Mount Vernon Ave. in Del Ray. They have a
fraction of the guitars and employees of a corporate business like Guitar
Center, but owner Steve Attix is committed to making sure his customers are
happy with the guitars they buy. If Del Ray is convenient for you, and you
are interested in supporting small local businesses, I recommend Acoustic
Axis. They are small and often swamped, (which means calling ahead to make sure Steve will be available to help you is a good idea) but Steve is one of the few honest music store owners. He's always happy to develop a longterm relationship
with a customer. One of his best selling points is a willingness to take instruments back in trade toward a better guitar later. Check with Steve about the specifics of this policy.

FOXES MUSIC
FALLS CHURCH

Foxes Music is a bit further out for some students, but is my favorite
all-around local music store. They have great selection of instruments and
accessories, the best local music book selection by far, and can order just
about anything you could want. I have also met their guitar specialist,
Blair Richey, and told him about my problems with other music stores. He has
encouraged me to send students to him to buy or repair instruments, and the
students I have sent to him have been very happy with his sales recommendations and repair work.Blair suggests asking for him personally, and mentioning that you are a
student of mine.



THE GUITAR SHOP
WASHINGTON, DC

For students interested in buying more expensive high-end instruments, I
highly recommend the guitar shop, run by Steve Spellman. I bought a great
guitar from Steve, who was extremely helpful to me during a long
deciding/buying process. An amazing store with a long history. (Jimi Hendrix once borrowed a guitar from Steve for a gig!)

(If you are interested in buying a "high-end" guitar, talk to me about my suggestions. The main suggestion I make is this-- plan for your "browsing" period to be several months at least. It's tempting to jump quickly at a guitar that seems like a once-in-a-lifetime deal, but unless you are a pretty experienced player and knowledgeable about guitars, rushing into a transaction on impulse is usually a mistake. There will always be more guitars for sale tomorrow, and the day after that.)


Q. WHAT KIND OF GUITAR TUNER SHOULD I GET?
A. There are many tuners out there, some good and many not. i recommend the
Korg CA 30 model . Korg has others i don't recommend, and the differencein price is minimal. When you buy a tuner, I suggest immediately putting fresh batteries in, as the ones it comes with usually are lousy.

Tuners are confusing to use in some ways, but without some frame of
reference tuning is impossible. I can show students how to use their
tuners, which have some idiosyncracies that music stores will not warn you
about!

Q. WHERE SHOULD I GO FOR GUITAR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE?
A. As I've explained elsewhere, I generally recommend Foxes Music in Falls Church for repair. (see above.) Another observation to keep in mind-- virtually every music store, including the ones i recommend, has a "horror story" or two. By this i mean stories of customer dissatisfaction. It's not uncommon for a repair estimate to turn out wrong, or a repair job to take longer and cost more than the music store told you. With the places i recommend, these things happen less, but are not unheard of. I suggest that all guitar players (and their parents!) understand that, just like cars, etc. guitars need maintenance, and this is normal. How much will you spend on this? Generally, more than you want to. It's normal to get angry and frustrated with music stores when repair balloons into an expensive hassle, but in general I recommend getting used to it, because i've been playing guitar for decades and every guitar and amp i've ever owned has been repaired and tweaked many, many times. Sometimes it's cheap, often not.

note-- If you are willing to drive to Annapolis, you can get Gary Wright (my friend and regular repair/maintenance guy) to work on your equipment. He's done a lot of different kinds of work for me on a lot of different guitars, electric and acoustic. Besides getting them to play better, he shielded all of them, cutting down on the obnoxious amount of hum I'd been getting for years. He's also spiffed up some Fender amps for me. His email address is garywright2@hotmail.com.


Q. CAN LESSONS BE RECORDED?
A. I can't record a complete lesson, but excerpts can be recorded in a few different ways. here's info--
guitarteacherkarlstraub.blogspot.com/2009/03/recorded-lessons.html

Q. WHAT KIND OF METRONOME SHOULD I BUY?
A. Metronomes are an enormously valuable item for improving your
musicianship, but most people hate using them and if you're buying a bunch
of other stuff already you may want to hold off. I recommend the Wittner
MT-50 model. I will be happy to discuss the value of metronomes with you
in person.

Q. WHAT KIND OF CAPO SHOULD I BUY?
A. Capos are a useful but non-essential item. They make it possible to play
in various keys and positions with a minimal of chord knowledge. Many
current and older musicians use them on recordings, which makes playing
certain songs difficult without a capo. When students bring in recordings
that use capos, I can explain to them how capos are used and talk about the
advantages of having one.

I recommend the Shubb capo (around 25.00) rather than the cheaper Kyser
model (around 15.00).

Q. WHAT SHOULD I BRING TO MY LESSON?
A. guitar or bass to use during the lesson,

a cd or mp3 player with music the student wants to learn,

any tablature or music notation i have written out for the student at
previous lessons,

any instruction books the student has been working out of,

student's personal notebook with information from previous lessons,
exercises, etc.

Although i am equipped to conduct lessons when students don't bring
materials, there are some limitations that parents and students need to know
about.

1. I have on hand a very large collection of music on compact disc, which i
can make available during the lesson. DOWNSIDE-- i have very little
contemporary music. Students should not assume i will have contemporary (or older) popular music here. (NOTE-- since I wrote this, youtube has grown, and many tracks can be found there. This often saves the day, but I still recommend that students bringing recordings in. ) If students are expecting me to provide recordings for their lesson, there is a good chance lesson time will be wasted while i find something that interests them.
(I should point out that for students who are interested in learning about
music that is new to them, i am always happy to help them expand their
horizons-- )

2. If a student doesn't bring music that I have previously written out for them, I have
to write it out again-- this sometimes wastes a lot of lesson time. (note-- in some cases, I can print out music on computer, and even email a file to you. This can take more time than handwriting it, but at least if you lose it I can reprint it. The only reason I don't do all student music on computer is the time needed-- with simple pieces and exercises, I usually do them on computer. More complicated music is often easier to do by hand.)

3. i always recommend that students purchase a cheap spiral notebook
(available at grocery stores) so that any notes on exercises, chord
progressions, etc. will all be in one place. in addition to the obvious
advantage for the student, this approach allows me to see at a glance what
we've already worked on, allowing me to either review old material or
introduce new without wasting lesson time.
NOTE-- I like my students, especially the younger ones, to keep a "practice log" in their notebook. I can write in their notebook what they are supposed to be working on, and they keep a log of when they practice, for how long, and a rough idea of what they worked on. In addition to helping me keep track of what they are practicing and how much, this can be an incentive for the student.

4. For students whose lessons primarily consist of them bringing in music
and having me show them how to play it, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND purchasing a blank guitar tablature book. One that is available through melbay.com is

www.melbay.com/product.asp?ProductID=93451
There are various blank tablature books available, but for some reason every music store I shop at is out of tablature most of the time. (Maybe everyone just prints it from the website now, I don't know. There is an advantage to having a tab book, rather than printing out individual sheets-- you'll be less likely to lose your music. Losing music I have written out for you, in the end, can cost you more money than buying the blank book.)

I generally have blank tablature available for students, but ideally the
student should have their own book. I find that many of my students lose the
tablature that i write out for them when I have to provide individual
sheets. Lately I've been handing out so much each week that I keep running
out of it before I have a chance to buy more. If you use tablature in all or most of your lessons, please get a blank tablature book. I also strongly recommend getting a folder to put any individual sheets in. NOTE-- there are websites where you can download and print blank tablature. At this time, my printer won't print this stuff out, but you may have better luck than I do.
try this link--
guitar.about.com/library/qtabstaff.htm

FINAL WORD ABOUT MATERIALS-- Some of the problem of forgetting materials can
be solved by keeping books and papers in your guitar case.

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GUITAR WORKSHOP, HAMPTON, VA., APRIL 18, 2009

NOTE-- THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN POSTPONED, PROBABLY TIL SEPTEMBER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT WITH QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS IN THE MEANTIME.



This workshop is in the early planning stages at this point. Anyone interested in participating should contact me for more information. The time is not set yet, but it will probably be three hours, sometime Saturday afternoon, at Marker 20.

I have a plan for the workshop, and I'm interested in advance feedback and suggestions from anyone who wants to come. (Although I have a plan in mind, it's relatively flexible.)

The workshop will cover this topic--

"TEN STEPS TO PLAYING BETTER GUITAR"

by the time I get there, I'm sure it will be more than ten! But ten sounds good, so that's what I'm calling it for now. Some of it is technical, some of it practical, some of it philosophical even, but all of it is gold.

If we have time, I'll try to include some fun extra stuff like using fuzz pedals to get Eric Clapton/Jeff Beck sounds, combining country, rock, and jazz, etc. The plan I have in mind is to focus on the "ten steps" and do this material at the end if we have time. But feel free to contact me with your own suggestions! I'll try to incorporate things that people want. (If you have a suggestion or request, it's definitely easier for me if I know about it ahead of time, so I can plan.)

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SONGWRITING-- MOVING BEYOND THE INTUITIVE

If you are looking for help with your songwriting, I offer private lessons as well as songwriting classes. Please read the following information, to help you get the most out the lessons and classes.

THE INTUITIVE APPROACH

Most songwriters begin intuitively. This means they make decisions based on what "feels right," or what "seems right" based on their experience. I want to emphasize that the intuitive approach is indispensible; I will talk in a moment about all the different ways the intuitive approach can sometimes cripple your productivity and your development, but it's important to remember that any creative artist will (and should) rely on intuition much of the time. That being said, I find that the biggest problem my songwriting students have is an inability to do things that are counterintuitive. This inability is a great hindrance; in many cases it has a devastating effect on an artist's output.

The biggest obstacle for me and my students is the difficulty of moving beyond the intuitive. We're wired to act intuitively; this is perfectly natural. That doesn't mean that it's always healthy. When you learn something, you add new ideas to the ones you had before. These new ideas often have an uphill battle trying to break into the already-established group. This is true with all kinds of learning. It's true with songwriting, which is in fact a skill and craft that is learned. It is not a magical or inexplicable event when someone puts rhythms, melody, chords and lyrics together. There is always an element of the personal in anything creative that's worth a damn, but it must be combined with knowledge of the craft.

My goal in teaching songwriting is to give you the tools to write the best music you can in your style.

(note-- certainly there are some elements of the craft that may be understood intuitively. Most novice songwriters know, for example, that a pop song should not be one hundred minutes long. You don't have to learn this from a teacher. There are many crucial structural techniques, however, that are not intuitive at all, except perhaps for the most gifted. Most of these concepts are easy to grasp once they're explained to you.)

There is another reason songwriters often have trouble accepting non-intuitive ideas about the craft, the work needed, etc. Life is filled with work, and filled with rules. To survive, most of us have to spent a fair amount of each day doing things we'd prefer to avoid. Sometimes the most painful part of this is having to cater to the whims of others.

Creativity offers a seductive alternative. After many years of songwriting, I realized that I didn't like the world as it exists today. I felt powerless to change it, and loved songwriting because it is an opportunity to create my own little two-minute world. In the world of the song I am writing, I get to make every decision for everyone. There is no dissent; I am like an all-powerful dictator. I assume other creative people feel this as well. When you go to a teacher to help you improve your songwriting, it can feel as if you are giving up some of this control. But you don't want to! And who does this guy think he is, telling me what to do with MY song? (see "THE SONG CRITIQUE APPROACH" below.)




When I teach songwriters, I use different approaches depending on the needs and desires of the student.

THE SONG CRITIQUE APPROACH

Some of my students bring original material for me to critique. This is not my favorite way to teach, and I don't believe it is the most productive for the student. The problem with this method is that any time I make a suggestion, I don't want to just tell a student what they should do. If I did that, I'd just be rewriting their song for them. I prefer to explain the philosophy behind my suggestion and let the student use the new information to do their own rewriting. Often I find that students are stung by the criticism and it's difficult for me to sell them on whatever new concept I'm telling them about. Creative people (including me) take it very personally when their work is criticized, and many times over the years I've had people react with anger. Sometimes they start attacking me personally, questioning the legitimacy of my credentials. These days the most common negative reaction is an apparent skepticism about my suggestions.

To minimize this kind of time-wasting unpleasantness, I ask that songwriters prepare in the following way before they ask me to critique a song.

1. List all the things you don't like about your song.

2. List all the things you do like about your song.

3. Give me this information before I hear your song.

This will help avoid the phenomenon of pretending that you want a critique, when in fact you are looking forward to a bunch of praise. (Incidentally, everyone, including me, wants to hear people say nice things about their songs. The problem is when you pretend that you want honest criticism when you actually want nothing of the sort.) I ask students to only bring in songs that they think are imperfect in some way. If you think your song can't be improved upon, please don't play it for me without making that clear upfront.

MY PREFERRED APPROACH

I prefer to teach songwriting as a very complicated craft, involving mastery of many disparate but nevertheless interrelated musical skills. (Chord progressions, melody writing, song structure and rhythms are all very different. They operate together in a song, and often a weakness in one area can undercut the effectiveness of strengths in other areas.) Sometimes I demonstrate musical ideas with musical examples (usually written by others, sometimes written by me). It's also possible to learn musical concepts in the context of a song critique, but only when the student understands what I wrote in the previous section.

Many musical concepts can be learned through exercises. It's essential to understand that a musical exercise is part of the learning process. It's almost certainly counterintuitive, at least in part. This means that working on musical exercises typically lacks the adrenaline thrill of being creative. Many students resist working and learning because of this; our current era of childish instant gratification has probably contributed to this phenomenon. It's essential to remember this-- being creative is not a passive experience like riding a roller coaster.

Songwriting is work. If it never feels like work to you, you're probably not very good at it. (The popular conception of an artistic genius is a person who creates without having to break a sweat. I've known a bunch of musical geniuses; all of them worked very hard at their music. None of them believed that everything they did intuitively was automatically sacred and beyond criticism. Geniuses work very hard. If you're not a genius, you should probably work even harder).

Here's what I mean by work. I don't necessarily mean neglecting everything important in your life, and grinding out songs 8 hours a day. Sometimes the most difficult work need not take a lot of time. In general, if you're willing to accept information that is foreign to you, and do work that involves ideas that are counterintuitive, you can get results in less time than someone who resists the unfamiliar. In short, if you are unwilling or unable to spend much time each day working on your writing, I advise you to make yourself open to any and all new ideas. Otherwise, you are unlikely to get desirable results. If you have a lot of time available to work on your writing, so much the better; it's still advisable to keep an open mind about new concepts.

If you've read and accepted all of the above, it will be a good foundation for the process of improving your songwriting.

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