Have you ever thought you learned something only to find out you have no idea what you are doing? Here is how it usually happens. You are trying to play something for someone else, and all of a sudden you draw a blank. You are dumbfounded. You played it perfectly at home 100 times, and now you can't get through it. Or you can only play it one speed. Fast.
There are actually three stages of learning, and going through all three stages will make you a better player, and is also the hallmark of a good teacher.
Stage 1 - The first stage is what I call "Manual Mode." This is when you are actually learning the song. Whether you use tab, music, or listen and learn by ear, you are very aware of every note and fingering you perform. You generally play songs in this stage at a slower pace.
Stage 2 - This is what I call "Automatic Pilot." In this stage, you are able to pick up the pace and play through the song without a lot of mistakes. It is this stage where many people stop learning. It is easy to assume you know the song really well because you can play it faster and more accurately. However, it is also in this stage that if you start thinking about what you are doing, you become incapable of doing it. People in this stage of learning are unable to play the song slowly anymore. When a student comes in for a lesson and has trouble playing through a song, I will ask them to slow it down. When the student tells me they can't play it slow, then I know they are in Stage 2 of learning.
Stage 3 - This is actually a repeat of Stage 1, and is a return to Manual Mode. It is in this stage of learning that a person is able to play the song at any speed up to the fastest that they are personally capable of (or that the song requires). This is also the stage that good teachers need to attain. A good teacher is capable of playing the song up to speed, incredibly slow, or any speed in between. A good teacher not only can play the song at a very slow speed, but can also spot mistakes that a student is making when they are playing the song. That's because in Stage 3, you regain the ability to think about every single note and fingering. You are now capable of playing in Automatic Pilot and Manual Mode.
What will this help you accomplish? It helps assure that your performances go smoother. It ensures that as you get nervous and start thinking about what you are doing that you will actually be able to remember what you are doing. It doesn't mean you won't ever blank out or forget something, but it will certainly cut down on that. It will also give you more confidence in your playing.
So how do you know you have reached Stage 3? Well, for one, you can play the song VERY slowly. I mean painfully slow. You can also describe what you are doing to someone else. You can probably even "see" all your movements inside your head. For instance, when I imagine playing fiddle, I go through bowings and fingerings completely in my head. I imagine what string I'm on and what direction my bow is going. When I imagine banjo in my head, I can imagine what rolls I'm using, what chords or fingerings I'm using, and even what fret I should be on.
How do you get to Stage 3? You may have to play the parts of the song fast and then slow again. The fast speed allows you to figure out what you are doing. Playing it slowly cements it into your head. If you can't figure out what you are doing, you will have to go back to the beginning of learning the song. Get out the tab, music or CD, and go through the motions of relearning the song. It won't take you long this time, and it is well worth the effort.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Music - The Gift That Keeps on Giving
My Dad taught me how to play guitar. He played the fiddle and I played the guitar for him. Every night, we would play music together. Sometimes we would sing, and Daddy would always sing the harmony part in the beginning. I learned to sing harmony because we sang together and I heard it. Daddy never really told me how to do it.
When we got better, we would go to churches and play. Sometimes we played for the neighbors or in jams together. We even played in a band together when I was still in high school. I loved surprising Daddy with the new things I would learn. When he would show me something, I would practice it diligently, but wouldn't tell him I was practicing. I always did my practicing when he wasn't home. When we would get back together again, I wouldn't say anything, but I'd just do whatever new thing it was that he had been teaching me. I would look up at him, and he never missed a lick! We would share a smile and it always made me feel so good!
As I got older, we didn't have the opportunity to play together every night. I moved away, got married, and had my own life. Still, Daddy and I always played together whenever we saw each other. We recorded what we did from time to time on cassettes and later on CDs. He played on my first CD.
Playing music with my dad taught me lots of things. It taught me that playing with others is much more fun than playing by yourself. It taught me patience. It taught me that hard work pays off. It gave me lots of things, too. It gave me a reason to laugh, to learn, and to share with others. The best thing that it did was give me a gift that I could give back to my dad.
You see, my dad died about three months ago. He was sick a long time. Sometimes he tried to play his fiddle, but he was so weak it was very hard for him. But Daddy could still sing. Even when he couldn't walk or get out of bed or was short of breath, he would sing with me. I would play the guitar, and Daddy and I would sing. The music that he gave me was a gift that I could give back to him. It is still the gift that keeps on giving.
Now I teach others, and hopefully they will use that gift to benefit others. To play for someone else is to lift their spirit, to take them to places they forgot about or have never been, to inspire them, to make them feel better, to touch their very heart and soul. If there is one thing I could inspire you to do this new year, it would be to use your music to touch others. Don't be afraid to share it!
When we got better, we would go to churches and play. Sometimes we played for the neighbors or in jams together. We even played in a band together when I was still in high school. I loved surprising Daddy with the new things I would learn. When he would show me something, I would practice it diligently, but wouldn't tell him I was practicing. I always did my practicing when he wasn't home. When we would get back together again, I wouldn't say anything, but I'd just do whatever new thing it was that he had been teaching me. I would look up at him, and he never missed a lick! We would share a smile and it always made me feel so good!
As I got older, we didn't have the opportunity to play together every night. I moved away, got married, and had my own life. Still, Daddy and I always played together whenever we saw each other. We recorded what we did from time to time on cassettes and later on CDs. He played on my first CD.
Playing music with my dad taught me lots of things. It taught me that playing with others is much more fun than playing by yourself. It taught me patience. It taught me that hard work pays off. It gave me lots of things, too. It gave me a reason to laugh, to learn, and to share with others. The best thing that it did was give me a gift that I could give back to my dad.
You see, my dad died about three months ago. He was sick a long time. Sometimes he tried to play his fiddle, but he was so weak it was very hard for him. But Daddy could still sing. Even when he couldn't walk or get out of bed or was short of breath, he would sing with me. I would play the guitar, and Daddy and I would sing. The music that he gave me was a gift that I could give back to him. It is still the gift that keeps on giving.
Now I teach others, and hopefully they will use that gift to benefit others. To play for someone else is to lift their spirit, to take them to places they forgot about or have never been, to inspire them, to make them feel better, to touch their very heart and soul. If there is one thing I could inspire you to do this new year, it would be to use your music to touch others. Don't be afraid to share it!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
2014 Acoustic Jam Schedule
Every other Tuesday night we have an acoustic jam session that is free and open to the public. You can come to play, sing, or just listen and it is free. Jam session starts at 7:30 and goes until everyone leaves. We hope you'll come join us! Here is a list of the dates we will be having the jam:
January 14 & 28
February 11 & 25
March 11 & 25
April 8; NO JAM on April 22!
May 6 & 20
June 3 & 17
July 1, 15 & 29
August 12 & 26
September 9 & 23
October 7 & 21
November 4 & 18
December 2 & 16
January 14 & 28
February 11 & 25
March 11 & 25
April 8; NO JAM on April 22!
May 6 & 20
June 3 & 17
July 1, 15 & 29
August 12 & 26
September 9 & 23
October 7 & 21
November 4 & 18
December 2 & 16
Chris' 2014 Teaching Schedule
Chris will not be teaching private lessons on the following
dates. Please note that group lessons
WILL be taught unless it specifically mentions no group lessons on the date.
April 7, 8, 9, 10
May 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
June 16, 17, 18, 19
July 7, 8, 9, 10
August 25, 26, 27, 28
September 15, 16, 17, 18
October 20, 21, 22, 23
November 10, 24, 25, 26, 27
December 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31 (No group lessons)
January (2014) 1 (No group lessons)
February 10, 11, 12, 13
March 3, 4, 5, 6April 7, 8, 9, 10
May 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
June 16, 17, 18, 19
July 7, 8, 9, 10
August 25, 26, 27, 28
September 15, 16, 17, 18
October 20, 21, 22, 23
November 10, 24, 25, 26, 27
December 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31 (No group lessons)
January (2014) 1 (No group lessons)
Friday, June 7, 2013
Recycled Bird's Nest
Before we even got moved in here on Old Baldwin Road, we had a swallow that lived here and built a bird's nest on one of our downspouts. We would leave the door open as we were working, and the swallow would come inside and sit on the wooden hangers that we made for our fiddles. For several years, the swallow would come back every year and re-use that same nest. The swallow no longer comes here, but a robin has taken over the swallow's nest and has been using it for the past several years. This year, I was cleaning the gutters on the building next to shop, and I looked over and saw that the bird's nest has somehow turned sideways and the robin just keeps building onto the top of it. I decided it would be fun to post a picture of the robin sitting in the nest. I used my telephoto lens, so I'm not really very close. The robin has since raised another family and moved on for the year. Here is the nest:
Thursday, May 30, 2013
L.R. Baggs Violin Pickup: Installation 101
Okay, I have seen the installation instructions that come with these and they aren't very informational. For myself (to remind myself later on down the road) and for anyone else out there who is handy, here are some better instructions to get the job done right!
First of all, you will need a soldering iron, solder and flux. It also helps trememdously if you have an extra set of hands to help hold everything together while you do the soldering. The biggest part of the job is not actually the soldering, but fitting the bridge to the fiddle. If you haven't done this before, I strongly recommend that you let a professional do this. Since the pickup is embedded in the bridge, if you mess up the bridge, you are done. My instructions here are going to focus on the soldering part of the job.
Make sure that you do the soldering part away from the fiddle. You don't want to accidentally drop hot solder on the instrument!
Start by putting the "cap" from the 1/4" jack onto the wire. Make sure the threads are facing towards the jack and away from the bridge.
The following picture shows how there is no solder or wires on the outside of the prongs.
When you are done with all the soldering, you can install the bridge with the wire facing the tailpiece. Install the jack on the same side as the chinrest. Screw the cap back onto the jack. It may look like the cap is not screwed on all the way because there are more threads on the jack than are on the cap.
First of all, you will need a soldering iron, solder and flux. It also helps trememdously if you have an extra set of hands to help hold everything together while you do the soldering. The biggest part of the job is not actually the soldering, but fitting the bridge to the fiddle. If you haven't done this before, I strongly recommend that you let a professional do this. Since the pickup is embedded in the bridge, if you mess up the bridge, you are done. My instructions here are going to focus on the soldering part of the job.
Make sure that you do the soldering part away from the fiddle. You don't want to accidentally drop hot solder on the instrument!
Start by putting the "cap" from the 1/4" jack onto the wire. Make sure the threads are facing towards the jack and away from the bridge.
Take a look at the three metal prongs that are sticking up from the jack. They are three different heights. You will not be using the middle one for this regular installation. It will look like there is only one wire that comes out from the bridge. It is a single wire in the center covered by a plastic shield, and then that is covered with a fine, metal braiding. You will start by soldering the metal braiding to the largest and tallest of the prongs. Be sure to use flux and only a small amount of solder. You will then solder the single, center wire to the shortest prong. Make sure that all of your soldering is done on the INSIDE of the three prongs. Any wires or solder that are on the outside of the prongs will cause the cap not to fit back onto the jack.
The following picture shows how there is no solder or wires on the outside of the prongs.
When you are done with all the soldering, you can install the bridge with the wire facing the tailpiece. Install the jack on the same side as the chinrest. Screw the cap back onto the jack. It may look like the cap is not screwed on all the way because there are more threads on the jack than are on the cap.
You are now done and can plug the jack directly into your amplifier and check it out!
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Anticipation: Youth in Bluegrass
It's nearly 3:00 a.m. and I can't sleep. It's like this every year! Tomorrow is the KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Competition that is held at Silver Dollar City (SDC) for their Annual Bluegrass & BBQ Festival. If you haven't ever been to SDC for this event, you are missing the "Bluegrass Event of the Year"!
This year marks the 6th youth band that I have taught that has made it into this competition. In fact, this group makes it six for six! This year's newest group from The Bluegrass Shack is The Foxglove Pickers. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
The very first band that I helped with this competition was almost 10 years ago. At that time, the Bluegrass Shack didn't actually exist. I was teaching out of our home and had a wonderful family that was taking lessons from me that decided they wanted to be a part of this competition. I really didn't know what it was all about at the time, and unfortunately I never even got to see them perform at Silver Dollar City. The family that I'm referring to is the Robbins family, and the name of their group was Sibling Rivalry. It featured three-time Illinois State Junior Banjo Champion Justin Robbins (who still plays and teaches by the way), and his twin sister, Jenny, on fiddle who was every bit as good as her brother.
After that, the Hall family band, known as Charlie & the Girls, wanted to get involved in this competition. They won 4th place overall in the competition last year, and they are one of the bands that will be competing again this year. They have wonderful harmonies, are multi-instrumentalists, and are so talented!
The majority of the bands that enter the Youth in Bluegrass competition are family bands. When you think about it, how often can young kids get together to form a group of their own? Bluegrass is different from your average garage band that plays rock music. Harmony is really important in this type of music, and this is a skill that must be taught to be done properly. Many of the kids that come into The Bluegrass Shack don't have parents that have been involved in bluegrass music. They might never have been to a festival even. One of the hallmarks of bluegrass and folk music is the ability to play with others even if you haven't played with them before. It is nearly impossible to learn this skill without playing with others. I tried incorporating the kids with the regular jams, but it just didn't work out well. Then I decided I would try to put several like-skilled students from different families together. This plan worked out much better!
Several years later, the Pickin' Chicks made their debut at SDC. Youngest member, Millie, was only 9 years old that first year, and this group of four girls was one of the very few that were not all from the same family and did not have an adult in their group. (The rules of the competition allow for one or both parents to play with the youth group, but the rules DO NOT allow for others over the age of 21 to play in the group.) Though their members have changed somewhat since the initial group got started, the Pickin' Chicks have placed 5th in this competition two years in a row, and will be competing again this year. This very talented group of three girls will knock your socks off with their harmony and instrumental abilities.
The Worthing10s Family Band and Barbed Wire & Lip Gloss were the next two groups that came into the picture. The Worthing10s are a large family band (10 members!) and are a real treat to see work one microphone, which is part of the competition. Last year was their first year in the competition, and they ranged in age from three years old to 18. Individual members of the group have won or placed in numerous fiddle and banjo contests, and Lucas is currently both the Illinois and Missouri State Junior banjo champion. Their specialty is gospel music and they have a music ministry.
Barbed Wire & Lip Gloss was another youth band that was not a family band. My student, Makayla, was head of this particular band, and was previously the bass player for the Pickin' Chicks. She put her own band together, even though she was just a high school student, and then started using one of her own private lessons as a group lesson for several of her friends so that they could play as a band. Makayla has a beautiful voice and is well-versed on the fiddle and several other instruments. Her group was one of four bands from The Bluegrass Shack that competed in last year's competition.
So what about this year's newest group? The Foxglove Pickers marks a milestone in getting unrelated youth together! This group features five different families from four different cities, three counties, and TWO STATES! There are seven members total, and they range in age from just 8 years old to 15 years old. They have only been playing together for about 6 months at this time, so it was a real honor for them to have made it into this competition. All bands must submit audition material, and then must wait for notification. Only twenty bands from all across the United States are chosen for the KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Competition. Practicing has been a challenge with this group because of the number of families involved, and simply the age of the kids. With an 8-year old and three 11-year olds, a one-hour practice is all that is reasonable. They meet once every two weeks, and they have done remarkably well. My biggest joy with this group is seeing how much they like each other! They all get along so well, and the oldest members take the younger ones "under their wing," so to speak.
I realize I have focused on the groups from our own store, but believe me, ALL of the bands are FANTASTIC and worthy of your time! I have made so many friends. The kids all get to know each other as well, and it is like a huge reunion every year. D.A. Calloway, from SDC, is the one that heads up this amazing event (including all of the Bluegrass & BBQ event). My hat is off to him. He definitely has the world's best job and, likewise, is just as good at doing his job as the event is good itself! Mike Smith, from radio station KSMU, has been the emcee every year that I have attended. He does a great job announcing all the bands, explaining the rules, and then airing parts of the program. I hope you will get out to see this marvelous event. You won't be sorry!
This year marks the 6th youth band that I have taught that has made it into this competition. In fact, this group makes it six for six! This year's newest group from The Bluegrass Shack is The Foxglove Pickers. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
The very first band that I helped with this competition was almost 10 years ago. At that time, the Bluegrass Shack didn't actually exist. I was teaching out of our home and had a wonderful family that was taking lessons from me that decided they wanted to be a part of this competition. I really didn't know what it was all about at the time, and unfortunately I never even got to see them perform at Silver Dollar City. The family that I'm referring to is the Robbins family, and the name of their group was Sibling Rivalry. It featured three-time Illinois State Junior Banjo Champion Justin Robbins (who still plays and teaches by the way), and his twin sister, Jenny, on fiddle who was every bit as good as her brother.
After that, the Hall family band, known as Charlie & the Girls, wanted to get involved in this competition. They won 4th place overall in the competition last year, and they are one of the bands that will be competing again this year. They have wonderful harmonies, are multi-instrumentalists, and are so talented!
The majority of the bands that enter the Youth in Bluegrass competition are family bands. When you think about it, how often can young kids get together to form a group of their own? Bluegrass is different from your average garage band that plays rock music. Harmony is really important in this type of music, and this is a skill that must be taught to be done properly. Many of the kids that come into The Bluegrass Shack don't have parents that have been involved in bluegrass music. They might never have been to a festival even. One of the hallmarks of bluegrass and folk music is the ability to play with others even if you haven't played with them before. It is nearly impossible to learn this skill without playing with others. I tried incorporating the kids with the regular jams, but it just didn't work out well. Then I decided I would try to put several like-skilled students from different families together. This plan worked out much better!
Several years later, the Pickin' Chicks made their debut at SDC. Youngest member, Millie, was only 9 years old that first year, and this group of four girls was one of the very few that were not all from the same family and did not have an adult in their group. (The rules of the competition allow for one or both parents to play with the youth group, but the rules DO NOT allow for others over the age of 21 to play in the group.) Though their members have changed somewhat since the initial group got started, the Pickin' Chicks have placed 5th in this competition two years in a row, and will be competing again this year. This very talented group of three girls will knock your socks off with their harmony and instrumental abilities.
The Worthing10s Family Band and Barbed Wire & Lip Gloss were the next two groups that came into the picture. The Worthing10s are a large family band (10 members!) and are a real treat to see work one microphone, which is part of the competition. Last year was their first year in the competition, and they ranged in age from three years old to 18. Individual members of the group have won or placed in numerous fiddle and banjo contests, and Lucas is currently both the Illinois and Missouri State Junior banjo champion. Their specialty is gospel music and they have a music ministry.
Barbed Wire & Lip Gloss was another youth band that was not a family band. My student, Makayla, was head of this particular band, and was previously the bass player for the Pickin' Chicks. She put her own band together, even though she was just a high school student, and then started using one of her own private lessons as a group lesson for several of her friends so that they could play as a band. Makayla has a beautiful voice and is well-versed on the fiddle and several other instruments. Her group was one of four bands from The Bluegrass Shack that competed in last year's competition.
So what about this year's newest group? The Foxglove Pickers marks a milestone in getting unrelated youth together! This group features five different families from four different cities, three counties, and TWO STATES! There are seven members total, and they range in age from just 8 years old to 15 years old. They have only been playing together for about 6 months at this time, so it was a real honor for them to have made it into this competition. All bands must submit audition material, and then must wait for notification. Only twenty bands from all across the United States are chosen for the KSMU Youth in Bluegrass Competition. Practicing has been a challenge with this group because of the number of families involved, and simply the age of the kids. With an 8-year old and three 11-year olds, a one-hour practice is all that is reasonable. They meet once every two weeks, and they have done remarkably well. My biggest joy with this group is seeing how much they like each other! They all get along so well, and the oldest members take the younger ones "under their wing," so to speak.
I realize I have focused on the groups from our own store, but believe me, ALL of the bands are FANTASTIC and worthy of your time! I have made so many friends. The kids all get to know each other as well, and it is like a huge reunion every year. D.A. Calloway, from SDC, is the one that heads up this amazing event (including all of the Bluegrass & BBQ event). My hat is off to him. He definitely has the world's best job and, likewise, is just as good at doing his job as the event is good itself! Mike Smith, from radio station KSMU, has been the emcee every year that I have attended. He does a great job announcing all the bands, explaining the rules, and then airing parts of the program. I hope you will get out to see this marvelous event. You won't be sorry!
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