The British Banjo Mandolin and Guitar Federation Rally 2010 Guitar

Review of Workshops Part Three (Guitar)

Registered Charity SC038957

Duet Coaching with Liz Larner by Bernard Collard:

Both duos that attended had been playing for 3 months. It was clear from the beginning that almost everything Liz said could be applied to any player of any instrument. Simple Alexander techniques were suggested, for example imagining ourselves supported from the ceiling by a string passing through skull and torso, giving us a posture neither lazy or stressful; head and shoulders if connected by lines should form a perfect triangle. Duos should half face each other, have a common, clear system for counting the beat and of the greatest importance is to agree the rhythm. Both duos performed pieces in time and were encouraged to begin by moving heads together, first to one side, then the other and finally lifting the head to indicate the up-beat. Liz aimed for a personal touch at all times to help us feel in good contact with our music; it is good to imagine yourself as another instrument e.g. one could be a harpsichord, the other a baroque flute; this helps tell the story within your music by preserving the integrity of the melodic line. Each player must be aware of the point in the music so that in the event of a mistake, immediate recovery is possible, mistakes can be passed over and may not be noticed by anyone other than the players. For players of fretted instruments, the left hand position is of great importance, ideally with fingers at right angles to strings or as close to that as possible, and keeping fingers light when pulling off. Nerves are a good thing and should be used to good effect, creating the most wonderful musical effect of being together, something greater than mathematical accuracy, enabling the use of rubato to allow music to tell its story. Be aware which fingers play strong notes and those which preserve musical line. If we have trouble with a passage it is a good idea to play it backwards as this often rectifies it. Practise scales as a duo occasionally, especially in various dotted rhythms. Also remember we aim to entertain an audience; the more we listen to each other and allow the music to flow, the better we communicate it to the listener. Our time with Liz was nothing short of a profound experience, never to be forgotten. My banjo partner and I gained third place in the duo class thanks to her help!

Introduction to Tremolo with Liz Larner by Andrew Taysum:

The session began with introductions then Liz proceeded to give out some sheets entitled ‘tremolo exercises’. The first one was just a few simple melodies with finger positions above the stave. The basics were that you played ‘p, a, p, a’ on a repeated E-string. Then we gradually progressed to a higher level of playing tremolo. The climax of the workshop was when a few of us were asked to come up and try and play their own tremolo piece. One man played his own variation of a famous Spanish piece. I myself went up and played Requerdos de Alhambra and Liz was very impressed. One of Liz’s students, Richard Breeze, said “She’s a fantastic teacher of the guitar. I’ve only been going to Liz for a year but already it feels as if I’ve learnt a whole lot more”. All in all, it was an excellent session with Liz, a fantastic teacher and musician.

Come and Try Slide Guitar with Mark Willetts by Calum Harbison:

Fourteen attended this well-organised, extremely informative session, and I believe we learned enough to be challenged without being bamboozled. Mark covered origins of slide guitar - the diddley bow of African origin and blues of the American Deep South. We had different examples of slides, in a variety of shapes and materials, courtesy of hobgoblin music, and different examples of tunings were discussed. We used Mark’s favourite, open E tuning (E B E G# B E ), which enabled us to tackle a blues slide pattern in the style of Elmore James. As we progressed we were ‘let in on’ the top tip for slide guitar technique – the crucial role of the ‘trailing finger’ which prevents the string ringing out. With encouragement and practice we finished off playing the Elmore James slide piece, featuring solos from Ian, Simon, Richard and Derek, while those less brave stuck to the rhythm. For me this was a very enjoyable session and would encourage me to have a go at slide guitar, especially if the mandola gets too much (don’t tell Barbara!). We all appreciated the expert input and the equipment made available for those needing to borrow it.

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Contemporary Techniques with Gordon Dunn by Derek Ayling:

I was fortunate enough, not only to attend the Gordon Dunn session, but also to be asked to write a review. The session was enlightening and showed us just how much the simple acoustic guitar can achieve. I knew we could ‘pop and slap’ a bass but you should see what can be done on the guitar. We were treated to a multitude of techniques which looked (and sounded) amazing, clever and impressive. I’ve had a go since I got home and quickly realised I’ve a long way to go. Gordon is allegedly one of the UK’s leading and most versatile specialists in guitar percussive techniques, and it shows. He started off by showing us (his words not mine) what we were not going to do, and recommended some appropriate CDs to listen to at home. He had us using the right hand for drumming and percussive techniques, while simultaneously using our left hand for ‘filling in’ (assuming we were right-handed of course). We would get a rhythm going (e.g. We Will Rock You by Queen) and then work around that - so my first piece of homework is to work out a suitable riff/rhythm around which I’m going to work out and develop my first party piece! We then had a go at Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon which in fact on reflection is going to be by first party-piece. A couple of other techniques we touched on were ‘sweeping’ and ‘slapping’ using an unclenched fist. Finally we discovered that the Wooten Bros (Victor, Regi and ‘Future Man’) were Gordon’s heroes! I agree. All in all, a great session. Thanks Gordon!

Fingerpicking guitar workshop with Gordon Giltrap by Annette Cruikshank:

What a treat! A Dublin Day performed in all its glory in a small classroom setting. Giltrap gave a brief history of his beginnings into the world of guitar; his obsession began at age nine with a ukulele moving swiftly onto an arch-top jazz guitar. Being self taught he developed a very unique style of using a plectrum and little finger. He briefly touched on alternative tunings, dropped D and DADGAD, then in a question & answer session, right hand harmonics was the first topic tackled, leading into the technique of harping. After demonstrating, Giltrap worked his way round the group giving individual tips and encouragement, ironing out difficulties students encountered and giving everyone a short time to practise. Hammer on and pull off was demonstrated next, leading into a breakdown of the first few bars of the tune A Dublin Day. Giltrap finished the workshop with some very tricky left hand stretching exercises. Incorporated, of course, throughout the session was Giltrap’s witty repartee, making the workshop very enjoyable and informative and leaving us with some interesting and difficult techniques and exercises to practise.

Blues with Mark Willetts by Wally Mead:

This was well attended, with not a spare seat left when Mark began. He was a little surprised by the number of mandolinists, having expected mostly guitarists, however it didn't stop him from presenting a very enjoyable, instructive and entertaining discourse on the history of Blues, it's progression and the way improvisation developed over the years. We were also given the opportunity to put into practise what he demonstrated to us. In fact, three people, much to their surprise, played solo improvisation. This was a well presented, well planned and extremely informative session which I am sure was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who attended.