THE FATHER OF CHRISTIAN ROCK DIES

Easter Sunday I learned that the “Father of Christian Rock”,  Larry Norman, died of heart failure on February 24 at his home in Salem, Oregon.  Norman’s band “People” had a top 10 hit in the sixties with a recut version of the Zombie’s song- I Love You. However, he is best remembered for his influence on the direction of Contemporary Christian music.

Considered a rebel by the church in general, Larry Norman’s music was blacklisted from most Christian stores.  He later responded to this treatment by saying:

“The churches weren’t going to accept me looking like a street person with long hair and faded jeans. They did not like the music I was recording. And I had no desire to preach the gospel to the converted.”

Larry’s influence was far reaching however.  He had a heart for those in the music business who were struggling with drug and alcohol abuse.  In an effort to help, he began a bible study called “The Vineyard”.   As you may have heard, Bob Dylan was one of the musicians who attended.  It wasn’t too long afterward that Dylan anounced he was “born again”  and released his first Christian album – Slow Train Coming.

As far as I know, Larry Norman performed his final concert in June of 2005.  He forgot the words to his first song and asked if anyone in the audience knew them. They began singing the words and he was able to finish the song.  Frank Black of the Pixies also made a guest appearance at the concert.  At one point, according to David Sanford of Stanford Communications , Larry stood looking out at the audience for a long time and then announced:

“As far as I can tell, this is the last time I’ll be able to play in America, in Europe, and planet earth.”

Larry Norman’s music was most popular during the Jesus revolution of the 1970s, despite the fact that his music was rejected by mainstream, conservative Christianity.  Artist such as Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, U2, John Mellencamp, Van Morrison and others were touched by his influence. Early Contemporary Christian artists, Keith Green and Randy Stonehill, are said to attribute their faith in Jesus to Larry Norman’s life and witness. Larry himself said that he wanted to…

 “push back the darkness with my bravest effort.”

In 2001 Larry Norman, alongside his childhood inspiration, Elvis Presley, was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Here are a few of his last known recorded words for his fans…

Goodbye, farewell, we’ll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

Larry

Rest in peace brother.

Until next time…

Keep practicing!
guitarcoach

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LET’S JAM!

When I was in high school I had a friend who was a drummer. He used to say “let’s jam” whenever he was ready to go somewhere. I thought it was pretty cool and began saying it myself.  You probably know however,  that the expression “let’s jam” is often used by  musicians when they get together to make music.

But did you know that having a jam session with other musicians is one of the best ways to learn new songs and licks on guitar? In fact, much of my own early education was gained this way.  I used to take my guitar with me almost everywhere I went. As you can imagine, this gave me lots of opportunities to jam with other musicians I’d meet.

A simple jam session can also lead to more serious collaboration. One of my very first original songs was co-written with a friend. She came up with a line for the chorus and I wrote all the verses. The chorus line she wrote was the inspiration I needed to spark my own creativity. After that I continued to write more songs. Perhaps this wouldn’t have happened if we had never gotten together in the first place.

Learn to Create Your Own Songs

Today you can jam with me if you’d like! :0) For a limited time, I’m offering a free download of an original song I wrote several years ago.  It’s called “Shiloh” and it was #1 on Soundclick for both Acoustic  & Acoustic General. I think you’ll find that it’s pretty easy to play and will provide you with some additional chord and rhythm practice, if nothing else. You will need to put a capo on the 3rd fret if you want to sound like the recording.

Get free download for Shiloh Here.

Get Guitar Chords for Shiloh Here

Use the following URL if you’d like to share Shiloh with your friends: http://soundclick.com/share?songid=2023254

Can jamming with other musicians take the place of professional guitar lessons? Well, I’m not looking to work myself out of a job, but the truth is, many famous guitar players never had formal lessons. What they often do have is opportunity. Eric Clapton and Jimi Henddrix for example, had the chance to jam with some of their personal blues heros while they were developing their guitar skills. You might say they were a bit obsessive/compulsive when it came to practicing also!

Whatever path you take (whether formal lessons, or teaching yourself) you’ll find that the road to becoming a great guitarist doesn’t “just happen” overnight. It takes a lot of time, hard work and dedication. In my opinion though, guitar lessons can often make the trip a little shorter and easier- but be sure to jam with your musical friends too.  Afterall, that’s where the fun really kicks in!

Until next time…

Keep practicing!
guitarcoach

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FRUSTRATED WITH YOUR GUITAR PLAYING?

Are you frustrated with your guitar playing?  If so, you may find practicing to be a chore rather than the fun experience you had imagined.  Don’t get me wrong, becoming a skilled musician does involve time, effort, focus and commitment; no matter what instrument you’re learning. But, practice will become nothing but drudgery if you don’t have a love for the music you’re making.

Every musician will experience periods of frustration from time to time. This is normal and part of the learning process. The question is, what do we do with it? Do we give up because it’s just too hard, or we’re too busy? Some do.  But others keep going because they have discovered that the guitar, and guitar music, provides them with a sense of fulfillment and joy.  This is the fundamental difference between a  true musician and a wanna be- love for the music!

Frustrated  Blues Guitar Players Click Here!

Recently I have learned a little more about the lives of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull), and members of the Moody Blues. The common thread they all shared was their love for the music; often to their own detriment. By that I mean, they weren’t primarily focused on the business end of things, or being famous.  Consequently, they were often ripped off. There was even a point in time when the Moody Blues were told that their band sounded terrible and they should give it up! But, in spite of that, they kept going and now most of us recognize the genius behind their music.  

MOODY BLUES MUSIC VIDEO:

“RIDE MY SEE-SAW” – Guitar Tab  

I find that a change of environment works wonders when I’m feeling frustrated with my guitar playing. Rather than practicing in my music room,  I might play in the living room while I look out the window, or just go outside and play in the sunshine.  Instead of practicing a difficult classical guitar peice, I may play something I’ve memorized and really enjoy listening to. I also find it refreshing to experiment and create new sounds just for fun without worrying about the chord callings or scale structure. Who really cares about that anyway? Chords and scales are merely tools to help you achieve the sound you’re after. It’s the music that matters in the long run. Never forget that!

 Until next time…

Keep practicing!
 -or should I say playing :0)

guitarcoach

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GUITARIST JEFF HEALEY DIES

The amazing blind guitarist, Jeff Healey, died of lung cancer last Sunday at age 41 in Toronto, Canada.

Jeff lost his eyesight when he was only a year old due to retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer that affects the eyes. Two years later he received his first guitar and while attending a school for the blind, learned how to play. Eventually he developed his own unique lap style way of playing because he found it to be more comfortable.

His music covered a variety of genres including blues, rock and jazz. It’s easy to see the influences that Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix had on his playing by watching the video above.

Jeff Healey Band

The Jeff Healey Band hit their peak in the 1980s and produced a platinum selling record called “See the Light.” They also played on the  soundtrack for a motion picture called “Road House,” featuring actor Patrick Swayze, during this period. In 1990 the readers of Guitar Player magazine voted Jeff Healey best blues guitarist and best new talent.

10 GREATEST ROCK RIFFS

Jeff Healey was a talented guitarist and an inspirational artist to say the least. His struggle with cancer did not prevent him from achieving his dreams and providing a legacy all musicians can aspire to.

To learn more go to: http://www.jeffhealey.com/

Until next time…

Keep practicing!
guitarcoach

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