![]() AGAINST THE WIND - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet BandĪLL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER- Bob Dylan, Jimi HendrixĪLL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM – The Everly BrothersĪMIE- Pure Prairie League (w. I usually ask before teaching a church hymn. If a student says a certain song doesn’t “sit right” with them, or maybe it conflicts with some core belief the student has, there’s no problem. If you’re determined to learn something right now that is not on this list, I recommend you wait until you can teach it to yourself. MY GOAL is to get the student to be able to teach themselves almost ANY song they want AFTER I’M DONE TEACHING THEM! That is the goal of most any teacher of most any skill, to get the student to not need your help anymore. You cross paths with a lot of people in your life but there are only a few that leave a great impression on you. Every time I pick up a guitar now I think of Mike Upchurch." There is a reason I stayed past the completion of the program and that is he taught me a lot about myself. Through his encouragement I began to be able to sing along with the songs I was playing, which was a big thing. I learned how enjoyable playing music could be at the end of a long hard day. I learned a lot about how to write my own songs, which gave me a lot of satisfaction. It's amazing. You know to say he was a good guitar teacher doesn't do him justice. Mike to anyone, any age, if you want to learn how to play the guitar. Show up, put the practice in, and give it a little time, and I promise you'll be amazed with what you learn. Over the years waiting to take my lessons I had the opportunity to watch him interact with a lot of students from eleven to fifty plus year olds, and he poured himself into each one. Within a few lessons he had me actually playing songs! He took me through his program from the basics all the way to playing power chords, being very meticulous at every step making sure I knew how and why you did it a particular way. ![]() ![]() I started lessons the next day and never really wanted to leave after that. I found Mike Upchurch on line, called and went to his studio. ![]() I had always wanted to learn how to play but never found the time or the right situation. "My name is Jeff and I took lessons from Mr. We will also cover diverse areas such as guitar related equipment, the psychology of dealing with bandmates, non-verbal stage communication, dealing with different acoustics in different venues, stage presence, mic technique, using volume as a tool, etc., etc.Ī review by a former student posted on Google Business search: They know to do it IF THEY CAN, if they are playing out for an audience. The bottom line is that I no longer force my students to memorize Performance material. BUT- lately I've seen even youngish bands with "lyric-prompters"- usually computer monitors or laptops with scrolling white song lyrics on a black background (these monitors are either freestanding or in a wedge shaped black monitor box) in front of LOTS of performers who simply decided they either couldn't memorize all those pesky lyrics OR that the public doesn't care anymore if they "cheat." Most video producers won't allow the cameraman to show these lyric-prompters on the stage floor, you'll notice. That’s why I “cheat” with chordcharts or tablet in front of me when I perform, even if I do have the song memorized. However, I’ve had TWO concussions, and I’ve always had difficulty memorizing anything. Watch any nationally recognized act to verify this. Memorization: The easiest and best performances are done by performers that memorize their material. Yes, it may seem silly, but you will be expected to say these introductions to an audience of one (me!) each time you perform it for a while. Showmanship is another area we will cover, starting with you writing, memorizing, and practicing a short verbal introduction to each song you select. I recommend sitting to play through the first three songs, attaining success that way before moving on with standing while playing/singing. The only way to achieve this is sheer repetition of the song, focusing on weaker aspects of each one, getting them overcome, then playing and singing the entire song all the way through until it is “as good as it's gonna get.”ģ. Your first goal is to master playing these songs. Avoid songs with key changes (like “Already Gone”) or difficult picking patterns (like “Landslide.”)Ģ. But three songs give you a variety to practice, pushing aside boredom somewhat. Choose THREE songs you like and want to master. OK, so how will we go about getting our material up to performance standards? Specific Goals: (To START these lessons)ġ.
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