Call (925) 695-7060

Call (925) 695-7060

Taking Your Guitar Playing to the Next Level

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Amp Up Your Guitar Skills in Danville & San Ramon CA

Many guitarists at all ages and all levels search for help on the internet to improve their music knowledge and “hone their guitar craft“.  You can find lots of great information and even get free “lessons” online on subjects such as modes, scales, guitar riffs and theory.  But, how do you apply it?

In my 40+ years as a professional touring musician and guitar instructor, the results I have seen from the hundreds of students I have taught has proven to me that students who learn to read music notation, in addition to playing by ear, have a better sense of keeping time, are able to more easily rehearse and jam with other musicians and are much better prepared to take their music playing to a more professional level.

My favorite instruction books for plectrum style guitar are published by Hal Leonard titled “Complete 3 Book Guitar Method Edition with CD’S”.  I also recommend “Music Theory For Dummies,  Audio CD” [Paperback]. This book shows you how to apply theory by writing music on standard music 5 stave line manuscript paper. 

I think self study is great, but I highly recommend hooking up with a private instructor that has a proven systematic approach to teaching the basics and then taking you to the next level. Taking a lesson on a weekly or bi-monthly basis so the instructor can check your progress, give you the things to focus on for the next couple of weeks and then inspire you to practice is what I recommend.

Several of my students in the San Ramon and Danville area who have a band have not only taken their guitar playing to the next level, but have booked paying gigs that has helped to take their performance to the next level as well.

Bass Guitar Lessons
Danville, San Ramon CA
(925) 695-7060

Danville CA – Bass Guitar Lesson w/Flash

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Flash Cards for Bass Lessons

Today I was teaching a Bass Guitar student in Danville how to read music with use of color coded flash cards. My beginning bass student has been reading music using Hal Leonard Bass Method Book 1 with CD.  In the past, he had been writing the name of the note above each note on the staff and never learning how to actually read standard music notation. He was getting very frustrated as he was not seeing any progress in learning to read music. So, I recommended  to make life simple and put the bass down and practice with music flash cards for bass clef. 

The flash cards covers clefs, time signatures, notes, rests, melodic and harmonic intervals and key signatures. In one week my student was reading standard music for bass clef without the aid of pencil markings above each note. Building guitar and bass guitar confidence is what guitar confidence.com is all about. 

Please leave us a comment with your story or music challenge and we will address it in a future blog post.

Bass Guitar Lessons
Danville, Dublin, San Ramon CA
(925) 695-7060

Alamo Danville CA Guitar Lessons

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It’s Never Too Late to Study Guitar from a Pro

Today I gave a one hour introductory guitar lesson to a student in Danville CA who is 66 years young and has been playing for many years. We played 6 string acoustic guitars with bronze strings and the student loves fast pace fiddle songs such as “Wildwood Flower”.  

He has the melody down but is having difficulty playing chords. So, I assigned him the “naming notes” exercise on all strings starting with low E string open, F1(F on 1st fret),G3,A5,B7,C8,D10 AND E12 which is one octave higher. He then moved on to the other strings (A, D, G, B, High-E). I then gave him a left hand finger stretch on all 6 strings and a chord exercise with roots based on string 6, 5 or top 4 strings. A-major, A-major-9, A-minor, A-minor-9 and A-minor-7.

Guitar Instructor DanvilleI pointed out that rhythm guitar is much more difficult because you are constantly varying which strings you are playing to create the chord you want (3, 4, 5 or all 6 strings) and changing the number of chords per measure and the rhythm.

To get the most out of his lessons, I recommend bi-monthly 1-hour guitar lessons at his home in Danville instead of weekly half-hour lessons so he can get into a learning-groove which will help assimilate the material more quickly.

After two weeks we will work on rhythm using a metronome and lead patterns for soloing, as well as putting the melody on string 1 or 2 and playing chords and melody at same time. My student was very excited and looking forward to his next lesson. His confidence will build as he jams with his professional guitar teacher and after 6 months, he will start to see an increase in his speed (tempo) playing chords and soloing.

Guitar & Banjo Lessons
Alamo – Danville – East Bay Area
(925) 695-7060

Danville & San Ramon CA – Guitar Lessons at Home

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Mobile Guitar Lessons in Danville & San Ramon California

Everything is going mobile these days thanks to smart phones & iPads. I think I was ahead of the curve with my mobile guitar lessons – meaning I will come to your house in Danville or San Ramon (or anywhere else in the East Bay) and give private guitar lessons. Or if you have a friend or brother or sister that also wants lessons, we could do a small group guitar lesson.

I teach  guitar, bass, uke, mandolin and 4 & 5 string banjo lessons – beginners to advanced. I have developed my own teaching style that makes it easy to learn to play guitar or any of the other instruments I teach. There is very little risk for my guitar students – I offer the first lesson FREE and also offer the first month of guitar lessons at half price. This allows my guitar students in San Ramon and Danville to see if my method is right for them and whether or not we are going to “click” as student and teacher.Another  big plus for my guitar students’ parents in Danville & San Ramon CA is that my lessons are month-to-month – no contracts.

San Ramon Danville Guitar instructorI am probably one of the most experienced guitar teachers in the East Bay. I have developed a unique teaching system. I have toured with many well known entertainers. I have studied at some of the most prestigious music schools and with some of the finest guitar players in the world (all styles). Over time, my guitar lessons will cover all the bases to help my students grow from a casual guitar player to a professional guitar player that will have an extensive understanding of music and what is involved in a professional music career.

My website is updated frequently with all kinds of tips on guitar playing, music theory, how to build guitar confidence on strum patterns and how to use modes, scales and chords.

There’s really nothing to lose – except the opportunity to become an awesome guitar player or professional musician. Call me now to book that first guitar lesson FREE of charge.

Guitar Lessons
Danville – San Ramon – East Bay Area
(925) 695-7060

Below is my version of Shakedown, a classic jazz fusion song by Spyro Gyra. All solos are transcribed from the original recording. I had a hard time transcribing the original recording organ solo but I did and Christopher Milne did a great job. My rock ensemble students did a great job in helping to pull this one off. I love the sax and guitar leads in thirds and I’m playing the guitar solo which took some practice.

 

California Church Blues & Music Notation

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East Bay Guitarists, Guitar Students & The Art of Music Notation & Composition

This post is like my Line 6 floor pedal (mentioned later) – crammed with features (things on my mind!).

A quick shout out to a student –  John Hill, who is a now a great blues musician. He plays at many churches in California: Oakland, Modesto, Antioch, Pittsburg, Fairfield, Vacaville and Sacramento.

Guitarists in bands like the Allman Brothers or the Gypsy Kings play in different notes – intervals of usually thirds or sixths or  5th’s or even octaves. For example in the key of C major if one guitarist is playing a C, another can play a 3rd up counting C as the tonic or the root note. That would be E. It adds rich tonal color to the music.

At Berklee College of Music, I performed as a guitar and music arranger major 3 days a week  with 20 piece guitar ensemble. Chair 1 and 2 were the most difficult charts with lots of syncopated notes and then chairs 10 – 20 were just simple half notes and quarter notes and chord charts.

We performed songs by Chicago and big band jazz charts. We performed with a 5-piece sax section, a 5-piece trombone section and a 5-piece brass section where each part played different notes as harmony. What a great sound. This is part of the inspiration behind forming the RGS Rock Ensemble.

Every month my guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin and uke student rehearse with celebrity friends from the Greater San Francisco Bay Area including East Bay communities like Oakland, San Ramon, Dublin, Danville, Walnut Creek and Concord  to jam ina big theater venue.

I score out three guitar charts, one for rhythm and beginner and one for intermediate lead guitar and one for advanced guitar along with music charts for drum, keyboards, bass guitar , percussion and saxophones. If you want to get into writing music for all instruments (over 650),  then check out “The Art Of  Music Copying “ and  “ Music Arranging “ by Don Sebesky (if you can find a copy!)

Below is the rock ensemble performing Hip To Be Square, a great Huewy Lewis and the News classic rock pop number which hit #1 on Billboard Magazine.

It features guitar solos by me and Adam Gabriel. Guitar students played the melody. The original soundtrack had no horns so I came up with horns using power  music arranging and composing software known as Sibellius. It allows you to type in a complete score and then have it played by other instruments. You need to be able to read music and know some music theory to use a program like this.

Our rendition of Hip to Be Square (at the end of this post) features Orestes Vilato, ranked in the top ten percussionists in the world for Latin Music. Listen to all the polyrhythms he does and how he uses stick dynamics. At the end of song Adam Gabriel does some great blues lead fills. I’m doing all the screaming rock fills using a Line 6 Spider Amp and Paul Reed Smith Guitar with whammy bar and Line 6 pro floor pedal with Volume Pedal as well as built in Wah Wah Pedal – ya gotta love all the add-ons!

Hip to Be Square performed by RGS Rock Ensemble

First Step in Learning to Read Sheet Music

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Learning to Read Sheet Music for Guitar Players

In follow up to my previous posts about learning to read music, the first step is to learn where the C Major notes are in the first position on the fret-board and then subsequently on every fret of the guitar.

Second, you need to learn timing and how long to hold each note or rest (symbols that tell you when not to play).

Third, you need to learn to keep steady time and should tap your foot and say the name of each note as you play each exercise. 

And fourth, you should practice with a time keeper device known as a metronome. 

Start off slow and increase the speed as you get better.  Too many guitar beginners want to skip this process and try to play songs and just read basic charts or tab notation.  This can be okay for the person who just wants to play for their own enjoyment or as a non-professional.  However, if you want to build the confidence that comes with being a true musician, these are important steps. 

I started taking guitar classes at age eight and later had the opportunity to study advanced jazz guitar lessons with Ron Parker at New York Guitar Studio. He taught me advanced techniques in reading and playing by ear and I played in a Jazz Band and sang in choir. I later attended Berklee College Of Music where guitar greats like Al Dimeola, Pat Matheny, John Scofield and John Mayor studied, just to name a few. Each week, we would have daily guitar sight reading classes, rhythmic dictation, ear training, music composition, arranging, recording techniques and even film scoring and conducting.  

My big break came when I got the chance to audition for Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five. It was this training that allowed me to get the job and perform with artists like Michael Jackson, Wild Cherry, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand and many others.  

I highly recommend finding a private instructor that you see weekly or at least twice a month that will teach you to read music, not just tab.  If you are looking for guitar lessons in the Walnut Creek, Danville, San Ramon, Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton or any areas nearby, I would be happy to work with you.  Reading music will build your confidence and you will find yourself taking huge leaps forward within six months to a year.

To get started with learning to read sheet music for guitar, I highly recommend Hal Leonard Method Books.

Crow Canyon Country Club Gig a BIG Hit

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Still Rock’N Played to a Sold Out Crowd in Danville CA

Last Friday’s gig at Crow Canyon Country Club in Danville was not only a success, it was a blast. Playing with Still Rock’N –  Craig Harper, Dennis Viers, Joe Iovino and Orestes Vilato was more fun than you could shake an axe at.

The venue was Crow Canyon Country Club’s main ballroom where we had Mt. Diablo as a backdrop while we performed to a sold out dinner club of over 300. Craig’s brother, John, is putting some videos together for us…

 

Guitar Theory & Harmony

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Learn Substitution Theory & Harmony
Become a Better Guitarist

Today, I gave a guitar lesson to Don in Vallejo California who has been playing guitar for over 35 years. Don loves the blues, rock, jazz and many other styles of music. He wanted to learn how chord patterns and substitution theory works as well as how to solo over a group of chords known as a chord progression.

Don is very frugal and is a member of Barnes and Nobles’ Book Club that gives him a 10 percent discount off any book.  So today, I recommended a book to him, “Theory & Harmony for the Contemporary Musician” by Arnie Berle, that explains guitar theory and gives you written exercises to reinforce the lessons.

While it’s great to study from books and other online materials, it is also very important to have a professional instructor as your mentor to explain the many questions that will arise as you study theory on guitar – which is why I always say – If you want to play like a pro, learn from a pro! This is how basic guitarist becomes a true musician.

The book retails for $17.95 but with Don’s membership it was delivered free of charge for only $11.99. Once you understand the theory from this book, you then need to apply it to your guitar technique and practice sessions.  As follow up, I recommend any book by Frank Gambale for advanced guitarists and beginners.

Guitar Confidence’s professional instructors provide guitar and banjo instruction throughout the East Bay – Alameda, Alamo, Antioch, Benicia, Brentwood, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Concord, Clayton, Danville, Diablo, Discovery Bay, Elk Grove, Fairfield, Fremont, Hayward, Hercules, Lafayette, Livermore, Moraga, Napa, Newark, Oakland, Orinda, Pleasanton, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, Rossmoor, San Leandro, San Pablo, San Ramon, Stockton, Tracy, Vallejo, and Walnut Creek.

Professional Guitar Lessons
East Bay Area
(925) 695-7060

 

Crown Canyon Country Club Gig Tonight

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Still Rock’N & Friends
Performing Tonight @ Crow Canyon Country Club

Over the last couple of months, I have been having a blast playing with some friends in the area that go by the name – Still Rock’N. These are a group of individual musicians that have been playing their instruments for 30 or 40 years. A few years ago, they connected through their day jobs in the real estate industry and decided to form a band. Since they’re getting a little long in the tooth on the outside, but are still carrying the flame on the inside, they decided to tell it like it is – they’re Still Rock’N!

Craig Harper is a Realtor in San Ramon & Danville, Dennis Viers is a mortgage loan officer, Together with myself, Joe Iavino and special guest – Orestes Vilato, we’ll be performing at Crow Canyon Country Club tonight to a sold out crowd.

Craig, Dennis, Joe and some of their friends have been taking lessons from me over the last few months. It’s great when people who love playing music tell you – “I’ve learned more from you in the last two months than in the last 30 years.” It’s just as great to be able to play and have blast with such good friends.

If you would like info on future gigs – email me.

Here’s a short video that Craig’s brother, John, put together for me. John does the Internet Marketing for the real estate team. This is an original composition of mine that I created with the men and women of our armed forces in mind.

 

 

 

http://www.theharperteam.com/blog/danville-2/still-rockn-sells-out-crow-canyon-country-club/

Guitars & Guitar Lessons for Christmas

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Guitar Lessons Danville San Ramon Dublin

Christmas Presents – Guitars & Guitar Lessons

 

Christmas Guitar Lesson Special – Double Your Guitar Lessons at NO Extra Cost!

The holiday season produces a big spike in guitar sales which then results in an increase in the demand for guitar lessons. Guitar students in Danville, Dublin, San Ramon, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Concord and Martinez CA that are seeking guitar lessons have come to the right place.

I offer guitar lessons for all ages, styles and level of skill. The first 1/2 hour of your first guitar lesson is FREE and you can save on my monthly rate ($150 for 2 1-hour lessons) by purchasing a month of guitar lessons by January 31 – AND – I  will double the amount of lessons (4). Contact me for more details on guitar lessons in Danville, Dublin, San Ramon, Alamo, Walnut Creek, Concord and Martinez CA – (925) 695-7060 RexMBell@gmail.com

If you have purchased a guitar as a Christmas gift, giving a month one-hour sessions would be a great gift for the Holidays as well. My unique style of guitar instruction will have a beginner amazing themselves and others with their guitar skill in just a few weeks.

I can help most experienced guitar players to improve their level of play and range of formats. Contact me for more information on guitar lessons & instruction: (925) 695-7060 RexMBell@gmail.com

Learn to Play Guitar in the Privacy of Your Own Home

Our guitar instructors come to you to give you personal one-on-one lessons in the privacy of your own home. We cover Dublin, San Ramon, Pleasanton, Livermore and all cities in east and south bay

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Contact us for guitar lessons or more information at:

Guitar Confidence
4101 Dublin Blvd
Suite F, #537
Dublin, CA 94568

(925) 695-7060

guitarconfidence@gmail.com

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