Call (925) 695-7060

Call (925) 695-7060

Benicia – Vallejo Guitar Lessons

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Beginner to Advanced – Guitar Lessons – Benicia & Vallejo CA

As I teach beginning to advanced guitar in Benicia and Vallejo I stress all guitar students to work on basic Jazz Chord formations where you use both your pick and fingers to create both a guitarist and bass player sound all by yourself. Some guitar players to check out are Joe Pass, PatMetheny, George Benson, Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery, and Larry Coryell.

I have 5 Basic chord formations you must learn first in every key:

  1. G major
  2. G major 7th
  3. G dominant 7th
  4. G major 6th
  5. G minor 7th

You will notice left to right known as the chord progression that I go root on bass 6th string of guitar followed by first inversion known as  third in the bass followed by 5th in the bass known as second inversion. First take root inversion of all 5 formations and transpose to all keys on 6th string. Then take first inversion and finally followed by second in version. This could take two weeks to two months too master. Then take all 5 versions and practice left to right slowly. You will notice that on beats one and three you pick bass 6th string on downbeat and quickly followed with finger pinching remaining strings on the up beat. Notice on even beats two and four you are just playing passing single bass notes . Just master in key of G only.

Once you have mastered these 5 patterns then refer to my arrangement of Moon Dance by Van Morrison.

Have fun and if you want to see me apply these techniques I’m performing every Sunday night 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with a bass guitarist doing open mic night doing music from swing era jazz up to contemporary songs. Located at great Vallejo Thai Food establishment known as “ Cha Am”. Food is great and medium pricing and no cover charge. Address is 153 Plaza Drive in Vallejo California.

Guitar & Banjo Lessons
Benicia – Vallejo, CA
(925) 695-7060

Guitar Lessons – Benicia & Vallejo CA

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Guitar Lessons Benicia Vallejo

 More Guitar Lessons – 40 Years Later

Last Wednesday, March 14, I had just finished a guitar lesson in Benicia when Joe walked up to my mobile guitar lessons wrapped car and said he has seen my car all over Benicia and Vallejo.

Joe use to read music and play guitar 40 years ago and now wants to get back into music. I told him I have a special where the first hour on guitar is free and then purchase one month private lessons and 2nd month is free. He wanted to know what type3 of guitar would be best for his guitar lessons. I suggested the following options:

  • Steel string acoustic guitar by Fender or Martin
  • Acoustic electric steel or nylon string guitar by Godin under $600
  • A beginning electric guitar an d amp package by Fender for $200

We had his first hour free guitar lesson and went over 15 open chords, parts of guitar, naming all notes on fret board and left hand finger stretch and started him on chords to Hotel California. He was excited and loved the music theory.

For the next lesson, I’m giving him Guitar Method Book 1 with CD by Hal Leonard so he can read music. My car sign is getting a lot of calls from Benicia to Walnut Creek asking for Guitar, Bass and Banjo lessons – a true guitar lesson billboard on wheels.

If you’re looking for a great birthday gift, think about my guitar lesson package of one free guitar lesson and 2 months of 1-hour guitar lessons for half price. Most method  books are included and if you refer a student, you receive life time $25  per month discount.

Check out some samples of my guitar playing and hear some of my students as well.

Guitar & Banjo Lessons
Benicia – Vallejo CA
(925) 695-7060

Laying Guitar Tracks for Music Composition

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guitar tracks music composition

 How to lay down guitar tracks for songs you create

So I just finished recording rhythm and lead guitar tracks to a 10-song album of my originals.  As I compose a song I start with a basic hook. In classical music they call it a motif which is a basic melodic idea of 2 to 8 notes repeated throughout the composition.

Step 1: Guitar players call it a riff. The golden rule for all songwriters, beginners to advanced, is you must hit the listener’s ears with the hook within first 20 seconds of song for it to have commercial success. Good examples are Eric Clapton’s “Layla” or Rolling Stones “Satisfaction”.

Step 2: Lay a chord progression for the hook and then a  lay different chord progression for the bridge.

Step 3: Write a music chart (Lead Sheet) in pencil with melody and lyrics and chord changes.

Step4: Then write a bass guitar chart, a drum chart and a keyboard chart.

Step 5: Lay down basic rhythm section tracks starting with bass, drums, keyboards and finally rhythm guitar tracks (at least two different tracks). Finish with lead guitar tracks.

On one track, I used clean guitar track and 2nd lead track distortion. On the two rhythm tracks, one is dry clean with no effects except a little delay. Then 2nd rhythm track I’m using heavy chorus effects which makes an electric guitar sound like a 12 string. I’m also using major and minor 7,9 and 11ths and 13ths which are very rich in sound.

I’m using a Paul Reed Smith Electric Guitar and a Line 6 Pod Pedal with volume/ wah pedal. If you have any questions, please post questions on website or feel free to email me if you have further questions. If you are artist in San Francisco Bay Area, check out Consumer Music in Vallejo California at 707-642-7368 and for two top engineers, ask for either Bill Mooney or James Early.

Here is an original composition of guitar and music tracks written and performed by me (Rex Bell). For guitar lessons and instruction on how to lay down tracks for your musical compositions contact me (Rex Bell – Rex@GuitarConfidence.com). East Bay of California – Alamo, Benicia, Concord, Danville, Dublin, Martinez, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Vallejo.

 

Contact me for Guitar Lessons & Equipment Consultation
Danville, San Ramon, Concord, Vallejo – East Bay
(925) 695-7060

Vallejo Beginner Guitar Lessons

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guitar finger lessons

New Guitar Student in Vallejo Loves Lessons

Recently a new guitar student of mine in Vallejo California, who has been taking lessons for 3 months, expressed how much he loved his last private guitar lessons.   He pointed out that he likes how I organize his weekly lessons by giving him a printed worksheet with his assignments and how I also email him a copy for his weekly records.  I have found that keeping things simple but providing a structured approach is key to a student’s success.  Here are a few key things to practice especially for newer students:

  • First, do a finger stretch in 1st position on all 6 strings and hold for 60 seconds per string (1 to 3x’x per day). This builds flexibility as well as callouses on finger tips for playing both scales and chords.
  • Then, practice with a slow metronome minor pentatonic scales in 1st, 5th and 9th positions for acoustic and on electric  add the 13th and eventually 17th positions. Start out with alternate down and up picking technique keeping your eyes focused on right picking hand to make sure you are always alternating with first a down and then up picking stroke.
  • Then, practice chord fingerings starting with 15 basic open chords followed by 5 bar chord formations with roots on 6th and 5th or strings.  A major, A major 9, A minor and A minor 9, and last A minor 7th.  I have students start very slow with metronome at 60 b.p.m. and transpose to all keys of A, B, C, D, E, F and G.
  • Then we work on naming notes on all 6 strings from open string to one octave higher. Example: E open, F1, G3, A5, B7, C8,D10 AND E12. You must say out loud as you play each note which helps program your mind.
  • Finally practice reading music notes. I love using Hal Leonard Guitar Method Books 1,2 and 3 along with Easy Pop Melodies Books 1, 2 or 3 which come with CD’s that students should learn to play with.

These guitar finger exercises are also great for preparing you to read music which will enable you to learn music theory applied in playing all styles and tempos of music all over the world.  Music truly is a universal language and reading music will truly help you understand how to jam and perform with other musicians no matter where they are from.

Contact me for Guitar Lessons
(925) 695-7060

Vallejo CA Guitar Lesson

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Self-Taught Guitarist Wants to Improve his Skill

Guitar LessonsI took my new advertising campaign for guitar lessons on the road today – driving up to Vallejo CA to work with a guitar student. The GuitarConfidence.com wrap on my car is starting to attract attention and business.

I was teaching a student who has been playing guitar 3 years. This guitarist is self-taught and and had expressed interest in working with a professional guitar instructor to help him work on building strength and agility which improves chords, sound and speed.

Working on finger stretch in 1st position (Frets 1, 2, 3 and 4) put your left hand (L.H.) 1st finger on string 1 behind 1st fret and hold. Then add 2nd finger same string behind 2nd fret, 3rd finger behind 3rd fret and 4th finger behind 4th fret and hold for 60 seconds.

If you find this guitar fingering too easy pull your 4th (L.H.) finger up to 5th fret stretch using your right hand to aid in pulling up your L.H. 4th finger and then  repeat this process also on strings 2,3,4 5 and 6.

This guitar stretch exercise only takes about 6 minutes a day, but the results within two weeks will blow your mind.

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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