Steve Krenz

Tuesday July 9th, 2019 Topic: Solutions for Boring Chords 7pm Central Time US You can watch the lesson HERE. (We tried to do this lesson last year but had some technical problems so it was never released. I've always wanted to do it again so here's our chance.) Tired of playing the same old way? Bored with your own playing? Let's learn some quick, simple ways to take basic chords and turn them into something memorable. There's more to do than just strum along with a chord progression. With a little help you can learn to create guitar parts that shine! There will be music, laughs, giveaways and more. I look forward to seeing you there! Watch on our Guitar Gathering YouTube Channel HERE - Steve

Hey everyone, Wow, have we got a great time planned for this years Fall Fingerstyle Guitar Retreat! Three of the world's best fingerstyle guitarists for several days of intimate guitar instruction, masterclasses, jamming and fun! Here they are... DON ROSS (Two-Time International Fingerstyle Champion) In 1988, Don Ross became the first Canadian to win the U.S. National Fingerpick Guitar Championship. He won again in 1996, still the only two-time winner of the competition. Don was the flagship fingerstyle artist on CandyRat Records and has released numerous projects with them. He tours extensively across Canada, the USA, Europe, Japan, Taiwan, China, Australia, Russia and India. He has played with symphony orchestras and collaborated live and on recording with Andy McKee, Dan McCrary, Tony McManus and others. Don is one of the true "founding fathers" of modern fingerstyle guitar known for his pristine technique and lyrical melodies. IAN ETHAN CASE (Double Neck Guitar / Looping) “One of the most creative and engaging fingerstyle guitarists in the world” - International Center for Creativity Double-neck guitarist and CandyRat recording artist Ian Ethan Case's video of his song “Butter II” introduced his music to over 6 million listeners around the world in the course of a month. Hardly an overnight sensation, Ian is a true craftsman and thoughtful composer bringing a fresh sound to the guitar through innovative tapping, use of double-necked guitars, altered tunings and multiple loopers layering a rich kaleidoscope of sound. Listeners have described his music as a cross between Michael Hedges and Pat Metheny. It is rare to find an artist truly forging new creative ground on the instrument - Ian is doing just that. VAN LARKINS (Percussive Fingerstyle) “Van Larkins’ technique is a fluid motion of beauty in sound.” - Mixdown Magazine Australian guitarist, Van Larkins, is quickly distinguishing himself as an artist whose command of the instrument combined with musicianship and energy captivates the listener. Van Larkins plays a modern fusion of traditional styles with a mesmerizing “one man band” percussive approach incorporating bass, rhythm, melody and harmony. Van’s eclectic music has transitioned from Metallica to finger-style acoustic guitar to playing transpositions of 400-year-old harp songs. A true artist and excellent teacher, Van brings a fresh approachable-ness to those he helps learn fingerstyle. COLLIN HILL One of our own guitar family, Collin Hill is a 21 year old Fingerstyle guitarist based in Nashville TN. Originally from California, Collin brings great technique to a sense of musicianship. This young artist is finding his voice to the delight of his many fans on YouTube, Instagram and Spotify. With over a million streams on Spotify and over 14000 Instagram followers, Collin's exciting music is turning heads in the fingerstyle world. He's also a gifted and conscientious educator with some of the best reviewed classes of any of our events. Four days of world-class fingerstyle instruction, hands-on workshops and intimate evening concerts in the stunning Tennessee autumn during peak fall colors. If you haven't been, it's one of the best events we have ever put together. Last year, the Fall Fingerstyle Retreat sold out months in advance and slots are already filling up for this year. If you're interested in getting all the info, check out www.FingerstyleRetreat.com See you there, Steve

Nope, it didn't slip my mind (as slippery as my mind is during conference week!). I inquired about next years dates but Trevecca is holding off on setting dates for anything next summer for a few weeks due to some building renovations scheduled on campus and they aren't sure how they are going to effect everything. Rest assured, I'll be bugging the events coordinator at Trevecca and as soon as they commit to something I'll let you know. - Steve

Tuesday June 4th, 2019 Topic: Guitar Questions Answered/Open Talk! Back to live lessons tonight! It's been way too long since we took some time to answer your questions, but tonight bring your guitar questions and let's get some answers. PLUS, one lucky viewer will win Joe Robinson's incredible new guitar course "Joes12" with tips from guitar legends Tommy Emmanuel, Eric Johnson, Robben Ford and others. You can learn more about this amazing 12 week mentorship course with guitar legends here.... JOES12.com Watch it live at 7pm Central tonight HERE Great music, giveaways and more. See you there! Make sure to subscribe to our Guitar Gathering YouTube Channel HERE Learn all you can - Steve

Hey Gang, Here is the official schedule/itinerary for the Guitar Gathering 2019 A few things might shift around as we get closer but here it is! Guitar Gathering 2019 Itinerary 5-27.pdf If you have any questions about anything, email us at Service@MightyOakMusic.com Looking forward to a great time! - Steve

Neil, Yes, Joe is an amazing example of determination, passion, risk-taking and hard work. We've talked many times, on camera and off, about his amazing journey. Let me sum it up. He wanted to play guitar and decided nothing would stop his determination to make it his career. He's had tons of setbacks. None that he decided to agree with and make an excuse for not moving forward. He wasn't afraid to give up "everything" to pursue his goals. "Everything" also included his personal comfort - which is something that most stop short of when they say they are willing to do everything it takes. Yes, he gets up and practices at 4am in the morning. But I've also watched him play big events and small events with the same amount of determination. It's clear that the motivation is not the size of the event but whether he can personally do his best. He's extraordinary and we all could use a good dose of Joe's determination in our own development. - Steve

Looking forward to an amazing live lesson with Australia's Got Talent winner and Fingerstyle wizard Joe Robinson! If you have any questions for Joe for tomorrow night, let me know! - Steve

Hey gang, I recently had a question about playing guitar on hymns from a hymnbook. It's something I have to do quite a bit. Here's the deal... Hymns are surprisingly tricky for a guitar player. Most hymns are written by keyboard players for keyboard players so they are commonly written on a piano staff with treble and bass clef. For a guitar player, trying to keep up with reading two different clefs, all of those notes and no chord changes can make even a pro sweat a bit. Add a choir and a piano player an no rehearsal and you have the makings of a Sunday morning heart attack! When in Doubt - Just Play the Melody As a guitar player, here are your options, you can read and play the single-note melody (usually the top line) pretty easily. I can usually do this with one time through rehearsing - especially if I'm already familiar with the song. If You Have Time - Grab a Pencil, Figure Out the Chords and Strum Along If I want to try to play chords and strum, things can get a bit trickier. To try to analyze the chords takes a bit more time - generally more than I can read at sight. So, I'll take 5 minutes and go through the song, analyze the chords and jot down the chords above the melody line. If you can, take a minute and try to figure out the chords. Look at the bass line - often that will outline what the chords are doing. Then try to analyze the chord tones above the bass to assimilate them into a familiar chord that works in the key. (Don't get too perplexed if the melody note doesn't match the underlying chord tones exactly. Melodies don't have to follow the chord tones exactly.) Think of it as a puzzle! Usually the chord has 4 notes - i.e. four part harmony. Here are the clues... Example 1: Bass note is G. Notes above it are D, and B, and melody note is a G. This is pretty easy. This would be a G major chord... G. Example 2: Bass note is a C. Notes above it are F, and A, and melody note is an A. This is an F chord with a C in the bass... F/C. If you want to play the C in the bass then great, other wise just play a standard F chord and it will work. Example 3: The key of the song is A. Bass note is a D#. Notes above it are F#, and B, and melody note is an A. (First let's determine what the chord is and then we'll figure out why it's there.) Your chord tones are D#-F#-B-A. In this order they don't make a lot of sense. But if I switch them into a different order - B-D#-F#-A, they turn into a B7. But the D# is in the bass so it would be a B7/D#. Now, why do you think a B7/D# would be in a song in A? The answer?... I would bet that it is functioning as a secondary dominant ( a V of V) and that the next chord is some sort of an E chord (the V chord in A). Yep, hymns are tricky. Simplify the Chord Changes Another way hymns are tricky is that they are often written with constant chord movement, so if I strictly write out the chords I'll end up with chords changing every beat. (Keyboard players like their movement!) But often, with a bit of thought, all of this movement can be greatly simplified to where they can be played on guitar much easier. Example: The analyzed chords may be... || G - G - Am - G/B | C - C/E - C/G - C || But don't worry about all of this bass line movement - especially if it is just between chord tones. This progression can be simplified to just a measure of G and a measure of C. Just Do the Best You Can and Smile Here's my general rule. If I have time to write it out then I'll do that. If I don't, and I don't know the song, then I'll just play the single-note upper line melody. If I do know the song, then I'll glance at the bass line and strum the chords that make sense to my ear go along with the song. Occasionally I'll miss a few but generally I'll be pretty close. Hope this helps.

Tuesday May 21st, 2019 Topic: Fingerstyle Guitar with Joe Robinson! “ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE A YOUNG GUITARIST CAPTURES THE ATTENTION OF MUSIC LOVERS EARLY IN HIS CAREER AND MANAGES TO SUSTAIN THIS INTEREST AS HE MATURES CREATIVELY AND SHEDS THE ‘PRODIGY’ LABEL. JOE ROBINSON IS ONE OF THOSE RARE TALENTS.” - Premier Guitar Joe Robinson https://www.joerobinson.com/ is a self-taught Australian guitarist who has toured the world as a solo guitarist. He won Australia's Got Talent. (WATCH HERE) and launched his career when he was 16. He moved to Nashville and now tours the world playing solo guitar concerts. He's a relatively new friend to our Guitar Gathering family and has just released a new project. Here are a few videos.... Watch it live at 7pm Central tonight HERE Great music, giveaways and more. See you there! Make sure to subscribe to our Guitar Gathering YouTube Channel HERE Learn all you can - Steve

Hey Gang, I wanted to let you know that I'm looking forward to being in the Denver/Longmont area next week! If you live in the Denver or Longmont area and might be interested in catching a private lesson with me while I'm in the area, I've got a few slots available. It's first come, first served. So, if you're interested let me know! I'll be doing a workshop on Wednesday night but I should have some time perhaps on Tuesday or Thursday for a few lessons. Just shoot me an email at Service@MightyOakMusic.com and we'll try to work out a time. (Tuesday night, Wednesday afternoon, or Thursday morning are the best times for me.) Acoustic or Electric. We can work on whatever you need help with. I look forward to being in your area this weekend! Thanks for being a great part of our guitar family! - Steve

Hey gang, We had the live lesson with Rick Derringer last night. What an amazing guy with such Rock and Roll history. There's folks that know Rock history and then there's folks that lived it. From Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, to Eric Clapton, to Weird Al Yankovic, Rick Derringer has been in the middle of that. From the first few minutes of the live lesson I realized that my plans and script for this live lesson were going to be useless. It was one of the few live lessons that I felt pretty out of control. Rick just started talking and rarely came up for air, each story more amazing than the last. I'm sure many of you were wondering why he didn't play. (Here we had one of the greatest living guitarists, who played on countless hits, and I think he played just a handful of chords then entire broadcast.) Well, here's the deal. He recently, injured his hand, and the part of the finger that was still injured was just at the point where the finger contacts the strings. Any of you who have had an injury in just that place on your finger can relate and know exactly the razor-blade like pain on touching the strings that comes with it. I found out about it only about an hour before the show. So, we decided to make the best of it and just talk about the guitars that he was offering for sale at Gruhn's. He was a very kind man on and off camera. I'd love to have him back sometime - and get to hear him play! - Steve

Any questions for Rick Derringer tonight? - Steve

Looking forward to a great show tomorrow night with Rick. If you have a question for Rick, just post it and I'll try to ask him. Should be a great time! - Steve

Great question, I'm glad you're learning. Session 2 in the Fingerstyle course is a big one, so it's not surprising to me if it takes a month or two. This session is all about muscle control and finger dexterity. In other words, getting your fingers to cooperate with what your brain is telling them to do. My advice is to practice it slowly and carefully. The primary goal is to get the finger motions correct. Once you do that then it's pretty easy to pick up the tempo. But speed will never happen until the finger motions are correct. So focus mainly on getting the finger motions correct. Try and get as many notes and strings to ring out as possible. In other words - don't cut off notes or strings before you need to. Strive for a very smooth and legato flowing sound - not short and choppy. Follow along with me in the video at the end of your practice session to make sure you are doing the exercise correctly. Hope this helps. Glad you're part of our guitar family! - Steve

Wonderful! We have that on our resources for this month. It's a good, foundational theory book. STEVE VAI GUITAR BUNDLE Lots of creativity. Learn all you can from everywhere you can. - Steve

Hey gang, This month, I've found some great resources for learning the amazing Steve Vai. Arguably one of the best Rock guitarists on the planet, Steve Vai has had a legendary career with lots of Grammy's on his fireplace mantel. He's a brilliant player. I remember being in Clarkston, Washington doing music for a camp when I saw his world-record breaking online guitar lesson. One of the questions that a wannabe asked him was "What do I do to play like you?". I thought Steve's answer was brilliant. He answered.... "Do what I did." I searched through a bunch of resources to find the best ones for learning "what he did". And here's what I found... Steve Vai's Guitar Workout Book Steve Vai Guitar Play-Alongs Steve Vai's Music Theory Book for Guitarists - Vaideology We put them all in a bundle and made them available for you at a great price. You can check them out HERE. Guitar World Presents STEVE VAI'S GUITAR WORKOUT (40pg Book) Since its appearance in Guitar World in 1990, Vai's intensive guitar regimen has been the Holy Grail for serious players. Here is the lesson that shaped a generation of guitarists. Vai sat down with guitarist/transcriber Dave Whitehill and outlined his practice routine for Guitar World. Never before had a guitarist given such an in-depth explanation of his musical exercise regimen. It became a must-have for guitarists. Many of the players interviewed have cited it as an influence on their development as guitarists. Here's a chance to experience the workout in its original form and to learn some of the things Vai has done to develop his formidable chops and remarkable music vocabulary. In this book, Steve Vai reveals his path to virtuoso enlightenment with two challenging guitar workouts – one 10-hour and one 30-hour – which include scale and chord exercises, ear training, sight-reading, music theory, and much more. Here are some sample pages... STEVE VAI GUITAR PLAY ALONG (88pg Book & Online Audio) The Guitar Play-Along Series will help you play your favorite songs quickly and easily! Just follow the tab, listen to the sound-alike audio to hear how the guitar should sound, and then play along using the separate backing tracks. The audio is available online for download or streaming, and it is enhanced so you can adjust the recording to any tempo without changing pitch! 8 Steve Vai classic songs written in music and TAB including: The Attitude Song • The Crying Machine • Die to Live • For the Love of God • I Would Love To • Sunshine Electric Raindrops • Tender Surrender • Touching Tongues. Here are some sample pages... VAIDEOLOGY: Basic Music Theory for Guitar Players (96 pg Book) Named Guardians of Guitar 2019 NAMM top pick! Experience must-know music knowledge and wisdom through the highly focused lens of legendary guitar virtuoso Steve Vai. This full-color instructional book written by Vai himself features in-depth discussions of the music theory fundamentals that every aspiring (and veteran) guitar player should know, packed with practical exercises, diagrams, tips, inspiring ideas and concepts, practice methods, and ways of looking at music that you may have never considered. Topics covered include: academic vs. experiential learning • reading and writing music • key signatures • chord scales • rhythm basics • guitar harmonics • modes • and much more. This beautiful book is full-color throughout and features artwork on every page by Vai! Three powerful resources personally created by Steve Vai to help you reach your guitar goals. His Personal Legendary Workouts Learn and Play Classic Steve Vai Songs His explanation of Music Theory for Guitar Players You can check them out HERE. Learn all you can! - Steve

April 23rd, 2019 Topic: Rock Legend Rick Derringer: Guitars and Stories! "...his guitar playing influenced me to play slide guitar." - Duane Allman, The Allman Brothers Band Toured with the Rolling Stones, played guitar along side John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn. Recorded with Steely Dan, Barbara Streisand, Air Supply, Edgar Winter, Ringo Starr, The McCoys, Cyndi Lauper, KISS, Alice Cooper and countless others. Rick's amazing career has included writing "Hang On Sloopy" in the 60s, "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" in the 70s, playing guitar on "Total Eclipse the Heart" and Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All" in the 80s, to producing Weird Al Yankovic's "Eat It", to modern day work topping the Smooth Jazz charts and writing for the FX series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". Rick will be shows some of his personal collection of guitars and talking about his amazing career. Here are a few videos... Back in the day with Edgar Winter "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo"

Hey all, It's been an exciting day on the Guitar Gathering conference front. I'm excited to announce that we've officially confirmed that Russ Barenberg will be leading a workshop and playing for the evening concert! Russ is one of my favorite guitar players on the planet. He has the ability to touch the strings and make your heart feel emotion. I'd trade every fast lick I know to be able to play a simple chord progression and have the emotional impact that Russ has on the listener. Russ has played on countless things. Here are a few... If you've ever been watching the Ken Burns documentary "The Civil War" and melted at the gorgeous guitar playing throughout it - that's Russ. If you've watched the acclaimed BBC series "The Transatlantic Sessions" with guests like James Taylor and Allison Krause and wondered who was playing guitar - that's Russ. Or maybe you've caught him in one of his legendary nights at a small club here in Nashville... I look forward to hearing his music once again. See you at the Gathering! http://www.guitargathering2019.com/ - Steve

Here you go! - Steve

Triple O, Do you have a recording of it I could hear? A YouTube video perhaps. If I can hear it then I can probably help you out with what is going on. THanks, STeve

March 19th, 2019 Topic: Celtic Guitar with Shane Hennessy! "...a brilliant young guitar player!" - Tommy Emmanuel Shane Hennessy is a virtuoso guitarist, composer and songwriter from Ireland. Known for his unique virtuosic approach to the acoustic guitar, his musical style has won praisse from musical giants Nile Rodgers of CHIC and guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel, with whom Shane has shared the stage. Here are a few videos.... Watch it live at 7pm Central tonight HERE Great music, giveaways and more. See you there! Make sure to subscribe to our Guitar Gathering YouTube Channel HERE Learn all you can - Steve

March 12th, 2019 7pm Central Topic: Blues Guitar with Robben Ford!

February 19th, 2019 7pm Central Topic: Fingerstyle Travis Picking Guitar with Jonathan Brown! "Jonathan Brown's fingerstyle artistry combines a wealth of musical influences with polished technique and passion to deliver the most riveting and entertaining solo guitar performance I've seen in years." - Dana Bourgeois with Bourgeois Guitars Jonathan Brown is a guitarist/composer/teacher from Nashville TN. He has played on the world famous Grand Ole Opry and been an active member of the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society. Hearing the guitar styles of Chet Atkins at an early age, he was eager to learn the fingerstyle guitar technique. Jonathan has taken the fingerstyle technique and transformed it into his own style of playing that shows a wide variety of influence ranging from jazz to classical. "Jonathan is a refreshing fingerstyle guitarist who I really enjoy listening to. His playing is fluid and effortless with a great sense of swing and groove. Undeniably a great talent" - Brent Mason "Jonathan is an old musical soul in a young person, with the depth of his guitar mentors, the discipline to master the guitar in a rare way, and a young spirit." - Muriel Anderson Jonathan has also been a recurring musician on the hit T.V. series "Nashville" with the Rayna James Band. He is a regular on the Grand Ole Opry and with Aubrey Peeples of the show Nashville. Here are a few videos.... Here's a duet with Brent Mason... Watch it live at 7pm Central tonight HERE Great music, giveaways and more. See you there! Make sure to subscribe to our Guitar Gathering YouTube Channel HERE Learn all you can - Steve

The short answer from me is.... I have no idea! - Steve