Tag: fingerpicking

fingerstyle guitar

Erik Mongrain – Master of Air Tap – Fascinating…

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Erik Mongrain has developed a technique to perfection which is known as Air Tap. For playing this Air Tap technique the guitar is not played in the normal position but is laid flat in front of the the player and is played simultaneously by both hands.

The left hand produces the tones by hammering down the fingers onto the fretboard and the strings – a technique that has been known for a long tine,  but which has mainly been used for playing small ornaments. The possibility of amplification now makes it possible that this technique can be used for playing not just ornaments but complete melodies or even chords just with the left hand alone.

The right hand is used to pick the strings with the traditional fingerpicking patterns, but also to produce a number of percussion effects and harmony tones. By this two-hand technique a full and complex sound is produced which does not sound like a single guitar but almost like a complete guitar ensemble.

In 2004 Erik Mongrain has played the following piece in a Canadian talent show:

Erik Mongrain – Airtap 2004 – Party de Noël

Prestation d’Érik Mongrain au Party de Noël des Pourris de Talent.Décembre 2004

In 2012 he has played “Rewind” from his album “Forward” at the Canadian Guitar Festival:

CGF 2012: Erik Mongrain – “Rewind”

Erik Mongrain – “Rewind” (original).
Live, at the Canadian Guitar Festival 2012
August 4, 2012, Loughborough Lake, Kingston, Ontario

Erik performs an original tune from his 2012 album “Forward”.

Erik Mongrain has first used this technique when busking because it attacted a lot of people. Now he uses this often at the beginning of concerts to get rid of his stage-fright. He is currently working on new compositions for a new album supported by a campaign with indiegogo.

Playlist Erik Mongrain

Additional Informationen

Amazon Partnerlinks for the CDs Fates (2007) and Equlibrium (2008) by Erik Mongrain:

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fingerstyle guitar

Calum Graham – He can play the guitar like…

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Calum Graham is a young guitarist from Canada who is already a master of his instrument. Three years ago he won the first price at the Canadian Guitar Festival with this fantastic and incredible performance.

Canadian Guitar Festival 2010: Finalist 1, Song 2 – 1st Place (Calum Graham – “The Channel”)

Calum has just released his third album 12:34 in which he worked together with Don Ross. You can watch Calum with Don Ross in this video:

Calum Graham & Don Ross – It Is What It Is (2013) (fixed audio*)

Read more “Calum Graham – He can play the guitar like few can on the planet – New CD 12:34 with Don Ross” →

guitar

Famous Ragtime Guitar Solos * Ton van Bergeyk *…

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When I searched  for pieces by  Abe Holzmann  I have found a video of a ragtime guitar solo by Ton van Bergeyk – Smokey Mokes. This piece is contained in the collection Famous Guitar Ragtime Solos that has been produced in the 1970s by Stefan Grossman.

The complete Album is available at youtube – you can use the following playlist to listen to it:

Famous Ragtime Guitar Solos

Von Ton van Bergeyk – Produced by Stefan Grossman

Additional Information

Keepswinging Blog about Ton van Bergeyk: http://keepswinging.blogspot.com/2008/07/fingerpicking-wizard-still-kicking.html

Website with discography of  Ton van Bergeyk: http://www.wirz.de/music/bergefrm.htm

Many more ragtime videos can be found in the youtube channel RagtimeDorianHenry

Sheet music – trascriptions for guitar – Stefan Grossman: http://www.classclef.com/category/genre/acoustic/stefan-grossman

folk

Glenn Jones – Of Its Own Kind – A…

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I have recently discovered  the Tiny Desk Concert video with guitarist and banjo player Glenn Jones.

You can watch this video at NPR and download the audio version.

http://www.npr.org/event/music/145511760/glenn-jones-tiny-desk-concert

It is also available as youtube video:

Glenn Jones: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

The following text can be found on the NPR site:

Glenn Jones has only taken up the banjo recently, but it’s as if he’s been inside the instrument for a lifetime. At least that’s how it felt when he opened his set with a modal piece that might have felt more appropriate played next to a quiet creek than behind our desks at the NPR Music offices.

Jones’ most recent album, The Wanting, is a compelling work of American folk music that tells stories without a single word. When he introduced “The Great Pacific Northwest,” he said that if he played it right, “Mt. Rainier should burst right through the floor of this room.” Heaven help us if it didn’t seem like it might.

Glenn Jones gave a great performance, very relaxed and soft, and I did especially like the third tune of this concert – Of Its Own Kind – very much.

There is a special video of this tune which is part of the new CD “The Wanting” by Glenn Jones:

Glenn Jones – Of Its Own Kind

Playlist with more youtube videos with Glenn Jones

Additional informationen

Website: http://people.bu.edu/nsmith/GLENNJONES/GlennJones_HOME.html

Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/glennjonesguitar

NPR about Glenn Jones:

http://www.npr.org/2011/10/01/140935915/a-singular-guitarist-emerges-from-john-faheys-shadow

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