AboutChuck Expertise I am a professional musician, I can play by ear, I arrange music write music, teach music in the public school system, and teach privately. My father was a school music teacher, and I have written three volumes for teaching beginning string players, taking them from scratch to high school level. I have performed in a local production of Music Man (musical) with celebrities John Davidson/Susan Watson and have my masters degree in education. I retired from the classroom in 2004 with 38 yrs. experience-now still substituting for music- and writing arr. for my cello trio(with two audio cd's and one dvd of a performance)http://cellosound.blogspot.com
I have directed church choirs and am principal cellist in our local community orchestra. I really love to arrange music for the groups I perform in and sing and have music in my life every day. A day without music, is a mistake, like having a day without sunshine.
Experience Employment history: I have been employed by our local school district since 1967 as a music teacher from grades 1-12 Organizations: I play cello principal chair in the local community orchestra, and sing in a chorus,and perfom in a barbershop quartet
Education: My early life in high school and college was summer workshops in choral conducting with founder of Westminster Choir College (N.J.) Dr. John F.Williamson (in Who`s Who in Music) and summer workshops with Robert Shaw in San Diego Grad. of Sacramento STate Univ.and masters from Univ. of La VErne, ca
Awards: awarded the Bank of America award in my high school senior year for music
Question Hi Chuck ! i am very interested in playing guitar by ear but i dont know how and where to start off. Can you please give me some advices. I have read your answer about this topic and noticed that you said you learned from a book written by John mehagan. Can you let me know the title of the book so i can purchase it. Thank you very much for your help.
Answer son:
Yes, I purchased all four volumes (in binder format) written by John Mehegan (a jazz improvisation book) This book had to be ordered at the time of my purchase, today, Im not sure if it is still available, i have given away 3 volumes of it, copying all the information i needed out of it, and kept one volume for my own use and reference. I am away on vacation right now and not near my house to give you the exact title information, so if you still think it will help you get the set, re-ask me in a week, ok? (then i'll be home)
His book was for the pianist who already knew CHORDS, CHORD PROGRESSIONS, CHORD SYMBOLS AND NOTATIONS, and CHORD PLAYING SKILLS, all he did was give you the substitutions for chords, and chord progressions, and how to use jazz chords in place of the original set chords for a song. He did this to many old standards and old jazz tunes, there is nothing 'current' in the books applying to newer songs, and nothing describing the sounds of''hot jazz licks'' or ''modern jazz chord sounds'' , that kind of modern jazz playing is not here. George Shearing style, or Piano bar, style is the thrust of his information, and the rest is applicable to all jazz sounds, and styles. It was what I enjoyed as an improviser, and still enjoying playing his style of music today. It is not dixieland jazz style, nor progressive jazz. So I'd suggest you try something I did BEFORE I BOUGHT THIS BOOK, i listened to the music i wanted to copy and played along with the radio, cd, tape, etc, and duplicated that music on the piano as i listened, and that helped me immensely, you might consider that also as an ''instructional tool'' for yourself.
Well, that is all I can do right now, It is NOT A GUITAR instruction book but for piano, I dont know how to play guitar, or to stylize guitar chord sounds, that will most likely have to come from a private teacher, who plays that style, check around,many guitar teachers dont play by ear, it is not a ''given'' that musicians can play by ear, that is a 'minority' in the music game.
Hope this helps, but I believe you'll probably need to search for a guitar player who plays by ear, to help you with more skills,
