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    Shades of Play: Start Playing and Keep Playing Guitar
    Shades of Play: Start Playing and Keep Playing Guitar
    Shades of Play: Start Playing and Keep Playing Guitar
    Ebook209 pages2 hours

    Shades of Play: Start Playing and Keep Playing Guitar

    By Bill DuBois and Mark Kuta

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    About this ebook

    Do you think you would like to play guitar? Are you a beginner? Did you buy a guitar that is now collecting dust under your bed? Have you learned a few chords but now seem stuck in a rut? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Shades of Play is a must read. It is THE prerequisite to becoming a guitar player. You are either a guitar player or you are not, there is no grey area. Exposure to the simple instructions Bill and Mark explain in Shades of Play will lead to the following symptoms; a strong desire to buy a guitar, addiction to learning new chords, anxiety of adding another new song to your repertoire before your next party and sleep loss playing guitar with friends. Before you buy a guitar or put your guitar for sale on eBay, read Shades of Play. Be a guitar player for life.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateAug 27, 2012
    ISBN9781623097493
    Shades of Play: Start Playing and Keep Playing Guitar

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      Book preview

      Shades of Play - Bill DuBois

      Coleman

      Preface

      Those guitar lessons leave a sour note? Turn those instruments into cash with the want ads.

      Mark had just started to play guitar when he came upon this ad in the local newspaper. He vowed to himself that his guitar would be used for more than collecting dust bunnies underneath the bed. He began to wonder why so many people start playing guitar but then lose interest faster than Eddie Van Halen can play his Eruption solo. We want you to keep your guitar out of the want ads – that is, unless you’re selling your guitar to get money for a better one…

      What compels someone to continue to play guitar for his or her entire life? This is what you will explore in Shades of Play. As with any worthwhile goal, you are successful only after you have taken the first step.

      That first step could be reading this book.

      The first steps may also include some of the things you will learn later on, like your first chords and some new strumming patterns. But when things get in the way or you get in a rut or there are other distractions keeping you from playing, the heart of this book will provide the tools to keep you coming back to your guitar.

      Collectively what is outlined in this book is something Mark is fond of calling, "The DuBois Method." While it’s not a formal method for teaching guitar, it’s something Mark and Bill – okay, mostly Bill – developed, and in the few years it’s taken to write this book, it has proven successful with a number of others with whom either Mark or Bill shared the plan with. It’s pretty simple. It starts with you believing you will be a guitar player, and socializing this fact with as many people as you can. In this respect, it should be no different than any of those other goals you have set in your life.

      Now, once you’ve decided to become a guitar player, you get a guitar and, well, play it. Now that might sound simple and for the most part, it is. Like Mark, you will learn to play, immediately, a song or two that you have had in your head (and heart) for years. And now that you are playing guitar, you’ll take advantage of every chance you get to jam with other people. Bill is particularly fond of saying that every guitar player knows someone who is a better player. And if you are jamming with someone who isn’t as good as you…then, you can teach them something. You may be surprised how much this simple concept of learning, teaching and jamming will keep you playing. As the title suggests, there are many shades of learning and teaching.

      Set 1 will get you thinking about what it takes to not only start (that’s the easy part) but what you need to do to keep playing guitar. What are your guitar playing goals? What commitment is involved? What type of guitar and gear should you buy? Why this chapter is called a set and not a chapter? Alert: if at all possible, do NOT buy a guitar until after you read Set 1. You may get more bang for your buck if you follow this advice.

      When you are ready to buy, the second set will give you some ideas regarding what to purchase. You’ll learn about different types of guitars and accessories so when you walk into a music store you won’t feel like you’ve just set foot on another planet.

      Set 3 will possibly save you a couple hundred dollars worth of guitar lessons. The focus is on what you need so that you can play that first song, or as Mark calls it, getting a quick win. Now we’re not talking about Twinkle Twinkle Little Star here but a song YOU enjoy. There will be so much more to learn but after the Set 3 you’ll likely have quit your air band for good and launched that first live song.

      Now if you want to keep your guitar out of the garage sale, you’ll take the advice in the encore. This means more than learning notes, chords, and songs. It’s about all the experiences that will provide breakthrough benefits that keep you coming back for more. These are recommendations of what you need to do to ensure you think like a guitar player and keep on strumming, like home run hitters who keep stepping up to the plate.

      Set 1: Before You Start

      The Motivation

      After a Chuck Berry duck walk, a couple of Pete Townshed windmills and a jump off the stage with a landing to a cymbal crash Jimmy Page would be proud of, Mark was screaming like a 13-year-old girl at a Jonas Brothers concert after Bill finished jamming a couple of songs with the house band.

      Bill, I want to do that! If I start playing the guitar now, will I be able to play a song for my wife’s birthday in a couple of months? Mark asked.

      No problem. That’s plenty of time was Bill’s immediate thought that blurted out.

      What? Are you kidding me? Really? I thought it would take nine or ten months?

      Mark had learned a foreign language in less time, so playing his favorite song should be as easy as playing the radio.

      Mark, if you could learn Portuguese in nine months, you can certainly learn to play the guitar – not play one song – but play the guitar in nine months.

      After all, Bill said with a smile, the motivation is still the same!

      Ah, the stuff of dreams, the launcher of wars, the sender of ships. The same drive, same emotion, same ambition and goal that have moved human beings since the dawn of time could drive Mark to play the guitar.

      His motivation to learn and to master word after word and phrase after phrase was the same thing that kept him learning note after note and chord after chord: hot chicks (well one in particular, Marks’ wife).

      The thought of taking on the guitar had been simmering in the back of Mark’s mind but what brought it to a boil was seeing his colleague Bill casually take the stage at a bar in Chicago and proceed to rock the joint with a couple of great songs, a few screaming leads and a flick of the pick to the crowd. That was it. Mark wanted to bring thousands of screaming fans to a frenzy by blazing through his favorite tunes. So he started with a trip to a pawn shop and entertaining a dozen friends in his back yard, but the remarkable thing is that Mark is still playing his guitar today.

      How did Mark go from the pawn shop to neighborhood rock star? Although he may still be working towards playing in front of thousands of screaming fans, he has kept his guitar out of the want ads because he adhered to the advice that follows.

      Know What You Want – And Tell Somebody

      "You have to have goals. You can’t just say, ‘I will learn guitar and figure out my goals later.’" - Joe Bonamassa, one of Bill’s favorites, American Blues Guitarist and Singer

      So many people say they want to play guitar and some even go as far as buying that guitar and taking a few (expensive) lessons. But before some Steve Vai fret board gymnastics can be attempted, you need to take the time to decide what you want from the guitar. You should be able to sum this up in one or two sentences. The list below provides examples of some of the things to think about even before you pick up a guitar:

         I want to play guitar at the campfire and parties so people can sing along.

         I want to jam at the open stage sessions at the local Blues club.

         I would like to play a few songs to help relieve the stress of my work day.

         I would like to strum along with my friend who plays fiddle.

         I would like to take formal musical training and study classical guitar.

         I want to sing my special someone our song.

         Bob Dylan is looking for an opening act and I’m available.

      The main reason for this exercise is to provide focus and for you to think of and articulate your goals as they relate to guitar playing. Over time you goals will likely change but it’s important to keep your vision alive. As you learn more, you may want to incorporate other styles of music or look at other venues for opportunities to play. And as you start out, you will need to focus on your goals to get an early win on the guitar. Think of this as your Vision Statement.

      Mark was already ahead of the game with his vision of playing a complete song and building out his repertoire so he could play with, and for, his family and friends. This was his realistic goal but opening for Bob Dylan is still not impossible, just highly unlikely! Given Bob’s age and all, yes, that’s why…

      Imagine

      One of the best ways to ensure success is to imagine having success. Just as great golfers imagine themselves sinking that putt right before they strike the ball, or the runner visualizing crossing the finish line, you have to imagine yourself playing your guitar.

      Can you imagine how you would feel if you could play your favorite song on the guitar? Who would you play it for and where would that ultimate place be? If you take a few moments and let the imagination run, maybe then you can decide what it is you want from the instrument.

      Now you can put down in writing, adding as much detail as you want, your personal movie script where you are the lead character playing guitar. Whether you imagine sitting in your front yard strumming with your neighbors, wailingon stage or around a campfire, or simply playing along to some music in your living room, it is important to visualize what you want to accomplish.

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