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<title>The Practicing Musician Newsletter</title><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/index.html</link><description>News and information about music instruction&#x2c; recording technology and techniques&#x2c; and live performance</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2010 Curtis Kamiya Studio</dc:rights><dc:date>2011-12-07T10:36:39-10:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Thu, 9 Dec 2010 12:54:44 -1000</lastBuildDate><item><title>Tools and Tricks &#x7c; Choosing Guitar Strings</title><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Tools and Tricks</category><dc:date>2011-12-07T10:36:39-10:00</dc:date><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/choosing-guitar-strings.html#unique-entry-id-9</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/choosing-guitar-strings.html#unique-entry-id-9</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Electric Strings and Acoustic Strings:  They both have different sound profiles appropriate to the type of guitar.  

...Coated or Uncoated:  Coated strings have a layer of polymer that is designed to reduce corrosion, improve tuning consistency, and reduce finger squeak.    The trade off is that they are more expensive and sometimes less bright than untreated strings.


...So a pack with strings gauges of .012 inches up to .054 inches are called "twelves", .011 to .052 are called "elevens", and so on.


In order to simplify the process, most string manufacturers apply the name "medium", "light", and "extra light" to their string gauges.  

...- Acoustic Guitar:  extra light (tens - .010) | light (elevens - .011) | medium (twelves - .012)


...Phosphor Bronze and 80/20:  This is an acoustic guitar string type.  

...Elixir (that's the manufacturer) acoustic elevens (or lights, I figure it's the middle of the road in terms of tone and playability) phosphor bronze (80/20 strings are too bright for me).  ...  Oh and one last thing, I only use the nanoweb Elixirs, they polyweb coating is too thick for me.


..."Yo, get me a set of Elixir Acoustics, nanoweb lights, and make sure they're phosphor bronze."
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Featured Artist &#x7c; Kane Yoshida</title><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Featured Artist</category><dc:date>2011-12-21T10:16:52-10:00</dc:date><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/kane-yoshida.html#unique-entry-id-7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/kane-yoshida.html#unique-entry-id-7</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[He has been a student with Curtis Kamiya Music for two years.    He comes to us for vocal lessons, guitar lessons, and career and performance coaching.


Kane's music is a blend of R&B and island reggae.    He's a multi-talented performer who can sing, rap, and play the guitar.  


This young musician has already accomplished quite a bit.  ...  He has high quality recordings of his music, some of it original, and some of it new interpretations of classic songs.    Recently he has landed a steady gig at Hank's Cafe, downtown on Nuuanu Ave, just a block from the Curtis Kamiya Studio.


His next show at Hank's will be on New Year's Eve, and you can find him there on Monday's in January.


Here are some places where you can check out Kane's music.


...I hope to be highlighting several students in the coming months!
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Tools and Tricks &#x7c; Vocal Warm Up</title><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Tools and Tricks</category><dc:date>2011-12-14T10:15:01-10:00</dc:date><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/vocal-warm-ups.html#unique-entry-id-6</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/vocal-warm-ups.html#unique-entry-id-6</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Vocal warm ups are an essential part of a vocal students routine.    They help you limber up your vocal cords so they can perform, just like stretching before physical activity.    They also allow you to focus on some fundamentals so that your voice learns to do what you ask it to do.


Here are two vocal warm up exercises designed to accomplish both of the above.  

...One-Five-One Exercise:  This takes you five notes up the scale and back down.  ...  Sing it on "Mah", and focus on clean execution of the notes, connecting the notes into one phrase, and floating your high notes as you get into your upper register:


...One-Three-Five-Eight Exercise:  This exercise takes you through a major triad, and sing by saying the numbers.    Focus on signing the notes without sliding, and singing in tune.    Be sure to crescendo to the top note and decrescendo back to the bottom note.    Pronounce each word with a mid-atlantic accent (not so nasally American, but with a more vertical pronunciation):
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Video Tutorial &#x7c; Live Pedalboard</title><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Video Tutorial</category><dc:date>2011-11-21T23:09:40-10:00</dc:date><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/live-pedalboard.html#unique-entry-id-5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/live-pedalboard.html#unique-entry-id-5</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Here's a quick tour and tutorial that I've made about my pedalboard.    For any of you aspiring performing musicians, there are many varied and unique challenges that live performance will present.    A pedalboard offers some practical solutions to some common issues like:


	&bull;	Every time I turn my guitar up loud enough to hear, it starts to feedback.


	&bull;	How can I take a guitar solo if I'm playing and performing on solo guitar.


	&bull;	My guitar sounds great when I play unplugged, but it sounds thin and brittle when I plug in.


This video will address some of those issues and more.    Hope you enjoy the tour!


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ogGkM10Wqug" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Tools and Tricks &#x7c; &#x27;Ukulele Sheet Music</title><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Tools and Tricks</category><dc:date>2011-11-14T22:51:51-10:00</dc:date><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/ukulele-sheet-music.html#unique-entry-id-4</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/ukulele-sheet-music.html#unique-entry-id-4</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[It's usually pretty hard to find sheet music made just for the 'ukulele.    Very often we have to use guitar chords and turn them into 'ukulele chords.    This works okay, but what if you're trying to play something more complicated?    I've got two places that you can go:


ukulelehunt.com - This is a website that I use quite often to source music for my students.    The music is clean, accurate, and browsable by difficulty and genre.  

...dominator.ukeland.com - Dominator is a legend in the online 'ukulele community.    He transcribes the hardest songs including "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jake Shimabukuro, and he also travels the country performing and connecting with musicians over the 'ukulele.    Best of all, he shares it online.    Don't know what his real name is, but he's a great contributor to 'ukulele playing worldwide.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Featured Artist &#x7c; Melissa Etheridge</title><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Featured Artist</category><dc:date>2011-11-07T22:43:00-10:00</dc:date><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/melissa-etheridge.html#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/melissa-etheridge.html#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I saw a video of Melissa Etheridge doing this song when I was very young and it made a huge impression on me.    She walked out there on stage with one guitar and one voice and she rocked the house!    As I encountered this recently with the eyes of a music instructor, several things were very clear to me about her performance and I hope you can learn something from what she does.  


...Melissa Etheridge delivers the verses in a smoldering whisper and the choruses in a full gallop.    Then she takes a full two minutes to work up to a last chorus that blows the roof off.  

...	2	She makes a great use of a palm mute to add percussion to the guitar part.    She has no drummer or bassist, so she needs to generate as much rhythmic interest as she can.    She's constantly working her right hand palm mute to add a driving snare rhythm to her song.


...She's all alone, but she puts out enough energy to get the crowd stomping and clapping.  


...<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jda-VA1gh-k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Featured Artist &#x7c; Andy Mckee</title><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Featured Artist</category><dc:date>2011-10-01T21:02:28-10:00</dc:date><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/andy-mckee.html#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/andy-mckee.html#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I found Andy Mckee on youtube several years ago and I was totally floored.    He&rsquo;s a true internet phenomenon, in that he was an amazing but unknown guitarist.    He put up some videos of him playing, namely a cover of &ldquo;Africa&rdquo; and some great originals.  ...  He is now touring all over the world and I&rsquo;m thrilled for him.  

...Any of his videos are worth checking out, but just to highlight his cover of &ldquo;Everybody Wants To Rule The World&rdquo; by Tears For Fears.    Here are a few things to be looking for that are noteworthy:


...	&bull;	He uses his thumb to slap the top of the guitar and the lower strings on 2 and 4 of each measure to add a percussive rhythm.


	&bull;	He&rsquo;s using both upstrokes and downstrokes for picking with his right hand


...	&bull;	Check out his use of harmonics in the melody for the bridge


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/foJ-Fs6DWZM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Music Software &#x7c; Guitar Rig 5 Player</title><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Professional Tools</category><dc:date>2011-10-14T15:08:02-10:00</dc:date><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/guitar-rig-5.html#unique-entry-id-1</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/guitar-rig-5.html#unique-entry-id-1</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[There is one computer program that is totally and completely indispensable for my teaching.    I open this program for almost every lesson that I teach.    That program is called Guitar Rig 5.    This program does many useful things for a musician, but here are a few important things that Guitar Rig 5 can do for you:


...	&bull;	Loop, slowly, an important section of a song you&rsquo;re trying to learn, like a guitar solo


Are you singer, and have you ever wished that your song was available just a little lower so you can hit all the notes?    Are you a guitar player, and have you ever wanted to practice with the original recording, but it&rsquo;s just too darned fast?    Are you an &lsquo;ukulele player and want to hear Jake Shimabukuro play his songs at half speed?


...These are the most important functions that it does, but it also can get you a guitar tone like Santana, or aid your songwriting creativity.    I&rsquo;ve bought this software for $199 for many years, but just recently the manufacturer is offering a stripped down version of the program for free.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Video Tutorial &#x7c; Travis Picking</title><dc:creator>curtiskamiya@mac.com</dc:creator><category>Video Tutorial</category><dc:date>2011-10-07T09:15:26-10:00</dc:date><link>http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/travis-picking.html#unique-entry-id-0</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.curtiskamiya.com/newsletter/files/travis-picking.html#unique-entry-id-0</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Travis picking is a common name for a style of finger style picking where the thumb alternates between the bass notes and your pointer and index fingers play alternating treble notes.    It's a great pattern to learn if you're interested in finger style guitar, and can be modified to fit many different genres.    For those of you familiar with slack-key guitar, the basic movement is very similar.  

...<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qL-Vee9-4aA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


The Boxer (Paul Simon) - Beginner | Full Sheet Music PDF | MP3


This is Travis Picking at its simplest, alternating thumb notes and treble notes.


...Dust In The Wind (Kansas) - Beginner | Full Sheet Music PDF | MP3 


This Kansas riff adds a pinch into the beginning of the riff.


...B|-1-------1-----|-0-------0-----|-3-------3-------|

...Windy And Warm (Chet Atkins) - Advanced | Full Sheet Music PDF | MP3
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