ACOUSTIC ISSUE 47 NOVEMBER 2010
32
ELEANOR
MCEVOY
A savage mugging left
Eleanor with a badly
damaged hand, but
improved her playing.
She explains it all.
30 Stacey Earle
and Mark Stuart
Playing more than 250 shows a year has its
challenges. Julian Piper finds out.
39 Indigo Girls
The duo do things their
own way and it’s paid off
in style.
Contents 47.indd 6
ALSO ACOUSTIC
12 This month:
Steve Diggle
RETUNE
YOUR EARS
24 Zakk Wylde 27Jon Boden 20 Have a listen
The heavy-metal legend is in The Bellowhead man has an to something new
love with the acoustic guitar.
He tells Darren Edwards why.
interesting project on the go.
We find out more.
44 MattStevens
As his album tours the
‘blogosphere’, guitarist Matt
Stevens tells Chelle Johnson 28 Gadjo Jazz
why the Internet has become so We talk to the gypsy jazz
42 Meic Stevens exciting for acoustic musicians stalwarts
Meic Stevens is nothing less than
a folk legend. Cited by a new UK LUTHIER CORNER
generation of indie stars as an
influence, he’s back with a new 80 Andreas Cuntz
album. We talk to the fast rising German luthier.
27/09/2010 17:07
 Guitar Techniques
IMPROVE YOUR PLAYING
WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE
TECHNIQUES SECTION
With 11 pages of level specific techniques,
whether you’re a novice or an expert our col-
umns have something for everyone.
Acoustic Techniques
Biography
Gordon Giltrap is
pioneer of acoustic
music in the UK. His
extensive discography
gives evidence of a skilled
musician whose expertise
lay in composition and
arrangement. His pieces
Gear Reviews
Acoustic keeps you up
to date with what’s hot
and what’s not in our
gear reviews section.
48 Huss & Dalton Stage Worn
Do you ever feel old before your time? Likely you
can teach a few good lessons from your playing
experiences, just like this guitar.
Prelude To Techniques
Skill Level
Pastoral 52 Sexauer FT-O-JB Fan Fret
Acoustic
Suitable for Techniques
advanced
players
Another vintage classic from Gordon
Scale
Giltrap. Biography

Companion
GORDON have become acoustic
standards, played and Raymond Burley is an
GILTRAP
Construction
Instrumental Artist
enjoyed by young and
old alike.
accomplished classical
guitarist, composer and Techniques
Skill level: Advanced arranger. One of his most Skill Level
recent projects was the album This is suitable
and pull off section in bar one may need
Double Vision - a collection for intermediate
Journey, and is one of the few stand

The name Bruce Sexauer may not be familiar to

Oh, those far off heady days of the 70’s
where thematically based albums were
very much to fore. I make no excuses
when I say I was pretty much part of
music that was written in abundance
way back then!
‘Prelude To Pastoral’ was a short
acoustic intro to a much larger work
alone pieces that can be performed on
solo acoustic guitar. The main bulk of
the album was pretty much a full on
band affair. The descending hammer on
a little time to work on if you aren’t used
of Giltrap pieces arranged for
More work on scales to
RAYMOND
two guitars.
to this sort of thing, but apart from that
improve your playing
plain sailing. Enjoy.
BURLEY
bar, and possibly bar three everything is

that progressive rock, concept based and appeared on my hit album Perilous Classical Guitarist

many UK readers, but his desire to make a better

Skill Level: Intermediate

Prelude To Pastoral
Welcome back to my column. I hope your
playing is improving steadily.

Scale Construction (cont)

I’d like to continue with the subject of scales.
I showed the gaps, or intervals, between each
Last time, we covered major, harmonic and
melodic minor scales; this time it’s the chromatic
note as T (a tone) and S (semitone). The chromatic
‘coloured’ – in other words, the scale is embellished,
or coloured, by addition accidentals.
scale. In the examples,
scale comprises semitones throughout; ‘chromatic’
meaning
guitar than ones he could buy has led to some
Example 1

A chromatic scale beginning on C would

appear as follows: spectacular creations.
As you’ll see, I have shown the scale concerned, all the notes on the 5th,
both ascending and descending, not ‘nuts and bolts’ of music – part of the towards the highest note. This may
4th, 3rd and 2nd strings are found in
because, like the melodic minor scale, musical grammar, if you like. They feel less natural but certainly not
the 1st position; after playing the G
help to establish the feeling of key in

54 Takamine G Series EG268 CS

it alters on the way down, it’s simply
that convention dictates that notes
are raised by using sharps on the way
up and lowered with flats on the way
down. This is to avoid the need for
more accidentals than are necessary.
Those of you who are less confident
sharp on the 1st string (with the 4th
finger) move to the 5th position for
the last four notes.
Scale Performance
There is no question that, however
beneficial they are, scales can be
the music you’re playing – unless, of
course, it is atonal, ie not belonging to
any particular key.
Scales should always form part of
a daily warm-up routine, as they help
considerably with coordination and
speed. So, how can scales be made
unheard of in a piece of music.
The rhythms of a scale can be
altered, of course. Rather than playing
even-note values throughout, a
dotted rhythm can be employed.
Each note can be repeated in various
combinations before moving to the

& EG269 VGT

reading flats can simply play the next. Different right-hand fingers can
extremely tedious to play. The more interesting to play? The most
first half of the scale backwards; the be used – particularly effective if the
performance of scales and arpeggios basic way would be to shape them
musical effect will be exactly the same. weaker fingers, or combinations of
(spread chords) is a requirement for with dynamics: start quietly, crescendo
A pitch having more than one letter fingers, are used. With scale playing,
most grade exams – just a handful towards the middle of the scale,
name, for example C sharp and D flat, don’t always assume the faster you
in Grade 1 to a considerable number decrescendo as the scale descends.
is referred to as ‘enharmonic’. Like all play, the better. Slow scale playing
by the time Grade 8 is reached. This usually feels quite natural – the
other types of scale, the chromatic allows you to listen much more
These must always be performed music gets higher so the volume

These guitars have a subliminal, familiarity. What

scale can begin on any note. carefully to the evenness of rhythm,
from memory. As I mentioned in opens up. Then try the reverse,
As far as the left-hand fingering is the previous article, scales are the attack and quality of sound.
starting loudly, and decrescendo

Example 2

is this down to and how far does this association

Below is a series of possibilities – these are
shown using the first four notes of a C major
scale.

go?
Don’t be frightened to use your imagination
110 and come up with other exercises. Never
let scale playing become boring, particularly
when it doesn’t have to be.
I hope the article gives you some ideas and
inspiration.
27/09/2010 11:44

60 Simon & Patrick Woodland

Gordon Giltrap_BC.indd 96 Raymond Burley

112

110-111 RAYMOND BURLEY_BC.indd

110

Parlour
27/09/2010 11:47

106 Pierre Bensusan 114 Chris Gibbons A tiny guitar at an invitingly small price, but will
This month Pierre introduces The pitfalls of syncopation the Woodland Parlour make a big impression?
you to the joys of playing and explained Sam Wise finds out.
singing.

118 Simon Mayor 64 Godin Multiac ACS-SA USB &

110 Gordon Giltrap Henry Purcell’s ‘Hornpipe in E
Grand Concert Duet Ambience
Another classic from the Giltrap Minor’
If you are a traditionalist in your approach to
repertoire.
the classical guitar, or perhaps more focused on
modern interpretations, how will these appeal?
112 Ray Burley
More pointers on scale 70 Tanglewood TW73 VS Parlour
construction. Small is often beautiful and detailed. How much
does this hold true for Tanglewood’s new petite
parlour?
Subscribe
Details on 74 Fender Dick Dale Malibu
Page 46 Is this guitar more than just a pretty face, and if so,
will it inspire you to relive its signature tunes?

Special Features
18 Classic Album 84 Collector’s Piece 100 Beautiful Days Festival
Nebraska by Bruce More collectable guitars with A festival that goes from strength to strength
Sringsteen Paul Brett

92 Cambridge
Festival
Creators, not curators, but still
recognisably folky

94 Cornbury
Festival
© Getty Images

It’s David Cameron’s festival of

97 Legends of choice. But don’t let that put
Acoustic you off
This month: Elvis Presley

Contents 47.indd 7 27/09/2010 17:07