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Jose Gonzalez – Heartbeats

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The song Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez is one of those great songs that just keeps looping over and over in your mind.

The picking that he does on his classical guitar, is both haunting and beautiful.

The key to pulling off this song is patience. The articulate sequence he uses on his picking hand (right) seems simple enough at first. The average guitar player might just assume that he is using effects to create that lofty sound but, the truth of the matter is in HOW HE PICKS the strings.

I found this THE BEST instructional video on how to play this masterpiece – Heartbeats, take a look.

I can’t stress enough that you figure out this song in SUPER SLOW MOTION! If you choose to blow through it, you will get the overall way to play this song but, people will notice. I first wrote about this tune on my other blog Guitar Licks many months ago. While watching a TV show with my wife, I instantly fell into it’s power! I had to figure it out but had no time to. Now I found this video and I just have to share it with all of you.

I figure that, in order to get the natural flow of the song, it will take me about 2 weeks of playing it over and over again. This will no doubt drive my wife up the wall, it will allow me time to get re-acquainted with Mr. couch and put my marriage to the test(for the 10 zillionth time) … but it’s worth it’s soooo worth it to sound perfect!

So best of luck with figuring it out and I’ll say hello to Mr. couch for you all!

Keep on Jammin’





Slack-key guitar Tuning

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Slack-key is a Hawaiian style of guitar playing. It is based on a finger style of picking, in a multiple Open Tuning format. This can be achieved when one or more strings are de-tuned until all of the guitars six strings form a single chord when strummed together, frequently it is in a G major chording. The strings on this guitar were of a modern nylon origin. They are more commonly known as a classical guitar strings.

The history of this playing style is said to have originated from Mexican cowboys. They were introduced there in Hawaii in the late 19th century to help out with cattle that was brought there. They gave Hawaiians some guitars and taught them basically how to play it and then left, allowing the Hawaiians to develop the style on their own.

The Slack key guitar approach adapted to the rhythms of native Hawaiian dancing along with harmonic construction of the Hawaiian music genre. This style was a matter of national pride in the late 19th century. This, combined rhythms from traditional dance meters with imported European forms, drew its melodies from chant, hula, Christian hymns and the popular music brought in by the various peoples who visited this exotic location.

In all honesty, every time I hear the reference to Hawaiian music, Don Ho always pops up in my mind. To some of us, it has a unfair or even silly musical stigma attached to it. It may take some time to break free from it, but today’s Slack-Key or Hawaiian music is much more complex then I remembered. I can hear/see this musical influence in Michael Hedges style for sure! Man that guy just F—ing rock!!!

The way in which they play this, can be paralleled with drone picking I guess? Bruce Cockburn, and to the more sophisticated music observer Elizabeth Cotton, is the most popular musician that comes to mind when drone picking is brought up.

The guitar player uses a alternating-bass pattern, usually played by the thumb on the lower two or three strings of the guitar. The melody is played on the three or four highest strings, using any number of fingers. This may sound fairly simple to pull off but IT’S NOT THAT EASY TO DO! I always have to re-think my left hand finger patterns very carefully or even un-learn what I already know, in order to venture off into what I call “the gymnastics of the finger picking” on my right hand!

So has anyone ever heard of or used this distinctive style of finger picking? And if so, do you have exercise that we could use to perfect this dying art?

Keep on Jammin’

Developing your left hand dexterity

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Developing you left hand guitar dexterity, as well as your right hand, will pay off big time if you chose to do so. At first, some of these techniques seem odd or puzzling but, after performing these exercises you will wonder why you never thought about it before!

In the following examples, I want to be able to give you some portable tools in which to help you in your growth as a musician that can be used as an alternative to your instrument. So here goes!

One thing to do is to start using your other hand while completing simple tasks. For example, you should begin with using your mouse in your other hand. Try this while playing something simple like solitaire or another game. When starting off with this warm up, begin it very slowly! In the beginning, it will feel quite foreign to you. This will force your weak hand and brain to work in sink with one another until it comes naturally.

This next drill you can do anywhere. First go and get a pen or pencil. Now trying spinning it between your fingers. I find it very difficult to pass it from the index finger through to your thumb and back. I just gave up but if you can pull it off, then hats off to you! Once again, start off slowly until it flows effortlessly from one finger to another!

Just pick up a tennis ball and start squeezing! I find that if you can hold down with your fingers to the same level(keep your fingers flat, like when you have them laid out on a table) for a short period of time, it works best. If you can find a squash ball, use each finger individually to push down on it. This develops each finger’s strength. Not only will this start developing your overall finger strength, but it help out in dealing with stress.

These techniques are great not only for musicians but, can be used for people who have had strokes, or carpal tunnel issues as well! Try them out and tell me what you think about them. If you have founds was of improving these exercises then please tell me because it’s great to have a some fresh eyes on this subject to help improve all our techniques no matter how small they might be!

Keep on Jammin’

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