Danville KY: Guitar Clinic & Concert
Hey Everyone!
I hope you are doing well and feeling creative!
I am really excited to tell you all about my first ever guitar clinic! It’s this weekend, March 31, at Danville High School’s Gravely Hall in Danville, Kentucky.
I have been fortunate enough to learn so much about the creative process during my years as a composer, recording musician, & guitar builder, and I am thrilled to be able to share some of my experiences at this event!
We are gonna kick things off with a morning session that will feature topics like :
- How to Buy a Guitar
- Practice vs. Playing
- Alternate Tunings
Then in the afternoon we will be digging into creative concepts like composition and overcoming writers block. Speaking of which, I just answered a question about creative inspiration in this video:
I’d like to have more of these video conversations with you, please let me know what you think?
The guitar clinic will wrap up with an evening concert of original compositions written and performed on the most recent I’ve designed and constructed; the 27 String Guitar.
If you’re in or around the Danville/Lexington Kentucky area on Saturday, March 31st, I would love to see you! To sign up, RSVP on Facebook and contact Jack Covell at 859-319-0773
Oh, if you happen to know someone who you think might enjoy this event, it would mean a lot to me if you share it with your friends.
Hope to See You in Danville!
Setting the Record Straight…
Posted Aug. 6, 2011 A.D.
Hey everybody! Don’t know about you but I have had an interesting week. The rough draft, short version is that a home town news reporter at Fox 7 named Ian Preston from Owensboro Ky. (who was tipped off by my nephew Matthew Hunt; thanks buddy:)) came to shop to do an interview last Sunday to be aired that same night. CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, Internet news, International media groups. mags and countless forums picked it up the following 2 days. What was supposed to be an interview for family viewing back home, in 5 days turned out viral. Go figure.
For the record I feel compelled to set a few things straight; not so much in defense but for clarity. Some misconceptions have been carried to far and this is the only avenue I know of to balance things that I feel are important to the story.
Here goes:
First, I am not the inventor of harp guitars……never claimed to be. There are media outlets who have posted the story with me as the inventor of harp guitars and/or 27 strings. That, of coarse, is madness. Multi-string instruments have been around since ancient days; the oldest depictions of harps without a forepillar are from 5000 BC which was the sumerian harp of Perspolis/Persia in Iran (see Music of Iran) and from 4000 BC in Egypt. Those with guitar necks that most of us know about, since the end of the 19th century.
Let’s face it though, our familiarity with the Harp itself is common; the harp guitar on the other hand has remained rather obscure to the main stream public . Most people, and those in the music/instrument industry not exclude, have had limited if no exposure to them and are amazed when one surfaces and someone actually plays one. Current case in point; when the singer/songwriter Sting was on tour he played a small multi-stringed instrument that was absolutely gorgeous. ‘What was that thing?” most asked. “I don’t know; but it was cool.” most responded.
My own personal exposure came in the very early 1980’s when I saw a picture of a guy named Michael Hedges http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Hedges playing a harp guitar made by the Larson Bro’s Company in the early 1910’s call a Dyer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harp_guitar
For a few years by this time I was thinking in terms of a multi-string instruments based on double neck guitars that were popularized by the likes of Jimmy Page from the 70’s.
Given that, and as recorded in a previous blog http://keithmedleymusic.tumblr.com/post/8587590901/one-of-these-days I drew up a multi neck in the 1970’s (4 necks and a harp embedded in the top bout, to be exact; see original drawing on the next link). The point was to create some different music but I simply didn’t know how at the time to approach it. http://keithmedleymusic.tumblr.com/post/8587692455/clear-as-mud , but the more I thought about it the more discouraged about it I became; I mean come on, you can only play one neck at a time. The idea faded; or so I thought. I found myself still tinkering with sketches of it when that picture of Michael Hedges found its way to my eyes. As soon as it did it was like I got smacked in the face; my heart started racing and immediately saw the direction the drawing needed to go in. I wanted to simply extend the strings placements on both sides of a regular guitar so as to continue the scale note patterns and keep some music in the air without dead spots musically (if that makes sense).
Later on in the late 80’s I came across a very early Gibson harp guitar in a picture with a mandolin orchestra similar to this next picture.
http://www.harpguitars.net/iconography/aeolian_mandolin_orch-barry_trott.jpg
These were the only 2 harp guitars to that point I had been subject to (no internet in those days, you know). Discouragement again arose contemplating the actual size of these particular instrument designs and concerned that sitting for long periods playing and learning would be a deal-breaker. Of coarse there are players I’ll introduce you to later that took that challenge.
In 1994 I began my own electric guitar shop called appropriately called ‘Medley Guitar’s’. There, I built a high quality electrics; some acoustics but also started the tooling and some parts of an early version of the 27 String being anxious to get to some of the music I was hearing . Never had time to get to far into it except for a fingerboard and a braced back. I was never comfortable with the bracing design either confident it wouldn’t hold up under the tension. I shelved it; but would revisit it on rainy days.
In 2004, or there abouts, the sensation to build and play this thing was overwhelming; but there was many issues to solve. Some of which are posted in other blogs on the keithmedleymusic.com page under the BLOG tab.
OK! This all brings me to the finale.
27 strings were chosen not to have more strings than everyone else ( as has been implied) but because I felt that was what a guitar note scale range stood. The highest note on the 27 string was the same note as the highest note on the smallest string on most of my guitars. It was a “b” note. The lowest note on the 27 String was an octave lower that a ‘dropped D’ on a guitar. And, the intention for the 34 string is to fill in the note gaps in the 27 string to carry the notes from an high ‘e’ to a low ‘E’. (again, not to be as pretentious to do it out of having more strings but to make a set of tones available.)
The 27 String was designed and built for me to play. I didn’t build it to sell, or any other ill motive. I am first a player; I hear music to play and share as a gift to those who want it. Building is my craft; playing is my passion. That combination has gotten me into this situation that quite frankly is much, much larger than me. I take no credit; there are plenty in line to quickly fill that position. But I will take this opportunity to plug a great bunch of folks I became aware of within this past year you need to know about.
I want to introduce you and those you share this with to a community of players, builders, designers, music and just plain wonderful people who share a passion similar to my own. They are from all over the world and are some of the most talented people I have ever come across. Why I never knew of them I give no explanation. Since my 5 minutes may be close to being over (as some are quick to remind me; enjoying the ride though ;)) ..I wanted to make sure you get to know these folks; they have much to share in the way of music, history and craft. Please visit harpguitars.net and be apart of a special group of people creating music in a special way. Browse through, introduce yourself and see if one of these men or women are near you and visit their shops; attend their shows and experience music from a whole new dimension. It will put you in a better place.
Also, please comment with questions, inquiries or anything else on your mind for that matter. Let me know you are out there. It gives me reason to blog. :)
Thanks for family and friends and your continued support so I can one day write and play for you full time.
I am in your debt
Keith Medley
RIDE…The inspiration of the CD title song.
RIDE
Trying to be creative on for spouse’s birthday can be fun, but it can also be terrifying. After 21 years together you start running out of ideas on how to be spontaneous, meaningful and impressive. Her love for horses is unquenchable, but she’s only gotten to ride a couple of times in the past 21 years, regretfully. I couldn’t get her a horse, but I could get her something ‘like’ a horse.
The ‘something like a horse’ was just that; A painting of a horse. A white horse on a big canvas running as if it was going to run straight out of the wall; with eyes affixed on who ever is standing in front of it. This is a cool painting; she’ll love it …what else can I get her? …….a sword (yes! a real sword); a song and poem to tie it all together. This birthday was going to be extraordinary.
Setting my busyness aside, I began again to think of her, who she is and what she is to me. Thinking of the battle with a life threatening disorder when she was merely a child, then after we met, standing together to battle another condition. We listened to a doctor tell us what would shatter the heart of any woman, stating she will be left barren of children from this complication. I watched her rise above even this until it dissipated and vanished. I was with her the three times she bore a child; the last two all natural (that was something to witness). I have watched her since then be there for our family everyday and in every way through every phase; there for her close friends and even not so close acquaintances. She deserved to be honored in a way to make sure she didn’t forget who she was, what she fought through, what she fights for now and what she means to me and the kids amidst the fray of life.
So, here’s how the birthday gifts stack up:
The horse picture is to help keep her dream alive of riding in the face of the wind again and experiencing what she believes in her heart is the closest thing to freedom under the sky.
The sword is heavy and means business; reminding her that strength, courage and the willingness to persevere resides in her heart, and it shows without pretentiousness, without effort, and without ears for the opposing opinion of others.
The poem is in a frame on the wall along with the sword and the horse painting.
Also there are words of encouragement from her lovers heart, written to keep her aware of her value to him, their children and the life they share together.
I recorded “Ride” back then on my 6 string and played it back on a boom box, reciting the poem while she held the horse painting that birthday night. It was spontaneously deliberate, meaningful and she was without a doubt, impressed.
Images of her riding the white horse as hard and fast as it can go across some field of broom sage are with me every time I play it. Maybe she will get a horse someday.
Advice, and the alternative…
“A simple piece of wood is amazing to see when crafted to bring out its special features. The trick is not to have the wood itself overstate the actual project….” was the advice I’d give to those folks that ask about wood selection for woodworking projects.
OK. Enough of that; let’s leave smooth philosophical rhetoric and reasoning to resuming the steady path of the ‘overstated’, as originally intended. With the ‘overstated’ approach I simply found the most outrageously figured pieces of mahogany wood to use on the 27 String. And I did. Really! I did! I just didn’t use it. (sigh) Come on! It took years to come across the perfect figured, perfect color wood for this thing; I wasn’t about to blow it on my first attempt and lose all that outstanding wood if the engineering was flawed (and I wasn’t sure it wasn’t flawed, quite frankly).
So, the plan was this: Keep a look out for some mahogany that looked extraordinary, full of character and color, but, when time to build only use secondary wood to proof out the design, then do the real thing with the fancy wood. There could have been serious problems if after stringing it up with a few hundred pounds of string pressure the whole thing might have exploded. As it went, the mahogany scrap wood I used in this build fulfilled the above opening philosophy of wood selection in spite of my own eagerness to abandon my own advice. It turned out, it held up fine and all went together great with not one explosion at the end of it.
I came to realize if it were made from the select ’fancy wood’ it would have ‘overstated’ the actual project tipping the balance toward the pretentious rather than the subtle; all in spite of myself. And what of the the select wood? Shoot, it’s still laying around somewhere in the shop but it may now find its expression in something a bit more… let’s say, ‘understated’.
Dreaming, the liberty to exagerate…
……now understand. In 1978, I had no way of building anything; but plenty of dreams and this happened to be one of them. One of the cool things about dreaming is the liberty to exaggerate. “Why be practical”, the sub-conscience would say; “you ain’t ever gonna get to it”, “you can never afford it”, “even if you could, how would you do it and where would you start”; so, dreaming becomes a ‘freedom of vision’ by virtue of the reality it shows up in. The more adversity that leans on it the more broad the vision gets; let’s face it: we do listen to that stuff at times, so what the heck, let’s exaggerate! (We can turn it against the internal-nay-sayer later… ;)……..2moro folks. Peace!
Clear as mud…
OK! Just to pick up from the previous post, when I say, “do my own thing” the meaning is in a broader sense, simply, “doing what I do, because I have no idea on how to do things most people know how to do in the same manner as they do it.” (Clear as mud?) But, Dad would say to me, ” Dammit boy, if it’s worth doing, then it’s worth over doing.” And, speaking of ‘over doing’ the aforementioned father & son philosophical assertions brings me to the attached picture. This is the first sketch that I can remember drawing up that started this whole thing; a monster of a guitar that would keep me challenged for years to come (circa, 1977-78 A.D.). I have wagged this piece of paper around disguised as a book marker and apparently may have used it as a pizza napkin somewhere in those early years; quite frankly, I don’t know how I kept up with it, but glad I did. (you may have to refer to the previous post for a little more description if you’re just joining us.). More tomorrow…..
One of these days…
“One of these days I’m gonna _________.” I’ve been filling in the blanks on this list for sometime. We all have a similar list that goes something like this milling around in the back of our minds. “One of these days I’m gonna”: “wash the car, trim the hedges, get my wife some flowers, go to Italy, exercise, start a special project, lose 10 pounds, learn how to speak Greek, take a vacation”…… you get the idea. All the intentions that find themselves on this list share different fates though. The outrageous ones may linger for awhile but you finally concede, eventually, that you’ll never ‘learn to speak Greek’ or get an opportunity ‘go to Italy.’ No matter. There are new things that appear on this list that keep us hopeful and encouraged; more in our realm of reality. And, that seems to be what the primary purpose for the ‘List’ is anyway, to have a starting point for a Hope and some Encouragement; something to look forward to.. When inspiration hits one of these items a dynamic takes place; once began and completed you are left with a sense of accomplishment, fulfilment, contribution and in some cases, Surprise! Having said that I’ll share one thing that landed on my ‘list’ 30+ years ago. Here’s a little of the story to begin with. Like most youngsters, I too, possessed my own ideas of what I saw, heard and how things were to be interpreted. Got in trouble for it, too occasionally. Not trying to be difficult or even different it was simply how my perception was geared. Well, I never grew out of it much. Many times in the late 70’s sitting around with friends discussing and solving the problems of the world, sharing dreams and ideas; in one of these improv rap sessions the discussion arose, “what would be your ultimate hot rod if you could afford it?” You know the banter, just read the following like Garth from Wayne’s World….”yeah dudes, I want a 69 Roadrunner 440+6, painted teal with flames on the front fenders..with..with traction bars and shackles ..an..and a Hurst shifter and a tac on the dash….an..an a set of Mickey Thompson wide tires with Keystone rims and functional hood scoop with a huge super charger stickin outta the top of it, an…an..a larrrge ash-tray….party on duuuudes.” Then, in natural progression on to the ultimate guitars. Typically, images of guitars in shapes of spiders, fighter jets, AK47’s, some hot rod part, skulls, devils, you name it, if you could get 6 strings on it then it was tossed in the kitty. Out of one of those rounds of intense discussions it occurred to me that what I was hearing musically was more than I could manage on the guitar. Most of that problem is that I had no knowledge of reading or writing music. Never learned. If I could write it down like writing a letter to grandma then I could get someone else to play it. Near that time I started to own up to the apparent musical imbalance and came at it by sketching up something I could play in a format more familiar and get in touch with other music I was hearing. You know, those melodies you hear driving down the road while the radio is off, you hear after an extraordinary night out with your significant other, you hear in the shower when you think nobodys listening, you hear, when, you hear, nothing else. It became less of what it was supposed to look like externally and more of what it could do to inspire and explore the musical journey internally. The first sketch attempt was the multi-neck guitar. 4 necks to be exact. 1-12 string, 1-6 string, 1-fretted bass, 1-fretless bass; but on the top bout I drew in a 12 string harp, straight from the hands of Cupid. Cool! (I still have the sketch; will post it up later) But once while watching Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin play his 1275 double neck, I realized quickly that you can only play one neck at a time and with 4 necks and a harp it would probably weigh in at about the same as the 440 engine out of the Roadrunner; the sigh of discouragement over took me (you know, that reality thing again). A few years later I saw this guy, Michael Hedges, play a trippy looking guitar with 5 bass strings on the top. A guitar from the 1920’s built by a man named Dyer. Hearing him play that instrument helped me define more of the design movements I needed to gravitate toward. The broadness of sound, the musical color, the melodies, the dynamics he conveyed were over the top. Suddenly inspired, I couldn’t wait to draw up some new sketches. The excitement grew and I would spend time thinking about it, drawing on it, changing it up; then soon disappear behind the reasonable (let’s be reasonable; this is over you head) and schedules ( face it; you don’t have time). In short, the idea would come and go over the years. Side note: I believe that if an idea withstands the time endurance test in a persons heart they need to take a more serious look at that idea; it may reflect back to you a vision with enough detail to get your head around. Just saying! It wasn’t until I began to listen deeper to the music I was hearing, and playing it in my head, the design character of the instrument started to take shape……time to do my own thing (whatever that proves to be). more later.
