Who taught you to play Papa gates?
- Thread starter Matt Wildman
- Start date
I was self-taught for the first few years I played. I think the first book I had was a Bob Dylan book with chord symbols. After that, a Beatles book with chords. Then I started transcribing stuff off of records by ear – Hendrix, Clapton, etc. That lasted for about 5 years or so until I took my first formal lesson with a jazz guitarist at my local music store. He taught me basic scales & more complex chords.
Next up, I studied with Ted Greene – who was one of the best players & teachers who ever lived. His books are still around today. He was a pioneer. I have never met anyone who understood the fretboard and chord construction better than him. He introduced me to Joe Pass and I studied with him for a few months. Obviously – an experience of a lifetime.
I have managed to study with quite a few greats. Sometimes for only one lesson – like Tommy Tedesco. He was part of the Wrecking Crew in LA and played on virtually everything in the 60s & 70s. I did a session with him and afterwards I asked if we could meet and he could give me some pointers. I went to his house and we spent a couple of hours together. He could read ANYTHING. He really helped my reading – showing me shortcuts & tricks. Let’s see. Who else? I recently spent a day with Robin Nolan studying Gypsy Jazz.
And needless to say, my son has shared a ton of stuff with me. I was never big on metal, tapping, etc., so he has helped me fill a lot of gaps. (As I have with him with country, jazz & blues).
I have found that an occasional one on one lesson can be great if you absorb as much as possible and then go and study on your own. I can get a months worth of work out of a single lesson.
I couldn’t begin to tell you how many videos I have watched & books I have read by every guitar player imaginable; Robben Ford, Frank Gambale, Guthrie Govan, Brent Mason. The list is endless. I’ve probably read 10,000 pages on various guitar techniques. It’s been an endless search of knowledge. And it’s still going on.
Next up, I studied with Ted Greene – who was one of the best players & teachers who ever lived. His books are still around today. He was a pioneer. I have never met anyone who understood the fretboard and chord construction better than him. He introduced me to Joe Pass and I studied with him for a few months. Obviously – an experience of a lifetime.
I have managed to study with quite a few greats. Sometimes for only one lesson – like Tommy Tedesco. He was part of the Wrecking Crew in LA and played on virtually everything in the 60s & 70s. I did a session with him and afterwards I asked if we could meet and he could give me some pointers. I went to his house and we spent a couple of hours together. He could read ANYTHING. He really helped my reading – showing me shortcuts & tricks. Let’s see. Who else? I recently spent a day with Robin Nolan studying Gypsy Jazz.
And needless to say, my son has shared a ton of stuff with me. I was never big on metal, tapping, etc., so he has helped me fill a lot of gaps. (As I have with him with country, jazz & blues).
I have found that an occasional one on one lesson can be great if you absorb as much as possible and then go and study on your own. I can get a months worth of work out of a single lesson.
I couldn’t begin to tell you how many videos I have watched & books I have read by every guitar player imaginable; Robben Ford, Frank Gambale, Guthrie Govan, Brent Mason. The list is endless. I’ve probably read 10,000 pages on various guitar techniques. It’s been an endless search of knowledge. And it’s still going on.
Almost forgot – I also studied piano with Mike Garson. A jazz great and David Bowie’s piano player back in the 70s. Learning piano was probably the best thing for my guitar playing and my career. When I do session work – half of what I do is on keys. Some straight up piano and a lot of sampled keyboard stuff. If I’m doing a movie score – it’s 90% keyboard. It’s also the BEST way to see and understand theory.
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