APRIL Lessons

ALERTS:
In addition to Paulie's live group classes & my one-on-one lessons....
1) Group class to test-run ZOOM is Thursday April 2 at 4pm. Please let me know if you did NOT get the email invitation so I can send it to you!
2) Group Zoom class Friday, April 10 at 1pm!
3) Group Zoom class Thursday, April 17 at 4pm
4) Group Zoom class Monday, April 20 at 4pm
5) Group Zoom class Thursday, April 23 at 4pm AND at 7pm
6) Group Zoom class Monday, April 27 at 1pm!

Hello, everyone! I hope this finds you and yours doing well and adjusting to our new (but thankfully temporary) pandemic-driven reality. Info for both group & private students below (including supplemental material for everyone).

Also, if you haven't already, please sign up as a member at the SDML membership page so you will have access to all the material we offer.

Those students signed up with me, you can pay for April with card or Paypal account at my directly link http://www.paypal.me/skinnydevilmusic or Venmo at www.venmo.com/David-McLean-47 ....and I've figured out loptions from Square for online payments, as most of you have been using your card via my Square reader....so many of you have received invoices by now.

1) PRESS - I've done a fair bit of local press in the past couple of weeks discussing SDML Academy of Guitar's transition to 100% virtual learning model, our needs-based scholarship program, the impact on the local & national music & arts community, and much more. I've collected the WLEX-TV interview and the WUKY and WBVX radio interviews and placed them HERE for anyone interested

2) PLAY TIME - I've heard from several of you about difficulties with the abrupt & radical changes in lifestyle and how stressful the situation is, and how this has been negatively impacting your ability to focus on & set practice/play times for guitar & music. PLEASE don't feel stressed about your practice and play time - all of you have plenty on your plate. Remember: Guitar & music should, first & foremost, be FUN!

3) GROUP STUDENTS - You should have access to ALL of the VGC (Virtual Guitar Class) videos and downloadable documents via the student portal. I'm also creating supplemental material as we go through the session - see below for the current April list of extras.

Also, Paulie is doing LIVE-STREAM supplements of each group class. You can access these by signing up at our private facebook page SDML Students & Alumni (where we have other useful information) and both Paulie and I have begun using Zoom in addition to Skype and other platforms.

If you have NOT received access, please contact me immediately so we can rectify the situation today!

4) PRIVATE STUDENTS - Each of you should be receiving (via email and/or text) your individual lesson sheets (in some cases with links to doc or video supplements). I'll be sending these at least once a week, but will likely send a few extra play-along (song, drills, etc) videos and/or throughout the week.

If you have NOT received these, please contact me immediately so we can rectify the situation today!

5) SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL - Below are videos that include several song walk-thrus & play-alongs, as well as a drill material. Some of this several of you started on last week. The rest is new material.

All videos are UNLISTED (except where noted), so you have to have the link to access the video.

This page WILL BE up-dated throughout the month with additional material, so check back each week (though I will often be sending notifications).

Play-along Song videos:
"Lean On Me" lesson and play-along
"Stand By Me" section by section
"Stand By Me" play-along
new: "Folsom Prison Blues" walk-thru
new: "Dock of the Bay" walk-thru
new: "Dock of the Bay" play-along
new: "What a Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong) walk-thru and partial play-thru
new: "Sound of Silence" strum version
new: "Just a Little" talk & play-along
new: "Only Living Boy in New York" talk & play-along
new: "TNT" tutorial
new: "Hell's Bells" intro tutorial

G3 and G4 level:
Workout #1 (dexterity, rhythm, scale drills)
Workout #2 (chord drill, including barre chords)
Workout #3 (improvisation - minor blues)
new: Am Pentatonic (walk-thru)

Advanced Only:
Rhythm drill call & response
Rhythm drill 4-level counting

Public Video:
"Lean On Me" sing-along & play-along
new: "Water is Wide" description/partial play-along
new: "Angel From Montgomery" discuss/play-along

Song Charts:
"Piano Man" Billy Joel (1977)

verses
C_G F_C F_C D7_G
C_G F_C F_G
C_F G_F C_F G_F

interludes
Am  D7  Am  D7 C_F C_G7

Additional resources:

1) Be sure to visit our academy website SDML Academy of Guitar (and sign up as a member if you haven't already) and access the member portal

2) Visit Skinny Devil Magazine for tons of articles, lessons, stories, reviews, and more....and you can also access the Guitar Gods interview series directly for 80-odd interviews I've conducted with some of the world's finest players of all styles, from unknown gurus to Grammy Award winners! Our top story at SD Magazine is my "Guitar Gods" interview from 2017 with 7-time Grammy nominee Steve Morse....other interviews include Paul McCartney & Wings and Grammy winning guitarist Laurence Juber, Prince guitarist Donna Grantis, finger-style legend & Grammy winner Tommy Emmanuel, and many more!