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#1
11-03-2002, 08:44 PM
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DAVID GRIER CONCERT/WORKSHOP
Below is a brief outline from concert/workshop that I attended.
It's not in any particular order, but hopefully there will be something helpful in it for someone. 1. Examine and eliminate picking hand tension A. When does the tension begin in the tune I'm playing B. Where does the tension begin (shoulder, elbow, wrist...?) C. Play in front of a mirror to examine technique 2. Develop your ear. Know your chords and be able to pick out melodies by ear. Grier informed the group today that he CAN'T read music or tab. He had one of the workshop participants play a tune that the student was having trouble with -- after 2 run-throughs, Grier played the same tune on the spot (the tune was fairly advanced and he had never heard it before)seemingly note for note after having heard it only 2 times. Note that he did point out that many of the greats like Norman Blake, for instance, CAN read music. 3. Improvising -- keep it simple. The quicker you go back to the main melody, the less likely you are to lose the listener. Also, develop your ear (pt. 2 above) so that if you hear things creatively in your head you can go to them on the fingerboard. Don't just learn from books -- be innovative and create your own stuff. 4. Practice, if possible, for HOURS a day. 5. He plays with no anchor and all his fingers drawn in toward his palm when playing fast fiddle tunes (though he did say that he can feel the bridge pins on the meat of his hand below the thumb). He plays more toward the bridge on fiddle tunes. He lets his fingers hang loose and touch the pickguard (sometimes his pinkie and ring fingers lightly grab on to the high E) when playing over the sound hole for a more mellow tone on other types of tunes. Tone dictates. 6. Learn substitute chords to use in passing for better arrangements of songs. A little jazz helps here. 7. Play songs slower, faster and in different positions. Try to discover stuff about the song. 8. Learn to play good rythm guitar with a variety of strum patterns under your belt. 9. Listen to a lot of CD's. 10. Learn to crosspick -- anywhere you would normally strum a chord you can be crosspicking. 11. Find your pick grip. Pick on the side of the first knuckle of your forefinger with the forefinger curled (how much curl depends on comfort and tension). 12. Tap foot as metronome when playing. Bye for now, Gibby 
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#3
11-10-2002, 10:13 AM
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Yeah, a lot of good info. was available.
I got a front seat at the workshop about 3 feet from Grier, so I was able to see his hands up close. I never touched a guitar the whole 3 hours -- I did nothing but watch, listen and take notes. It was a good experience. Gibby
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#4
11-10-2002, 10:10 PM
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I’m not normally prone to gushing, but.... a few years back I randomly picked up the first Phillips, Flinner, and Grier record and was just floored by his guitar playing. Soon thereafter I noticed he was playing in a small club ( actually a place that I had played a few times and liked a lot ) in San Francisco, back when I lived there. He played solo to maybe 30 people. You could here pin drop the whole time. I was just stunned. Frankly, his technique, while incredible, was a very small part of it. His improvisation unfolds like a great movie, his prashing is just so...musical.... he can be incredibly soulful...david Grier is the whole package. To me he is the Shakespeare of the acoustic guitar. I make all of my students listen to him, no matter if they’re jazz players, rockers, or singer song writers. It’s like listening to Kind Of Blue or Sergeant Pepper, if you’re a musician you just get it, weather you realize it or not.
Thanks so much for summing up the workshop. That was all great information. Especially since I’ve heard people on other forums criticize his teaching. which is fine, I don’t care if he can teach, but you obviously were able summarize a lot of very valuable info from this true master. Thanks again.
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#5
11-11-2002, 01:57 AM
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I attended Grier's concert on Sat (the workshop was on Sun).
The concert was just as you described -- there were about 50 people there and the place was dead quiet as he played -- he played about 1/3 fiddle tunes, 2/3 blues/jazz/folk/bluegrass type arrangements and all of it was just incredible. Grier is quite interesting. He seems very uncomfortable between songs when he has to talk to the audience and he comes across a little goofy at times, but when he starts playing, the music is mind boggling. Gibby
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#7
11-11-2002, 10:18 PM
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I think he has a new solo album out called "Got The House To Myself", or something to that effect. I don't have it yet. That's is only solo record, though at least one of his records a few solo pieces on it.
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#8
11-11-2002, 11:16 PM
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As mentioned earlier, his latest is "Got the House to Myself" (I think that was the name of the CD). I am pretty sure that there was a book that you could buy that had the music on this CD tabbed out. Do a Google search or find Grier's website (he said at his concert that he had one).
Good Luck Gibby
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