Dale Harris, Guitarist, Musician & Teacher

Godin: Grand Concert 'Ambiance' Guitar

2011-03-16T14:48:00.001Z

Dale Harris plays the new Godin Grand Concert 'Ambiance' guitar!

I am very pleased to announce that I have just aquired Godin's fantastic Grand Concert 'Ambiance' guitar. I will be playing this superb instrument in my concerts this year and onwards. I love the plugged-in tone of the Godin Ambiance and the variety of blended sounds that it provides thanks to the dual blended pick-up system. I am also very relieved that this guitar yet again removes yet more of the barriers in the amplification of the Spanish guitar. It is high-time that the problem of projecting classical guitars to larger audiences is solved. Thus, I believe that Godin's Grand Concert guitars goes much of the way into negating the majority of issues. The added bonus is that you get excellent playability from the ebony fretboard and all at a great price (roughly a third or more of a handmade concert classical).

If you are in the UK, I will be playing the Godin guitars at the Guitar Fest (South Hill Park, Bracknell) on Saturday 30th April (also the amazing Antonio Forcione will be performing there).

You can find out more about Godin Guitars at their website, www.godinguitars.com.

Dale Harris

UPDATE 22/April/2011: Here are the results of my soundtest with the GODIN GRAND CONCERT AMBIANCE, free listen (click on the link and the music opens and automatically plays)

Two New Guitar Videos From Dale Harris

2011-02-16T17:42:00.001Z

Here's some solo guitar video footage taken from a recent concert, 13-Feb-2011, St Peters Church, UK.

1. Medley For Classical Guitar (Arr. Dale Harris)
i: Message In A Bottle (The Police)
ii: Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
iii: Day Tripper (The Beatles)
Played on A Guitar By Stephen Hill

2. Le Chat Noir (Dale Harris)
Played on a Les Paul Custom with a Line-6 Looper

Free MP3 CRYPTOGRAPH FOR PABLO: Dale Harris - Classical/Jazz-Fusion

2011-01-29T15:56:00.000Z

I'm making a new track available today on free MP3 listen for a short period. Cryptograph For Pablo combines drums, electric bass guitar plus an array of guitars: classical acoustic steel-strung and electric guitar.
Whilst the majority of my commercial releases are based in the classical tradition, my Dark Tales CD gives you a flavour of part of my vision for a new direction in guitar music.

LISTEN TO 'CRYPTOGRAPH FOR PABLO' FROM DARK TALES HERE!

Best regards,

Dale

Dale Harris: 5 Free MP3's from 'Dark Tales'

2011-01-16T11:13:00.002Z

Hi, I'm making a new track available today on free MP3 listen for a short period.

I'm extremely proud of the sound of the track CRUISE CONTROL as it combines drums, electric bass guitar plus an array of guitars: classical acoustic steel-strung, electric and a midi-triggering synth electric guitar.

To complete the fusion, the guitars are being played in both common right-hand techniques: 1) with a plectrum and 2) with the nails
Whilst a majority of my commercial releases are based in the classical tradition, my Dark Tales CD gives you a flavour of part of my vision for a new direction in guitar music.

LISTEN TO CRUISE CONTROL FROM DARK TALES HERE!

You will find four other tracks from this CD in this link, see what you think. Any comments that you may have will be welcomed.

Best regards,

Dale

REVERIE ON A HILL - Dale Harris, Guitar

2011-01-12T18:17:00.010Z

CD Title: Reverie On a Hill
Artist: Dale Harris, guitar
Genre: Classical (Solo/Instrumental)
Catalogue number: CMZ003
Record Label: Cryptogram Records Ltd.
© Copyright-Cryptogram Records Ltd.
Barcode: 5060118670132

Reverie On A Hill by Classical-Spanish & acoustic guitarist Dale Harris that especially features world premiere transcriptions of Schumann's Kinderszenen op.15, Wagner's Tristan And Isolde and works by Bach, Giuliani, Handel, Harris and Vivaldi. Performed on a guitar made by Stephen Hill.

Track Listings:

1. Sonata in E Major, K.380, L.23 4:39
2. Kinderszenen, Op.15: I. Strange Lands and Folk 1:46
3. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Ii. Intriguing Story 1:12
4. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Iii. Playing Tag 0:46
5. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Iv. Pleading Child 0:50
6. Kinderszenen, Op.15: V. Abundant Good Fortune 2:20
7. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Vi. a Momentous Incident 1:07
8. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Vii. Dreaming - Reverie 3:03
9. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Viii. Around the Fireplace 1:08
10. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Ix. the Young Knight Rides the Toy Horse 0:55
11. Kinderszenen, Op.15: X. Quite Serious 1:45
12. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Xi. the Scary Man 2:36
13. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Xii. Child At Bedtime 2:02
14. Kinderszenen, Op.15: Xiii. the Young Poet Speaks 2:39
15. Variations On a Theme By Handel, Op.107 9:56
16. Suite 11 for Keyboard in D Minor: Sarabande 7:28
17. Concerto for Two Mandolins in G Major, Rv.532: Andante 3:23
18. Piano Sonata in C Major, K.330: Ii. Andante Cantabile 8:14
19. Tristan Und Isolde: Act 1 - Prelude 10:18
20. Tristan Und Isolde: Act 3 - Prelude 3:45
21. Cryptogram 1:13
22. The Well-tempered Clavier, Bwv.846: Book 1. Prelude in C Major 2:39

Amazon.co.uk: Buy Reverie On A Hill - Dale Harris, guitar £8.99

Further details On Musician: Dale Harris
www.dale-harris.co.uk
www.classicalguitarteacher.co.uk
www.guitarwedding.co.uk

DARK TALES (CD) - DALE HARRIS / JEZ HENDERSON

2011-01-12T18:04:00.006Z

CD Title: Dark Tales
Artist: Dale Harris / Jez Henderson / Robert Hermans / Caroline Nemorin
Genre: Jazz Fusion / Instrumental / Classical
Catalogue number: CMZ002
Record Label: Cryptogram Records Ltd.
© Copyright-Cryptogram Records Ltd.
Barcode: 5060118671313

Dark Tales is an exciting and unique project that combines elements of quasi-impressionist classical, Latin-jazz infused with Nuevo-Spanish undertones, and experimental improvisations. The line-up consists of two English musicians: guitarist Dale Harris (better known as a concert Classical/Spanish guitarist) and Jez Henderson (drums/percussion) plus some special guests. All of the tracks introduce original compositions by Harris, Henderson and Hermans. The result is a musically satisfying and open-minded outing. Harris sounds rejuvenated and refreshed in this format, as he switches between Classical, Steel-string acoustic and an electric guitar that he often plays in combination with a midi-triggered guitar synthesizer. The result produces some luminous timbres and textures that eases the usual hard attack of the electric guitar. This is a fascinating original collection of music by some of the finest creative contemporary musicians in the field today.

Track Listings:

1. Brother And Sister 5:34
2. Fantasia For Ayrton Senna 7:05
3. Dark Tales (part I) 4:24
4. Dark Tales (part II AKA Headache From Hell) 1:29
5. Dark Tales (parts III-IV-V) 7:33
6. Balaclava Road 3:01
7. Out Back (part I) 5:30
8. Out Back (part II) 3:56
9. Cruise Control 7:59
10. I Found A Shell 2:11

Buy Dark Tales - Dale Harris & Jez Henderson £8.99

Further details On Musician: Dale Harris
www.dale-harris.co.uk
www.classicalguitarteacher.co.uk
www.guitarwedding.co.uk

ESPIRITU DE LA GUITARRA (CD) - DALE HARRIS CLASSICAL GUITAR

2011-01-12T17:31:00.009Z

CD Title: Espiritu De La Guitarra
Artist: Dale Harris, guitar
Genre: Classical (Solo/Instrumental)
Catalogue number: CMZ001
Record Label: Cryptogram Records Ltd.
© Copyright-Cryptogram Records Ltd.
Barcode: 5060118672310

The first solo guitar release by Dale Harris: "Espiritu de la Guitarra" (release date 18-Apr-06), featuring inventive and sensitive new interpretations of classic guitar music from Spain and Paraguay. Works by Barrios, Sor, Albeniz, de Murcia & Tarrega.

Track Listings:

1. Waltz Op.8, No. 4 (Barrios) 5:22
2. Una Limosna Por El Amor De Dios (Barrios) 3:33
3. Choro De Saudade (Barrios) 6:33
4. La Romanesca (Sor) 1:59
5. Minuet Op.22 (Sor) 4:01
6. Minuet Op.25 (Sor) 3:07
7. La Folia De Espana Op15, No.1 (Sor) 4:28
8. Asturias (Albeniz) 7:57
9. Prelude (de Murcia) 2:18
10. Allegro (de Murcia) 1:01
11. Recuerdos De La Alhambra (Tarrega) 4:06
12. Adelita Mazurca (Tarrega) 2:00
13. Lagrima Preludio (Tarrega) 2:36

Amazon: Buy Espiritu De La Guitarra - Dale Harris, guitar £4.99

Further details On Musician: Dale Harris
www.dale-harris.co.uk
www.classicalguitarteacher.co.uk
www.guitarwedding.co.uk

Publish Post

Direct Links To Classical Spanish Acoustic Guitarist Dale Harris

2011-01-07T16:16:00.004Z

Find out more about Dale Harris below!

Dale Harris Mailing List

Dale Harris Profile

Facebook Profile

Dale Harris MP3 Music (free listen)

Dale Harris Concerts Dates, Interviews, Live Shows

Dale Harris Street Team, Fan List, Keep Up To Date With The Mailing List For Latest News

Free Classical, Spanish Acoustic Guitar Music From Dale Harris

2011-01-07T16:09:00.004Z

Free Classical, Spanish Acoustic Guitar Music From Dale Harris

Free Links to Music MP3's Here; join the fan list for exclusive access to more guitar music by Dale Harris!

DH Jan 2011

2 Classical Guitar MP3's Free: Vivaldi & Wagner

2011-01-05T19:08:00.004Z

Free listen: 2 complete MP3's. Dale Harris guitar:

1. Vivaldi: Andante (from Concerto In G) RV.532 / 2. Wagner: Prelude Act III Tristan & Isolde
(click above to open in a new window)

Both transcribed for guitar by Dale Harris. Both originals were composed for Orchestra.
The guitar by Stephen Hill and both tracks are taken from the Dale Harris CD 'Reverie On A Hill'.

DH

Chris White & The New Victorians

2010-12-16T16:06:00.002Z

I played electric and acoustic guitars on a CD by Chris White and The New Victorians.

The new CD is being previewed here (wma audio format):

1. Summer Sunshine
2. I'll Be There For You
3. Catch a Train
4. Graveyard Town

Musicians include:

Chris White: Vocals, Guitar
Dale Harris: Guitars
Rob Hermans: Guitars
Jez Henderson: Drums, Percussion, Programming, Producer & Engineer

DH Dec 2010

The Dale Harris Official Merchandise Store Launch!

2010-12-11T18:07:00.003Z

You can now purchase Official Merchandise from the Dale Harris Store:

DH, 11-Dec-2010

Dale Harris: Guitar Music On Video - Watch Here For Free!

2010-12-11T13:13:00.006Z

I have been frequently asked to provide a link to a compilation of my guitar videos. So here's a link to a playlist that is by no means comprehensive but will give you a guide to my music. The majority of videos are from live performances.

DALE HARRIS ACOUSTIC GUITAR MUSIC VIDEOS (click here)

Dale Harris, December 11 2010

You've Got To Be More Than A Genius! (or 'Be Different')

2010-12-03T11:53:00.008Z

This is a thought regarding something that happened at a gig last night. In preparation for a forthcoming solo 'variety-guitar' concert (where I play many different guitars in contrasting genres), I took out a guitar that seldom sees the light of day (as I prefer playing classical guitars). I decided to play three guitar pieces and one requires hundreds of tuning peg pitch changes. This achieves an effect similar to the pedal-steel or Hawaiian guitar. I got the feeling that most people hadn't seen this (trick) before. The guitarists in the audience were busy figuring out what was going on whilst the lay-men were just staring. Some people laughed, and the die-hard inbred types, well, god knows what they thought (they probably wanted more Elvis Presley or something old and well-known).

The 'trick', like most magic, isn't new. A well-known guitarist whom I saw play many times used to tour round the UK in the 1980's doing the same trick, and he used to get much a very similar reaction. His time in the U.K. was much less-successful than his later reception in the U.S.A.

These days, as I practice mostly classical and reserve the other styles for just airing at concerts so I don't take playing non-classical music that seriously. It's a bit of fun and hopefully injects some much needed variety. Now, I still see and read about many very clever solo musicians (especially guitarists) and they seem to fall into the same trap. Do one thing, stick to that one style and hope for the best. That approach might just work if you are in Nashville although the competition is stiff but it generally does not work. Take classical guitar concerts; very clever, great music, complex, beautiful and artistic but it does not attract the masses (half-masses would do!). I always wanted to be a classical guitar performer and the recitals I've done have reinforced my present view that too much of one thing (for entertainment, not intellectual purposes) is a bad idea. I wasn't under illusions in my experience taking just the one unusual guitar to perform with in a short three-song show and performing my allotted pieces in that style and sound. For me, it was practicing an aspect for my solo show. Certainly being an instrumentalist in London and performing in one style only just isn't enough.

Funnily enough, Ive taken that annoying blue guitar to many of my serious classical recitals.

DH

What counts is not shock-value or cleverness,

Dale Harris: Listen For FREE! Cavatina (Deer Hunter) & Romance (Jeux interdits)

2010-11-04T17:04:00.003Z

FREE LISTEN MP3's by Dale Harris.

Ive attached an MP3 player. I've lost count of the times that I've been asked to record my versions of these pieces. Both were recorded on a guitar that was made by Stephen Hill (Granada, Spain). These tracks were recorded some time ago but as my hand injury has delayed the release on my next CD somewhat, I've decided to allow these tracks to be streamed so that you can see what I've been up to recently.

LINK: Cavatina (Deer Hunter) & Romance (Jeux interdits)

Who knows if these will be on the next CD. I guess this depends on the reaction I get (groans of 'oh no! not another recording of these pieces'!).

Anyway, I hope you like them!

Best regards,

Dale

Dale Harris: The Guitars Show Pictures

2010-05-01T15:34:00.007Z

Here are some pictures taken from my 2009 and 2010 The Guitars Show!

"Dale Harris: The Guitars Show!"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

Logical Baroque Lute Tablature Idea: Weiss Fantasie

2010-03-26T12:09:00.016Z

As a professional musician, I just do not have the time anymore to learn a new music reading system. Reading traditional music and also guitar tablature is quite enough! If you play the lute, you are 'expected' to become acquainted with lute-specific tablature, which might as well be written in alien symbols as far as I'm concerned. Therefore, I've devised a system for my 13-course lute where all the information I need can be written within the standard guitar-based six-string tablature score. Strings 1-6 are written as normal guitar type tab:

1-6: E, B, G or F#, D, A, E.

Courses 7-13 are indicated thus: * (and placed on the 6th string tab) and the
open COURSE and corresponding pitch is written immediately below.

For example:

E|--*----
D(7)

The above indicates that the 7th CR(which is my open 'D' string in my tuning) is to be played as an open string.

Here's the first few bars of one of my scores which is the famous Fantasie by Weiss for lute. Let me know what you think. I know I don't use authentic tuning for my 13-CR before traditionalists get upset! My aim here is to access baroque lute repertoire using the skills I already have as a 'six-stringed instrumentalist'; there is another word for this starting with a 'g' but some do not like this, especially if uttered in the same vicinity as the word 'lute'. I therefore intend to place the baroque lute in a new and original context and to derive a way of presenting a score that is both accurate and concise.

Fantasie by Sylivus Leopold Weiss (1686-1750)

Reacquainted interpretation back to 13-cr Baroque Lute
(Swan neck German Theorbo-lute: Widhalm) by Dale Harris.

Copyright c.2010 Dale Harris (All rights reserved).

This arrangement tuning is: 1E 2B 3G 4D 5A 6E 7D 8C 9B 10A 11G 12F 13E

E|------------1---5---6---|------------0---3-0-5-0-|------------1---5-3-5---|
B|--------3-----3---3---3-|--------2-----2---------|--------3-----3-------3-|
G|----2-----2-------------|----3-----3-------------|----2-----2-------------|
D|--3---3-----------------|--2---2-----------------|--3---3-----------------|
A|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E|*-----------------------|0-----------------------|1-----------------------|
..D(7)

E|------------------------|--1---0-----------6-----|--0---------1-------1-0-|
B|------------------------|----------3---3-----3-6-|------1---1-------------|
G|--3-2-3---5-3-5---2-0-2-|----2---3---2---0-------|----0---------2---0-----|
D|------------------------|3-----------------------|------------------------|
A|------------------------|------------------------|3-------0-------2-------|
E|3-------0-------1-------|------------------------|------------------------|

E|--0-------0---0---------|------------------------|----0-------------5-3-5-|
B|------------------3---3-|--3-0-----1-------0-----|------3---2-3-5---------|
G|----2-0---------4---2---|------1-----2-------2---|--1-------------2-------|
D|------------3-----------|--------------3-------3-|------------------------|
A|4-----------------------|------------------------|--------0---------------|
E|--------*---------------|0-------1-------*-------|0-----------------------|
..........D(7).............................D(7)

Dale Harris, March 2010

Contreras Double Top Guitar sale

2010-01-26T23:00:00.008Z

Above: Manuel (Pablo) Contreras and myself (Dale Harris) with my Double-Top 1997 guitar pictured.

Withdrawn From Sale

Manuel Contreras II Double Top Classical Guitar 1997
with spruce sound-top and Rio (brazillian rosewood) back and sides.

Price £ WITHDRAWN FROM SALE
Due to my friend Pablo Manuel Contreras passing away in January 2011, I respectfully withdraw the sale of this instrument. My deepest sympathies go out to Pablo Contreras' family.

You can hear this exact guitar by listening to my CD Espiritu De La Guitarra!
(Cryptogram Records, CMZ001)

Condition : used
Hand: Right
Type: Acoustic String Configuration: 6 String
Color: Natural

These guitars rarely apper for sale second-hand and are highly sought after as
very special projecting concert instruments!!!!

Special Condition Note

This guitar has had very minimal usage due to R.S.I. restricted practice time and use of other instruments. I have seldom managed more than 2 hours practice a day and frequent RSI problems have required either total rest (in some cases 3 months) or severe cut-back in practice time. Even when this was my main instrument, I still spread practice time over two or three other instruments. Thus, the condition of the frets and fretwire is still excellent. I ruthlessly cut my left-hand fretting hand nails to ensure little or no scarring of the fretboard and always wear buttonless shirts and remove trouser belts etc and anything else that would mark the guitar. There are minor marks that have occurred with age and through general usage and I can provide a full description of these although the laquered finish protects the wood and most marks are usually cosmetic.

The Luthier

Manuel Contreras Snr. was born in Madrid in 1928, entered the guitar making profession from the exalted position of being a much sought after cabinet maker.

It was Jose Ramirez the third who in 1959, and knowing of Contreras's reputation, invited him to join his guitar workshop. Within three years he had developed his craft sufficiently to set up as an independent guitar maker in Madrid.

Then, in 1962 Contreras set up on his own at number 80 Calle Mayor.

His first achievement, in this sense, was the design of the model "Double Top", which Contreras presented in 1974, after a number of experiments in order to improve the tone and the volume of the instrument and its capacity to get the sound out of the guitar body. The great reception this model rapidly got in the professional guitar world (the first Double Tops, were closely observed during their process of construction and afterwards used by the four mythical guitarists members of the Romero family) encouraged Contreras to continue with this innovative way of working, far away from the mainstream of classical guitar design.

The Guitar

The Contreras Double-Top is perhaps his best-known and most sought-after design. Several players have performed on this model since the 1980's, including the Romeros. The name "double-top" is actually a slight misnomer: in Spanish "tapa" means "cover" and actually refers to an additional piece of wood that is "covering" the inside of the back. So in reality, the back (not the top) is doubled-up, with the rosewood exterior and tone-wood interior. This is in-line with the Madrid school of using double sets of wood - Ramirez line the sides of the 1a with cypress and Bernabe of course uses double Brazilian sides on some of his models.

Not only is this instrument esthetically beautiful but also the chosen woods together with excellent craftsmanship of Contreras combine to deliver a guitar with exceptional musical intensity.

The voice is crystal clear and has immense power producing an ethereal quality reminiscent of playing in an old Spanish church. The ease with which sounds and music can be brought from this guitar makes it a pleasure to sit and play. Harmonics, ornaments and all those other tricky characteristics of the guitar are delivered with ease. I have used this guitar without projection worries and is by far the best projecting instrument I have owned.

This 1997 Manuel Contreras II Double-top is extremely powerful with a very dense, yet warm sound. A very solid concert instrument, perfectly suited for the concert stage and any type of ensemble situation. I have owned it since new and recorded with it on my 'Espiritu De La Guitarra' CD (and on a few of the tracks on my 'Dark Tales' cd). My CD's are available to preview, download by visiting my homepage (www.dale-harris.co.uk) or myspace (www.myspace.com/dale_harris), or by visiting cdbaby, amazon, itunes , napster, and reverbnation. I have performed live with this instrument in concert situations and there are numerous links to be found by visiting my youtube page (www.youtube.com/daleharrisguitar).

A brand new Manuel Contreras II Double-top guitar now retails for $15,0000.

Specification

Top: Fine grain solid Spruce
Back and Sides: Solid Brazilian rosewood
Tuner: Original machine heads still fitted and working perfectly
Frets: 20th frets
Case : original and in good condition
Scale/Nut: 650/52

~~Paymen~~t

~~Please contact me for the payment method if you are interested.~~

~~I will ship only to a verified address via courier.~~

~~Please e-mail me for further details.~~

~~Personal collection is possible.~~

This is a highly reluctant sale. I am about to take on a new guitar as part of a special commercial deal. My reason for selling is that my present sponsor requires exclusive use in all concerts and recordings. Moreover, a series of muscle overuse problems over the years means that I cannot utilize all of my concert instruments. I simply feel it is the time to sell and prefer my instruments to go to a good home and be played (and performed on) rather than gathering fluff sitting in the case, not to mention the worry of losing it one day in an accident! My recordings are enough to preserve my memories of this instrument and I cannot take it with me when I leave this planet (preferably, in a 300kph turbo-charged fireball when my time is up!)

Jazz Improvisation Modal Substitutions

2009-12-13T13:08:00.009Z

To continue with the ideas as set-out in one of my previous blogs regarding John Coltrane's 'Giant Steps' involving what I call 'transfiguration' (a process of substituting sequences of V-I or ii-V-I tonal areas with relative linear tonal areas) I am here turning my attention to a 'fluid' linear modal system. Linear harmonic chord voicing is a major part of classical composition (e.g. writing in the style of a four-part J.S. Bach Choral is standard practice) where leaps in each voice (bass, tenor, alto, soprano) are kept to a minimum and cadences observe particular rules (e.g. in a V7 chord, the 7th resolves downwards by one semi-tone step to the major 3rd of chord I). My 'fluid' linear modal system allows the soloist to almost instantly analyse a chord progression, understand the 'tonal' area and apply a scale-mode that corresponds with adjacent tonal areas and apply a suitable mode in a key according to linear principles.

An understanding of diatonic and modal scales, linear voice-leading melodic compositional techniques, jazz chords and harmony, and improvisation is required for full comprehension of this blog-post.

The music example I will use here is the jazz-standard 'Just Friends' in the key of C major. It is necessary to understand the tonal areas before applying any further analysis:

4/4 G7 || C maj7 | C6 | Cm7 | F7 | Gmaj7 | G6 | Bbm7 | Eb7 | Am7 |

(first time) D7 | Bm7 | Em7 | A7 | A7 | Am7 D7 | Dm7 G7 :|

(second time) D7 | F#m7 | B7 | Em7 | A7 | Am7 D7 | Gmaj7 ||

Select a tonal centre to 'think in'. That will probably be C major to start with. The piece opens with (G7 - C maj7 - C6) or V - I in C major. Improvise C Ionian major scale here. Then Cm7- F7 follows or ii7-V7 of Bb major. Here you have a linear choice, either improvise in Bb major Ionian or, preferably, you can play the second mode of Bb major, which is C Dorian. In other words, you can improvise a phrase in the previous tonal area, and simply transfigure the notes of the motive to fit the new 'minor' sounding Dorian mode.

E.g. C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C (C major) becomes transfigured: C, D,Eb, F,G,A,Bb,C (C Dorian)

The sequence Gmaj7 -G6 is a case in point for unnecessary switching of thinking. Even though you can use the G major Ionian scale over G maj7, think linear and use the 4th Lydian mode of G major which is C Lydian. Again, the previous tonal-area was C Dorian and your phrase/s may be transfigured to C Lydian. Thus, you may continue easily reworking your phrases without jumping from key to key.

E.g. C, D,Eb, F,G,A,Bb,C (C Dorian) becomes transfigured: C, D,E, F#,G,A,B,C (C Lydian)

With the above you can of course apply this theory to commence your tonal centre in a completely different place. I'll show the transfiguration to a tonal centre to G. You simply count through the mode order

1. Ionian, 2. Dorian, 3. Phrygian, 4. Lydian, 5. Mixolydian, 6. Aeolian, 7. Locrian:

E.g.
C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C (C major) / C, D,Eb, F,G,A,Bb,C (C Dorian) / C, D,E, F#,G,A,B,C (C Lydian)

can be transfigured to:

G Mixolydian (C major but G-G) / G Aeolian (Bb major but G-G) / G Ionian (G major). This system is completely fluid but as long as you understand your modes! If you analyse and discover a Eb major tonal area for instance, then Chord ii of Eb is always F minor and the corresponding second degree mode is Dorian giving you F Dorian. Subsequent keys can be transfigured on the spot to find a suitable mode in the key of F or its adjacent tonal-area neighbour E or F#.

I believe that this system, whilst perhaps might be too much of an undertaking for an amateur, it is during medium-fast and faster jazz music where thinking and jumping becomes hard, and at times impossible to implement standard scale-key thing instantly. Try testing your knowledge here by trying the other way that amateurs often prefer to use.

Take the first four notes of B major and write them out. Now imagine you are about to play a phrase in imitation and you want to make the first note of each canon (imitation) climb upwards one step at a time. When you stay in the one key this is easy:

E.g.
phrase 1 B, C#, D#, E
phrase 2 C#, D#, E, F#
phrase 3 D#, E, F#, G#
phrase 4 E, F#, G#, A#

Now (and this is what I think is too complicated to implement at speed), imagine that the tonal centres are changing at around 260pm or higher in 4/4 time. Compose a imitative upwards moving phrase sequence in the following keys:

phrase 1 [B Major] B, C#, D#, E
phrase 2 [Ab Major] , , ,
phrase 3 [D Major] , , ,
phrase 4 [F Major] , , ,

How did you do? Now try to compose and transfigure your own motives using this fluid linear modal system and see how you get on. Message me with your results perhaps?

Dale Harris copyright c.2009 All rights reserved

Jazz-Improvised Practice Routine

2009-12-10T16:27:00.002Z

Here's a jazz or improvised music practice routine. Recall or learn a C major scale, then C modal minor [Aeolian or Dorian], then B modal minor [again Aeolian or Dorian] . I number these scales 1, 2, and 3 respectively.

Now play a scale consisting of any 4 consecutive notes in C major:

e.g. (C, D, E, F)

Then play the 4 corresponding notes in C minor:

e.g. (C, D, Eb, F)

Then the same again in B minor:

e.g. (B, C#, D, E)

Try to think in the different tonal areas whilst you are doing it; e.g. play C major and state to yourself 'C major'. This can be done out loud or internally. Saying it out loud should help force it into your subconscious more efficiently.

Memorize sequences such as -- 1, 3, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2 -- I call this 'transfiguration'. Break these number patterns down into smaller groups for memorization purposes if that helps and impose the scale phrase over the top, repeating the entire sequence.

Now try to play the next 4 notes in C major: (d, e, f, g) and 'transfigure' into the other key areas.

Dale Harris, December 2009

Copyright c.2009 Dale Harris All Rights Reserved.

John Coltrane Giant Steps Analysis

2009-12-09T14:15:00.005Z

John Coltrane's Giant Steps has intrigued me for many years. The greatest musical challenge to improvising over the chord progressions is to think fast enough in the following tonal areas labeled 1 2 and 3 respectively:

1 = B major (and home key) 2 = E flat major 3 = G major.

The relationship between these tonal areas is that they are each a major third apart (once any enharmonics have been adjusted). Thus, normal diatonic analysis becomes problematic as the chords alternate via the three tonal areas and are thus unprepared and simply 'jump' via ii-V-I or V-I progressions. That is, B major cannot modulate to G major without first being prepared via a number of mutually acceptable keys. Such an analysis impacts upon the improviser. So a new way of seeing the chord relationships comes into effect.

Here is an outline of the chord structure:

I B major
V7 - I / G major
V7 - I / E flat major
ii - V - I / G major
V7 - I / E flat major
V - I B major)
ii - V - I / E flat major
ii - V - I / G major
ii - V - I B major
ii - V - I / E flat major
ii - V B major [-resolves back to bar 1 and chord I in B major]

Thinking in pure terms then, each chord I is a major seventh and therefore one might improvise over the tonal area using the corresponding Ionian or Lydian mode:

i.e. ii - V -I in B Maj7 = B Ionian or B Lydian

Then same can be done for the other two tonal areas E flat major and G major. However, the problem remains that phrases in the manner of a canon (a short repeating motif) are problematic to switch thinking between the key areas.

E.g. B major Ionian possesses 5 sharps
E flat major Ionian possesses 3 flats
G major Ionian possesses 1 sharp

It is far better then to theoretically 'substitute' the tonal areas for closer related and hopefully, easier to implement modal scales. Thus I have derived the following table for the three aforementioned tonal areas (as numbered 1, 2 and 3, see above). Here is the basic structure in terms of tonal areas only:

Here is an outline of the chord structure:

I 1
V7 - I / 3
V7 - I / 2
ii - V - I / 3
V7 - I / 2
V - I 1
ii - V - I / 2
ii - V - I / 3
ii - V - I 1
ii - V - I / 2
ii - V 1

So, when improvising, you can group this pattern for memory purposes to help indicate the scales and tonal areas to use:

1 3 2 3 2 1 2 3 1 2 (and repeat for solos)

Because of the symmetrical nature of major keys each being a major third apart, the mathematics produce some interesting substitutions to explore. By substitution, I intend to suggest 'thinking' and exploring the related modal key area for the duration of the ii - V - I.

1 as 'B'

1 = B major, 2 = C minor, 3 = C major

Here, you can now easily transpose any motifs by a semi-tone or by altering a given phrase from major to minor or vice versa. By thinking that 1 is B major, select the appropriate mode:

1 = B, e.g. B Ionian, B Lydian, B major pentatonic
2 = C minor, e.g. C aeolian, C minor pentatonic
3 = C major, e.g. C Ionian

1 as 'E flat minor'

1 = 'E flat minor, 2 = E flat major, 3 = E minor
1 as 'E flat minor'

Here, you can again easily transpose any motifs as above. By thinking that 1 is E flay minor, select the appropriate mode:

1 = E flat minor, e.g. E flat aeolian
2 = E flat major, e.g. E flat Ionian
3 = E minor, e.g. E aeolian

1 as 'G flat major'

The same applies here

1 = G flat major, 2 = G major, 3 = G minor

Again, transpose motifs according to the following modal examples:

1 = G flat major, e.g. G flat Ionian
2 = G major, e.g. G Ionian
3 = G minor, e.g. G aeolian

Hopefully, and as long as you are familiar with your basic major and minor scales and modes, you can transpose melodic phrases by close proximity rather than huge harmonic leaps. Which is to say, you are not stuck in any one key, and can imply a variety of new key areas whilst staying within palatable harmonic parameters!

Dale Harris
Copyright c.2009 Dale Harris. All rights reserved

John McLaughlin Guitarist Facebook Group

2009-12-09T13:56:00.004Z

In a spirit of spreading the proverbial musical word, I recently started a John McLaughlin group on facebook in tribute to the great jazz-fusion guitarist. The idea of the page is to allow other like-minded people to be informed as to when McLaughlin is touring and to provide guides to purchasing the most interesting CD's as I have followed his repertoire since an early age. I was recently emailed by a prominent contributor to a respected classical guitar magazine, whom I included in the invites to join the McLaughlin group as the aforementioned journalist is a facebook 'friend'. In the message, she informed me the following:

Dear Dale,

I know I am on Facebook but it's not really my style of communication. I do
look on there occasionally but can never get 'into' it, sorry. So please
excuse me.

I was pleased to hear that you are a John McLaughlin fan also. I interviewed
him recently and he was as wonderful in interview as he is in his playing.

Best wishes
*******

Now, there is an ignore button provided in the facebook invite. Moreover, by not wanting to become involved with the facebook group (especially after interviewing Mr McLaughlin) I felt that this person had missed a 'trick'. That is, I'm surprised (a little shocked even) that a struggling, small, relatively unpopular area of journalism with an equally small readership passes over a 'free' chance to promote their magazine, increase sales and awareness, and also their personal journalism skills.

DH

And The Point Of this is?

2009-11-07T00:56:00.004Z

This is not supposed to be some pompous essay. If one was to do any subject justice then a great deal more would have to be said than is required here. That is, keep it short and snappy and everyone is happy. Like everything I hate about adverts: get your message across and no depth, investigation which implies shallowness or worse, there's something really bad underneath that expanding too much on the subject might reveal flaws.

So this is back to college then? Or write for the sake of writing? After all, College and University made me write essays for displeasure. I've read a fair few other blogs journals and was frankly not impressed. I don't think I picked up on anything in the 'subtext' that my fellow journalists intended. Of course, I admire the writing skills of others but do such essays reveal anything about ourselves?

We read everyday about some new theory about which side up toast lands, or coins being flipped, the meaning of bird song, etc. Freud is outdated but people still borrowed and popularized many of his analysis techniques. For example, the nose is the only other place on the body to contain erectile tissue and thus some problems with sex might originate from the nose. Cure: administer cocaine. Almost Tony Blair's New Labour party that one. It took a while to figure out what was happening to Freud's subjects, as it did working out was New Labour was really up to.

However, I am not going to write about a particular topic here as that's what blogs are for. Blog readers may at this point just cut out social interaction thing completely and meet people the old-fashioned way. I seem to have acquired followers who are intent of venting their acid breath even though I did so much for them in terms of blood, sweat and tears (you know who you are, you should be ashamed). Take dancing. I have nothing against people who like dancing. It may help keep you fit or give you pleasure and that's all very well (speaking as a musician who never learned to dance because I was always the one doing the performing) but one of the key traditional aims of dancing was to attract members of the opposite sex, and these days to attract anyone you wish to attract.

This fourth paragraph has nothing to do with the above. By now, hopefully you've learned what you needed to learn by reading this. I didn't intend a sub-text but then John Lennon didn't intend for anyone to read complex things into "I Am The Walrus" other than the fact that he meant it a gobbledygook. I am interested to know why you read these blogs. What do you get out of this? I am just thankful to reach a conclusion and get this over with before I get shot by someone who has just read The Catcher in the Rye, and thinks he's me and he then it is discovered after the fatality that he missed his cocaine treatment sessions due to being a paranoid skeptic.

DH

Classical Guitarist RSI MOS Injury

2009-10-26T22:58:00.004Z

Having had a multitude of injuries partially (if not wholly) triggered by playing a musical instrument, I would like to record my experiences and range of problems. I do this in the hope of giving others who may be suffering in similar circumstances, especially those for whom it may be their first time. Obviously I'm not a doctor. Correction! My hard-earned PhD states that I am, but I'm a doctor of Musicology so I can't give medical advice.

Upon basic minor strains and small pains it's best just to stop what you are doing, shake-off your hands and arms then take a break. Those aches that persist beyond a minute or so I would stop for a day or two and assess the situation from there. Examine your posture, including sitting position. Ask yourself if you are straining in any way. A typical instance might be that you cannot be bothered to get your music stand out or set it at the wrong height (and thus stress your upper body). Your chair may be the wrong height? You have your foot rest too high or low. You are gripping the neck too hard? You are plucking too loud for too long? You are not warming up properly?

If a pain lasts more than a day then it's time to really start to pin-point what is causing it. Ask your doctor, consult a physiotherapist or see your osteopath. Have your posture looked at, especially your spine as this is key to your entire body-frame. Also get a guitar teacher to have a look at your posture. Record your self from different angles with a camcorder. Practice opposite a mirror. If you constantly look at your left hand then a mirror can ease some of the strain. Learning to play without looking at your fretboard.

Pains that are almost continuous are the biggest danger. Watch for nerve pains that 'shoot' up the arm or wrist. The chances are at this point that your guitar playing is just one factor. Other issues may be that you are sitting at your PC in the wrong position, or using the mouse too much. Driving can cause problems with heavy steering, poor seats, long journeys without a good break. Don't try to play normally until not just the pain has gone, but you have built up to getting back to normal. Cut your practice time down dramatically, and build it up 5-10% per week. If you still experience pain, knock your practice back down again.

I will add to this blog, but for now, I need to take a break!

DH

Alan Banks: 'Mnemonics' CD

2009-10-15T11:20:00.001Z

Note to Alan Banks,

You should be really proud of this CD! It is one of the best I've heard in years! Your performance of Bach's Chaccone is simply stunning. In my view, your version rivals that of the great maestros; dare I say better? You have so much musicality and expression, it puts many of the 'others' to shame. And yet, you have so much technique and control at your disposal. You have a really compelling slant on Domeniconi's Koyunbaba (a personal favourite of mine). I doubt many guitarists would like to take on Lyons Mnemonics either!

More power to you! All music lovers, not to mention fellow classical guitarists should listen to this fantastic CD. Listen and learn!

Dale Harris

Songs of Love and Revenge

2009-09-16T10:18:00.009Z

You can hear Dale Harris' early guitar performances on these tracks:

1. big blue world
2. girl in a gilded cage
10. the drowning pool
11. revolution of the mind
(track numbers from 'Songs of Love and Revenge')

If you would like to own these tracks and prefer to own the original Pretty Blue Gun CD 'Big Blue World' which has long-since been deleted, you can obtain them from me. I have CD's of the original for sale, all used and details can be found elsewhere in this blog.

Some of the original members have threatened legal action over me displaying their CD's. I should point out that my CD's are legitimate original pressings exactly as other shops and internet outlets selling their music. The British Phonographic Licensing agency PPL told me in 2008 that they are happy to obtain performance royalties still owing ONCE the tracks have amassed more than fifty UK pounds sterling in royalties!!!!

Pretty Blue Gun only made it as far as the bargain bins in the old Our Price shops. I bought some of my copies in Canterbury, Kent in about 1995.

DH

Berg's Lyric Suite Number Cryptogram

2009-09-15T18:32:00.009Z

The story that the composer tells in the Lyric Suite annotated score features Alban Berg, Hanna Fuchs and her two children: ‘Munzo’ and ‘Do-do’. It is, moreover, important to note that the secret programme solely refers to Alban Berg, Hanna Fuchs, Munzo’ and ‘Do-do’ in the annotations. It is possible to find the numerological ‘expression’ numbers of these names working from the exact mixture of whole names and first names that Berg uses in his annotations to the score:

Figure 5-24. Name - Conversion - Reduction

A L B A N
(1+3+2+1+5 = 12)
12 = (1+2) = 3

B E R G
(2+5+9+7 = 23)
23 = (2+3) = 5

H A N N A
(8+1+5+5+1 = 20)
20 = (2+0) = 2

F U C H S
(6+3+3+8+1 = 21)
21 = (2+1) = 3

M U N Z O (4+3+5+8+6 = 26)
26 = (2+6) = 8

D O – D O (4+6+4+6 = 20)
20 = (2+0) = 2

ALBAN BERG (3+5) = 8
HANNA FUCHS (2+3) = 5
MUNZO = 8
DODO = 2

(8 + 5 + 8 + 2)

These numbers produce 23 after reduction (8+5+8+2 = 23). There is a particular significance of the mixture of whole and first names: that is, Berg refers only to ‘Hanna Fuchs’ not Hanna Fuchs-Robettin, ‘Dodo’ not Dorothea, and ‘Munzo’ not Franz. Hanna’s husband Herbert Fuchs-Robettin is not represented in the work nor does Helene Berg seem to have been included.

Dale Harris
Copyright Dale Harris c. 2009 All Right Reserved

Alban Berg's 23 Structure (Opus 1-2)

2009-09-15T18:12:00.006Z

Adorno’s term ‘number games’ for Berg's codes, applicable to virtually all Berg’s works, can be most readily observed in structural determinants, such as bar numbers (whether in sections of movements, whole movements and/or the whole work) and metronome markings, etc. My studies have set out the structures of Berg’s early works (but not including his earliest student works, including approximately 70 songs, that were not given Opus numbers and sketches), to observe the most frequently occurring structural determinants and, where applicable, to see if there is any evidence to suggest that Berg already had a preference for certain numbers. The examples below cover Berg's Opus 1 and 2 works.

Berg was first given private tuition by Schoenberg in 1904 (ending in 1910) and his serious compositions under Schoenberg’s tutorage include his Piano Sonata Opus 1 and Four Songs Opus 2. In the first of these, it can be seen that Berg uses 5 and 23 as structural determinants:

Figure 2-1. Basic Form of Berg’s Piano Sonata, Op.1 (1907-8)

1-55 exposition 55 bars (x 2)
56-110 development 55 bars
111-179 recapitulation 69 bars

The 55 bar exposition (5 x 11) is repeated and at 110 bars, is exactly twice the length of the 55 bar development section.[1] As will be seen later in this thesis, Berg very often uses multiples of 5 and 10 as structural determinants. The recapitulation section is 69 bars in length (3 x 23). Berg would often write the number 69 in his later manuscripts as ‘23 x 3 takte’ although he has not done so here. There are no metronome markings in the score.

Two early songs ‘Im Zimmer’ (crotchet = 82) and ‘Liebesode’ (crotchet = 63) in Wiener Stadtbibliothek manuscripts have had their metronome markings subsequently altered (to multiples of 23: crotchet = 69 and crotchet = 46 respectively) for publication in Berg’s ‘Seven Early Songs’.[2]

The structure of Berg’s next published work - Vier Leider für eine Singstimme mit Klavier 1908-10 (Four Songs Opus 2) – features another multiple of 23 in the total number of bars in the work:

Figure 2-2. Basic Form of Berg’s Songs Op. 2, numbers 1-4 (1908-10)

I 1-30 (30 bars)
II 1-30 (30 bars)
III 1-30 (30 bars)
IV 1-25 (30 bars)
TOTAL = 115 bars

The first three songs are 30 bars each in length and the fourth movement is 25 bars: (30+30+30+25). Thus, the total number of bars is 115 bars - (115 = 23 x 5).[3] Moreover, multiples of 5 and 10 are also very clearly present in the structures of each of the songs (i.e. 30 = 10 x 3, 5 x 6 ; 25 = 5 x 5).

The architect Hermann Watznauer, who was Berg’s mentor, claimed that Op. 2 was inspired by Berg’s experiences of his first love affair (with his servant Marie Scheuchl) and fathering a child (Albine).[4] Certainly there is a love song, (Wo der Goldregen steht), and the pains of Berg’s separation from mother and child might be represented in Lied des Schiffesmädels and Abschied (Naude 1997 p.18-19). The theme of the work is clearly ‘fatalistic’, and thus the (presence of) 23 in the total number of bars might be seen to be in accordance with Berg’s belief (at this time) that this number denoted his ‘fate’ – a belief that I have explored elsewhere.

Dale Harris
Copyright Dale Harris c. 2009 All Right Reserved

Paul McCartney: Flaming Pie CD Review

2009-09-10T18:26:00.002Z

This is probably one of Paul McCartney's slicker CD's. If you like strong non-throw-away songs this is the one for you. For the historians out there, the album is in the same vein as "McCartney" (1969) and McCartney II (1980) and fans of these two will definitely be pleased with "Flaming Pie" as on some tracks Paul returns to playing all the instruments in the band. Moreover, there seems to be a hint of The Beatles 1968 The Beatles: the White Album in terms of sound production, thanks to Geoff Lynne and George Martin, and in the immense variety of the songs.

Understandably then, the album probably owes its variety to three key personnel line-ups:

1. McCartney mostly Solo (e.g. Calico Skies, etc.); 2. McCartney and in a band line-up (e.g. Flaming Pie, The World Tonight); 3. and guest spots make up the remainder with Ringo Starr and George Martin (Beautiful Night), Geoff Lynne (If You Wanna), and Paul's son James (Heaven On A Sunday), to name a few.

Anyone who loved the simplicity and directness of McCartney II, as I did, will really love "Really Love You". So the combination of good songs, intelligent production, contributions from former Beatles, a fair vocal effort - perhaps not in the same league as a younger Paul - and some well-produced vocals from Linda this wins my vote any day for one of the best Paul McCartney CD's on the market.

Dale Harris, copyright 2009. All rights are reserved.

Alban Bergs 23 Code Cipher Cryptogram

2009-09-08T11:45:00.002Z

In 2004, Dale Harris discovered that 23 is literally Alban Berg's full birth-name name spelt in numerology using the sums of the vowels, consonants and vowel+consonants (or 7+9+7). Likewise, Hanna Fuchs is 10, Schoenberg is 13 using the same process. Dale Harris is a professional classical guitarist and based in London and Surrey, England, UK.

Lyric Suite, Violin Concerto, and other compositions by the Austrian (12-tone) composer Alban Berg refer to the number 23 as a reference to himself and his 'fate'. Musical sequences occur for 23 bars (or multiples). Tempo markings are written in multiples of 23-bpm (or multiples). The number is used by Berg to represent himself, as indicated in the secret score for the Lyric Suite that was in the possession of Hanna Fuchs-Robettin for so long. Further reading on this area of Berg research should be conducted before reading my research (e.g. Douglas Jarman is possibly the first and best place to start, but also include George Perle and Anthony Pople).

My PhD 'Cryptograms in the music of Alban Berg' was submitted to the University Of Kent in 2004 and was well received by my peers (Douglas Jarman and Geoffrey Poole). In my publication, I made specific reference to the frequently occurring number references in Berg's music and explained them using a decipherment technique. The results were uncanny.

Further reading can be found in the PhD from Canterbury University.

Author: Dale Harris
Title: Cryptograms In The Music Of Alban Berg
Place Of Publish: University Of Kent, UK
Year: September 2004
Research Supervisors: Roderick Watkins, Douglas Jarman.
Research Examiner: Geoffrey Poole

Contact the music department (Canterbury University) or Kent University library for further details.

Dale Harris
Copyright Dale Harris c. 2009 All Right Reserved

Wedding Classical Guitar Music

2009-09-02T08:40:00.008Z

CLASSICAL GUITAR WEDDING: Romantic Classical Music For Your Wedding Ceremony & Function. Special Church Ceremony Entertainment For London & the South-East, England, Wales & Scotland.

CD Releases

The release of Espiritu de la Guitarra heralded the first solo commercial Spanish guitar release from Dale Harris. The new CD features Spanish and Paraguayan music by Albéniz, Tárrega, Sor, De Murcia and Barrios Mangoré. A further two CD's by Dale Harris are available on CD and download: Dark Tales and Reverie On A Hill.

Education & Training

Qualifications

First class B.A.(Hon) degree in music

M.A. in classical guitar performance

PhD in musicology
Grade 8 Classical Guitar

In 1998, Dale won 'The Larissa Lovelock Memorial Prize' in classical guitar performance in Canterbury, Kent UK. Dale's teachers have included Jeff Alexander, John Mills, Richard Durrant, and John Myhill. Dale's music has appeared on radio, television and corporate video.

Experience
Dale continues to work with the leading wedding entertainment agencies and contacts in the uk playing both guitar and the lute:

Mountains Events (contact Shirley Spencer)

Classical Associates Agency (contact Clare: wedding music entertainment specialist)
Geoff Robb's Classical Guitar Agency (classical guitar entertainment agency)

Dale Harris was born in West London, in 1968. Initially taught by his father, Dale began playing the guitar at the age of four and gave his first solo public performance at age 7. Dale has given numerous concerts as a professional guitarist for more than 25 years; just take a look at his concert history:
see Dale Harris Concert History

Dale Harris CD/MP3 Releases On Cryptogram Records

Espiritu de la Guitarra

Dark Tales
Reverie On A Hill

Contact Dale Harris: info@dale-harris.co.uk, mobile: 07941 582194 (UK)

Areas Covered:

The whole of England and Wales including: London & Home counties, Avon, Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Central, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Devon, Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Manchester, Liverpool, Surrey, Sussex, etc.

Dale's Typical Wedding Classical Guitar Music Repertoire

Felix Mendelsson: Wedding March

Richard Wagner: Bridal Chorus

Mauro Giuliani: Variations On A Theme By G.F. Handel, Op.107

John Lennon & Paul McCartney: And I Love Her
George Harrison: Here Comes The Sun

Stanley Myers: Cavatina

Francisco Tárrega: Recuerdos de la Alhambra

Trad. Spanish: Romanza (Spanish Romance)

J. Rodrigo: Adagio From Concierto De Aranjuez (ed. Harris)
G. F. Handel: Sarabande

Dale Harris London-based professional classical guitarist and baroque lutenist performer for special occasions romantic musical entertainment for your wedding. An ideal live music performance act for your special day including both formal wedding isle ceremony and informal cocktail or party reception for your guests. Romantic sounds played by a wedding music expert for your church or venue. Spanish, Latin, Flamenco, South American guitar sounds for corporate functions. Renaissance or baroque lute music for an intimate service.

Dale Harris: Facebook Fan Page

2009-08-21T21:29:00.004Z

Dale Harris is now on Facebook: just click on the link to become a fan.

John McLaughlin: Past, Present and Future

2009-08-12T18:24:00.002Z

The following is a review on John McLaughlin's Electric Guitarist CD, that I submitted for publication in December 2008:

'Electric Guitarist' (1978) came to fruition due to McLaughlin arriving at a very distinct crossroads. His record company CBS/Columbia pressurised McLaughlin to return to the electric guitar after the inevitable drop-off of record sales since disbanding wild electric Hendrix-influenced 'Mahavishnu Orchestra' and emerging with the sophisticated acoustic Indian-fusion ensemble Shakti (despite the immense quality of the latter). Thus, this was the first of McLaughlin's two 'contractual-obligation' albums (Electric Dreams followed in 1979). Not that this means a diminished sense of responsibility and reduction of quality compositions and performances. In fact, instead of a re-hash of the Mahavishnu formula that Columbia probably expected, McLaughlin finds a new 'sound' that is more Indian (using a scalloped electric guitar neck to facilitate Indian-esque micro-tonal string bends in 'New York On My Mind'), more funky (using a Mu-tron Envelope Follower in 'Are You The One?' or a 'Flange' effect in 'Phenomenon: Compulsion'), and more Jazzy (although amplified via a Leslie cabinet plus with a extra heavy bass string tuned down to a low A pitch to create a drone effect on 'My Foolish Heart'). Even the title 'Electric Guitarist' (complete with a boyhood picture of the maestro on the front cover) may even be a subtle dig at his record label. There are parallels with Jack Bruce's Things We Like (1970) too as an example of another 'contractual' album, this time completed for another major record label Polydor. The ex-Cream Bassist turned to McLaughlin back in 1970 for his help (plus McLaughlin needed the money to fund his invitation to join with Tony Williams' Lifetime, a trip to the USA that he could ill-afford). Bruce returns the favour on 'Are You The One', a vocal narrative stating the title by the former 'Lifetime' Trio which is a brilliant tongue-in-cheek fusion of blues and funk with just a hint of Shakti's Get Down And Sruti. Further backwards glances are found in the tribute to John Coltrane 'Do You Hear The Voices You Left Behind' (Chick Corea on Moog synth plus Stanley Clarke and Jack DeJohnette). The harmonic progression from Coltrane's Giant Steps are re-worked into this new McLaughlin tune, which commences with a brief slow and thoughtful melody followed by an up-tempo recapitulation plus some of the best improvisation on any McLaughlin album. Each track consists of different ensembles - a formula that McLaughlin would return to on The Promise (1995) - all with old band members such as ex-Mahavishnu's Billy Cobham (a Mahavishnu McLaughlin-Cobham duet 'Phenomenon: Compulsion' returns to wild rock), Michael Walden, Stu Goldberg and Jerry Goodman, ex-Lifetime Tony Williams and Jack Bruce, ex-Miles Davis' Chick Corea and Jack DeJohnette. Carlos Santana appears after the 1973 McLaughlin/Santana collaboration Love Devotion Surrender album, plus many notable others including Stanley Clarke, David Sanborn, etc. For it's inventiveness, diversity, and multiple personalities 'Electric Guitarist' would very well be one of my top 10 'desert island disc' selections. This is a also favourite of my five year old niece; which in many ways shows that inherent directness and simplicity is at the heart of the music. Thus, one can nullify the 'pre-conceived' notion of McLaughlin complexity so that both fans and new listeners to the work of one of the most-important jazz-guitarists of the 20th Century should absolutely adore.
c.2008 Dale G. Harris: All Rights Reserved

Tips For The Gigging Classical-Spanish Guitarist

2009-08-03T13:42:00.009Z

Concerts, recitals, gigs. Whatever you call them, concerts in all genres have many things in common. In classical, the process of the musical side of the preparation is well-known; e.g. material, performance technique, programme notes, visual presentation or 'image', announcements, etc. I do not intend to expand on these matters in this article. Instead, the issue of how the music arrives at the audience is my interest here.

In classical, the authentic approach is 'acoustic'. Take a guitar, foot-rest, music, music stand. Arrange a suitable chair, or take your own. Is that it? Well, no. What about your mailing or fan list, business contact cards, CD's to sell? So, you must have a CD as it has the potential to reach a number of potential new listeners and is a great souvenir for your audience to remember you by. You'll need an on-line personal website and hopefully a presence on myspace, facebook fan page, linkedin, etc. A camcorder gets you onto youtube, and you can learn from your mistakes if your record your concerts too. These are all important if you would like to maintain contact with your audience and for a possible repeat ticket sale in the future. But is that it? I'd say no.

What about taking a small acoustic amp to your concert? If you don't know much about the acoustic in the venue, a small boost can make all the difference. You don't want your audience to strain their ears in order to hear you do you? They might go to hear a violin next time if you don't have this option available to you. AER make a great little 40 watt Alpha amp, but you'll need a transducer pick-up, like a Fishman SBT. Add an equalizer and preamp to your set-up and the sound will be even better. But is that it? If you want to stay as near to authentic within reason, I'd say yes. If you want to play to bigger halls and a bigger audience, then I'd again say no.

What about putting together a 300-600 (at 8 ohms) watt P.A. system? You'll need either a power amp, mixer and speakers or powered mixer and speakers. Don't forget the speaker stands, and check the speaker output of your mixer to the inputs on the speakers; in combinations of either 3-pin XLR, TRS jack or Speakon. The more authentically inclined can add to this a condenser microphone and stand (and xlr cable) ensuring that your mixing desk has phantom power for the microphone otherwise you'll need a seperate pre-amp. Your pre-amp may be small like a Buddybox, or 19" rack pre-amp but you'll probably need a flightcase for that! Your speakers should be small. About 10" woofer plus tweeter is fine for guitar, and it'll leave room in the boot of your car for the case of Remy Martin or Bollinger. Add a digital reverb or ensure your mixer comes equipped with FX just in case you play dry horrible venues. But is that it? If you want to stay semi-authentic and don't mind upsetting a few diehards then I'd say yes. If you want to play to even bigger halls and a much bigger audience and don't mind upsetting the entire authenic brigade, then I'd again say no.

Unless you have roadies, can afford to pay excess baggage when jetting to international venues, then your acoustic guitar can cause you too much time consumption when either setting up the sound, or a feedback nightmare if you need to crank up the volume to your 500+ audience. Then you might need to have an electro-acoustic guitar to hand. I used to use an ovation electric classical, and have tried a number of other models. By far the easiest and most authentic sounding electro classical guitar is the Godin Grand Concert. Plug in your jack to an amp or PA and it'll sound good, and rarely if ever feeds back. Plus it has outputs to midi, so you can score out your compositions and arrangements, and have access to synth sounds. If you want to go bigger than this then you'll need a power amp rating of 1200 watts at 2ohms, and a three tier (bass/mid/top range) system. Then you'll need a van and a physiotherapist and chiropractor for your back pain after carrying all that gear to your gig, and regular hearing checks would help too. But rest easy in that you'll be able to afford to cope with all the physical ailments as your ticket sales should have substantially increased. If they haven't, then you'd better go back to playing acoustically and 'authentically'.

DH

Dale Harris Reverie On A Hill CD Sale Offer!

2009-07-30T13:56:00.007Z

Cryptogram Records Celebrates Launch Of Its MySpace Page!

Cryptogram Records is teaming up with www.cdbaby.com and offering it's latest release REVERIE ON A HILL by Dale Harris at a hugely reduced cost!

New transcriptions for guitar by Dale Harris include music by Bach, Mozart, Schumann, Vivaldi, Wagner, and others.

The CD version is now $10.49 (was $15.49)
The MP3 version is now $4.79 (was $8.79)

Visit CDBABY and purchase your copy at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dharris5

This offer is available to friends of Cryptogram Records and Dale Harris on myspace, facebook, twitter, reverbnation and will run until the end of 23rd August 2009.

UK Tesco Scam, beware guys!

2009-07-28T23:02:00.003Z

A 'heads up' for those men who may be regular Tesco customers. This one caught me by surprise.

Just before I left for a series of concerts in France, I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply going out to get shopping has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends. Here's how the scam works:

Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the car-boot. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and cleaning spray, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look. When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' and instead ask you for a ride to McDonalds. You agree and they get into the back seat. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen June 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, 24th & 29th. Also July 1st & 4th, and twice on the 8th, three times yesterday and very likely again tomorrow morning. So tell your friends to be careful. P.S. Tesco has wallets on sale for 2.99 each. I found cheaper ones for 1.99 at Asda and bought them out. Also, you never will get to eat at McDonalds. I've already lost 6 kilos just running back and forth to Tesco.

Rare FX Pedal: Able Bassmaker by John Rogers

2009-07-28T22:35:00.012Z

I often use an Able Bassmaker in my set-up. They were made by John Rogers who was based in Pwllheli (Gwynedd), in Wales, UK. I phoned him up one day, long after he stopped production, and he very kindly made me a one-off. I now read that pedal cannot be purchased anymore which is a shame as it is a unique (and perhaps 'quirky') pedal.

The bassmaker acts as an intelligent octaver. A filtering process allows the octaver section to kick in on the lowest notes. However, how it does this I'm not so sure. There is an op-amp on the board, but I believe the easiest way to filter the bass-end is to couple a resistor and potentiometer (not unlike the tone control in an electric guitar). As standard analog octavers process monophonically ( e.g., such as the Boss OC-2/OC-3), the filtered signal cuts out some of the frequencies that confuse the pedal when playing polyphonically. The bassmaker does get confused but it is just hidden better; this adds to my hunch that the filtering process is achieved via the potentiometer itself (the other pot serves as gain of the octave section only)and not via the circuitry.

I hereby invite comments, especially if there is anything technical to add concerning the electronic workings of the Bassmaker. Moreover, he made a strings/synth pedal for guitar; do you remember the name of this?

Meanwhile you can view videos of me using the bassmaker at the following locations:

http://www.youtube.com/daleharrisguitar
http://www.youtube.com/user/musicianshive
http://www.youtube.com/user/europalivemusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/b4udr

When in France ... do as the English do?

2009-07-26T11:49:00.005Z

Having been performing in France this summer, I've a few observations that I hope will be of use to other musicians who have yet to have performed in this part of Europe.

Booking: When booking in France, it is imperative that your accent is perfect French. This is especially the case when your interpreter is male. Say any word with a hint of accent and they will (pretend?) not to 'comprehend' you. Also, your intended concert start time is given to you as set in stone, but on the day your start time may vary by up to three hours and in some cases your French agent will pretend that such a booking never happened at all (note: you may telephone your French connection beforehand, and be assured that all is on track!).

Your fee: Whatever the amount you understand to have negotiated is really only an approximation. Agree a fee of €200 and you might be paid €100. Your contract may state whatever the establishment likes. You should be pleased to be working for the French.

Contract: only the big venues agree to a contract with you. When they do require a contract with you they will want ask for your social security number, bank details, address, proof of id, etc. In most cases, I'm informed that asking for a contract is an affront to their 'trustworthiness'.

The concert: you must arrive late. Arrive early and your contacts won't be there. Dare to set-up and you'll have to move everything. Your contact often won't inform his (or her) staff about your event. He's just too busy!

Your audience: generally nice and there is usually no problem there.

Bar staff: in cafes, expect hostile reception from the male waiters. They cannot possibly charm their customers for tips if some half-wit is making music/noise and may be paid more than him (especially when the singing is non-traditional French songs).

Collecting your fee: you may be paid in whatever format the venue likes. I've heard that it can often be on the evening after the concert but this can change to 'collect it tomorrow'. The venue reserves the right of turning their phone off the next day. My cheque took two months to arrive after the concerts and it's in Euro's meaning that, unless you have a European bank account, your UK bank will deduct huge amounts in 'costs' and 'exchange'. Frankly, I'd given up that they would ever pay me at all. Now I'm left wondering how the taxman decides what a Euro earned abroad is actually worth?

Download Guitar Music by Dale Harris on MP3 for FREE!

2009-04-22T11:31:00.003Z

I have made available two downloads of complete and unreleased tracks for FREE for access by anyone who visits my page at www.reverbnation.com/daleharris

PLEASE NOTE: to download the free music you must register with reverbnation (a simple process and they DO NOT hassle you!) and become a fan of Dale Harris.

There are other sample tracks available to listen and /or download at the following address: http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/1395281

I have future plans to post other exclusive tracks here as well so watch this space!

Thanks!

DH

1FD Studios Built By Dale Harris

2009-01-10T13:05:00.013Z

1FD STUDIOS
The private recording studio built by Dale Harris in Hertfordshire, England.

The Construction Process (brief version)

My new CD REVERIE ON A HILL was recorded at my new private studio 1FD in Hertfordshire UK.

You can hear the results by clicking on the link below:
The Dale Harris Repertoire And MP3 Sound-clip Page Please locate the following items that are taken from the Reverie On A Hill CD:

J. S. Bach: Prelude In C: From Well-Tempered Clavier No.1 (tr. Harris)
Antonio Vivaldi: Adagio: Concerto In G For Two Mandolins (tr. Harris)
Richard Schumann: Kinderzsenen, Op.15 (tr. Harris), No.1, No.2, No. 3, No.4, No.5,
No.6, No.7, No., No.9, No.10, No.11, No.12, No.13
Richard Wagner: Preludes From Tristan And Isolde (tr. Harris), No. 1, No.3
Mozart: Andante In C From Piano Sonata (tr. Harris)
Mauro Giuliani: Variations On A Theme By G.F. Handel, Op.107 (ed. Harris)

This is a three bedroom cottage. First, the main studio live room had the bedroom door removed. Fellow Sheppertonian Larry Lucas cut out the wall in order to fit the double-glazed doors.The following decribes the next stages of the studio construction and development process pictorially (in brief).

Live Room Pic. The membrane layer (below)

Live Room Pic. Chipboard and cable channel (below)

Live Room Pic. Pine floor (below)

Control Room Pic.Chipboard Layer & Cable channel (below)

Control Room Pic. Mixing desk installed (below)

The depth of the chipboard (and a second layer covers the first layer which is cut out for the cable channel) was a crucial factor as the other rooms in the house all need to be met at the same height. It is best to avoid there being any steps to trip-up over for dreaded health and safety reasons. You don't want to invite Eric Clapton over for a jam only for him to trip-up on his way to the bathroom and break his neck now do you?!

DH, Jan 09

A more elaborated version of the building process and further pictures can be found at 1FD Studios:

Dale Harris: My First Release On CD

2008-12-23T17:01:00.022Z

Over the years, I played with many artists in a variety of ensembles. My first commercial recording was with a Hertfordshire based group, 'Pretty Blue Gun' (herein referred to as PBG).
I possess a number of second-hand copies of the CD album that was recorded in the early 1990's. The CD is entitled 'Big Blue World' (herein referred to as 'BBW') and are extremely rare and difficult to obtain on disc these days. You can buy these direct from me at any of my concerts. Alternatively, you can email me using the contact details provided below.

PRICE £7.00 per CD

Postage & Packing Information (if ordering via email)

UK: Please add £1.75 to your order
Europe: (inc. Scandinavia) Please add £2.25 to your order
USA: Please add £2.75 to your order
Rest of World: Please add £3.75 to your order

These early recordings include some interesting electric guitar work by Dale Harris that will soon disappear altogether on disc. If you would like a copy of this rare CD please email me at: info@dale-harris.co.uk

All CD's are used and are in excellent condition and were only ever played a few times for promotional purposes only.

BBW includes 13 tracks and the artwork and liner notes are inaccurate and only mention the touring musicians names. The real line-up of musicians is wholly different and leaves out some incredible musical talents. I hope to provide salient track details for the interest of music enthusiasts and historians.

The BBW CD has long been deleted and there were only a few thousand copies ever released. BBW was a massive flop. This was partly due to production errors in the early stages of recording with some odd aesthetic choices concerning musical direction. Moreover, over-ambitious studio usage proved to be a strain on the finances of the record company (Cavell Records).

The liner notes states the musician line-up but this is only true for tracks 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10.

The personnel for tracks 1,2,4,9,11,12,13 are (if memory serves) as follows:

All tracks include Trudie Brogan on Vocals (T.B.) and Rhythm Guitar by Neil Fitzsimon (N.F.)

Track 1. - Big Blue World

TB: Vocals
NF: Rhythm Guitar
Dale Harris: Lead Guitar
Peter Hague: Drums
Unknown: Bass Guitar
Dan Reavey: Keyboards

Track 2 - Girl In A Gilded Cage
TB: Vocals
NF: Rhythm Guitar
Dale Harris: Lead Guitar
Peter Hague: Drums
Unknown: Bass Guitar
Dan Reavey: Keyboards

Track 4 - The Only Girl
TB: Vocals
NF: Rhythm Guitar
Dale Harris: Lead Guitar, Additional Keyboard Programming
Dave Bronze: Bass Guitar
Bob Jenkins: Drums
Bias Boshell: Keyboards
Norman Goodman: Keyboard Programming

Track 9 - One Minute Every Hour
TB: Vocals
NF: Rhythm Guitar
Dale Harris: Lead Guitar, String Arrangement & Additional Keyboard Programming
Dave Bronze: Bass Guitar
Bob Jenkins: Drums
Bias Boshell: Keyboards
Norman Goodman: String Arrangement & Keyboard Programming

Track 11 The Drowning Pool
TB: Vocals
NF: Rhythm Guitar
Dale Harris: Lead Guitar, Additional Keyboard Programming
Dave Bronze: Bass Guitar
Bob Jenkins: Drums
Tobias Boshell: Keyboards

Norman Goodman: Keyboard Programming

Track 12 - Scared Of The Dark
TB: Vocals
NF: Rhythm Guitar
Dale Harris: Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboard and Rhythm Programming
Peter Hague: Drums

Track 13 - Revolution Of The Mind
TB: Vocals
NF: Rhythm Guitar
Dale Harris: Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, Keyboard and Rhythm Programming
Peter Hague: Drums

Original BBW artwork which was not used: From left to right: Dave McAndrew, Dale Harris, TB, NF.

PBG: Incidental Information

Dave McAndrew was PBG's live drummer from circa October 1991-July 1992, and Bassist Chris Ryan was the live bass player. To my knowledge sadly, neither Chris Ryan nor Dave McAndrew performed on any of the BBW studio tracks although both were present during the recording sessions.
Peter Hague took over drums in July 1992.
Dale Harris left the band in circa March 1993 (due to a muscular RSI injury)
The band personnel as mentioned in the BBW liner-notes is applicable from April 1993-1994.
John Berry left the band in 1994.
Guitarist Matt Cowe left the band sometime in 2000/01.
Dale Harris rejoined June 2001-March 2003.
Both Dale Harris and Peter Hague recorded and performed with the popular country/Rock n Roll singer-guitarist Lorne Gibson, although never at the same time.
The musical arrangement for track 7 'Snipers Target' and the instrumental composition at the end of track 12 'Scared Of The Dark' is by Dale Harris (which was not credited at the time).
Dale Harris borrowed additional guitars from Alexis Korner and Pip Williams on tracks 4, 9, 11.

Anyone who has further knowledge of the musician line-ups that I am unable to ascertain can contact me and I will update them accordingly.

The Classical Guitar 'Squeak': Friend Or Foe?

2008-11-26T17:04:00.005Z

Dear All,

Apologies for spouting off about another geek topic!

In conversation with the eminent young drummer-percussionist Jez Henderson (who had collaborated on the Dark Tales CD project) regarding my latest solo classical guitar CD Reverie On A Hill, I mentioned that I didn't give two hoots about the 'Squeak'. It was at Mr Henderson's suggestion that such a topic would be ideal for as blog (please blame him if you find this to 'geeky'). Thus, the three wound nylon bass strings as fitted to most classical guitars emit a squeak when the hand or finger runs along it. Many guitarists find this a problem:

"I use the D’Addario EJ46 Lightly Polished Composites. The crucial thing is the lightly polished. The lack of squeaks with a lightly polished string is just as important for live playing as recording. A lot of people think the squeaks that everyone gets on guitar are a part of the sound and they like it. There’s hardly anything to like about it. They’re totally out of time and they sound like mice squeaking in the corner of the room! The less you can have of that, the better." (John Williams Interview with Austin Prichard-Levy) http://www.guitarteacher.com.au/johnwilliams.htm

Julian Bream has often complained about the squeak but lives with it for musical purposes:

"It would be lovely if the squeaks were not there, but they nearly always are. I squeak more than some ... If I worried about taking my fingers off the string ... merely to avoid the squeak ... I might lose the musical line." (Julian Bream: A Life On The Road, T. Palmer, Maxwell House, 1982, p163.)

Earl Klugh is the opposite to Bream, and will go to great lengths to eliminate them:

"They’re complete performances, but if there was a squeak on a note that bothered me, I would go in and fix it. But since these songs are improvised, it’s really hard to punch in once I get past the melody. So some of the squeaks had to stay on there." (Earl Klugh)

My view, and this is not a common one these days, is that the squeak is of minor importance ut it's not the end of the world. Thus, I polish my bass strings with very fine wet and dry paper (often very worn-down 1200 grit). Although this process doesn't completely eliminate the squeak, it does diminish it. However, I am reluctant to lose the squeak entirely as I am of the opinion that a guitar should sound as though its being played! I don't want my recordings to be part of a clinically precise technical exercise.

D.H.

THE GUITAR SHOW! The 2009/10 show by Dale Harris

2008-11-15T17:24:00.011Z

The Guitar Show!

Dale Harris forges new directions in solo guitar

performance in his new show for 2009/10.

Dale's solo concerts are an event to behold. Audiences are spellbound by his uncanny ability to create magic from just about any genre you care to mention. Dale is not only fully-trained classical musician who can reel-off any number of repertoire pieces both popular and obscure without pretence, but he can play anything from jazz to rock to ragtime or flamenco, country to blue-grass acoustic, delta-blues slide electric, Indian classical raga and all with an authentic flair for the style executed with a twinkle-in-the-eye sense of humour and a death-defying level technique. He'll imitate drums, trumpets, the Nashville steel-guitar, play pieces entirely on the tuning pegs, lay down live loops, trigger synths or bass pedals for self-accompaniment.

An array of instruments are evident at Dale's concerts: there's a few one-off luthiered Spanish and flamenco guitars (by Manuel Contreras & Stephen Hill), a Godin electric-classical instrument hooked up to an axon system synth (you have missed out if you have not heard the music of J.S. Bach played on a church organ and guitar at the same time!), an Ovation Adamas acoustic-electric steel-string (as purchased from Adrian Legg as part of a deal where Ovation offered the instrument for John Williams to use after the formation of Sky in 1979 - he promptly declared this instrument to be 'vulgar'!!!) complete with banjo de-tuning-pegs. Then he might get out a baroque 24-string lute, a banjo (Deliverance: here we go!), an electric guitar and play some blues 'slide'. You'll hear music by The Beatles played on a Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar (an identical model to the one played by George Harrison in the 1960's).

Dale also plays music by Adrian Legg (as an 18-year old, Dale once played Legg's music to the composer himself and picked up some handy tips!), John McLaughlin, Chet Atkins, or simply revert to the classics such as 'Cavatina: Theme from the Deerhunter', 'The Entertainer', 'Tarrega's Recuerdos De La Alhambra', Albeniz's 'Asturias', or Don McLean's beautiful 'Vincent'. Then, there's medleys of hits such as Message in a Bottle (Police) / Californication (Red Hot Chili Peppers) / Day Tripper (Beatles) where Dale plays the bass line and melody simultaneously! An ultra jazzy and atmospheric version of Summertime coupled with the James Bond Theme always raises a few smiles and wonderment, especially as the guitar pedal board is worked to the maximum.
Dale also tells the occasional story - tales of crazy incidents, old friends, topical anecdotes, or informative and fascinating background to accompany the programme. It's no wonder that Dale's concerts will leave you with a sense of awe-inspiration, genuine warmth and one of the best guitar concerts that you may ever be part of.

November 2008

"Dale Harris: The Guitars Show!"

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My thoughts on classical nylon and hybrid strings

2008-06-18T18:43:00.004Z

Warning! Do not read this if you are not a guitarist! If you are still reading, you have either too much time on your hands, have the curiosity of a cat (and look what happens to the majority of them when they encounter traffic), or you are indeed a guitarist.

Stumble into most guitar shops, gaze at the multitude of strings, ask the bloke behind the counter what do I need, and said shop assistant picks the one that makes him the most profit! If you are not happy with being flogged any old bit of cat-gut then you will no doubt ask around and thus enter the 'what string is best' debate. This has always been a hot if somewhat geek-like topic I'm afraid, and as any decent Englishman would do I can only apologize. John Williams mutters 'nylon ones' when asked this question of what strings he uses. Despite this, the subject of strings is still worth a mention without taking it to the geek train-spotter extreme.

To add to the context, I'm a classical player using concert guitars by Manuel Contreras II and Stephen Hill, plus I play a Godin Grand Concert-midi with synth access when I get bored of the same-old-usual. Using D'Addario EJ46's [sorry-1 to get geekish so early] I found myself with severe intonation problems with the Contreras, and had Contreras Jnr. look at it. I'd happy memories of using Augustine Imperial Blues in my early student days only later switching to D'Addario EJ46's in a quest for more tension on an old Asturias guitar. He suggested trying D'Addario EJ46's (high tension) on the bass and Savarez Alliance (normal tension) on the trebles. I stuck with this choice, mainly because I bought several hundred sets off of this nice chap, although unfortunately the intonation kept getting worse. Later, Stephen Hill looked at the Contreras guitar, swore that there is nothing wrong with the string length (and I believe him!) and suggested using mixtures of strings to compensate for the problems. So he advised putting an EJ45 medium D'Addario on the 1st string, a medium Savarez Alliance red on the second string and any choice of bass strings. He prefers Savarez Crystal Blue (Hard) or Luthier medium-hard's on his own guitars. The idea that thicker and thinner strings promote a slightly different string length and hence can alter the intonation. I find the Luthiers break up and become scratchy on the trebles. The Crystal blues are frankly boring, although I do use these on the Hill guitar and they are good but not great - but I long for a change as I hate compromise!

Unlike classicals which have a fixed bridge, Les Paul Electric guitars have a 'tunomatic' bridge with saddles that you can alter the string length with screw driver. I often look at new electric guitars and inspect the bridge - if all the
tunomatics are roughly in the middle of the bridge there may have been less cock-ups than those with wildly differing saddles: after all, it may leave you no room for adjustment if the guitar changes, which it no doubt will.

With regards to string breakages, I experimented with La Bella Professional Series classic strings, but found that the basses broke overnight for no apparent reason!

A few die-hards use extra hard tension D'Addario's. I tried extra hards on the bass side a while back when playing a particular Turkish/Italian piece called Koyunbaba (Domeniconi) that requires re-tuning the guitar to C-sharp minor: thus the sixth string drops to a C-sharp, the 5th to G-sharp, and 4th to Csharp. Some players say that the extra-hards work well on the Godin Grand Concert, although I suspect that the G 3rd will be on the tubby side (and the EJ46 is certainly that so things may only get worse!). These extra hards (bass side only) ended up being put on a spare guitar where I experimented with 'Nashville' tuning with extra light gauge strings on the treble side (tuned one octave up).

My conclusion is that string choice evolves and yet never reaches any sensible conclusions. Factors such as string action, various tensions of the woods that slacken over a lifespan may mean (and this was certainly the case with my cheap Asturias student guitar) that one set of strings used in the first few years of a given guitars life may not be 'the' choice when the guitar matures.

I hope this helps you. Now I'm off to find my cat...

DH

P.S. I'm informed by The Lute Society that they have much bigger problems than us guitarists when it comes to strings.

My Latest Project: Wagner & Schumann Transcribed For Guitar

2008-06-06T21:31:00.002Z

Greetings friends,
I would like to update everyone concerning the recording of my latest CD. I have been preparing many new transcriptions for the guitar of works by some of my favourite composers. These pieces will be aired on CD followed by being formally published in printed music format.

There's been one piece that I've always wanted to have a go at doing on the guitar by Richard Wagner. The first prelude from Tristan and Isolde is an incredible piece of music. I analysed it in my University days and wished that music of that sort might be experienced by guitarists. I'm pleased with the results, and have recently recorded it along with the third prelude from the same work.

A good friend of mine heard Robert Schumann's 13-movement piece for piano Kinderszenen (Scenes From Childhood) and thought it would sound good on the guitar. It lasts some 23 or so minutes, and I thought I'd never finish the arrangements (which I did after much sweat and swearing). I'm about to finish recording the last few sections ready for the new CD having left the most difficult sections until last so that I have a better chance of getting it right in studio.

Needless to say that I won't be doing many live appearances during the summer as getting the rest of this CD finished and ready for release is going to be a major priority.

The taxman, in his usual way, has lined up a few tax-returns for me to complete so its not all music and fun...

DH

Lutes and Guitars and problems

2008-06-06T21:30:00.002Z

Greetings friends,

After a fit of nostalgia and renaissance-type musings, I felt the urge to return to playing the Lute.

Not since my early college days had I played one, having hired a very nice lute from Brunell University. So I set about joining The Lute Society, an antiquated (albeit nice) bunch who are busy preserving a heratige in complete contrast to the many guitarists who are moving in the opposite direction. Take John McLaughlin, for example, - he's the one who formed the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the 70's that combined music that sounded like Hendrix, Stravinsky and Indian music: McLaughlin has always firmly believed in moving forward, with occasional glancing backwards allowed. Lemmy, who is from the band Motorhead, contrasted the view of McLaughlin when he exclaimed that he did not believe in development for developments sake because the band might develop into something that they did not understand. Spinal Tap suffered the same fate during their Jazz fusion period. Having joined the Lute fraternity, they sent me a pile of music written in a form a guitar tablature of the sort that I had only seen in a museum. When I joined the Lute Society, they assured me that their lute music was in modern format! I guess they meant that someone had typeset the ancient manuscripts so that they could be printed out and mass (?) produced.

Although shaken I wasn't about to be stirred so I went on to stage two in taking up the lute. Still convinced that it might be a relaxing thing to do one day - to strum upon the lute when having a day off from the guitar - I set about having a lute built for me. So went through the list and found a nice chap who lives near me to build one. We met up and I got to see some examples of his workmanship. It was only when I got to play one that a massive problem was apparent. Because of my classical technique, my right-hand 'plucking' fingers (I exclaimed a similar phrase when I realised the 'problem') protruded into the body of the lute, thus, I would destroy such an instrument within weeks. Proper lutenists don't have nails, nail-care being a more recent advent in beauty trends. Maybe that was why they stopped making lutes?! "Can't I raise the strings a bit?" I asked the luthier, suggesting that the strings be raised up to give me more finger clearance akin to a guitar. The luthier (being a young chap had luckily not completely fallen under the influence of the Lute Society) suggested some interesting adaptations to accomodate my requirements. Although, he did mumble something about "if the Lute 'mafia' ever finds out" they will be knocking at his door!

I'm still awaiting his quotation so that I can have the lute made, and I hope he hasn't been 'nobbled' in the meantime.

To be continued...

DH

Guitars For Sale

2007-02-15T11:09:00.004Z

The following guitars are for sale. They are all from a guitar shop that closed recently. All items are in mint condition as new and unused. These items are not owned by me, and I am passing details on to the seller: Please contact Sherrie Frith on 07903658004, her postcode is RH11 9DX. Please contact me by email to request JPG images for each item. All items are "o.n.o."

Guitar Amps
Fender DeVille 410 Amp 4 x 10 combo, 60 watts, 6 L6's with footswitch.
£650

Electric Guitars
Stephen Frith Custom Built Les Paul, Ash Body, Maple Top, Ebony Fingerbourd, 2 x Kent Armstrong p/u, Grover tuners, wooden control knobs and p/u covers.
£1800

Squire Strat, made in china, green, p/u=1 hb 2 sc
£155

Aslin Dane Les Paul, Cherry Red, p/u=2 x hb
£185

Sakura Electric, black, p/u=2 x hb, good starter guitar.
£200

Squire Tele, Black, Made in Indonesia
£175

Squire Tele, Black, Made in Indonesia
£175

Acoustic Steel String Guitars
Guild D4 Acoustic Guitar, Cedar Top, Mahog back and sides.
£700

Fender Acoustic Sunburst
£100

Sherrie Frith Acoustic, Classical body, truss rod, steel strings, Spruce top. Unique acoustic guitar design.
£800

Nylon String Guitars
Admira Flamenco Guitar, Spanish Cypress back and sides, spruce top.
£250

Stephen & Sherrie Frith "Sequenza Model" Classical (#188), Spruce top, Indian Rosewood back & sides, Torres back.
£1750

Stephen & Sherrie Frith Classical (#191), Spruce top, Indian Rosewood back & sides.
£1750

Sherrie Frith "Sherrie Vanessa" Classical (#52004), Cedar top, Indian Rosewood back & sides.
A good student guitar (e.g. grade 3-7, age 11+)
£800

Sherrie Frith Classical (#188), Spruce top, Flamed Maple back & sides. Amazing looking instrument.
£800

Sherrie Frith "Sherrie Vanessa" Classical (#42204), Spruce top, Indian Rosewood back & sides, highly decorative instrument. A good student guitar (e.g. grade 3-8, age 11+)
£1000

Recommended Guitars For Students

2007-01-31T10:55:00.001Z

I am always being asked about which suitable guitars are for children, beginners and pre-grade 5 students. Here's what I recommend:

Ages 4-7 : Quarter-size classical/Spanish guitar (with nylon strings)

Ages 8-9: Half-size classical/Spanish guitar (with nylon strings) or as alternative resort a 'junior electric' guitar (with steel strings)

Guitar prices start at around 40-50GBP for a classical, 60-100 for steel-string acoustic and electric instruments.

Ages 10-12: There are three common options here:
a) Three quarter-size classical/Spanish guitar (with nylon strings)
b) a steel-string acoustic (or acoustic-electric) dreadnought guitar (with 9-46 gauge steel strings, you can opt for electric strings rather than acoustic strings if you desire a closer playability of an electric guitar)
c) an electric guitar the best starter is probably a stratocaster type. Harley Benton's are the cheapest and perhaps best for beginners.

Ages 13+: All type of guitars playable from this age depending on taste. More advanced students should look at Epiphone or Dean guitars, and Fender Squire models such as Stratocasters, Telecasters. Gibson Les Paul copies have a good thick and sustaining sound although they tend to be heavy and perhaps less-versatile, forget guitars will silly shapes (e.g. 'flying v') as finding suitable cases that will fit is a headache and cumbersome.

Recommended (and cheap!) sites to visit for purchasing guitars: http://www.thomann.de/gb/index.html
http://www.petercooks.co.uk/
http://www.gak.co.uk/
(http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/)
Please have a look at my blog listing: guitars for sale

Comments welcomed: "Dark Tales" CD

2007-01-24T10:04:00.006Z

Comment on the "Dark Tales" CD here. The music features

Dale Harris (Guitars - bass)
Jez Henderson (Drums - Percussion)
Rob Hermans (Voice)
Caroline Nemorin (Flute)

Dark Tales is an exciting and unique project that combines elements of quasi-impressionist classical, Latin-jazz infused with Nuevo-Spanish undertones, and experimental improvisations. From dreamy soundscapes to the aggressive, Spanish-classical, acoustic steel-string and electric-midi guitars, drums and percussion, composed and improvised gems infused with world and jazz sounds. The line-up consists of two English musicians: guitarist Dale Harris (better known as a concert Classical/Spanish guitarist) and Jez Henderson (drums/percussion) plus some special guests. All of the tracks introduce original compositions by Harris, Henderson and Hermans. The result is a musically satisfying and open-minded outing. Harris sounds rejuvenated and refreshed in this format, as he switches between Classical, Steel-string acoustic and an electric guitar that he often plays in combination with a midi-triggered guitar synthesizer. The result produces some luminous timbres and textures that eases the usual hard attack of the electric guitar.

The eagerly awaited collaboration between Dale Harris and Jez Henderson was released in December 2007 in MP3 download format only and is available from most on-line music stores(including itunes). DARK TALES is an exciting fusion of Classical, World-music and jazz from authered by guitarist Dale Harris and percussionist Jez Henderson. The new CD features poetic excerpts from Rob Hermans and flautist Caroline Nemorin.

NEWS: August 2008
DARK TALES is now available in CD audio format.

Buy it at www.guitarcds.net price £9.99:
www.guitarcds.net

Also available on itunes, napster, and many other download on-line outlets.

USA & rest of world CD release to follow:
see www.cdbaby.com

The CD cover shots are courtesy of Sam Morgan Moore.

For more details, please visit Visit http://cdbaby.com/cd/harrishenderson.html

Comments welcomed: Espiritu de la Guitarra by Dale Harris

2007-01-20T18:08:00.001Z

Comment on Espiritu de la Guitarra by Dale Harris here.

Comments welcomed: Dale Harris in concert

2007-01-20T18:06:00.001Z

If you have seen Dale Harris in concert, please leave your comments here.