Lockdown measures across the world have forced many of us to stay at home and find ways to keep our minds occupied. We’re not underestimating the seriousness of the current pandemic, but one silver lining that can be taken from this situation is that it has given us more time to dedicate to things that we perhaps wouldn’t have been able to fit into normal life.
A lot of people have taken up new hobbies to stay productive and, more importantly, healthy – both physically and mentally. But for us guitarists, the lockdown has provided us with freedom to practice harder and learn new techniques. And generally speaking, becoming more proficient on our instrument is something that we always aspire for. That’s why we’ve created the “Elevenses” series – to keep you motivated during the lockdown period!
What is “Elevenses”?
“Elevenses” is essentially a series of guest lesson videos hosted on our official Facebook page. We reached out to a few well-known guitarists in our community and bought the equivalent of an hour or two of lessons from them. But instead of having the tuition with these players ourselves, we asked them to film some tips that we could share with you – our audience!
With a video uploaded to our Facebook page at 11am over 11 days with 11 different artists, there’s plenty of new tricks and techniques to learn from some of the very best players in the industry – including Mike Dawes, Yvette Young, Simon McBride and Joey Landreth. It’s our way of giving you a short break for light entertainment rather than refreshment, although a coffee might perk you up a bit!
Why Did We Create This Series?
We wanted to support fellow musicians in need during this difficult time. Our guest tutors are a few of many affected by touring restrictions, and thousands of musicians all over the world are struggling to make a living while lockdowns are in place. And of course, we like to see our fans inspired and engaged with the awesome content that our guest players have created!
Below, you’ll find all of our Elevenses videos that have been uploaded so far. Make sure to stay tuned not just on our Facebook page, but on all of our social media platforms for the next instalment of Elevenses too:
Elevenses #1 – Sam Bell’s Picking & Chord Exercises
To kick off proceedings, here’s our UK-based pal Sam Bell showing you some slick picking/legato/chord exercises to add character to your playing:
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