Under the Hat: All About Guitars

In this debut episode of “Under the Hat: Independent Music Education,” Mister G takes us into his recording studio in Western MA for a music lesson about the guitar. Using a variety of instruments from his collection, he discusses the differences (and similarities) between acoustic, electric, classical and steel guitars. — Grab the kids for a fun tutorial on four guitars as Mister G demonstrates their sounds and styles:

• STEEL GUITAR: With its gleaming metal body, the steel guitar is a striking instrument visually and sonically. An iconic blues instrument, the steel guitar originally came to prominence in the 1920’s. Want to hear an example of the steel guitar being used in music for children? Mister G plays his National Steel Guitar on “Shark in my Bathtub” off of the BUGS CD.

• CLASSICAL GUITAR: Originally from Spain, the classical guitar is used to perform many styles of music including bossa nova, folk, jazz and, of course, classical. Mister G plays an excerpt from his bossa nova inspired song “Suenos” to demonstrate the warmth and beauty of this iconic instrument. — Want to learn about the history of the classical guitar?  Check out Acoustic Guitar Guru.

• ELECTRIC GUITAR: First built in 1954, the Fender Stratocaster is arguably the most famous electric guitar ever made. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and countless others have chosen the strat due to its remarkable versatility. Mister G plays examples of funk, jazz, rock and blues; all musical styles that have influenced his playing and songwriting.

• STEEL STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR The steel string acoustic guitar came to prominence early in the 20th century. Originally embraced by country, blues and folk guitarists, the steel string acoustic is a remarkably versatile instrument. Mister G plays his Martin D-18, his primary touring guitar, and explains why the acoustic the instrument is a great choice for solo performing.

What to look forward to next month:

Reporting on tour from Mexico, Mister G describes how various songs on his new bilingual Spanish/English CD came to be. He discusses how songwriters are like detectives; always on the lookout for clues that could lead to a great new song. The episode ends with Mister G playing the delicious title track of his new album, CHOCOLALALA.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mister G (Ben Gundersheimer) is an Amherst College graduate who spent 20 years as a singer/songwriter/producer in the adult music world prior to earning a Masters in Elementary Education at Smith College and transitioning to making music for children.  His most recent release, CHOCOLALALA, a collection of original, bilingual (Spanish/English) songs for children, won a Parents’ Choice Gold Award and is on the Grammy ballot for Best Children’s Album of 2012. A leading figure in the kids music world, Mister G’s 2011 bilingual release, BUGS garnered numerous national awards and was dubbed “irresistible” by People magazine. www.mistergsongs.com