For the Live Music Issue, we figured it would be prudent to do something related to that theme for the Go Try It.
I had toyed with the idea of performing at Area 23’s open-mic night, but, alas, stage fright took over long before even laying eyes on said stage. Plus, I’ve never played solo before, and I’ve never considered myself much of a singer – or guitar player, for that matter.
That’s why I decided to take a lesson at Strings and Things.
I’ve been “playing” guitar for about 12 years, but like many guitar players (and Ferris Bueller), I never had one lesson. Everything I know I learned from YouTube, websites and friends who actually knew what they were doing.
Mike Bilodeau, owner of Strings and Things, has been playing for nearly 50 years – probably safe to assume he kind of knows what he’s doing. And since he runs the store, he also knows everything there is to know about lessons at Strings and Things, which made him the ideal guy to get a lesson from.
I showed up last Friday with my newest electric guitar, a Fender Stratocaster I bought at Strings and Things last year, and Bilodeau was waiting for me in one of the lesson rooms. The store supplies the amps and cables, so you don’t have to lug all that bulky gear around.
The first 20 minutes or so were spent talking about what I like to play, how long I’ve been playing and what my goals were. As someone who considers himself an intermediate player, I said I wanted to learn to basically be able to pick up a guitar and just start playing cool, original stuff that won’t bore people after 20 seconds. I told Bilodeau that I knew the basic major and minor scales and chords, but that I was looking to try something more creative.
We started off with a little jam session to loosen up. Bilodeau dialed in a backing track on a contraption he uses to practice to, and he started strumming a chord (D major, if anyone is interested) over it. Then he told me to let loose and play anything in the key of D.
The next thing I knew, we had a solid jam going. It lifted my spirit to see Bilodeau – obviously a far more accomplished player than I’ll ever be – smile at some of my licks.
Then, he started to teach me a Dorian scale – “The technical term is the Carlos Santana scale,” Bilodeau said. Basically, this is a minor scale that is very versatile and sounds a lot more intricate than a traditional minor scale. I never quite nailed it, but I got it down enough that I can practice it at home.
And that’s the key to learning any instrument, Bilodeau said. Students at Strings and Things are encouraged to practice on their own but also have fun – “It’s not called working guitar, it’s called playing guitar,” Bilodeau said.
It works like this: Go to stringsandthingsmusic.com and browse the instructor bios to find someone who matches your interests. Then, indicate your age, experience level and availability and the team will try to find a match. Instructors book one month at a time, with payment for the month up front (plus a $20 registration fee). Prices range from $25 to $37.50 for a half-hour and $50 to $75 for an hour. Lessons are available for more than 20 instruments including voice, so check the website to see what you like. For more info, call 228-1971.
Class act, class store!