LAMA Instructor Spotlight: Dave Murdy

Dave Murdy!

At LAMA, it’s important to us that both student and teacher are connected throughout the musical journey. The LAMA faculty play a huge supporting role in the education process and often we’ll spotlight the instructors you’ll see on any given day at LAMA. Today we’re highlighting Mr. Dave Murdy.

Dave is a native Californian and received his Bachelors of Music in Jazz and Commercial Guitar from the renowned University of Southern California (USC) School of Music. Since graduating, Dave has gone on to lead a very diverse and successful musical career. He has performed both solo and with a wide range of artists that includes Jazz, Classical, Pop, Rock and Country genres.

Dave currently performs locally and internationally with one of Southern California’s most popular cover bands The Tijuana Dogs. He also performs with the Big Band Wartime Radio, Retro Pop and Soul Band The Class of 69 and freelances with numerous artists both locally and nationally.

Dave continues to be very active as a session musician playing on numerous independent releases, as well as arranging and writing. He has written, arranged and recorded original music for Universal Studios theme parks, as well as composed original music for “Muzak,” which is heard around the world. Dave continues to be involved with education, teaching the studio guitar course at Orange Coast College and several private students and has written his own guitar book.

For more info on Dave Murdy make sure to take a visit to his official website here.

-LAMA Staff

Dave Martone – “Top 10 Things You Need to Be Awesome”

We are happy to introduce an exciting new learning opportunity called LAMA Online! LAMA has combined two technologies to deliver a fully interactive learning experience. In the video below, LAMA Online guitar instructor Dave Martone gives guitarists a preview of his course, “Top 10 Things You Need to Be Awesome” (we love that Parker Guitar he is playing as well).

In this course, Dave will take you through his Top 10 list of things that will teach you how to be awesome, including picking, legato, combo meal deal, expression, phrasing, fingerpicking, sweeping, hybrid picking, tapping, tone and more! You will be guided through all of these topics with multi-cam video, printed music including tabs, and backing tracks. Guitar Online Enrollment is now open for six guitar courses, beginning January 6th, 2013. Interested in taking Dave’s course? Register here.

How does LAMA Online work?

Each course features ten video lessons. At the end of each lesson you will be asked to submit a video of yourself performing the weekly assignment. You can video yourself as many times as you like, and when you record “the one,” upload it for the teacher to review. The teacher will then video himself/herself critiquing your performance. You will then receive an email in your inbox letting you know that there’s a personalized video from your teacher awaiting your review (the video exchange technology is included in the lessons). There are no programs to buy or download. It’s very easy to use: all you need is a computer with a camera and microphone.

-LAMA Staff

New LAMA Online Course: Advanced Chord Systems

It is time for another installment of #LAMATube ! This time featuring the great LAMA instructor Jody Fisher.

For guitar students who already possess a knowledge of basic diatonic harmony, and have a good vocabulary of extended chords, this class is the next step. The course dives into the theory and usage of altered dominant chords right from the beginning. Check out the video below:

-LAMA Staff

LAMA Musicians Entertain VIP Crowd

LAMA’s Michael Alvidrez (bass) and Lorenzo Grassi (guitar) were the featured musicians invited to play Pasadena Museum of History‘s VIP reception (Aug. 17th) for museum donors and sponsors. The feedback from guests was overwhelmingly positive — great job guys!

We’re always working with our friends and businesses in the local communities. If you are interested in featuring LAMA musicians for your event in Pasadena or Los Angeles, please call Iris Alba, LAMA’s Director of Alumni Relations, at 626-568-8850.

-LAMA Staff

Video Quick Tip: Stretching Exercise for Guitar

In this new quick tip video, brought to you by LAMA College for Music Professionals, Guitar Department Chair Jody Fisher gives guitarists a great “strength and power” exercise (where you learn very slowly and keep going slower and slower). This exercise will help you increase the span between your first and second finger. What other exercises do you practice on the guitar?

-LAMA Staff

LAMA Video Quick Tip – Triad Inversions

LAMA Guitar Instructor Bill Fowler has released his newest quick tip video, focusing on different triad inversions. Thanks for the great advice Bill!

To our readers — please leave a comment to let us know which video topics you’d like to see Bill and other LAMA instructors tackle in the future.

-LAMA Staff

Jody Offers a New Look at LAMA’s Guitar Program

In this new video, brought to you by LAMA College for Music Professionals, Guitar Department Chair Jody Fisher explains what you can expect as a student in the guitar program and why choosing a music school like LAMA is the best choice today for your advancement as a musician.

For more information, visit the guitar department page here:

-LAMA Staff

Video Quick Tip: Altered Dominant Chords

In this new quick tip video, brought to you by LAMA College for Music Professionals, Guitar Department Chair Jody Fisher discusses how to use altered dominant chords, focusing on altered fifths. Any questions? 🙂

-LAMA Staff

LAMA’s Jody Fisher Releases New Book

Congrats to LAMA guitar department Chair Jody Fisher on his new book! “Jody Fisher’s Jazz Guitar Chord Melody Course” came out January 2013 from Alfred Publishing ($24.99).

-LAMA Staff

3 Guitarists You Probably Don’t Know, But Should

We all know Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Neil Young; household names of course…these master guitar players changed music forever. But what about the thousands of guitarists out there who don’t always make Rolling Stone’s top guitarist lists? They certainly too deserve recognition! So we wanted to highlight a few of our faves here:

1. Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo

Via Wikipedia:

Ira Kaplan is the co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of the American indie rock band Yo La Tengo . Kaplan’s gear is a point of interest for many fans and aspiring guitarists.

Guitars:

• Candy Apple Red Fender Jazzmaster, with tortoise shell pickguard.
• Sunburst Fender Jaguar
• Natural Fender Stratocaster
• Sunburst Jerry Donahue Signature Telecaster
• Purple Sparkle Danelectro 12-string

2. Jane Wiedlin of the Go Go’s 

Via Wikipedia:

Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin (born May 20, 1958) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the all-female New Wave band The Go-Go’s.

Guitars:

GIBSON SG STANDARD ELECTRIC GUITAR
CUSTOM SHOP MODEL

3. Robert Fripp of King Crimson

 Via Wikipedia:

Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique often associated with the banjo. His compositions often feature unusual time signatures, which have been influenced by classical and folk traditions. His innovations have included Frippertronics following collaboration with Brian Eno, soundscapes, and New Standard Tuning.

Guitars

During the early years of King Crimson (1969–1974), Fripp used two Gibson Les Paul guitars from 1957 and 1959. The ’57 guitar featured three humbucker pick-ups (with one volume control on the pickguard controlling the middle pick-up). A signature model named for the guitarist (Crimson Guitars Robert Fripp Signature)^[features Fernandes Sustainer and MIDI elements, with a Les Paul Model Body. Another difference from the Gibson Les Paul is that Fripp’s guitar is built using a deep set neck tenon rather than a traditional set neck.

So we hope you enjoyed our little journey into some of our favorite guitar players that aren’t household names. If you have a suggestion for a guitar player that should be highlighted please leave it in the comments below!

-LAMA Staff