New Web Page for Music Lessons

I have a new website for music lessons!

You can register for classes, private lessons or check out new lessons!



You can check out the new site here: http://minnixmusiclessons.mymusicstaff.com/

New Music Lessons for the Piedmont Area!!

Hello Prospective Students and Parents,

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Willy Minnix. I am the author of several books on mandolin called the "Dead Man's Tuning," series, named after a famous song called "Shaving A Dead Man," which is one of the two songs ("Bonaparte's Retreat" being the other) originally written for this tuning. In my series I explore this fun and exciting tuning, and have composed and written several new songs for this tuning, including duets for teacher and student!

In addition to teaching mandolin, I also teach piano, and have been playing professionally and teaching piano for over 15 years. At one time I was a regular piano player at piano lounges throughout northern New Jersey and Southern New York, as well as being a sound engineer and working with a great deal of famous musicians and entertainers.

I also play and teach guitar, banjo, accordion, harmonica, bass guitar and drums out of my home studio on South Main Street, located not far from the prestigious University of North Carolina School of the Arts!

In addition to teaching private lessons, at $25 per half hour lesson, I also teach a special group lesson program called the "Stringed Instrument Workshop." This workshop is perfect for home-school groups, older adult students, or people who are unsure which instrument they want to play, but know they would like to try something. Instruments covered in the Stringed Instrument workshop include: guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, violin, ukulele and just about any other instrument with strings on it! Usually, by the end of the 10 week course, small bands are formed, and each band gets to rock out in front of their classmates!

The Stringed Instrument Workshop is a 10 week course, with an hour long lesson each week. To register for the class is $100.00, but that breaks down to only $10 per lesson. Where else can you get an hour long lesson for only 10 bucks!?!?!? If you are interested in a Stringed Instrument Workshop for your home-school group, friends or family, call me today. To start a SIW in your community, each class requires a minimum of 6-10 students and a maximum of 15 students per class.

Please check out more information about me from my profile on My Music Staff, and register today for private lessons or group lessons!
http://minnixmusiclessons.mymusicstaff.com/


God bless, and happy playing!

Willy Minnix

Paul Baloche Worship Videos

If you found the Playing in a band video helpful, Paul Baloche has a whole series of videos for worship pastors.

Here's another really good one:

Week 7 and 8 tonight

Week 7 – Styles of music, what makes different styles distinct, assignment take simple song and learn to play it three different ways, 2 more songs. How extra chords influence styles.

 
Week 8 – Playing in a band, what different instruments do when you play in a band, taking turns, sounding equally mixed, successful arrangement of songs, gigging, assignment get together in small groups, and put together a three piece band to work on one of the previously covered songs. 
 Here's a really cool video of a worship leader teaching how playing in a band works, especially in a worship setting. Enjoy!

Tonight we're going to be practicing our songs, watching a cool video about musical styles and learning how to play some lead licks. 

Week 6 - Fiddle Bowings

Hey everyone,

Here are some fiddle bowing patterns for the fiddlers out there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnH9GbpciIA

Week 6 Part 2 - More Finger Patterns

Here are some more finger pattern videos for banjo.

Week 6 Styles and Genre

Here is an interesting video that will set up tonight's lesson!

All about musical style.

Week 5 Picking Patterns

Hey Everyone,

Sorry about last week, I didn't have a functioning computer, but today I am able to finally give you some videos about picking patterns. Also included is the song that Liam figured out.

We're Gonna Be Friends

White Stripes 

 0
fall is here, hear the yell 
0
back to school, ring the bell 
5
brand new shoes, walking blues 
0
climb the fence, books and pens 
7               5                0   
i can tell that we are gonna be friends 

walk with me, suzy lee
through the park, and by the tree
we will rest upon the ground
And look at all the bugs we've found
then safely walk to school without a sound 

well here we are, no one else
we walked to school all by ourselves
there's dirt on our uniforms
from chasing all the ants and worms
We clean up and now it's time to learn 

numbers. letters, learn to spell
noun, and books, and show and tell
at playtime we will throw the ball
back to class, through the hall
teacher marks our height against the wall
 
5                             0  
and we don't notice any time pass
5                      0 
we don't notice anything
7 
we sit side by side in every class
5 
teacher thinks that i sound funny
7 
but she likes the way you sing 

tonight i'll dream while i'm in bed
when silly songs go through my head
about the bugs and alphabet
and when i wake tomorrow i'll bet 
that you and i will walk together again           
(cause i can tell that we are going to be friends)

Week 5 - How Songs Work

Welcome to Week 5! This week we will be talking about how songs work. I have a lot of cool videos for you to check out and a couple more songs!

This week we will be trying to understand a song from the inside out (Bridge, Chorus, Verse structure), song endings, intros and how to put it all together, two more basic songs plus previous songs review. 

               Understanding how songs are written

                              Simple Song A B – Two part Structure (AB structure) Irish songs follow this structure

Example: In this example the band has taken two simple songs "The Kesh Jig" and "Morrison's Jig" and played them back to back in one piece. This gives the entire arrangement more of an A B C D structure. But you get the idea. Here's a link to a TAB for this song in the key of G, which you should know most of the chords for this song now, if you need help with C let me know. The easy way is just barring the 10th fret. http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/session-guitar-tab/kesh_jig.htm

                              Verse Chorus Song – This is a song meant to be sung, very similar to the A B structure, but often with a little more development, so sometimes you have an A section that is slightly more complex than a simple AB song, and sometimes the Chorus will be more complex than a simple AB song. Here is an example from Joe Cocker. It only uses 2 chords, C and F, or you could play it with D (0) and G (5). If you want to play along the frets are (10) and (3) I believe. Incidentally, I had the honor of working with Dave Mason, the guy who wrote this song. He does a really good live version you can check out on youtube also. A lot of hymns follow this structure too. Amazing Grace that we've been working on uses this pattern.

                              Verse Chorus Bridge Song – Often employs relative minor in the bridge. This is a song that is slightly more developed. It has the typical verse and chorus, but there is a developed part often called the bridge or the tag because it's tagged onto the song. A lot of pop ballads from the 80's and 90's use this structure. Often they will change to different chords in the bridge, sometimes using the relative minor or the Bm chord that you've been learning in this tuning. Here's a song from Coldplay that uses this structure: Tab found here.

A B with A B Development Song – Classical pieces like “Ah Vous Dirai-Je Maman” use this structure. This is an example of taking a simple melody and then developing it (in this case 12 times) multiple times until you have a complex piece of music. Each time Mozart plays through he is playing the same melody just with more complexity each time.

Complex Song – Bohemian Rhapsody, Carry On My Wayward Son, examples of songs with complex structure. Some songs seem to have more than one bridge, or part and a lot of development. Here's Carry on my Wayward son by Kansas as an example.

Here's an interesting article I discovered also:

So along with "the Kesh Jig" above, here's another New Song for you to try:

Heart of Worship

Matt Redman

Verse 1
D                        A                            Em
  When the music fades, all is stripped away
                    A
And I simply come
D                       A           
  Longing just to bring something that’s
     Em
of worth
                               A
That will bless Your heart

Pre-Chorus
Em                    D/F#            A
     I’ll bring You more than a song
                          Em                D/F#    
For a song in itself   is not what You
            A
have required
Em                          D/F#         A
     You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear
Em                      D/F#        A
     You’re looking into my heart

Chorus
D                                 A/C#
I’m coming back to the heart of worship
            Em                        G           A
And it’s all about You, it’s all about You
   D
Jesus
D                                  A/C#
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it
               Em                      G             A
When it’s all about You, it’s all about You
    D
Jesus

Verse 2
D                        A          
  King of endless worth no one
            Em
could express
                            A
How much You deserve
D                                 A                
  Though I’m weak and poor all I have
     Em
is Yours
                    A
Ev’ry single breath

(Repeat Pre-Chorus & Chorus)