New video "Moonlight Serenade" + Open Guitar Tuning Response

*Open Guitar Tunings (in response to questions from fans!)* - My initial reason for getting into open tunings and tapping style guitar is not only for the rich sound and musical possibilities, but simply for an opportunity to write music without any thought of chord shapes, keys, or anything regarding the analytical brain. I wanted to let go of all the Music Theory I learned and essentially change the notes of my guitar so I couldn't think about it. This started with changing one string, then two strings, and eventually all six. I soon discovered that there is a vast universe of musical possibilities that cannot physically be played in Standard guitar tuning. Further, I discovered that there is a whole culture of people doing this: particularly in the world of fingerstyle and tapping guitar. This is not a new technique- in fact, it dates back to Joni Mitchell, Michael Hedges and many recent composers such as Andy McKee, Kaki King, and a number of other Guitarists on Candyrat Records. With respect to fingerstyle and tapping guitar: here is video of my piece "Moonlight Serenade" in DADGAD tuning, inspired by the gravitational pull of the New Moon and changes in the environment:
http://youtu.be/HKG7J5ElGgw

Questions/Answers for David Ivory Presents... TV Show on XFinity on deman Friday, 9/21

      Celebrating the release of the David Ivory Presents TV Show on XFinity on demand Friday, September 21st at Puck Live in Doylestown, PA!  This show will be filmed with multiple cameras and performances from a variety of local artists.  I'm looking forward to playing and catching some great videos!  Regardless of where you live you can join the facebook event to get links to artists, plus updates on future television appearances (including excerpts from the 21st).  Here are a few questions/answers they asked me regarding favorite performances, lifestyle, and musical inspirations:

                                               ***What was your favorite performance and why?

a.     One of my favorite performances was at the Penghu Fireworks Festival just outside of Taiwan in 2005. Having lived in Taiwan for 9 months I had the opportunity to coordinate a really strong, eclectic band from a variety of countries.  This included a South African drummer, Australian keyboardist/trumpet player, English saxophonist, plus the bassist and rhythm guitarist from my hometown of Tampa Bay.  The best part about this performance was seeing 5,000+ people light up under the fireworks show, then right after the grand finale lights hit the stage and we started playing.  During that time I was playing more electric guitar and funk/jam songs; though, once I started touring more solo I had to figure out how to play more of the bass lines, melodies, percussion, and chords simultaneously.  This led to discovering the ‘new’ two handed tapping acoustic style: a range of guitar techniques to imply more of an orchestral sound with one instrument.

***     What has been your favorite moment as a band up until this point?

a.     As an artist and long time fan of Tim Reynolds (guitarist for Dave Matthews Band), some of my favorite musical moments have been sharing the stage with Tim.  We’ve played together live almost a dozen times now and each experience has been quite magical.  One favorite was at The Blockley in Philadelphia: Tim shredding a 12 string Martin accompanied by me on the 12 string gryphon (smaller bodied string instrument), which was handed to me moments before going on stage.  Since I had never played this instrument it inspired a song at the touch of my hands.  We tried it onstage and this small idea became an epic dueling acoustic piece: all improvised, as we most often do when we play together. This video can been seen on the “Tim Reynolds and Christie Lenée” playlist on my youtube channel: www.youtube.com/christieleneemusic

***     When was the moment you realized, “…hey I might have something here,”?

a.     Moments of inspiration continue to enlighten the process of composition.  The experience of writing a song and envisioning the full production is a universe in itself: playing it, feeling it, and hearing the instrumentation as if it’s already there.  Later getting into the production of it is always incredible, and in fact to me there’s nothing better then feeling those visions come alive.

***    What’s one thing you like to do when not touring, or recording?

a.     When I’m not touring and recording it essentially comes back to the creation of it all: experimenting with different guitar and keyboard sounds, practicing, composing, and sharpening my craft. Yoga and meditation also play an important role in my lifestyle and in that space is where many compositions begin.  I spend a lot of time on self-growth: discovering nature, visual art, literature, and writing, in addition to bike riding and many types of physical activities.  This keeps my energy and stamina strong plus enhances my overall focus.  Still regardless of where, music is the ongoing soundtrack that accompanies my daily life.

***    How do you and David Ivory know each other?

a.     David was recently working with an Australian band on the production of a new record.  My entertainment lawyer connected us, as they sounded interested in having me do some guitar overdubs.  It turned out they were already set on guitars, but in the process of meeting David we got familiar with each other’s work.  I had the opportunity to play for him and he gave me some excellent suggestions on my songs- surely inspiring me for the possibility of working with him in the future.  Meanwhile timing worked out perfectly to be a part of this special event September 21st!  Here is a link to the facebook invite: http://www.facebook.com/events/397424716986591/

*** What artists inspire your music? 

a.     Dave Matthews, Ani Difranco, Michael Hedges, Indigo Girls, Peter Gabriel, Beethoven, Sara Bareilles, and Tim Reynolds are some favorites.  My musical background was first inspired by classical and theatre, but has stretched to everything from classic rock to R&B, jazz, jam, bluegrass, funk, folk, and new age instrumental guitar.

***When can your fans expect to see your music video “Patience”?  What’s the idea of the song Patience?

a.     “Patience” is based on the feeling of lying in bed at night thinking of all the things you have to do the next day.  This song is a call to patience: reminding the self that we can only do one thing at a time.  It’s great to look ahead for the future and certainly important to visualize our hopes and dreams.  Still, if we spend too much time focusing on the future the present moment could pass us by.  Having patience, in my opinion, helps us to balance presence with future visions.   “Carry only what we can in time.”

b.     The music video for “Patience” is in the process of being edited, but in the meantime a minute and a half ‘teaser’ can be seen on my youtube channel: www.youtube.com/christieleneemusic.  

***Where can fans hear your recent EP “Give and Take In.”?

a.     The recent EP “Give and Take In” can be found on CD Baby or iTunes, where you can also get the music from “Acoustic Sessions” and “Set it Free.” A new album is also in the works: featuring some special guests including Tim Reynolds, Stanley Jordan, and Jeff Coffin, plus multiple layers of guitars and percussion.  The first single “Garden of Love” can be previewed on my website www.christielenee.com, in addition to more streaming tracks, videos, info, and show dates.  I invite you to join a live show as well as it is the most interactive way to experience the music. Thank you for listening!

9/11 Memorial

This morning I took a moment of silence in respect of the 9-11 memorial.  I honored not only the thousands of people who lost their lives and families who suffered from this tragedy, but also the “spirit of unity that came in the aftermath.”  In the words of Joe Daniels, president and CEO of the 9/11 memorial, this event “showed us that the best of humanity can overcome the worst hate.  It gave us hope for the future.”

When something falls it is up to us to rebuild it.  This is not just the buildings and all of the people, but what they represented.  So now we must stand tall, build from the ground up, and carefully craft our foundation.  The strength of it starts with every individual then grows to communities, expanding through our country and the rest of the world.  May we come together today in memorial of 9/11 and praise for a future of global harmony!

Intro to Open Guitar Tunings

Guitar and Acoustic guitar lovers: here is some insight on open tunings!  Many people are crazy about DADGAD, open G, D, etc- all which beautiful tunings.  However, the possibilities are endless! Let's start with the most simple triad chord: C-E-G.  Of course, if you want to be more colorful you can tune to open 9th chords, 11ths, suspensions, etc.  We can get to that later.

The first step is finding your desired root note (in this case, "C"), and chord type (major, minor, 7th, etc).  Next, you want to tune each string to the most relative chord tone.  Going back to the example of a C major triad, let's proceed:

"Standard tuning" of guitar from the lowest to highest sounding string is as follows:

E-A-D-G-B-E. 

**Here is how we can get to an open C tuning**

-The lowest note in standard tuning is an E.  If we want our root note as the lowest sounding tone, all we have to do is tune the E string down to a C. 

- Next, the A string. We want to avoid tuning up to a C, as that is creating an extremely tight guitar neck and potential for breaking a string.  Rather, I most often prefer to tune down, which in my opinion creates more depth in the instrument anyway. 

>>Out of C, E, and G, the closest tone to A is a G.  Likewise, we will tune the A string down to a G.

- Next, the D string.  D is right in between C and E, two tones of the C major triad.  Likewise, these are two potential options.  Again, tuning strings up in pitch could potentially break a string, but I would never discourage anyone from trying something new and innovative.  Just make sure you have a spare set at all times!

>>For this time, we will tune the D down to a C.

**So far, we have the low notes sounding C-G-C (1-5-1 of the major scale)**

- Next: the G string.  How beautiful as the note G is already in the C major triad!  We will leave this one as is.

- Next: the B string. B is only a half a step below C, the root note of our open chord.  Since it's only a half step, we are safe to make this move.

>>So, tune the B string up to a C.

- Last but not least: the high E string.  This is string "1" in reference to guitar music and the highest sounding open string.

>> E is also a tone in the C major triad, so quite conveniently we can also leave this string as is!

**Now, we have an open C tuning:

C-G-C-G-C-E (from the lowest sounding to highest sounding string)

-This is a simple major triad (tri= 3 note) chord, with some of the notes being double (or tripled) in octaves.

There are many benefits to playing in open tunings, all which we will discuss in future blogs.  For now, let yourself discover this new world!

* Attached to this blog is a sample of this tuning with one moderation (as in example 5 below).  This is the second movement of my piece "Evolution."  Feel free to leave comments here or on the youtube channel, post your videos, and share your musical ideas!* (Scroll down for video)

http://youtu.be/Ktn3VhL8y5s

**Here are a few more ideas on changing notes to create your own original tuning:

1) Try making it minor (tuning the E to an Eb)

2) Try tuning the G down to an E, creating a doubled third as opposed to a doubled 5th

3) Try keeping the C down at B (as in standard tuning).  This will create the sound of a major 7 chord: C-G-C-G-B-E

4) Try tuning your E down to a D, creating a Csus2 chord:

C-G-C-G-C-D,

- or, keep your D string as is in standard tuning, creating a major 9th chord:

C-G-D-G-C-E

* Read more about major 9th and sus chords in the "chord extensions" section of this blog (coming soon), or simply by searching the topics on the internet.

5) Try tuning the G down to an F, creating a major 11th chord:

C-G-C-F-C-E

*This is the tuning for "Evolution" part 1-3.  See more at www.youtube.com/christieleneemusic

Now, go create!

See more at: www.youtube.com/christieleneemusic

Now, go create!