Hello again. Well, here we are - the start of another financial year, and over half way through the traditional one. We are now pretty much settled in the residence at Norman Park. There was, and still is, a degree of culture shock since moving from the apartment in West End. Everything there was within walking distance; nothing here is. There are great advantages, though. Having a yard and trees, and now a vegetable patch, is terrific. One sad happening was the loss of one of our cats - Patch - who was still going through her wandering stage. She was bitten by a snake, then hit by a car early one morning. We are still getting over her passing. Zeta, our remaing cat - the older one - is going strong, and starting to enjoy exploring 'her' garden and jungle. She is getting fat.

I lost a couple of my students in the move. Sorry you couldn't make it, guys, but I understand totally. I hope you continue to do well with your musical endevours. To all my new students - welcome aboard! I hope together we can become the best musicians we possibly can. By the way, at West End I was teaching on the balcony. Here I now have a quite comfortable music studio. It's lovely to be out of the weather, and to be a little bit warmer.

Lessons are going well. I've noticed an increase in the number of metal and rock players who want to get more into advanced improvisation. This is really good - it's such an exciting area with many great players to listen to, and learn from. I'm enjoying those bluegrass students, too! That stuff is probably my own newest study area, so it keeps me on my toes!

Thanks to those of you who have visited the YouTube site. Your kind comments are very welcome, and I'm glad you enjoyed the demo of what I do. It's cool to be able to see players like Holdsworth, Gambale, Carlton, and Ford. Sometime in the near future I'll be putting some demo lessons on there, I think, just to see if it's feasible to expand into that area. Any comments, anyone?

Thanks, all. Feel free to drop by and say 'hi' anytime. Also, any musical questions or comments are always welcome.

Clyde.

Modes - How to Identify and Eradicate.

Many - in fact most - of the guitar-related media uses modal theory to discuss and analyse music theory. I have a great problem with modal theory. I believe it is one of the greatest misdirections committed against guitarists who are trying to extend their theoretical knowledge. Modal theory is useless, pointless, more than likely harmful, and non-applicable to modern music.

To cut to the chase, so that we move on, I ask this question to modal theorists: I am improvising over a chord progression that is Dm7/ G7/ Cma7. I play the notes F D B. What mode am I using?

Modal theory is a myth designed to confuse musicians (mainly guitarists) about improvisation. I look foward to your answers/comments/ and questions.

indabaman@hotmail.com

or this site.

Clyde.

New stuff.

Hello all. Welcome to my blog. Firstly I'd like to thank Darren Groves for his internet skills, bordering on guru-ish capabilities, used in setting up this site. Many thanks, Darren.

Hopefully many of you visiting here have found the site due to something to do with guitar playing. You may be students of the guitar in general, or students of mine, or you may be a guitar player searching for 'stuff' in general. To all, welcome. Some of you may have seen my video on You Tube. If not , if you go to You Tube and search for ' jazz fusion guitar clyde schipke' you should wind up in the right spot. What you get is a short clip of my band INDABA (Brad Wenham on Bass, and Scot Dean on Drums), playing one of my originals - 'Strange Vernacular'. I hope you like it.

I love playing the guitar, and I've been fortunate enough to have been able to make my living from guitar playing for over twenty years. On this site I'll be talking and rambling about guitarish stuff, and I'd like those of you who are serious to feel free to share your comments, ask questions, and contribute to what I hope will be a comfort zone for those interested in playing guitar.