I'm still working on this one--this heavily layered piece of music is still missing a few parts that I'll add in when I can, but this recording is complete enough to get the idea across. The drums, bass, cello, and acoustic guitar are my own transcriptions, and the lead guitars I refingered from widely availably published transcriptions. As far as unusual special effects illustrated here, I guess I should point out that the cello in the beginning is one I had fun imitating with a volume pedal and a lightly distorted electric guitar.
Shall I Come, Sweet Love, to Thee?>Minuet in Dm>Shall I come?(Campion/J.S. Bach/Campion) (2001)
An example of actual Renaissance lute music combined with a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach written for piano used here as something of a 'guitar solo' in between verses two and three to shake things up a bit.
Lady Nothynge's Toye Puffe~John Renbourn (2002)
This is an example of my fingerstyle guitar technique.
This song was written by one of my biggest influences, as an exercise in writing in the idiom of Renaissance lute music. The curious title results from a playful combination of two traditions--one, of naming one's pieces after the people who butter one's bread, and two, pieces with no particular meaning embedded into them were often referred to as "Nothynges," "Toyes," or "Puffes."
Californication Guitar Solo~Red Hot Chili Peppers (2009)
This one started out as just a backing track for one of my students whom I noticed was practicing this solo a lot. I decided to turn this into a music theory hook for him (we learned the whole neck in F# minor pentatonic) and I composed a drum/bass/rhythm guitar track for him to practice either playing the original solo to or improvising his own using the theory we'd learned. I then decided to record my own shot at playing the original solo to the track and put it up here. Unlike some of the songs on this page, no effort was made to make the drums, bass, and rhythm guitar just like the original as the intent was to provide a cd track for a student to practice to and do it in a timely fashion. I did make anattempt to acheive the slightly garage-band vibe that this solo evokes for me, however. Parents: due to the title of this song, I don't teach it to kids under 16 except by request--that is, if they are already listening to this music.
Johnny B. Goode~Chuck Berry (2009)
Another track I recorded for one of my students. All instruments are from my own transcriptions from the classic track. In case you're wondering why a track like this is helpful, what I do is record all the parts, and then make a cd with the track as you just heard it, plus a couple other ones with certain parts removed. In this case, the alternate tracks had the guitar removed and a click inserted so my students could practice being the lead guitarist without support of the other instruments when there were none.
This page under occasional but continuous construction~I'll be recording myself playing in a variety of styles when I get the chance so you, the prospective student, can get an idea of what might be possible through your studies with me.
I Will~Lennon/McCartney (2001)
For an example of my playing in a Beatles style, I've selected my recording of 'I Will.' In it you'll hear me playing acoustic rhythm guitar, electric lead, bass guitar, African drum, and singing two-part harmony.
EZ Super Pawn~Ian Zickler (2009)
This is my latest original recording, inspired by a local pawn shop chain and other things Tucsonan.
Winter Song~Ian Zickler (2003)
My song about the Connecticut River exploding when millions of tons of water smashed the ice in and around Wethersfield, Vermont in March of 1988.
Dead or Alive~Bon Jovi (2009)
If you already have some experience with the guitar, you may have noticed that the quality and accuracy of even store-bought sheet music can vary considerably.
Not too long ago, a student brought in a Bon Jovi book he had bought
that had this song in it. I noticed some 'red flags' in the transcription that made me feel that the sheet music might both be trying too hard to be perfect, and at the same time landing far from the mark. Not having any Bon Jovi music in my music library, I bought the song from iTunes and set about trying to figure out what the real notes were that I was hearing. It was quite a bit different from what the book claimed. Then I turned the focus of the lesson to figuring out what the intent and spirit of the guitarist was without getting bogged down in unnecessary details. It also turned out this song was a good vehicle for a lesson on what I call "beat-dependent alternate picking," a highly effective way of articulating clear arpeggios with a flatpick. This track is what resulted--a summary of the ideas in the Bon Jovi hit as I heard them. The drum and bass transcriptions are also my own.
We Can Work It Out~Lennon/McCartney (2010)
This year I started to learn the audio recording software program called Pro Tools. This is my first finished project using it. I started out just intending to program a drum track for a student to help him get the feel for changing to the quarter note triplets during the chorus and then back again. One thing led to another and I had this.
