Erik Satie – His Life

Erik Satie – His Life

Free Guitar Lesson: How to Use a Metronome

Free Guitar Lesson: How to Use a Metronome

Monsieur Satie

Monsieur Satie

Five Reason to Take Guitar Lessons

1. Significant difference between a musician’s brain and a non-musician’s:

In playing a certain instrument, a child’s brain performs a lot of complex physical and mental operations which enable him to visually present the music symbols through finger coordination and recognition of sounds. Scientists such as Schlaug and Gauser believe that this could be the reason why the gray matter volume (a measure of density of brain cells in a certain brain region) of a musician’s brain is greater than that of non-musician. They derived this conclusion from a study they conducted, where in they compared the brain structure of professional musicians, amateur musicians and non-musicians.

2. More developed Motor Skills and Brain Connections

Another experiment was conducted by Winner and Schlaug, where they performed a test on 59 children, ages 9-11. 41 of these children were given regular music training for 15 months while the rest did not. The results showed that the musically trained children showed better finger coordination and faster recognition abilities (the so-called near transfer abilities) than the non-musicians. He supported this finding using the brain scans of the musically trained children which clearly showed more defined brain connections than those who did not receive any music training in the duration of the study.

3. Longer Attention Span and Better Self Control

A research conducted by Michael Possner, a professor at the University of Oregon, showed the positive effects of music training on attention, self control and general intelligence. By using neuroimaging, he found that attention-controlled tasks contribute to the development of a child’s attention network, which leads to an increase of “fluid intelligence and IQ”. His research provides evidence that a child who is able to sustain attention and control for longer periods than other children of his age, has more developed language and reasoning abilities (so-called far transfer abilities). He considered music training as an activity that could have this effect on children.

4. More Developed Geometric Abilities

Elisabeth Spelke, a professor at Harvard University showed in her research that children with music training have better map-reading and geometry abilities. In her study, she showed that infants as young as four months can associate lengths of sounds to the length of visual objects. In this research, she used tones of different lengths with corresponding cartoon worm sizes. “If an infant hears music, the melodic processing may lead to new forms of visual processing,” Spelke said. “This may form the basis for the relationship between math and music later on.”

5. Better Overall Performance at School

The recent study of the College Board, the institution that oversees the Scholastic Assessment Test, or SAT, showed that students who are regularly taking music lessons scored, on average, 51 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 39 points higher on the math portion than non-musician students.

6. Strengthens the “Mozart Effect” in Children

Everyone has heard of the Mozart effect. However, none of the scientists was able to prove its long-term effects on children who are merely listening to Mozart’s compositions. However, if combined with regular music training, it has been said that Mozart’s music could have long term positive effects on the cognitive development of a child’s brain. For this reason, over the past years, more parents are introducing classical music to their children by teaching them how to play the violin or the piano. However, due to its portability and current media exposure (violin being used by the media in the remakes of old songs), the violin is gradually gaining more popularity among the youth. Many educators have also noticed a steady growth in the number of students interested in learning how to play the violin than any other instrument.
We’ve heard it a lot of times – children’s brains are like sponges. They have the ability to learn a lot more than adults can. Why not start early and give your child a headstart in life? As a parent, we are being presented with a lot of ways to educate our children. There are a lot of theories that are subject of dispute among educators and scientists but there’s one thing everyone agrees on – music lessons can only be beneficial to your children. As of this date, there is no existing study that proves otherwise.

Do you Already Play the Guitar?

Have you always wanted to learn to play the guitar? Perhaps you’ve already begun, but you have encountered obstacles. Or maybe you’ve taken some guitar lessons that lead nowhere. You’re discouraged. You can imagine all of the sounds you’d like to play, but somehow you can’t find the right notes. Your fingers won’t obey you…?
Philippe’s Guitar lessons and personalized. With more than 20 years of experience he will help you fix all problems in a fun and friendly environment.

http://www.philippebertaud.com/guitar-lessons-fort-worth

Bass Solo - Baou des Noirs

Guitar Lessons in Mansfield

From Carnegie Hall to Rio de Janeiro

I have taught internationally for the past several years and during ten years at the prestigious Music Academy of Nice. I regularly perform in Europe, the USA, Canada and Latin America (Mexico,Brazil, Chile, Salvador...).

I have appeared at venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York (twice in three years) , International Guitar Festival in Round Top, World Guitarist Series in CA, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Euro-San Francisco, Winter Festival in Brazil, CultFusion, Festival des Tulipes and the Edmonton Festival as well as many others, and recorded 5 different CD's and a masterclass DVD about Villa Lobos that is internationaly distributed by Carl Fisher. I endorse Alhambra Guitars and D’Addario and Planet Waves for whom I give clinics and workshop all across the country.

Here are a few videos to enjoy:

World Guitarists Series in CA:
http://www.philippebertaud.com/vids-pics/world-guitarist-series/

Instructional DVD produced by Gary Powell (Walt Disney):
http://www.philippebertaud.com/vids-pics/heitor-villa-lobos/

Playing Chet Atkins:
http://www.philippebertaud.com/vids-pics/chet-atkins/

On TV:
http://www.philippebertaud.com/vids-pics/girl-from-ipanema/
Watch videos on my website: http://www.PhilippeBertaud.com
Read my Bio: http://www.philippebertaud.com/biography

Where I grew up

Nice - France

Places I've lived

France, Brazil, Canada, USA

Schools I've attended

National Conservatory Nice - France

Guitar lessons in Fort Worth

Guitar Lessons in Fort Worth
First of all, thank you for your interest in the guitar lessons.
Sudents are asked to give me a list of songs, groups or bands they want to play and I tailor the lessons for them.
We also have performances and jam days!

Guitar Lessons in Fort Worth are weekly held at:
You can also call me for more information or simply set up a first meeting:
(682) 553-1028
All the lessons are individual and the cost is $30 per week per students.
Guitar Lessons Policy:
Payment of Lesson Fees: The price of the lesson is $30 per half hour, $60 per hour. The lessons will be paid at the beginning of each month.Absentee Policy: Normally if a student calls 24 hours in advance the lesson can be rescheduled. Otherwise the teacher should be under no obligation to make up the lesson, and the student forfeits the pre-paid lesson fee. If the teacher cancels a lesson, the lesson should be made up or the fee refunded. Download the Guitar Registration Form!

Guitar Lessons in Benbrook, TX

Guitar Lessons are tailored to YOUR needs.I will design your personal curriculum, based on songs, music, you dream to play.
Playing internationally for more than 20 years, from Carnegie Hall to Montreal Jazz Festival, I will share with you the experience of a real professional.
You will learn music theory as you go, pick up a music by ear, improvise your own solo… and much more…
Each student is unique, in terms of his or her age, degree of musical knowledge and skill, stylistic interests, and style of learning. Private guitar lessons provide the opportunity to create a personalized approach to learning for each student.
The guitar lessons are always a nurturing environment that allows students to learn through guided exploration.
Everything for guitar students’ success:Performances, guitar club – to meet other guitarists to play and jam with, competitions…Priorities and focus are the goals and needs of each student so that progress can be made in a manner that is enjoyable and rewarding for each individual.Therefore I design a curriculum for each student that is tailored to accommodate their specific needs and goals while including fundamental principles that are necessary for providing a foundation upon which a multitude of musical activities can be built. Beginners and advanced guitar lessons are offered.

My guitar students work in several general areas:

-Technique
-Weekly Study Pieces
-Repertoire Pieces
-Theory and Ear Training
-Improvisation and Composition
-Music Literature/History, and Critical Listening Skills
All these areas constitute a holistic curriculum that surpasses the more fragmented traditional approach of developing repertoire and technique alone. Each area reinforces the other thus allowing students to excel in all areas with greater fluency. While evaluating musical ability through performance is possibly the easiest way to gauge success, it is not the only way. Far too often many teachers work primarily in this area while neglecting the others. True artistry comes only after understanding. This approach shows students a musical world that can be enjoyed for their entire lifetime not only through performing, but also by attending concerts, supporting the arts in our schools and communities, collecting recordings, and by the many other countless ways that we experience this life-enriching activity.

Tuition and guitar lessons policy- Download a registration form.
Contact me for more info:

http://www.guitarlessonstx.com/benbrook

That is like the question I get all the time:
- Philippe, what strings do you put on your guitar?
and, I know when I look in your eyes that you guys had… and maybe still have if you did not read this article yet, the same issue(s) I had. Finding the right strings!
Honestly, if you get into a store and look at the brands, you really start feel ing woozy, and then you start to try one set, and another, and another… and arrive on my blog – or come to one of my clinic – and anxiously ask me about strings.

Because I tried them all, and there is not a week I do not receive a set from a string company. Some are okay… the first days of their life but, like the butterflies, they do not last a long time. Others – let’s be honest – most of the brands have intonation issues… you have to run to the store to buy other 1st or 3rd strings (no kidding! I live in Texas and the time I get to the store it’s pitch dark, that’s how far it is!!!) and you realize you have to go back to the store because the new ones you get still have intonation problems… Other sets have they basses dead in 2 or 3 days… or break.
Seriously: do you want me to break in string during a show? I tour and play a lot and want to have reliable strings! And y’all know I bang the guitar and take all the guts out of the poor thing.

You never see me re-tuning the guitar when I perform (if you saw me, it’s because I was about to play open tuning… or it was when I did not have Alhambra Guitar… just buy the right stuffs guys) It’s not because I’m deaf … neither because I’m blond… it’s because the strings I use stay in tune, never break, last forever… are cheap and American. Read that well coming from a Frenchy: they are MADE IN ZE USA! Okay… Should I share more about the spirit? You want me to tell you I fence my Texas ranch with those strings?

So, what is the mistery? Well, I went to Africa to meet a wizard in Zambia and he gave me the answer… are you ready?

The basses are round anb rich because they use the best wire, the highest quality. Not the cheap one that will rust in no time. Also for the “EXP” basses, they put the coating ON the wire, not just on the strings. See? Have you tried the other ones? The ones that have been made the “fast way”? Just the coating sprayed on the whole string… and what happenend after that? It’s peeling off!!! Not only it looks nasty, like if your guitar contracted leprosy – or you which is worst! – and because of the peeling-off-fast-spayed-coating… your strings buzzes. Hey, you know what I’m talking about.


But not the strings I use… Did you hear my guitar buzzing? Peeling? Strings shredding away? Mais non!



I go great basses strings! The “Must”, the “Best”. They got the sustain you are looking for and the harmonic support.

What am I talking about?

- Go to the end of the concert hall next time you attend a classical guitar recital… you barely hear the basses. They are weak. But not the one I use!



And the trebles… no intonation issues. Why? Because they want to be so perfect they measure each string two hundred times.

How many times? 200 – TWO HUNDRED TIMES, dos cientos, zwei hundert, δύο εκατό!!! 200 times!

Those guys are so crazy about precision, they measure EACH string 200 times. It’s not only for fun .. or because they have time to kill… It’s because they have a vision:
- They want to make the best products ever because they take pride into what they do.
- One dissatisfied player will be talking to 8 people about how the strings caused them problems and they will talk to others who will talk to others… and so forth.



First, to measure the strings with such precision, they thought about hiring a bunch of elves, fairies and dwarves from the “Enchanted Forest” but, over the past 30 years, guitar strings have benefited from a wealth of engineering and manufacturing improvements and the brand I use are now made by utilizing automated computer-controlled winding machines. The result has been unprecedented quality and value for the guitarists. The trebles are sorted by a sophisticated computer-controlled laser machine which performs diameter/tension measurements and quality checks to insure precise intonation.
They want to make you satisfied… And they are.

What do I play?
The only real strings for pro… D’Addario. I use the Pro-Arte and also, on my spruce top guitar the Composites to give it a “warm gut alike touch”.

D’Addario Composite wound strings exclusively feature Zyex(R) multi-filament stranded core material, which delivers gut-like tone with extremely long life and consistency. The trebles come with two 3rd strings, one from the regular Pro Arte line (clear nylon) and one made from composite polymer (coffee colored) which has a brighter tone (the 1st and 2nd are also from the regular Pro Arte line).

Say you love me now… okay… a thank you would be enough. Cheers!

Take guitar lessons in Arlington

Guitar Lessons in Dallas Fort Worth

Guitar Lessons are tailored to YOUR needs.
I will design your personal curriculum, based on songs, music, you dream to play.

Playing internationally for more than 20 years, from Carnegie Hall to Montreal Jazz Festival, I will share with you the experience of a real professional.

You will learn music theory as you go, pick up a music by ear, improvise your own solo… and much more…

Four different locations in DFW area. Check the websites or contact me for info:
- Arlington
- Benbrook
- Fort Worth
- Mansfield

Each student is unique, in terms of his or her age, degree of musical knowledge and skill, stylistic interests, and style of learning. Private guitar lessons provide the opportunity to create a personalized approach to learning for each student.

The guitar lessons are always a nurturing environment that allows students to learn through guided exploration.

Everything for guitar students’ success:
Performances, guitar club – to meet other guitarists to play and jam with, competitions…
Priorities and focus are the goals and needs of each student so that progress can be made in a manner that is enjoyable and rewarding for each individual.
Therefore I design a curriculum for each student that is tailored to accommodate their specific needs and goals while including fundamental principles that are necessary for providing a foundation upon which a multitude of musical activities can be built. Beginners and advanced guitar lessons are offered.

My guitar students work in several general areas:

• Technique
• Weekly Study Pieces
• Repertoire Pieces
• Theory and Ear Training
• Improvisation and Composition
• Music Literature/History, and Critical Listening Skills

All these areas constitute a holistic curriculum that surpasses the more fragmented traditional approach of developing repertoire and technique alone. Each area reinforces the other thus allowing students to excel in all areas with greater fluency. While evaluating musical ability through performance is possibly the easiest way to gauge success, it is not the only way. Far too often many teachers work primarily in this area while neglecting the others. True artistry comes only after understanding. This approach shows students a musical world that can be enjoyed for their entire lifetime not only through performing, but also by attending concerts, supporting the arts in our schools and communities, collecting recordings, and by the many other countless ways that we experience this life-enriching activity.

Tuition and guitar lessons policy- Download a registration form.

The pride of being a guitar teacher is to listen to those wonderful and talented guitar students of mine.
What a reward!

Watch More Guitar Students' Videos!

J'Veux du Soleil

Syrup & Honey

Alhambra International Guitar Competition