RECORDING PROJECTS

            I've made a variety of self-produced solo guitar recordings over the years.  You can browse by project by clicking here or browse by song using this alphabetical list. Click on the song name to jump to its sound clip link (the little Martin ) and for information about tunings, keys, and guitars used:

Amazing Grace
Angel Band
Cherokee Shuffle
Colored Aristocracy
Down in the Valley to Pray
Great Dream From Heaven
Honeysuckle Rose
In the Garden
Memories of You
Onward Christian Soldiers
St. Thomas
Spain
Sweet Hour of Prayer
You Took Advantage of Me

HYMNS AND GOSPEL TUNES FOR SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR

                At the request of my father, a couple of years ago I arranged and recorded a CD's worth of hymns and Gospel tunes.  I give the CDs to family and friends.  Click on the guitar symbols to hear sound samples.  I have also provided the tablature to Amazing Grace and In the Garden.

-- In the Garden   -- key of C, standard tuning, capo on 3rd fret, played on a 1927 Martin 00-45. 

-- In the Garden Tablature (in .pdf format)

-- Onward Christian Soldiers   -- key of A, standard tuning, 1927 Martin 00-45.     

-- Amazing Grace    -- key of G, open G tuning, played bottleneck style on a 1942 Gibson LG2. 

-- Amazing Grace Tablature (in .pdf format)

-- Down in the Valley to Pray     A country Gospel tune, played in the key of D, Open D tuning, on a 1930 belly-bridge Martin OM-28.

-- Sweet Hour of Prayer    Key of G, standard tuning, capo on 1st fret, on a 1927 Martin 000-45. 

-- Angel Band    Also country Gospel, key of D, Open D tuning, on a 1930 belly-bridge Martin OM-28. 

"NAME THOSE GUITARS" RECORDINGS FOR THE MARTIN GUITAR FORUM

                After numerous discussions on the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum (UMGF) about the relative merits of rosewood versus mahogany guitars and how top-end custom builders' guitars compare to vintage models, I made two recordings on which I played three different guitars in succession, in this order: 

- a 2000 pyramid-bridge OM-45 made by T. J. Thompson,
- a 1930 pyramid-bridge Martin OM-28, and
- a 1930 Martin OM-18. 

The guitars were recorded through a B&K (now DPA) 4011 and an AKG C460B microphone, directly to a ProTools LE setup on my laptop computer.   Give a listen by clicking on the little guitars .   

-- St. Thomas      My version of John Miller's arrangement of the great Sonny Rollins tune, key of D, dropped D tuning.   I'm still working on the tab, but you can find a version in .pdf format here.   See guitar list above.

-- Cherokee Shuffle       An old American fiddle tune, key of G, standard tuning.  You can check out the tab in .pdf format here.  See guitar list above.  

"FINGERSTYLE ACOUSTIC GUITAR" CASSETTE AND CD

                In 1994 and 1995 I recorded eighteen tunes for a cassette that I gave to family and friends.  Below are six tunes from those recordings.  The guitars are a 1930 pyramid-bridge Martin OM-28 (not the same one as on the above recordings) and a 1947 D'Angelico New Yorker.  They were recorded directly to Digital Audio Tape using the same microphones as on St. Thomas and Cherokee Shuffle. 

           The sound quality is unfortunately not all that it should be, due to processing that I did to optimize the sound for cassette.  I plan to go back to the original, unprocessed digital files one of these days and remaster them for CD.  Click on the little guitars to hear the clips.

-- Spain      Chick Corea's jazz composition.  Standard tuning, key of B minor.  1930 pyramid-bridge Martin OM-28.

-- Colored Aristocracy     An old fiddle tune.  Standard tuning in the key of G (capo 2).   1930 pyramid-bridge Martin OM-28.

-- You Took Advantage of Me      My arrangement of the old jazz standard.  It's in standard tuning in the key of G.  1930 pyramid-bridge Martin OM-28.

-- Memories of You     Another jazz standard.  Standard tuning in the key of D.  No processing or effects.  1946 D'Angelico New Yorker .

-- Honeysuckle Rose     Standard tuning in the key of C.   1930 pyramid-bridge Martin OM-28.  Here's the tab:  Honeysuckle Rose tab in pdf.

-- Great Dream From Heaven    Joseph Spence arrangement, adapted by Ry Cooder, adapted by me.  In Drop D tuning, key of D.  1930 pyramid-bridge Martin OM-28.

Last modified: 4/9/2011