Members Li Shenron Posted September 17, 2009 Members Share Posted September 17, 2009 I've read about quite a lot of forum members who have studied guitar at some prestigious school such as Berkley, from which also many people graduated to become famous guitarists. Has any of you been in the same class or sharing lessons and practice time with any of the famous Berkley graduates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nuclear arsenal Posted September 17, 2009 Members Share Posted September 17, 2009 doesn't jon finn teach at berkley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Virgman Posted September 17, 2009 Members Share Posted September 17, 2009 Has any of you been in the same class or sharing lessons and practice time with any of the famous Berkley graduates? No one "famous" usually graduates from Berklee. They usually drop out after a semester or two to get in a band. But do you remember Joe Finklestein? You know Joe, the guy with the bad skin condition who sat in the back row? Can't remember? He graduated last year. Works for Best Buy in the CD department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members girevik Posted September 17, 2009 Members Share Posted September 17, 2009 No one "famous" usually graduates from Berklee. They usually drop out after a semester or two to get in a band. A friend of mine graduated from there but he's not famous. So I guess if you wanna "be famous", you go to Berklee and drop out before you graduate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meganutt7 Posted September 17, 2009 Members Share Posted September 17, 2009 I went to Berklee and John Mayer was there while I was there, but we had no classes together... I also was friends with Chris Pennie, the drummer for Dillinger Escape Plan and now Coheed and Cambria... Also, Marco Benevento (keyboard player, jam style) and I used to jam a bit... and Adam Deitche (drummer) who played wit hScofield and Average White Band.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members girevik Posted September 17, 2009 Members Share Posted September 17, 2009 I think this guy still plays more keys than guitar, but he's the closest thing I have to a famous classmate. http://www.hansfjellestad.com/ I was only recently apprised of his activities - first when I bought the Moog documentary DVD, then when I heard he was playing a show with some LA-area big shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steadfastly Posted September 18, 2009 Members Share Posted September 18, 2009 I'm being taught by a famous guitarist, Steve Krenz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jasco Posted September 18, 2009 Members Share Posted September 18, 2009 I've played with, and taken lessons from famous and not famous guys. Fame doesn't seem to have anything to do with talent as a player or a teacher, from what I can tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bdemon Posted September 18, 2009 Members Share Posted September 18, 2009 I've played with, and taken lessons from famous and not famous guys.Fame doesn't seem to have anything to do with talent as a player or a teacher, from what I can tell. Ain't that the truth. I remember learning that studying guitar magazine lessons by famous players. Some of the info was so scatterbrained...here is a major arpeggio triplet...now here's that arpeggio wailing up & down the neck in sixteenth note triplets complete with taps & slides! Thankfully, Satch & Morse (among others) had real teaching skills in their blood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonfinn Posted September 18, 2009 Members Share Posted September 18, 2009 A friend of mine graduated from there but he's not famous. So I guess if you wanna "be famous", you go to Berklee and drop out before you graduate. Yup. That happens. Berklee's always had a high dropout rate for a variety of reasons. Steve Vai was a student there at the same time I was. I only knew him as "that guy that's obsessed w/ Frank Zappa" Later, I heard he'd gotten a gig w/ Frank, and my reaction was "Really? That guy? Is he good or something?" Open mouth/Insert foot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Li Shenron Posted September 18, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 18, 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonfinn Posted September 19, 2009 Members Share Posted September 19, 2009 Of course, the story goes on. Given enough time there is "karmic payback"... 20-something years later, Steve was awarded an "Honorary Doctorate of Music" by Berklee for his outstanding music career. The night before the ceremony, Berklee put on a concert in his honor. I was asked to play "For the Love of God" and "The Attitude Song" with Steve sitting front row watching. There is so much about the story that's "just wrong" y'know? For the record, SV was very nice, very complimentary toward me. We've been friendly ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Santuzzo Posted September 19, 2009 Members Share Posted September 19, 2009 Of course, the story goes on. Given enough time there is "karmic payback"...20-something years later, Steve was awarded an "Honorary Doctorate of Music" by Berklee for his outstanding music career. The night before the ceremony, Berklee put on a concert in his honor. I was asked to play "For the Love of God" and "The Attitude Song" with Steve sitting front row watching. There is so much about the story that's "just wrong" y'know?For the record, SV was very nice, very complimentary toward me. We've been friendly ever since. Wow ! So, you played the songs? Weird story indeed. But regardless, Vai is an incredibly creative musician ! It's not for nothing that Zappa took him in his band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Virgman Posted September 19, 2009 Members Share Posted September 19, 2009 Of course, the story goes on. Given enough time there is "karmic payback"... 20-something years later, Steve was awarded an "Honorary Doctorate of Music" by Berklee for his outstanding music career. The night before the ceremony, Berklee put on a concert in his honor. I was asked to play "For the Love of God" and "The Attitude Song" with Steve sitting front row watching. There is so much about the story that's "just wrong" y'know? For the record, SV was very nice, very complimentary toward me. We've been friendly ever since. I was just listening to "FTLOG" yesterday. That's a great song. I had my player replaying it over and over. That was some pressure on you to do that one with him sitting there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BerkleeBill Posted September 24, 2009 Members Share Posted September 24, 2009 Studied with?? Well, I guess that begs the question whether that was formerly via Berklee, or informally while AT Berklee? Didn't study with anyone famous, per se (unless Jim Kelly and Mike Ihde are considered famous?). But while attending Berklee, I knew many famous (and not-so famous) musicians, including: Guitarist Joe Stump (was the Floor Monitor in my dorm) Guitarist Al Pitrelli (whom I claim stole the whole TSO idea FROM ME!!! ) Keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Al P's roommate) Songwriter Aimee Mann Pianist Karen Mantler (daughter of Carla Bley) Metal Guitarist Mike Hickey Guitarist John Petrucci Drummer Mike Portnoy One of the Marsalis brothers (forget who -- Wynton?) Guitarist Darren Householder Guitarist Toshi Iseda Jammed lots with these people, and lots others. Berklee was fun in the 80s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Burninator Posted September 24, 2009 Members Share Posted September 24, 2009 Metal Guitarist Mike Hickey Which band/artist does he play for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BerkleeBill Posted September 24, 2009 Members Share Posted September 24, 2009 Which band/artist does he play for? Cronos and Venom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sofos Posted March 10, 2010 Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 Cronos and Venom. -jealous. extremely. major venom fanboy- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gennation Posted March 10, 2010 Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 Cool Vai story Jonn! I had an hour long lesson with Tony MacAlpine back around 1990. When I was about 12 (umm, 1974ish) I had a drum lesson with the legendary Ed Shaunessey. In the 80s I had the pleasure of being on stage with Tina Turner and also Rod Steward. I did a stint with Shelly West too. In the early 80s I had mutual friends with Maynard from Tool and we did a few impromptu jams at parties and things. And over the years I've opened and hung out with a {censored} ton of bands: Kansas, Lee Greenwood, Asia, The Tube, Alabama, and list goes on. Lately I did a gig with Danny Elfman's brother Richard. Oh, and my old buddy Tom Weber was EHV main (only) guitar tech on tthe last tours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members c+t in b Posted March 10, 2010 Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 im friends with a few of the guys from passion pit. we met at berklee. they all graduated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Daft Punk Posted March 10, 2010 Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 Ain't that the truth. I remember learning that studying guitar magazine lessons by famous players. Some of the info was so scatterbrained...here is a major arpeggio triplet...now here's that arpeggio wailing up & down the neck in sixteenth note triplets complete with taps & slides! Thankfully, Satch & Morse (among others) had real teaching skills in their blood. What is it that makes Satch and Morse standout as good teachers? Interestingly enough, my next guitar teacher is friends with Satch, and is on the same record label as Morse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meganutt7 Posted March 10, 2010 Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 I have seen some video lessons with both Morse and Satch, and I dunno.. I don't get it... I mean, they convey information and all, but I don't really think they come off as the greatest teachers in the world.... They are just alright... Especially Steve Morse... He stammers and stumbles alot and (eventhough he went to UM for music) comes off like a guy that knows less than he should... Plus, I personally think he has the {censored}tiest vibrato of any professional guitarist I have ever heard on record or live. I mean, it sounds like he did a pouind of blow and has some nervous twitch in his fretting hand... Again, this is just my humble opinion. I do like some of his songwriting, though... Satch... I like his playing for the most part... His songs are really not my cup of tea... Too cheesed out and boring.. Just a simple vehicle for him to wank over... Then again I may just be embittered by the lack of GROOVE ORIENTED shred guys in the forefront of the scene (except for maybe Greg Howe and, back in the day, Nuno Bettencourt).... Groove musicians unite! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members girevik Posted March 10, 2010 Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 At this point, the most "famous" person I've studied music with is Rufus Cappadocia, during my flirtation with the cello: http://www.rufusmusic.com/ What he taught me that is applicable to guitar: - Pentatonic phrases from Mali (specifically for ngoni, an indigenous instrument) - Polyrhythms (also picked up from Mali) - There is no limit to the power and expression that can be extracted from pentatonic scales, applied judiciously and with conviction (Rufus could easily drown out any other cellist in the room - he's like the cellist counterpart of Peter Brotzmann). I guess a couple of group classes with Natalie Haas - another cellist, specializing in Scottish music - also count, but she so used to learning by ear and teaching by ear that I couldn't keep up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TrickyBoy Posted March 10, 2010 Members Share Posted March 10, 2010 I opened for Vinnie Moore in '89 if that counts for anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nazgul6 Posted March 31, 2010 Members Share Posted March 31, 2010 I took a summer of lessons from John Petrucci. I wen to High School with him and he obviously kicked ass in High School. But then he came back from Berklee and was teaching at a local guitar shop. After they released When Dream and Day Unite I had just graduated college and was taking the summer offf before strating my job so I took lessons from him there in the shop for the summer. It was so cool. He could play anything. We take it for granted now becausue there are kids all over the internet playing everything but I would just call out tunes and he would sit there right across from me and rip them out note for note. Far Beyond The Sun, etc. One time I asked him to play the Randy Rhoads solo from the Tribute live album that had just come out and sure he enough he laughed and played it. It was awesome to watch. One time after our lesson he said, "hey the new Steve Morse just came out, you want to hang while I try to figure it out?" So he unwraps the tape, pops it in the little tape deck, listens to 8 bars, stops the tape deck, then plays it on his guitar. Then he hits play, listens for 10 seconds, hits pause and plays the next part. I was like, "That's not figuring out a song, that's hearing it and playing it." I still have his notes and excercises that he wrote out for me. He was a very cool teacher. He wrote everything out by hand, recorded examples of him playing. He played the Ytse Jam solo at full speed and exact half speed for me in order to learn it. He was a very dedicated teacher and good guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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