Guitar Lessons Aurora Lenny Breau’s Younger Days

Guitar Lessons Aurora Lenny Breau’s Younger Days

Article by Rick Washbrook

Guitar Lessons Aurora Lenny Breau’s Younger Days

Each time I listen to Lenny Breau’s music, after 38 years of professional experience, I’m still in awe of his musical genius. Lenny Breau was such an outstanding guitarist. He merged jazz with so many other styles, and he had such a soulful sound all his own.

There was only one Lenny Breau. He left so much for musicians all around the world as evidenced by a few following quotes, but I have a story to tell, as well. It captures the very breath of my feelings about Lenny Breau and who I am as a result of it.

“He is one of the true geniuses of the guitar. I suppose he is a musician’s musician. His knowledge of the instrument and the music is so vast, and I think that’s what knocks people out about him. But he’s such a tasty player too. I think if Chopin had played guitar, he would have sounded like Lenny Breau.” -Chet Atkins,

“What really got me was the soul behind all the playing.” -Mike Stern

“Lenny Breau played more great stuff at one time than anybody on the planet… with feeling and tone. He was the best that ever lived, bar none.” – Danny Gatton

I have been listening to Lenny Breau since 1972 when I was just 14-years old. I was immediately spellbound when I first heard him. Even with my young age, I felt the depth of his music . . . so deep it could fill the ocean. His music led me and I followed like a servant, learning his style from his recordings . . . lifting the needle of the record player up and down as I hung onto Lenny’s every chord and tried to play them.

In 2001, I released my Lenny Breau tribute CD called A Gypsy’s Bed. Just after its release, ironically, I had the opportunity of meeting Toronto’s jazz piano icon, Bob Erlendson. Bob meet Lenny Breau in in December of 1958. He taught Lenny Breau when Lenny was 16 to 19-years old. Bob was 10-years older than Lenny and had the experience and expertise to teach Lenny a lot of music through his understanding viewpoint on the piano. Lenny couldn’t read music at the time. Bob could and pointed out everything to Lenny from a pianist’s point of view. This is important because all guitar plays are locked into the mechanic of frets and a hundred little challenges one has on the guitar; like notes with the same pitch on many areas of the fret board, whereas the piano, it is just one way. Bob taught Lenny not to look at the guitar like it’s a guitar.

Lenny was a sponge for knowledge and lived in Calvary at the time Bob was with Lenny, rehearsing, gigging, and helping him with all his many questions. Lenny would ask Bob inspiring questions. It was a challenging relationship for them both and within those four years, the relationship became one. They played together at the Stage Door in Winnipeg for one and a half years, played some radio shows, and some pickup gigs for singers that came to town. Soon after, Lenny was getting bored. His guitar playing was extremely hot at that time, and Lenny wanted to move to Toronto, but Bob felt Lenny wasn’t mentality ready to move to Toronto, ‘Stay in Calgary until you are 20-years old,’ said Bob, but Lenny took his family, got on a bus and split to Toronto.

The relationship Bob and Lenny had, and the time they spent together, well, Bob puts it as a musical self-discovery, unending in time, that still rolls around in his heart and soul today.

I began studying with Bob Erlendson right after I met him in 2001 and have been associated and studying with him for the past ten years. Bob is now 80-years old. I have been blessed to study under Bob Erlendson and thank him for his inspiration and his gift of music.

If you are interested in the music and style of Lenny Breau and want to obtain more information, please contact me.

I offer jazz guitar lessons and can show and point you the techniques Lenny used to express himself.

By: Rick WashbrookAugust 18th, 2011

http://www.guitarlessonsaurora.ca/

About the Author

Guitar lessons in Aurora with Rick Washbrook.

Rick Washbrook offers guitar instruction video lessons globallyHe also teaches privately half hour or one hour sessions, and pricing is lower than most music stores. As a teacher / songwriter and award-winning guitarist, Rick Washbrook offers his students 38 years experience. This is important for both the beginning guitarist and those requiring advanced studies because his experience brings methods that many guitar teachers do not provide.

Contact Rick Washbrook at (416) 824-3377

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