WorkshopLive interview with Tobias Hurwitz
Started: Age 14 in 1970
Education: GIT, Mauro's School of Music
Intruments: Guitar, bass,drums,vocals
Styles: Rock, shred, zen guitar
When did you start to play? When I was 14. My friend Ric Rutledge came over and played acoustic guitar in my living room. From that moment, I was inspired to play guitar. He taught me two chords, E minor and A minor. I experimented with those two chords for a few months, then got a few more from him. Pretty soon we were in a band together, playing my high school dances.
When did you find your voice as a player? Pretty much immediately. I was self taught, so, I didn't know any cover songs, I just made up my own stuff for the first year or so.
How do you keep your playing fresh? There's nothing I consciously do to keep my playing fresh. It tends to happen all by itself from time to time, and not always in the same way.
What do you do when you get stuck? Continue practicing my usual routine, whatever it might be at the time.
What do you still find hard to do? Most of what I practice is hard for me to do. I'm working on a sweep/tap routine called "the ordeal" at the moment. It has a measure of 5/16 in it. Superimposing this odd time over regular time, so that the accents always change in relation to the underlying pulse is hard for me. Also, in my band, I'm playing a slow, soaring lead melody in one of the songs. I find it challenging to sculpt each note perfectly, so that the intonation and timing sounds perfect on playback.
How often are you surprised by your playing, or what you're listening to, or music in general? Every day!
Do you have a regular practice regimen? All I really need to practice is a guitar. Actually, I've practiced mentally without one. I like to use a metronome, and also play along tracks that I've invented, some of which are up for free on my shred planet site. I'm very flexible with how, where, and with what gear I practice, because, I have to "steal" time to practice in many different situations.
Is there a piece of gear you just can't live without? My PRS Custom 24.
Are there one or two core ideas that are central to your teaching that you make sure every student learns? Focus on the process, not the goal. Be true to your music, and, learn the note names all over the fretboard.
Do you find yourself returning to listen to the artists who inspired you when you first started to play? Who are they? Yes! Pink Floyd, Stanley Clarke, Frank Zappa, Al Dimeola, etc.
Does your playing change when you switch instruments? Yes. I have several "go to" guitars strung with different string gauges. I keep 9s on my PRS custom 24 and my Gibson SG. I keep 10s on my Deluxe American Strat, and I keep 11s on my PRS 20th Anniversary Hollow Body 2. I tend to do most of my shredding on the 24. It has a great sound and an extremely fast neck. Plus, it just feels like an old friend. The SG is used for alternate tunings and for getting the authentic sound and feel of classic rock songs by groups like Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. The Hollow Body 2 is much like an acoustic guitar, and I play mostly clean "sensitive" guitar on that one. The Strat is used for getting authentic sounds, and for the clean spanky single coil sounds it excels at. I also have a custom made 24 fret Carvin seven string guitar. It's named "Zen 24/7 after Philip Sudo's book of the same name. I keep it in a seven string version of his Zen Guitar tuning, which is D-D-A-D-A-A-D, and I play his music on it almost exclusively.
How often, when you're playing, do you find those moments of pure music, when your head is clear, your fingers are working, there are no distractions, and it's just you and the music? Quite often. That's one of the benefits of Zen Guitar!
What music would you suggest for your students? The Magic Elf is a somewhat obscure band that sounds great! (http://www.magicelf.com/) Mattias Ia Eklundh is another! ( http://www.freakguitar.com/) Dave Martone (http://www.davemartone.com/) is another artist worth checking out!
What are you listening to these days? Do you search out music that's new and unfamiliar to you? Yes. Mattias, Michael Angelo, and Avenged Sevenfold are a few.
Do you have a musical wish list - other instruments to learn, people to play with, artists or styles to explore? I've had the urge to try the bamboo flute lately. One of these days I'll probably get more serious about jazz. I would love to jam with Steve Vai.
Have you ever had a really great teacher? Ive has a few good teachers. Roland Rafael, Jamie Laritz, David Oakes, Ric Rutledge, John Thompson, and Philip Toshio Sudo. I've also taken an informal lesson or two with several Workshop Live teachers, including Susan Maser and Jody Fisher. All of these great teachers have something in common. They are highly knowledgeable in their fields, friendly, and good intentioned. Their first priority is to help the student get better on guitar.
How do you learn best? Teaching myself. Almost everything I know has been through self-study.
visit Tobias at www.tobiashurwitz.com
