PART 1: First Things to Know

·          Guitar History and Anatomy 101

·          Learning the Notes of the Strings

·          Maintaining Good Posture While Playing Guitar     

·          Tuning Your Guitar

·          What Is a Pick and How Do I Use It?       

·          How to Read Guitar Tablature

PART 2: Your First Techniques

·          Picking For Beginners - Standard Picking 

·          Picking For Beginners - Alternate Picking 

·          Strumming Basics for Beginners 

·          Introduction to Finger-picking     

·          Learning Hammer Ons   

·          Learning Pull Offs          

·          Learning How to Slide    

·          Palm Muting
      

PART 3: Let's Learn Chords

·          What are Chords?         

·          Learning Simple Chord Progressions       

·          Learning Major Chords   

·          Learning Minor Chords   

·          Rock Chords - The Power Chord 

·          Barre Chords

PART 4: Scales and Exercises

·          Pentatonic Scales

·          Fret-hand Co-ordination

PART 5: Basic Music Theory

·          Reading Music For Guitar

·          Time Signatures – How They Work

·          Learning Time Signatures

Come on Home' from the album of the same title. Home practice sessions... May 29, 2009. www.cdbaby.com/cd/kachi2

Medley of two original songs, "Fool's Goal" from the 2008 album Come on Home, and "Serenity unreleased. Practice session June 5, 2009.

So we decided to venture out for Art & Wind Festival out in the park....hey, there was music blasting from the stages, the smell of barbecue, and it was a holiday (RIP to the fallen soldiers).

We were fashinably late and were lucky to get some food. But there was also not a very long line, which was good. There are all kinds of folks at the festival, and as we join the food line I look around at the people of different races and ages. I see this old-school biker-guy standing next to his huge Harley-Davidson motorcycle (straight from a wax job). I guess I don't see that everyday, so I notice him.

The line was long enough for me to think, hmmm, this is a pretty big event, I wonder if they've had any security troubles...this is San Ramon, so it's highly unlikely, but I wonder all the same. Just as I'm thinking this, I'm looking around and my eyes settle on old biker guy about 15 feet away, and this young girl who couldn't even be 18 just walks up to him up close and starts flirting.

Mind you, this guy is like in the baby boomers, jean jacket and pants, bandana, toothpick hanging out his mouth type biker and he's really looking the part. And this girl really couldn't be out of high school yet. But she's at the fair, and I can tell in a couple of seconds that she's drunk out of her mind, maybe more than drunk. The next thing I see is this guy putting his hands around the girl, she's leaning in close and rubbing on him and all over and like kissing up on him, and it's obvious he's about to get her up on his Harley and ride off to who knows where. I couldn't believe what was going on. This all took place a few seconds after I just had that feeling of "wonder if they have any trouble here", and this encounter took maybe 2 minutes tops.

I have to commend the members of the community for working together here though. Because before I could react, another woman who had observed this whole thing (this is out in the park in the day time at a festival with people all over!!) stepped up to this unusual couple and challenged biker-guy.... "Excuse me do you even know this young girl. Young lady who are you here with? You need to go home. Do you know her? You don't even know her name?"

We start to walk up closer, the woman has managed to get the girl away from old biker-guy and they are walking away. We get to the biker guy and stand around him. Uche had missed most of this bizzare event and I'm doing some narration as we stand there, and I'm not whispering either. He gets nervous and rides off...we think he's embarrased at being caught trying to take advantage of an intoxicated underaged girl, but no!

We walk through the booths and art work displays, talking with other people who also witnessed what had just happened. Then what do we see? Old biker-guy has managed to corner the girl ahead in another area of the festival ground, and he's trying to make quick work of the foreplay and make a getaway. I couldn't believe my eyes. Not only is this guy so obviously taking advantage of this young intoxicated underaged girl, but he's going to do it out in public and be persistent about it? Even after getting spotted? I guess he understimated the PEOPLE.

I ask if there's security around. One of the ladies says there are police not too far away. I say I'll stand watch and a couple of the ladies go off to find Mr Policeman. As for old biker-guy and his young bride, he's not looking as lucky as the first encounter. He's not getting his crotch rubbed on, and getting his feel of young flesh, and she's not looking as willing. This probably has something to do with the fact that they have already been caught once and publicly confronted, and now they are very obviously being scrutinized by many folks around. Because this is very obviously an odd couple. Even though the young girl is still quite intoxicated, she seems to be a little more cautious of all the staring eyes and all the movement around them, so she says something to old biker-guy and walks off, no doubt to a rendezvous point. Who gave this minor alcohol? Did she buy it at the fair? A fake ID couldn't work, I mean just lok at her!

A minute later, the ladies return with a report that they've alerter Mr Policeman who is coming over on his bike. Biker guy hops on and starts to ride off. I think he's going to the rendezvous point, plus he might have overheard that the law just got involved. The PEOPLE ain't playin'.

But unfortunately for him. Mr Policeman rides up and corners him before he can get away. The paramedics ride up behind him and they go for the young girl. We're like, did this all really just happen? Crazy thing I tell you. Well, seeing as things are under control, we go back to the business of feeding. Thankfully the cooperation and teamwork of the PEOPLE woorking together have foiled what may have been a pretty nasty thing to say the least.

My official website kachilive.com is currently under re-construction and should be back up in a couple of months. For now, the domain kachilive.com is being redirected to my myspace page. You can also keep in touch and updated on the facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Ka-Chi/47094819797

Thanks.

Ka-Chi

Acoustic troubadour Ka-Chi has just signed a non-exclusive global distribution deal with Worldwide Recordings, the Willingboro NJ based subsidiary of Mays and Lewis LLC.

The new album COME ON HOME is now available on iTunes! Link to the iTunes store by clicking here or pasting this web address in your browser:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=295918772&s=143441

Peace..V..Love

I did not realize the outcome of the elections for President would have such a huge effect on me. I've followed the race from the beginning, been aware of the issues, listened to the arguments, and tried to remain objective. However, being closely in touch with spirituality, I don't think we all fully comprehend what has just happened. It transcends the physical, and tonight I am happy and I want to run out in the streets dancing naked and singing joyously!

In a time when things seem to be going so wrong. Suffering economies, poverty, disease, hunger, natural disaster, insecurity, war.... you name a negative concept and it is at it's peak somewhere today. Then from the onset of this race for President, it becomes obvious that this is undoubtedly and unequivocally not just another election.

On the decromatic side, the party of the working class folk who are hurting the most today, two candidates emerge. One a woman, who until 1920 did not even have the right to vote in America. And the other, a man named Barrack Hussein Obama! At a time when the country is at war and suspicious of anyone with a muslim sounding name. When enemies number 1 and 2 are named Hussein and Osama. A black man, whose race of people were brought to these shores in captivity to serve as slaves and were barely considered human. Whose race of people had to inch their way through hundreds of years of suffering to gain the most basic of human rights. A first generation immigrant.

Then there is the surge of energy that cannot be denied or overcome. And Barrack Obama's light shines bright, and he is willing and able to ride this wave of energy through the preliminaries, through the democratic party primaries, through the final lap in the race for President of USA and arguably the most powerful position in the World. And tonight he is crowned by the people and annointed by THE ONE. Against ALL ODDS. These are the happenings people call miracles.

Yet this is not a time for us to look to one man to solve all of our problems, because after all, he IS one man. The miracle is that in these times of turmoil, the spirit of hope and comfort has come. This is a time for each and every one of us to look into ourselves and break the chains of fear and doubt. We have permission to dream big and BELIEVE. Because if this can happen today, then truly nothing is impossible.

Tonight I am happy... No, I am not just happy, I am euphoric! And I want to run out into the streets singing loud and dancing naked! But rather than give in to my instinctive urge and risk the chance of arrest for lude conduct (LOL), I am singing and dancing naked in my bedroom :-) And I am writing, because that is the closest thing I can do. My words are spewing out without refrain, overthought, or censorship. And they are out there in the public for all to see. My words are free. I am free. I am happy. I am hopeful.

God Bless America. God bless us all!