Sister Euclid

I am happy to say that one of my favorite bands finally got some material up on you tube! this cats are great players and really nice guys, i use to see them every monday night back in my home town toronto canada, kevin is a amazing guitar player! if you dont recognize him he is the guitarist behind nora jones on her first two albums as well as to many others out there. hope you enjoy!!

Scofield Clip

Hey Guys -

This is a tune I heard for the first time today when John brought it in for the faculty ensemble to play. We will be playing it at the next murphys gig I suppose. Lets not forget that jazz guitar isn't limited to just Swing and Bop. In fact, most of my east coast gigs are either free jazz or groove stuff like this. The last one was acoustic guitar and world percussion free stuff. That being said, you know that Sco can play just fine when Stella gets called...

Note how Sco uses chromaticism to create tension while steve holds down the vamp. See if you can become even more aware of how he floats between tension and release this way.

- Jay

Guthrie Govan

Hey guys, I came across an amazing fusion guitarist by the name of Guthrie Govan. He's from Britain. Check out this video of him. Note the sweep lick at 7:56 :)



Peace,

~Travis Ross

Lesson

Hey guys-

My last lesson with Jay was about sight reading and three note root position in major, minor, diminished, suspended, and augmented on strings 1-3. The sight reading exercises were about finding the note c in all its positions throughout the neck.

The important thing is that I'm working on sight reading, which is probably my biggest challenge right now. But Im also improving my major scale and jazz chord knowledge.

I've been practicing sight reading all the c notes for about a half hour each day, and also maj, min, dim, aug and sus4 triads for about a half hour. So I put in a total of about 1 hour a day, with the exception of Saturday and Sunday.

Peace,
~Travis Ross

Lesson One

In my first lesson I was on the prowl to find the pitch of C. The thing that changed my way of thinking and i got alot out of was how Jay expplaned how guitar players think in shapes and not in notes. I have been practicing 2 to 3 hours every day mostly scales.

2nd Lesson

After reviewing my goals - which are improved reading skills, accurancy, a set list of chord melody tunes from which to study and an understanding of devices and their use, we got right to the reading and accuracy drills.

I have NEVER thought of being at this level of concentration when approaching a note on the guitar as Jay helped me achieve - and that was done in one session with him. Since practicing using his tips, my accuracy has definately gone up.

This week, I have been locating all the C notes on the guitar and also quickly ''popping'' from one C note to the next C note everywhere they can be found on the neck. At first thought, I wondered how significant it would be to find all the C notes I was sure I knew were there.

Jay asked me to concentrate on the note I was approaching with greater focus, taking as long as I needed. It seemed extremely basic and well......it was. Thanks for taking me back there Jay. What a differance. I can hit those notes almost every time now. Prior to this, I had been ''rushing in'' to the next note - which was not helping my lack of accuracy issue.

Since I had never tried to go from C to C as a drill before meeting Jay, I tested this method of concentration on difficult passages I've been playing and having difficulty with for a long time. I CLEANED UP THE SLOPPINESS! That was a good test because I tried before, through repitition to clean the passages up, but I was just practicing the same ol' sloppiness. I used to think the problem was that my fretting hand could not move fast enough to hit the notes. Not so.

I am practicing aprox 3 hours each day. I work on chord melody, playing the notes I'm reading without looking at the fretboard, concentration for accuracy and speed, and the use of chord substitions and scale application.

Per Jays suggestion, I'm keeping a journal and dividing my practice time into thirds - 1)Reviews, 2)New Material, and 3)Whatevers.

Bob Ferraiuolo

Lesson

In my last lesson with jay we continued to work on the penatonic scale and using it as chords over major and minor vamps. We also went over the note C and Jay gave me some sight reading exercises with just the note C.

This lesson showed me that I don't practice enough in all 12 keys. There are afew keys that I have a lot better than others and I need work on them all.

I've been practicing the exercices on the note C for about a half hour every day. I've also been practicing then penatonic scale and using it as chords in all keys going through the cycle of fourths.

lessons

1. My last lesson with Jay we played a bunch of tunes to prepare for an upcoming audition i have as well as reviewing a whole bunch of arp's and scales.

2. I would have to say that what i learned from the last lesson was that i need to work on intros to chord melodies and be more aware of how to start and end tunes to make them more unified.

3. I practice all the time, and I'm jumping around between many things, but mainly working on finding new sounds.

thanks for all your help jay!

noah

First Lesson

Hello,

My first lesson experience was a good one. Jay was polite and tuned in quickly to my needs. While I have many areas of study I would like to address, Jay assessed a few of my practices and started me on a much needed lesson to help me sight read - a major priority.

I expect an exceptional experience working with Jay as the first lesson indicates that he will be able to give good direction specific to the individual.

Now, back to finding all those C notes - I'm headed into my 8th hour of studys this weekend.

Thanks Jay!

John Abercrombie - Getting Out of the Position Box!

My 'family lineage' in Jazz is Jim Hall and Mick Goodrick. John here explains a core conception that accounts for a large way I see the guitar when Improvising. A project 'A+" to the first one to transcribe this...

- Jay

Jay at Murphys with UT Jazz, Oct 2007. Angel Eyes.

Just a snippet...

Jay's Bio

ay Chikyo Weik is a certified Yondan (4th degree blackbelt) in the lineage passed down from Ueshiba Morihei, the founder, to Yamaguchi Seigo sensei, and through myself, William Gleason. He is an exceptional student and teacher and I have complete confidence in his ability to pass down legitimate aikido as it was passed down to me."
-William Gleason Sensei, 6th Dan, Author of "The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido"

Born in Toledo, Jay Chikyo Weik Sensei began his study of both the musical and martial arts in 1977. He graduated from St. Francis High School in 1987, and then moved to Boston to study guitar at Berklee College of Music and there came to the practice of Aikido with William Gleason Sensei at Shobu Aikido of Boston. After graduating from Berklee in 1990, he went on to earn a Masters Degree in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory in 1992, and lived as a professional Jazz musician and educator while he continued his Aikido training. Sensei has taught music at several New England area colleges, as well as having a full private guitar lesson practice. He is a published author with Mel Bay Books , recording artist and composer featured on “One Way Ticket” on the Dharma Communications label, and has concertized with Jazz legend Gary Peacock . He continues in his musical evolution today with the practice of the Japanese Zen Flute, the Shakuhachi under the guidance of Michael Chikuzen Gould Sensei .

After many years of diligent practice, Jay Sensei was teaching beginners Aikido classes at the main Shobu dojo and had started Boston area Aikido clubs at the Gillette, John Hancock, and Thompson and Thompson companies. It was during this time that he clarified his intention to one day open a dojo of his own, and was deeply influenced by Saotome Sensei and Ikeda Sensei of the Aikido Schools of Ueshiba organization, to which all Shobu Aikido dojo belong.

In 1988 Sensei began the study of Zen with Daido Roshi , at Zen Mountain Monastery and became a formal Zen student in 1995. In 1998 he received the Dharma name Chikyo, which translates as “Wisdom Mirror” and today continues his ongoing study with Myotai Sensei , founder of the Hermitage Heart Sangha .

Sensei met his wife Karen at the Boston dojo in 1992. In 1996 the two were married, and in 2000 they welcomed their daughter Isabella to life. In 2001 Sensei received his third degree black belt, and the three moved back to his hometown of Toledo to found Shobu Aikido of Ohio, the Toledo Zen Center and to share his new daughters life with his family. Sensei’s parents Otto and Dee Weik are life long Toledo area residents and the founders of Carpets by Otto and sister his Kelly has her own business as well, Art by Kelly .

Sensei has been active in the MultiFaith Council of Northwest Ohio . In 2004 Jay Sensei and his teacher Bill Gleason Sensei together founded the Shobu Okugyo Center which provides intensive Aikido retreats, bringing people from around the country to Toledo for in depth study of Aikido principle.

Since the dojo's beginning in 2001, it has grown incredibly and has become a vibrant community of practice, and in 2005 Jay Sensei received a promotion to the rank of Yondan (4th degree black belt). In 2007 he began teaching Jazz Guitar at the University of Toledo Music department, and has become a regular fixture down at Murphys Place playing with the UT Jazz faculty ensemble. Jay Sensei is one of the very few full time Aikido instructors in the country, and he devotes his full efforts to his family, his practice, and the constant evolution and growth of his students.

Jay Sensei has an extensive youtube channel, with clips of his Aikido, Music, and Zen teaching. He maintains blogs for Shobu Aikido of Ohio, the Toledo Zen Center, his guitar students, and was featured as the cover story of the October 24th edition of the Toledo City Paper.


In 2007, Jay was acknowledged as "Shuso" or head disciple of Myotai Sensei. This traditional rite of passage indicates a transition in Chikyos on going development in Zen training.

Jay was voted "Toledo's Best Music Teacher" by the Toledo City Paper.