Chris Woods (guitarist) explained

Chris Woods
Landscape:Yes
Birth Place:Sussex
Genre:Jazz, world
Occupation:Musician, composer
Instrument:Guitar
Years Active:2011–present

Chris Woods, born in Sussex, is a British fingerstyle guitarist whose playing features extended techniques.[1] Woods is also a composer, educator and author of Percussive Acoustic Guitar.[2] Recording as ‘The Chris Woods Groove Orchestra’ and ‘Chris Woods Groove’.[3]

Playing style

Woods’ playing is characterised by the use of contemporary and extended guitar techniques, including; alternative tunings, tapping and guitar percussion.[4] His technique was developed whilst experimenting at university with solo Jazz guitar playing[5] as well as taking influence from artists such as John Martyn.[6] Releasing music at the time of the ‘youtube percussive acoustic guitar boom’[7] he featured in the documentary ‘Acoustic Uprising’ which explored the percussive guitar boom phenomenon.[8]

Woods uses a stomp box,[9] to create an accompanying beat to his music.[10] In 2012 the company Logarhtyhm created a signature stomp box for Woods, keeping his playing style in mind throughout the design process.[11] His main guitar is a Martin 000x1.[12]

He performs as a soloist as well as with various different instrumental ensemble line ups, past venues and events have included Glastonbury Festival,[13] London Olympia,[14] Real World Studios,[15] the NAMM Show,[16] Mikulassky Jazz Festival,[17] Sage Gateshead[18] and more.[19]

Compositions

Woods released two solo guitar collections; Woodcraft (2011),[20] and Stories For Solo Guitar (2013)[21] as well as a duo album with Will McNicol in 2015 48 hour Atlas, which was recorded and written in 48 hours.[22]

Between 2015 and 2018, he released several singles and an EP as The Chris Woods Groove Orchestra, also containing and launching a project called Guitar Revolution.[23]

Guitar Revolution is a composition made up of four parts, from beginner to advanced.[24] Inviting members of the public to join at The London Acoustic Guitar Show in September 2016 to perform the piece.[25] The music was published in Acoustic Magazine issue 120 and online for free.[26]

After an oversubscribed pop-up performance at the London Acoustic Show.[27] The Chris Woods Groove Orchestra toured the project with the support of Martin Guitars in early 2017, inviting the public to join at various different towns.[28] [29] [30]

In late 2017,[31] Chris Woods was commissioned to create a new score 'Orchestral Evolution' by Soundstorm Music Education Hub funded through support from Arts Council England.[32]

Educational publications

Woods is the author of Percussive Acoustic Guitar, which was first published by Hal Leonard in March 2013.[33] He was approached by Leonard at the NAMM Show in California to write the 'how to play' percussive guide.[34] The guide is used within educational establishments[35] and as an academic reference for the style.[36] [37] The publication contains instruction on percussive guitar techniques. Categorising these percussive techniques as ‘String Slapping’, ‘Body Percussion’, ‘Tapping’, ‘Harmonics’ and ‘Alternate Tunings’. The categories are divided into chapters, with each chapter containing different examples. The examples all begin with their own ‘warm-up’. The book concludes with several full pieces and is accompanied by a DVD.[38]

He also wrote a regular column for Acoustic Magazine,[39] and contributed to Guitar Techniques magazine with the 'Creative Acoustic' Series including; Issue 253- Guitar PercussionIssue 254 – DADGAD, Issue 255 – Harmonics, Issue 256 – Partial Capo and Issue 289 - Percussive Acoustic.[40] [41] [42] Both magazines are published by Future Publishing.

Notes and References

  1. Woldach . Stefan . June 2011 . Gezupft, gestampft, gegroovt . Akustik gutarre . Germany .
  2. Web site: The in demand guitarist . bbc.co.uk . 20 July 2018.
  3. Web site: Meet a musician . Soundstorm.org.uk . 30 October 2017 . 20 July 2018.
  4. Web site: Biography of tutor . guitarinstructor.com . 20 July 2018.
  5. Web site: Getting Into The Chris Woods Groove . 26 January 2014 . 20 July 2018.
  6. Web site: Getting in the groove . Watford Observer . 14 February 2014 . 20 July 2018.
  7. Web site: Percussive Guitar: The Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Boom in the 21st Century . University of Surrey. 20 July 2018.
  8. Web site: Acoustic Uprising (2017) - Fingerstyle Documentary. IMDb.
  9. Web site: People are addicted to sub bass . Bourbon.fm . 20 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180720195214/https://www.bourbon.fm/videos/spotlight-chris-woods . 20 July 2018 . dead .
  10. Davenia . Giuseppe . July 2014 . mister Groove . Chitarre . Italy . Arobas Music . 20 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180720195004/https://www.chitarre.com/ . 20 July 2018 . dead .
  11. Web site: Logjam Prolog . Musicradar.com . 3 December 2012 . 20 July 2018.
  12. Web site: Equipment list . Euipboard.com . 20 July 2018.
  13. Web site: Glastonbury line-up . glastonburyfestivals.co.uk . 20 July 2018.
  14. Web site: LAGS line-up . londonacousticshow.com . 19 May 2015 . 20 July 2018.
  15. Web site: Real World Studios: A-T 50 Series Launch . audio-technica.co.uk. 20 July 2018.
  16. The sounding board magazine . 32 . January 2012. martinguitar.com. 20 July 2018.
  17. Web site: Chris Woods Groove predstaví na živo svoje Príbehy pre sólovú gitaru . jazz.sk. 20 July 2018.
  18. Web site: Chris Woods Groove Orchestra . sagegateshead.com. . 20 July 2018 .
  19. Web site: Tour Dates . chriswoodsgroove.co.uk.com. 4 June 2013 . 20 July 2018 .
  20. Slater . Tim . April 2011 . Unsigned Spotlight . Play Music Pickup . Uk .
  21. https://www.igf.org.uk/creative-acoustic/ “International Guitar Foundation” Igf.co.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2018
  22. Web site: 48hr atlas. Willmcnicol.co.uk. 20 July 2018.
  23. Web site: The Chris Woods Groove Orchestra . cdbaby.com. 20 July 2018.
  24. Web site: Guitar Revolution – Play along at the London Acoustic Show . Acousticmagazine.com. 20 July 2018 . Nick Robbins.
  25. Web site: Performance of Guitar Revolution . Londonacousticshow.com. 20 July 2018.
  26. Woods . Chris . July 2016 . Guitar revolution . Acoustic Magazine . Uk . Future Publishing.
  27. Web site: Guitar Revolution. theguitarrevolution.com. 10 May 2016. 20 July 2018.
  28. https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/blog/2017/02/01/guitar-revolution-tour/ “Martin Sponsorship of tour” pmtonline.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018
  29. Web site: Guitar revolution on tour . plymouthschoolofcreativearts.co.uk. 20 July 2018.
  30. Web site: Guitar Revolution with Chris Woods Groove. buxton.towntalk.co.uk . 20 July 2018.
  31. Web site: Orchestral Evolution – a process of composition . soundstorm-music.org.uk. 5 January 2018 . 20 July 2018.
  32. Web site: Orchestral Evolution: Revolutionary Pop-up Orchestra . soundstorm-music.org.uk . 19 April 2018 . 20 July 2018.
  33. Web site: Percussive Acoustic Guitar . halleonard.com. 20 July 2018.
  34. Web site: approached to write guide harrow . times.co.uk . 14 February 2014 . 20 July 2018 .
  35. Web site: Guitar School . August School of Guitars . 20 July 2018 .
  36. A stylistic analysis of Recess performed by Charlie Hunter from the DVD Right Now Live . 5, 47, 58 . 20 July 2018 .
  37. Web site: 'Percussive Guitar': The Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Boom in the 21st Century . University of Surrey . 20 July 2018 .
  38. Web site: Overview and review . Tom Farr . 17 January 2014 . 18 July 2018.
  39. Web site: Acoustic Columnist Chris Woods . acousticmagazine.com . 20 July 2018 .
  40. Web site: Creative Acoustic with Chris Woods . Issue.com . 16 February 2016 . 20 July 2018 .
  41. Web site: Creative Acoustic - Guitar Techniques Magazine - With Chris Woods . newsmidnight.com . 20 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180825180236/https://newsmidnight.com/video/SUxujmhMDvp-Creative-Acoustic-Guitar-Techniques-Magazine-With . 25 August 2018 . dead .
  42. Web site: Percussive Acoustic . issue.com . 17 October 2018 . 8 April 2019 .

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