Mark Elf - The Mark Elf Guitar Conservatory

Used to be if you wanted to take lessons from an established and celebrated Jazz musician you had to travel great distances and dish out a wad of cash for an hour or so of that artist’s time. Thankfully, those days are behind us as the capability and technological advances of the Internet brings teacher and student together in a virtual one-on-one environment, offering the student immediate access to knowledge, insight and years of experience. In this instance that teacher is Jazz Guitar great Mark Elf, and what he offers for the student interested in studying Jazz Guitar through his Guitar Conservatory, is thirty five years of practical experience from a local and international touring/recording artist, and in-demand teacher/clinician.

As a much sought after teacher and clinician, Mark Elf has become a methodical educator breaking technique and theory down to its smallest components, allowing the student to have a clear and simple understanding of the guiding principles involved in Jazz improvisation and playing tunes. Everything from scales, chord construction, arpeggios, voicings and interval recognition to comping, picking techniques, chord substitutions, single-line creation, popular song analysis (Autumn Leaves, Satin Doll, Just Friends, How High the Moon, Blues, What Is This thing Called Love, You Stepped Out Of A Dream, as of this writing) and much, much more are covered by Mark in a to-the-point, comprehensive approach. And that’s just the beginning! The Mark Elf Guitar Conservatory will be adding more content in the Fall, which will include, amongst other things, diminished ideas, minor blues playing, working through “Rhythm Changes”, comping alongside a piano player and much more.

Lesson material is split amongst four categories: Intermediate; Advanced; Theory and Tips and covers all the bases needed to be able to play your way through tunes in a competent and musical manner. While the lessons in the Intermediate section presuppose a students’ ability to play basic chords and simple scale forms, a novice player could walk themselves through each lesson quite nicely as Mark Elf presents the material in a measured, logical and systematic fashion. And of course, students have access to the Conservatory 24/7, which is great for reviewing a lesson as often as it takes to “sink in”.

Getting the lesson material across to the student is a colossal job requiring accomplished teaching skills and Web programming savvy. Fortunately, the Mark Elf Guitar Conservatory has both, utilizing the latest in audio/video streaming technology providing students with a sharp visual and audio presentation of each lesson. Every note and utterance is crystal clear, allowing the student to follow exactly what Mark is playing and saying. And for the more advanced lessons where Mark is blowing through a tune’s changes at tempo or where he is playing challenging lines over key chord progressions (ii-V’s, I-VI-II-V’s etc.), there is a segment at the end of each of those respective videos where the video/audio is slowed down without altering the pitch so that the student can cop what Mark is playing easily. A definite plus, making it easier to get the music under the students’ fingertips and into a musical situation more quickly.

Providing the student with a thorough understanding of the essentials and sophistication of playing Jazz on guitar is what the Mark Elf Guitar Conservatory is all about. And if the lesson material is not enough to inspire a new found confidence in a students’ musical development, the Conservatory encourages its students to digitally record and upload their “homework” for Mark to check out and comment on either privately (via personal email) or publicly (via YouTube) through the Conservatory’s Forum. For example, a student can view the lesson on comping and blowing through the tune Just Friends, download the accompanying Band In The Box MIDI file, lead sheet, transcription of the single line solo played by Mark, comping chart and chord solo chart, which is included with each tune analyzed by Mark, and record their own playing over the tune using the materials learned from Mark’s analysis. Mark can then pinpoint areas that the student may need to work on, or conversely, can encourage a student to continue along a path that Mark feels showcases that students’ strength. This access to, and one-on-one critique from Mark Elf, can be a golden opportunity for a student to have their playing analyzed by a master of the instrument and music. And that alone is definitely worth the price of admission*!

Along with access to Mark Elf, students can also interact with other like-minded students through the Conservatory’s Forums and Chat Room as a means to discuss lesson material or other related, or non related topics. As Mark himself points out, “I…am looking forward to have this turn into a community of friends who can share with each other both music and life!” That is indeed an important statement as it shows that the Mark Elf Guitar Conservatory is more than a chop-shop of licks and tricks, but rather a place to discover the handed-down craft of Jazz Guitar, while learning how to intermingle and relate with others who share the same passion. Learning how to play doesn’t stop at the classroom, but rather, extends to the bandstand and beyond as music integrates with life: yours and others. This seems to be the canon that Mark Elf lives by as he strives to give back to a community (past, present and future) that has been his life for over thirty-five years.

If you are a novice, intermediate or advanced player looking to get serious about learning the art of Jazz Guitar, then I would highly recommend the Mark Elf Guitar Conservatory to begin or continue your Jazz Guitar education. Having checked out the Conservatory first hand, I can honestly state that the Mark Elf Guitar Conservatory sets the standard for online learning in an environment that is serious, professional AND fun. Check it out for yourself at www.markelfguitarconservatory.com

Lyle Robinson