My first attempt at a "duet" video. I really wanted to do this with a split screen effect, but neither of my video editing programs seem to be able to do that, so this ended up as one long, slow fade from Guitar #1 to Guitar #2. The tune is simple enough that you can probably see everything well enough. The Guitar #2 track is a mirror image, which helps keep both parts visible at the same time. Shadow Dance is one of my very favorite compositions. I hope you like it.

Tags: Bob Kilgore Harmonic Capo Acoustic Guitar Duet Fingerstyle

A new tune. Very rough, but you'll get the idea. The Harmonic Capo isn't doing much in this one (one note, really) but it does help to mute the open strings. This one will be on the next CD, probably with other parts added.

Tags: Bob Kilgore Harmonic Capo Tapping Acoustic Guitar Weaseltrap

It seems that I have an unfortunate habit of composing music that is almost too hard for me to play. "Event Horizon" is a good example of that. This tune would be completely impossible without the Harmonic Capo. It features lots of two-handed tapping, and like "How the Other Half Lives", it makes use of the extra notes on the wrong side of the strings. It's quite a bit harder than it looks, actually. This performance isn't great, but hopefully you'll get the idea.

Tags: Bob Kilgore Tapping Acoustic Guitar Harmonic Capo Impossible

Frames of Reference Part 3 was one of my first compositions after I invented the Harmonic Capo. The capo was inspiring so many new ideas that I was afraid I'd forget them before I could write them down or develop them into individual pieces. I had half a dozen incomplete fragments, that I strung together in a kind of rambling sequence, as a way of remembering them. Somehow, the fragments never did develop into entire pieces and the rambing sequence took on a life of its own. I don't know what I was thinking. It's one of the longest pieces I ever wrote and it ends on a note that is almost impossible to play. (No pressure!) The last note is a harmonic B, the second highest note on a piano, and nine times out of ten, it just comes out as a dull thud. I got lucky on this performance. This was one of the tunes that I got to play for Michael Hedges.

Tags: Bob Kilgore Harmonic Capo Acoustic Guitar Hedges Impossible

Frames of Reference is one of my oldest compositions. (You can tell because it's in standard tuning!) It's a three part Suite that covers a lot of stylistic territory. Part One goes way back to my High School days and is almost classical, except for a couple of Hedges-inspired moments. Part Two is one of the very few times you'll ever see me use a flat pick. This was heavily inspired by John McLaughlin, with its jazz feel and constantly changing time signatures. Part Three is too long to fit on this video, so I recorded it separately. It represents some of my very earliest experimentations with the Harmonic Capo. All of this music can be downloaded for free at http://www.weaseltrap.com BTW, this video replaced an earlier version that had a distorted audio track.

Tags: Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar McLaughlin Hedges Classical Jazz

The first time I played this guitar, a Martin D16M, I fell in love with its rich tone. This was the first of many compositions that have flowed from it over the years. It's one of my more conventional tunes (no harmonic capo and no tapping) but I hope you like it. Come to think of it, there is one fairly unconventional bit. The very first harmonic you hear is played at the 5th fret, but later in the piece, you'll hear the same harmonic played several times over the sound hole. It's almost invisible in the video, but it's actually a pull-off harmonic, where the left-hand pulls off at the 9th fret and the index finger of my right hand is touching the string over the sound hole to get the two-octave harmonic.

Tags: Acoustic Guitar Bob Kilgore Fingerstyle Harmonics

None of my music has lyrics, but this one has a story. It's a variation on the classic "boy meets faerie" love story, where the young handsome farmer (picture Jethro Bodine... with red hair) is walking home from working in his fields all day. He passes through a dark wood, where he has a supernatural encounter with faeries. He joins in their odd dance and falls in love with a faerie princess. (Picture Gweneth Paltrow, with big, pointed ears.) She falls in love with him too, but they immediately have an argument over where they should live. He pleads with her, "Come with me!" and she pleads, "Stay with me!". They reach an impasse and the farmer leaves without his bride... or does he?

Tags: Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Harmonic Capo Tapping Fingerstyle

I had the frets replaced on this guitar a few years ago and I gave the luthier a hard time about how I wanted the action set. I was being very picky. At one point, he said, "Oh, c'mon! How much of the neck do you really use?" I said, "All of it." I don't think he believed me. You can download this tune, and the rest of my first two CDs, for FREE at http://www.weaseltrap.com

Tags: Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Harmonic Capo fingerstyle

The title says it all, but there's so much more I could say about this tune. It's special to me for a variety of reasons. It's unique. It's unconventional. The left hand doesn't move at all for the first minute and fifteen seconds of the piece, but I manage to strum two alternating chords and play nine notes at once... on six strings. The main reason this tune is special is that I had the honor of playing it for my hero, Michael Hedges. It was just before his "Tap Root" CD was released. I only met him once, but I got to show him one of my first Harmonic Capos and played some of my early tunes like "From Point A", "Returning Home" and "Frames of Reference". "How the Other Half Lives" was his favorite. His jaw actually dropped. He watched my hands very very closely and then gave me the highest compliment I've ever received. That was a day I'll never forget. You can download this tune and the rest of my first two CDs for FREE at http://www.weaseltrap.com

Tags: Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Weird Extreme Impossible

The second half of the guitar tutorial for Tap Dance. Sorry this had to be split into two videos, but YouTube has a 10 minute limit and this was the only way. The first half of this video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfRfqOQlrOw

Tags: Acoustic Guitar Tapping Tutorial Bob Kilgore Celtic Jig

The first half of a two-part guitar tutorial that shows exactly how to play "Tap Dance" My apologies for taking so long to get this done. I know some of you have been waiting a long time. Best of luck to all of you that try to learn it. I'm truly looking forward to watching your video responses! The second half of this video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAv_Wn8lakM

Tags: Acoustic Guitar Tapping Tutorial Bob Kilgore Celtic Jig

I am working on a new version of my Harmonic Capo that will work on classical guitars. It is designed to attach higher on the neck and isn't affected by the location of the neck joint. In this video, I have it attached at the 19th fret of my Martin D16M. That harmonic is the same as at the 7th fret, but positioned at the 19th fret, the capo os completely out of the way. This version of the Harmonic Capo is not for sale yet. Visit my website http://www.weaseltrap.com for future updates.

Tags: Harmonic Capo Bob Kilgore Classical Guitar Prototype 19th fret

More impossible music, courtesy of my Harmonic Capo. This is a brand new composition, so it's still rough.

Tags: Harmonic Capo Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Tapping Impossible Extreme Demo

A brand new performance of the tune that made me "famous" at YouTube. If you want to learn how to play it, visit my website http://www.weaseltrap.com and check out the free tutorial videos.

Tags: Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Tapping Extreme Demo

This is my signature tune, an absolutely outrageous example of what the Harmonic Capo(tm) can do. If this one doesn't show the capo's potential, I don't know what would. It's also incredibly fun to play! Find out how to get your own Harmonic Capo(tm) at http://www.weaseltrap.com

Tags: Harmonic Capo Bob Kilgore Impossible Thrash Acoustic Guitar Extreme Demo

A new performance of an old favorite. The Harmonic Capo(tm) has a subtle effect in this one. Find out more about the Harmonic Capo(tm) at http://www.weaseltrap.com

Tags: Harmonic Capo Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Tapping

This video explains how the Harmonic Capo(tm) works and what it can do. It also tells you how to get one for yourself!

Tags: Harmonic Capo Tutorial Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle Tapping Demo

This piece sounds very soothing and subtle, but I'm doing some pretty unconventional playing to get there. The Harmonic Capo is used extensively, but I'm also doing a lot of fingering with the right hand and picking with the left hand. In one brief passage, both hands are fingering and picking at the same time. This one is totally impossible without the capo. Find out more about the Harmonic Capo(tm) at http://www.weaseltrap.com

Tags: Harmonic Capo Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle

This tune only uses the Harmonic Capo on the two middle strings, but it still makes a big difference. Even with the capo, I can't always reach the notes I need, so I end up doing something else weird... see if you can spot it. Find out more about the Harmonic Capo(tm) at http://www.weaseltrap.com

Tags: Harmonic Capo Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Fingerstyle

Sorry. This isn't an Elvis cover. It's another demo for my Harmonic Capo(tm). Get your own at http://www.weaseltrap.com

Tags: Harmonic Capo Bob Kilgore Acoustic Guitar Demo New