Clay Powers – Guitar

Clay Powers - GuitarClay Powers has been playing guitar for 40 years and has played acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel guitar and bass in a variety of bands in almost every style.  His flat-picking guitar style is strongly influenced by musicians including Steve Kaufman, Brad Davis, Tim May, Kenny and Amanda Smith, Jim Hurst and Steve Smith.

During this three-day camp, Clay will focus on the fundamentals of flat-picking guitar.  He will cover topics including:

-Right hand technique
-Picking exercises
-Improving your tone
-The basic “language” of music / Chords 101
-Practice techniques
-Rhythm playing
-How to incorporate melody into your breaks
-Playing in different positions up the neck
-How to pick out tunes
-Creating your own solos

Currently, Clay and his wife Sheila own and operate Charley’s Guitar Shop in Dallas, Texas.  Prior to Charley’s, Clay spent over 20 years with Dallas-based Showco and Vari-Lite.  With Showco he designed sound systems for a “Who’s Who” of international touring artists and holds two U.S. patents for digital mixing console designs.  Ultimately, Clay became president of Vari-Lite International, a public company with offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia, which grew out of Showco’s innovation of the first computer controlled automated stage lighting system.  In 2002, Clay and Sheila decided to rededicate themselves to something they have always enjoyed:  playing music and buying, selling and trading great instruments.  Charley’s has been dealing in fine and vintage stringed instruments since 1976.

For more information about Clay, visit: CharleysGuitar.com.