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Home A Cool Move Books Biography

Performer, teacher, workshop leader, clinician, composer and author, Rod Fogg excels in many different areas of the contemporary guitar scene. Described by Guitarist Magazine as "a master of expressive playing", he is active as a jazz guitarist, with his own trio; as a fingerstyle soloist, touring and leading workshops; and in the Gypsy jazz scene playing the music of Django Reinhardt. He has won fans up and down the country with his relaxed presentation and friendly stage-show, while guitarists have benefited from his broad knowledge of a wide range of styles and his excellent communication skills.

As a child Rod Fogg spent a great deal of time listening to music of all kinds. Working his way through his parents' excellent record collection he developed a great love for bands like the Beatles and Rolling Stones, together with Tamla Motown, Soul, and Traditional Jazz. Later, whilst enjoying rock bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin he also explored early R'n'B and blues, and a wide variety of Jazz artists such as Charlie Parker, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. The jazz guitarist Joe Pass was also a major influence.

Rod took up the classical guitar at age 14 and bought his first electric guitar two years later; at 19 he was writing songs and playing in bands on the London circuit. After a few years recording and touring with rock and indie bands he decided to study music formally and make it a profession. He took a degree at Middlesex University and added Bass Guitar and later Double Bass to his skills. On graduation he began to develop a career as a freelance guitarist whilst teaching guitar both privately and in schools.

Gigs followed in a wide range of styles. Rod played jazz with artists such as Martin Speake, Paul Clarvis and Stuart Hall, played fingerstyle, blues and ragtime guitar as a soloist, and played Django-style with bands like "Le Jazz" and "The Morellos", whilst also doing the occasional theatre show or playing rock or soul music at parties, weddings and corporate functions. Rod continued to write music for jazz trio and for solo guitar, and formed a trio playing gigs in the London area, which led to the CD "A Cool Move", featuring twelve original compositions which you can hear and buy on this web. 

Rod teaches privately and at South Hampstead High School, and was for many years visiting lecturer in guitar at Kingston University. He performs up and down the country as a soloist, with his own trio, and with various artists including the wonderful Sara Spade and the Noisy Boys. Work as an author began with  "Django Reinhardt - Know the Man, Play the Music" and "Eddie Van Halen - Know the Man, Play the Music" for Backbeat Books and continued with "The Totally Interactive Guitar Bible" which was published in October 2006 and which has been a huge seller (over 100,000 copies). Rod then completed the follow-up "Band Bible", published in 2007 and the complete electric guitar tuition book "The Electric Guitar Handbook". In September 2013 "The Jazz Guitar Handbook" arrived and early in 2014 Race Point publications released "The Ultimate Guitar Course".

Other written work includes "How to Read Music" for Barnes and Noble, which has been translated into French, Finnish, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish by Gremese publishing. Rod also played on the CD to accompany the books "Recording Guitar and Bass" and "Play Acoustic". Music editing work includes "Melody: How to Write Great Tunes" and "The Folk Handbook".

Currently Rod is happily writing a monthly "Chord Clinic" for the Guitar magazine and Guitar.com 

Future projects include a solo acoustic album, recording and gigging with Sara Spade... and a "Book 2" advanced level Electric Guitar Handbook follow up.  

"Rod's fluent phrases and melodic lines have an uncanny ability to weave themselves into the "hum this" department in your brain. A master of expressive playing dynamics, Fogg's command of the instrument and ability to really hold back and use the musical space to best effect is a great lesson in subtlety."

(Guitarist Magazine)

 

"As an improviser, he's tasteful...."

 

(Jazzwise magazine)

 

 

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Copyright © 2002/19 Rod Fogg