Guitar Craft (GC) was a series of guitar and personal development classes, founded and often presented by Robert Fripp, who is best known for his work with King Crimson.
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GC includes three ways of developing relationships:
GC popularized New Standard Tuning (NST), Fripp's guitar tuning using the notes (C, G, D, A , E, G low to high). Learning NST enabled guitarists to experience playing the guitar as a beginner, albeit usually a sophisticated beginner.At Guitar Craft seminars and courses, students work exclusively in NST. The education is not completely centered around the tuning; however, it was originally used as a tool to push students to begin from scratch, renew themselves and approach their playing in a different way. The idea is that with a completely different guitar tuning than the one you're accustomed to, none of your regular chords or licks will work, and you will have to find new ways of musical expression with the guitar.[3] Guitar Craft courses welcomed students with no previous experience of guitar playing, although most students had been playing for at least two years. Fripp has stated that previous experiences sometimes burdened players with bad habits and inappropriate expectations.[1]
Guitar Craft aimed at personal development, not only through guitar playing and music appreciation, but also through improved living. Students T'ai chi ch'uan and the Alexander Technique, partly to learn better posture and to unlearn bad habits of stressful or anxious sitting. To contribute to the community's needs, students performed house and kitchen work.[1]
Fripp recommended that students adopt the Ovation 1867 Legend steel-string guitar, which had a shallow body.[5][2][6] "Fripp liked the way the Ovation 1867 fitted against his body, which made it possible for him to assume the right-arm picking position he had developed using electric guitars over the years; on deeper-bodied guitars, the Frippian arm position is impossible without uncomfortable contortions", according to Tamm.[5] While the 1867 Legend is no longer manufactured, it influenced the design of the Guitar Craft Pro Model of Guitar Craft Guitars, which has been endorsed by Fripp.[6]
GC-related Guitar Circles and Ensembles work and perform in Europe, USA, Argentina, and Mexico. Courses take place regularly in Latin America, North America, and Europe. GC's official performance ensemble has been The League of Crafty Guitarists,[7] which has been directed by Hernán Nuñez since 2002; Nuñez, a long-time instructor of GC, is one of the developers of the Guitar Craft Pro Model, whose design has been influenced by that of the Ovation Legend.[6] Guitar Craft inspired the founding of the Seattle Circle Guitar School in 2010 by a GC instructor, with the patronage of Fripp.[8]
In February 2009, Fripp recommended that Guitar Craft cease to exist on its 25th anniversary in 2010.[9] Guitar Craft has announced that it has ceased functioning, although it contains links to related and successor organizations and associations.[10]
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