Frank Gambale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Gambale
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Gambale performing in Montreal, 2011
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Frank Gambale |
| Born | 22 December 1958 |
| Origin | Canberra, Australia |
| Genres | Jazz fusion, smooth jazz, jazz, instrumental rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, producer |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels | Legato, Victor, Favored Nations, Wombat |
Frank Gambale (/ɡæmˈbɑːlɪ/ gam-BAH-lee; born 22 December 1958) is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He is famous for his amazing guitar skills. Frank has released many albums over more than thirty years. He is especially known for his special guitar playing styles. These styles are called sweep picking and economy picking.
Contents
Frank Gambale: A Guitar Legend
Starting His Musical Journey
Frank Gambale went to the Guitar Institute of Technology in Hollywood. He was a top student there. After graduating, he even taught at the institute from 1984 to 1986. This shows how talented he was from the start.
Playing with Famous Bands
Frank has played with many famous musicians and bands. He recorded two albums with the Mark Varney Project. This group included other great guitarists like Allan Holdsworth.
Starting in 1987, Frank joined the Chick Corea Elektric Band. He played with them for six years. With this band, he recorded five albums. They even received two Grammy Award nominations! Frank also spent twelve years playing with Vital Information. This band was led by the drummer Steve Smith.
Later, Frank reunited with the Elektric Band in 2002. In 2011, he joined Return to Forever IV. This was another famous band with amazing musicians.
Teaching Guitar
Besides playing, Frank Gambale also loves to teach. He was the head of the guitar department at the Los Angeles Music Academy. In 2014, he joined the Isina mentorship program. Here, he also led the guitar department. The next year, he even started his own online guitar school. This means many people can learn from him!
His Unique Guitar Style
Frank Gambale is known for his special guitar techniques. These are sweep picking and economy picking. He wanted to play the guitar in new ways. He even took ideas from instruments like the piano and saxophone.
What is Sweep Picking?
Sweep picking is a guitar technique. It lets guitarists play notes very fast. It's like sweeping the pick across the strings. This helps Frank play incredibly quickly. It makes his music sound very exciting.
The Gambale Tuning
Frank also invented his own way to tune the guitar. He calls it the Gambale Tuning. In this tuning, the guitar strings are set up differently. This allows him to play chords in a unique way. It can sound similar to how chords are played on a piano. This special tuning helps him create his distinct sound.
How He Influenced Others
Frank Gambale has been featured on many guitar magazines. He is a big influence on other guitarists. Famous musicians like Synyster Gates and Pat Metheny have said he inspired them. Even Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead admired Frank's playing. In 1991, Jerry Garcia called Frank one of his favorite guitarists.
Discography
As leader
- 1986 Brave New Guitar (Legato)
- 1987 A Present for the Future (Legato)
- 1989 Live! (Legato)
- 1990 Thunder from Down Under (JVC)
- 1991 Note Worker (JVC)
- 1993 The Great Explorers (JVC)
- 1994 Passages (JVC)
- 1995 Thinking Out Loud (JVC)
- 2000 Coming to Your Senses (Favored Nations)
- 2004 Raison D'être (ESC)
- 2004 Resident Alien - Live Bootlegs (Wombat)
- 2004 Resident Alien - Live Bootlegs Disc Two (Wombat)
- 2006 Natural High (Wombat)
- 2010 Natural Selection (Wombat)
- 2012 Frank Gambale Soulmine feat. Boca (Wombat)
- 2018 Salve
As co-leader/band member
With Vital Information
- 1988 Fiafiaga
- 1991 Vital Live
- 1992 Easier Done Than Said
- 1996 Ray of Hope
- 1998 Where We Come From
- 2000 Live Around the World
- 2000 Live from Mars
- 2002 Show 'em Where You Live
- 2004 Come on In
- 2012 Live! One Great Night
With Chick Corea Elektric Band
- 1987 Light Years
- 1988 Eye of the Beholder
- 1990 Inside Out
- 1991 Beneath the Mask
- 1996 The Songs of West Side Story
- 2004 To the Stars
- 2004 Chick Corea Elektric Band – Live at Montreux (DVD)
With Return to Forever
- 2012 The Mothership Returns (2CD + DVD)
With GHS (Gambale/Hamm/Smith)
- 1998 Show Me What You Can Do
- 2000 The Light Beyond
- 2002 GHS 3
With MVP (The Mark Varney Project)
- 1990 Truth in Shredding (with Allan Holdsworth)
- 1991 Centrifugal Funk (with Shawn Lane and Brett Garsed)
With Donati & Fierabracci
- 2007 Made In Australia
With Maurizio Colonna
- 2000 Imagery Suite (also known as Playgame)
- 2005 Live
- 2007 Bon Voyage
With Maurizo Vercon
- 2008 For You Featuring Frank Gambale
With GRP Super Live
- 1988 GRP Super Live – in Concert
With School of the Arts featuring T Lavitz
- 2007 School of the Arts (Magnatude)
As featured artist
- 2023 Markus Venehsalo & Mavon Safia: Projekt 13 (feat. Frank Gambale) (Eclipse Music)
See also
In Spanish: Frank Gambale para niños
