Ellen has written original studies and repertoire pieces for solo guitar, original music for various chamber ensembles and arrangements of music from various folk traditions for guitar (solos and duets). She has also published books of classical and fingerstyle arrangements for ukulele and baritone ukulele of traditional music and music from favorite classical composers.
Ellen's book,Jewish Traditions for Classical and Fingerstyle Guitar, is an anthology of 26 arrangements of tunes from a wide range of Jewish music traditions. The book includes 20 solos and 6 duets, complete with extensive performance notes and annotations, bibliography and discography. An appendix (with glossary) discusses in considerable detail the scales often found in Jewish music.
Other publications by Whitaker include:
- Music for Classical and Fingerstyle Ukulele: Low G
- Four Favorite Christmas Songs
- Christmas Music for Baritone Ukulele
- More Music for Classical and Fingerstyle
- More Music for Baritone Ukulele
- Only Easy Music for Ukulele - Low G
- Only Easy Music for Baritone Ukulele
These and other musical offerings
for guitar and ukulele can be found at Lulu.com.
About Ellen
Compositions and Arrangements by Ellen Whitaker
Favorite Music Related Links
In addition to teaching guitar and music theory independently since 1981 and ukulele since 2014, Ellen also taught undergraduate college classes in music fundamentals, advanced theory and composition while at UCSB.
For many years, she also gave individual guitar lessons at Durham Arts Council and in-school classes at Voyager Academy in Durham, NC. Please visit the Lessons Page for more information.
(919)-530-1417
Favorite Non-Music Related Links
Guitar Foundation of America
Triangle Guitar Society
American Music Center
Past Board Member of Chapel Hill Music Teachers Association
Anyone with a passion for classical guitar will love this organization.
Jewish Music Web Center
An amazingly comprehensive resource for anything related to Jewish music: Music and book reviews, concerts, festivals, artists, etc.
High Strung Violins and Guitars
A local music store specializing in acoustic stringed instruments and accessories.
How To Change Your Guitar Strings
How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain
Sharon Isbin: Interview and Lesson
David Russell playing Heitor Villa-Lobos' Choro No. 1
Organizations
about ellen
Brief Biography
Ellen Whitaker began teaching herself to play the guitar iat the age of nine. She began taking lessons at the age of 12, narrowing her focus to the study of classical guitar.
She began her formal training in music theory at City College of San Francisco, and went on to earn a B.A. in Music from Mills College, and an M.A. degree in Music Theory from University of California at Santa Barbara.
EllenWhitakerGuitar.com
Physicians for Safe Technology
This particular page at Physicians for Safe Technology discusses the science related to electromagnetic hypersensitivity, a problem that is spreading quickly as our world becomes more saturated with wireless technology.
(formerly Coalition to Unchain Dogs)
Builds fences for people whose dogs live continuously on chains. All dogs are also sterilized and vaccinated at no cost to the dogs' guardians. You can view some of the thousands of happy endings created thus far:
- Diesel's life gets more beautiful.
- Tiger gets to run.
- Champion & Mulata become relaxed and play together.