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Buying
- Buying
A Guitar
- By Michael Casamento
The advantages and disadvantages of
buying a vintage guitar over a later model reissue.
- Jazz
On A Budget - By Jon Dalton
Learn how to purchase a guitar and
amp to suit your budget
- Shopping
For A Guitar Amplifier
- By Michael Casamento
Covers the important factors someone
needs to consider when shopping for a guitar amplifier.
The article defines the different types of amps, and
the advantages of each.
- The
Revolution of Electric Guitars
- By Kathy Unruh
Sometime during the 1930's electric
guitars were introduced onto the music scene, which
began a revolution in sound and technology that continues
to this day. After Rock and Roll was born in the 1950's,
it didn't take very long for electric guitars to grow
in popularity and become one of the most coveted instruments
of all time.
Health
- Musician's
Injuries - By Jean Littman
For many musicians, repetitive movement injuries are
more feared than stage fright or an unresponsive audience.
If they are also heavy computer users, their risks
are further compounded.
- Musicians
Injuries - By Linda Dessau
This article takes a look at musicians' injuries.
For an expert perspective, I interviewed Dr. Sarah
Mickeler, B.Mus., D.C. Dr. Mickeler is a former professional
musician and a chiropractor who concentrates on musicians'
injuries in her practice.
Maintenance
-
Guitar
Tuning Tips
- By Edward Cupler
Most new guitar players and even
some experienced ones have trouble staying and playing
in tune. I'll try listing here some of the common
mistakes and there solutions.
-
How
To Change Your Guitar Strings
- By Kathy Unruh
Changing your guitar strings might
make you feel a litte uncomfortable if you have
never done it before, but it's really quite simple
and should become a regular part of your guitar
care routine.
-
The
Secrets of Correctly Stringing Your Guitar
- By Thomas Freeland
Why do you care about stringing your
guitar you may ask. Well the reason is simple. It
will make you sound better because if your guitar
is properly strung, you will get longer natural
sustain.
Masterclass
- Take
A Breath, Listen To The Spaces - By Chris
Standring
As jazz guitarists, there is a terrible
tendency for us to play a lot of notes, firstly because
the genre historically has given us permission to
do so, and second, archtop jazz guitars don't generally
lend themselves to sustaining notes, so in order to
'get over', guitarists fall into the trap of overplaying
- Creative
Music Tools - Why Licks? Why Not?
- By Mark Stefani
Great lines (including bass) plus great progressions
equals great music. It's not all that unbelievable
when you think about it.
- Maintaining
Your Focus
- By Mark Stefani
What is a high priority goal as opposed to a low priority
goal? Ah, that's a very tough question, because it
differs from player to player, and is highly dependent
on what stage you're already at, and where you're
trying to go with your music.
- How
To Avoid Musical Burn Out - By Tom Hess
Do you sometimes find it difficult
to stay focused and motivated to practice or play
music? Most musicians I know (including myself) have
had at least one significant period in their lives
when they have experienced musical burn out - a general
feeling of being uninspired, unmotivated, bored, or
just plain lazy!
- Emotion
In Music - Passing The 'Soul Test' - By
Mark Stefani
Self-expression. Feeling. Soul. These
are just three ways of describing the one most integral
part of a musical experience, and without these elements
of emotion there's really nothing of lasting significance
in a performance. As I've said many times in the past,
it's so easy to get caught up in the mental or physical
side of what we do, but they're utterly meaningless
without the most important ingredient of all.
- How
To Develop Your Own Style Part 1 - By Tom
Hess
Among musicians in general and guitar
players specifically, the approach that is commonly
taken to being "original" is often crippling, oppressing,
unnatural. This is why so many people only seem to
struggle and become frustrated.
- How
To Develop Your Own Style Part 2
- By Tom Hess
Some musicians rely heavily on the crutch of their
instrument through improvising. While I do know that
creating music in this way is perfectly legitimate
and can produce good results in some situations, it
is the most difficult process in which we can hope
to discover our own originality.
- The
Pursuit Of Artistic Greatness
- By Tom Hess
The Pursuit of Artistic Greatness has
been among us for thousands of years, yet it has eluded
most of us. It seems almost impossible to pursue that
which we can hardly define.(artistic greatness). It's
not surprising so many people, who may possess all
the potential they need, still fall short because
they didn't realize they already possessed the single
most important element. But what is it?
- Thoughts
From A Robben Ford Masterclass - By Chris
Standring
An artist becomes a truly great artist
when he or she is thinking about their own music and
how to make it unique. The struggle for an identifiable
and distinctive voice becomes the number one goal.
- Take
Command Over Your Instrument - By Chris
Standring
"What do you really want to say
musically? Play a phrase and damn well mean it! Every
note from beginning to end!"
- How
To Seriously Improve Your Guitar Playing -
By Chris Standring
There are bedroom guitar players and
there are live performers. There doesn't seem to be
anything in between. The minute you walk on to a stage
(whether you get paid or not) you are a professional.
You are in the business of entertaining and displaying
your wares, so to speak. And if you really want to
seriously get your guitar playing together it is the
latter you need to strive for in my opinion.
- Developing
Good 'Time' -
By Chris Standring
How
do we approach improving our 'time'? Well first, it
is extremely important that we are aware that it is
one of the most important aspects of music. At all
levels, we need to work on this.
- Playing
With Conviction - By Chris Standring
Imagine you are in a club or even a
concert hall. Play a musical phrase and imagine that
the people in the back of the theater need to "feel"
that phrase, just like you mean to feel it.
How would you do that?
- Building
A Relationship With Your Guitar By Chris
Standring
To become a wonderful guitarist takes
time. This article addresses the idea that positive
results often happen in their own time and that we
must let things ebb and flow, just like a healthy
relationship.
- Defining
the True Artist - Do You Have What It Takes?
By Chris Standring
Great artists are uniquely different
from the norm. But what makes those true greats really
stand out from the crowd? This article explains why
real talent is so elusive to many and what musicians
need to focus on in order to reach dizzying heights
of success.
- Reaching
For The Soul Zone
By Chris Standring
That Zen like trancendental state is
what all serious searching musicians are striving
for. The question is; why is it not always possible
to get there? This article answers that question and
presents some thoughts on the subject.
- The
Art Of Improvising Part 1 - By Mark Stefani
The focus for this trio of brief articles is improvisation.
My intention here is to offer something concrete in
the way of a solid game plan, underlining some of
the more important considerations along the way. As
with any other kind of approach philosophy, the main
goal is to 'cut some fat' from your practice schedule
and help you streamline your efforts in becoming the
best soloist that you can.
- The
Art Of Improvising Part 2 - By Mark Stefani
Despite
my general disdain for the fact that so many players
and teachers overemphasize scale practice, I'd be
the last person on earth to suggest that you skip
the notion of including them in your improvising arsenal.
But let's spend a few moments defining the most important
scales to know, and why.
- The
Art Of Improvising Part 3
- By Mark Stefani
Yes, I know. I've heard the line
before. Improvisation is all about being spontaneous
and creating 'on the fly.' A great soloist never repeats
himself. Right? Well, yes and no. While it's certainly
true that you want to be spontaneous, what you're
really after is the ability to play well at the same
time.
- The
Secrets Of Transcribing Part 1 - By Mark
Stefani
One of the biggest factors in successful transcription
is familiarity with either a style or an artist, so
you may wish to choose a project based on your desire
to evolve within a certain style, or your desire to
absorb as much as you can from an artist that you
admire.
- The
Secrets Of Transcribing Part 2 -
By Mark Stefani
I'm not about to lie to you. There's
inherently a pretty high frustration factor involved
with transcription, sometimes to the degree where
it keeps a player away from doing it at all (which
is a big mistake!).
- The
Secrets Of Transcribing Part 3
- By Mark Stefani
Don't even consider picking up your pencil until you
can play what you're going to attempt to notate. And
by the way, use a pencil (not a pen) with an "industrial
strength" eraser. Accept the fact that you're going
to make a lot of mistakes until you get good at this.
- Lost
In Time
- By Jamie Andreas
When you play your guitar, you must
be able to become "lost in time", lost in NOW. There
must be no concern for a future that takes your Attention
out of the NOW.
- Learning
From The Masters
- By Aaron J. Weibe
In
October, I was able to get in touch with Pat Martino.
He spends a lot of time touring, so getting together
with him took a few tries. I have been well aware
of Pat Martino for quite a long time and I am well
aware of his exceptional ability as a musician. My
lesson with him was on January 4th, 2007 at his home
in Philadelphia.
Motivation
- Inspiration
- Go Grab It - By Chris Standring
We all get discouraged from time to
time in our musical journey. It's only natural. "Mom,
can I get a guitar for my birthday? - I really want
to learn how to play guitar" - is often how
it begins. Then lessons start and it's just all too
much for many and most give up. This is the first
'wheat from the chaff' separation.
- Are
You A Bad Student? - By Tom Hess
I wasted years of valuable time,
thousands of dollars and much frustration in my pursuit
to become a great guitarist and "make it" as a professional
musician. If I knew then what I know now, I might
have been able to turn pro a lot faster than I actually
did.
- Keeping
It Simple
- By Mark Stefani
Simplicity. Such a basic concept, but
one that manages to elude so many people in so many
ways, and never is this more evident than in the field
of music. I'd like to spend this edition discussing
this basic issue, and explain why I feel that it's
so important to never lose sight of this proven formula
for success.
- Assessing
Your Goals
-
By Mark Stefani
Goals, goals, goals. Anyone who knows
me is aware of the fact that I'm a goal-driven person
by nature, regardless of what the particular quest
may be. Of course, I'm not exactly the only individual
with a fondness for setting goals, but I am routinely
reminded of how important it is to have our priorities
aligned properly, if we wish to fulfill them.
- Inspiration
Wanted - Apply Within! By Chris Standring
Every musician goes through mental
road blocks when it comes to improving. Often we just
don't know what we should be working on. This article
shows you where to find all the inspiration you need
to get to that next level.
-
Climb
Every Mountain - By Jamie Andreas
Every
piece of music you work on is its own mountain. It
is easy to get 80% of the way up the mountain, any
interested party can do that. Closing in on that last
20%, well, that separates the men from the boys, as
they say.
- Fire
& Inspiration
- By Tom Hess
Find
out what truly inspires you to want to play music,
write music, jam with your friends, etc. Whatever
it is for you, go there and marinate in that inspiration.
Get your mind in that place and focus on it.
- If
You Believe, You Can
- By Tom Hess
If you believe that you can, and
will, overcome your greatest challenges, you will
find a way, or you will seek help from a teacher,
trainer, coach or mentor that will help you through
it. If you don’t believe you can achieve, your done,
it’s over, because you won’t.
- The
80/20 Law - By
Tom Hess
Have
you ever noticed how some players, who practice less,
seem to make more progress than others who practice
more? That can be really frustrating for people in
the second group.
- Take
The Test - by Tom Hess
On the surface, it may seem too simple or too obvious
how one can define one's purpose and reasons behind
an ultimate goal. I assure you it is not.
- Develop
Your Vision - By Craig Bassett
Guitarists...Want to learn how to maintain
your focus and motivation? This guitar lesson tells
you THE most powerful way!
- Natural
Talent - By Jamie Andreas
Having "talent" is not the primary factor
in whether or not you will become a good or great
player. Your burning desire and desperate need to
play, coupled with the correct understanding and approach,
are the most important things you must have.
Performance
- The
Importance Of Having A Repertoire
- By Jamie Andreas
The reason many players don't have
a repertoire is: 1) Nobody told them how important
it is, and 2) Nobody told them how to GET one, 3)
it is EASIER to leave things half finished, in pieces,
than to put it together.
- Express
Yourself By Tom Hess
Virtually any process you use to
create music is valid. However the typical way in
which guitarists try to create is very limiting and,
even worse, tends not to work well for descriptive
self expressive purposes.
- Performing,
What's the Big Deal?
- By Linda Dessau
Symptoms of performance anxiety (stage
fright) include "butterflies" in the stomach,
quickened heart rate or more severe symptoms such
as hyperventilation, dizziness or intense fear. This
article looks at the five main reasons for performance
anxiety.
Practice
- The
Art Of Practicing - How To See Real Results
By
Chris Standring
Learning to play an instrument can
be a chore. More importantly the process can be completely
overwhelming to many. This article discusses how to
put the fun back into practice and shows how you can
see fast results.
- An
Analysis Of 'Suck' - By Tom Hess
"The
greatest players are not great because they were naturally
talented. In every case, truly great players become
great because their practice habits are effective!"
- Discover
Your Discomfort By
Jamie Andreas
There
are a few things that are always true when we are
unable to play something we want to play on the guitar.
- Your
Growth As A Guitarist: Vertical Or Horizontal
- By Jamie Andreas
When
we learn how to really practice, we start to feel
powerful. Problems and challenges don't frighten us,
they excite us. Because we know that we can look forward
to those problems getting smaller and smaller, weaker
and weaker, as we continue to apply The Principles
of Correct Practice.
- The
Secret Of Speed - By Jamie Andreas
The relative state of tension or relaxation in the
muscles is one of the hardest things to be aware of.
I once saw a person play with so much tension in her
right shoulder that it was up to her earlobe!
- The
Glue Of Repetition
- By Jamie Andreas
Once
you understand the mechanics of correct practice,
including the mental, emotional and physical aspects
of the process, the most powerful tool you can use
when you sit down to practice is what I call the Glue
Of Repetition, and this glue is applied with another
tool, one that every student I have ever taught is
required to get, and learn how to use properly: a
metronome.
- How
To Nail A Solo
- By Jamie Andreas
First
of all, we must have the basics of practice approach
down, and a proper foundation to our technique. If
we do not know how to teach our fingers anything,
and as a result, all of our past efforts in practice
have given us a tension filled and handicapped pair
of hands, then we are like crippled people trying
to run a marathon.
- Get
A Balanced Practice Diet -
By Craig Bassett
In this guitar lesson you'll learn
how to structure your guitar practice in THE most
effective way!
- Guitar
Practicing or Guitar Playing?
- By Edward Cupler
Just because you’re holding your
guitar doesn’t mean that you’re playing
it, and just because you’re playing your guitar
doesn’t mean that you’re practicing. There
is a real difference and it needs to be acknowledged
if you want to improve your level of playing skill.
- Managing
Your Time, When Music Isn't Your "Day Job"
By Linda Dessau
You CAN do everything. What you cannot
do, however, is do everything at the same time, or
create a day that’s longer than 24 hours.
- Music
Practice Techniques For Learning repertory
- By Elan Chalford
Several specific practice techniques
are described for making it easier and faster to learn
new music repertory.
- When
Does Practice Make Perfect?
- By Lee Tribbey
So you have gotten a musical instrument
as a gift, right? Now what??
Professional
- How
to beat the competition in a freelance music world
- By Andre Berry
Want to be a successful touring sideman?
Avoid all the pitfalls from day one. Hear it from
one of the busiest touring pros in the US.
- Are
You Unique? By Kyle
Hicks
Have you ever asked yourself or been
asked by other people questions like these: "What
does my music have that really makes it different
and unique from anyone else's?" or "What sets you
apart from every other musician out there trying to
make a name for themselves?" Well, if you are like
me, then you have not only had these questions come
up, but put much time and thought into them while
trying to prove and understand what really separates
you from everyone else.
- Jealousy
Among Musicians -
By Linda Dessau
Jealousy – do you feel it? Do
you sense it in others? Does it hinder your relationships
with other musicians? Does it sap your confidence?
Does it block your creativity? Here are some questions
to help you get clearer about the jealousy in your
life.
Recording
- The
Challenges Of Recording Solo Acoustic Guitar
By Chris Standring
Recording solo acoustic guitar in its
exposed isolated form can present some technical issues
for sure. This article looks at this challenging procedure
and shows you things to watch out for.
Songwriting
- Songwriting
Part One
- By Tom Hess
Any single songwriting process will
be limiting. You must really work hard to squeeze
as much out of a single process as possible. Of course
having multiple processes is better than having only
one.
- The
Art of Writing a Good Song
- By Kathy Unruh
Did you know that good songwriting
is often the key to establishing a successful music
career? But more than that, it can be fun! When you
write a song you are able to express yourself in new
and creative ways. Whether you're sad, happy, angry,
or in love... with words, you can fly!
- Writing
Original Songs? Part One
-
By Mark Stefani
If
a 36-inch yardstick represents all the theory that
you could ever imagine, you'll only need 6 inches
of it to compose any song you'll ever write. But you
WILL need those 6 inches!
- Writing
Original Songs? - Part Two - By Mark Stefani
Structure
and organization. Yes, these traits most certainly
exist in all successful compositions that you're likely
to hear. You'll do well to observe what they are and
pattern your song after a formula that your listeners
are inclined to be drawn to.
- Writing
Original Songs? Part Three
- By
Mark Stefani
In
almost all circumstances stylistically, the most potent
note for the bass role is simply the root. This means
the note C on a C chord, the note D on a D chord,
and so on.
Teaching
- Finding
The Right Teacher By
Chris Standring
Finding the right music teacher can be tricky. This
article shows you how.
- Teaching
By Travel Brochure By Jamie Andreas
Don't assume your student
is even LISTENING to you when you speak. Often, they
are not. And THAT must be addressed, before the subject
you are trying to communicate is addressed.
Theory
- Modal
Theory for Guitar Players
- By Simon Duff
An overview of the construction of
the modes of the major scale for guitar players. Part
1 deals with the modes, Part 2 deals with the harmonization
of the modes, giving you the chords to construct your
own vamps to practice along with.
- Test
Your Note Knowledge - By Craig Bassett
How well do you know the notes on the
guitar fretboard? This guitar lesson shows you a way
to know for sure!
- What
is Guitar Tablature
- By Dean Erickson
Guitar tablature or guitar sheet music
can be found online for free and if you don't know
how to read it or play it there are free guitar lessons
online, too.
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