Deeper Things
A few of you that follow my Instagram may have read a story I posted a while back. I felt it was worth a repost. In hindsight, I should have said something in addition to “I want you to be happy.” Maybe, “The work you do provides great value and I find your effort valuable”,…
I – IV – V Pentatonics
The Concept A pentatonic scale will work off the I, IV, and V scale degree of any given key. If you’re in a major key, major pentatonic will work; if you’re in a minor key, then minor. Three scales, one key. All the notes will be diatonic. You can switch scales anytime—every note remains within…
Do Remote Guitar Lessons Work?
After teaching guitar for fifteen years in a face-to-face setting, shifting online during the Pandemic was a big experiment for me. Given that I had little choice, I went into remote learning with an open mind and saw it as an opportunity to refine my teaching style. After some experimentation, remote guitar lessons work very…
How To Choose the Right Music Teacher
After opening a Pandora’s Box with my post on if remote guitar lessons work, I wanted to share what to consider when choosing a good music teacher. Like any relationship, it all depends on how both parties get along. As a guitar instructor, I cannot speak about what it is like for other musical disciplines. Still,…
Ten Weeks on the Road
Hi Everyone! Many of you know I was in Europe for ten weeks over the summer. I went to eighteen cities in eleven countries, and things were pretty wild. Instead of getting into too much detail, I’ll just share my last newsletter where you can hear more about it, here. Did I mention I have a newsletter?…
Fundamentals, Revisited
I’m not the fastest or most technical guitarist, but I’m working on it. I try to remember the same approaches I teach when encountering my own challenges. Part of a solo I’m working on is quite difficult, not only for the left hand, but the speed, string skipping, hammer-on/pull-off pattern (just new to me), and—where…
Why I Love Reading Music (Now)
All through music school, reading was my least favorite class. We all hated it. Some of my classmates gave up entirely, sat in the back, and shredded on their unplugged electric guitars. I ground my way through that class as a right of passage, but at the time, I was far more interested in every…
The DAW 30 Day Challenge
For those of you who know me, I have struggled for ages with Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) like Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Ableton, and many, many others. I have tried just about everything, and invested hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars over the years. Audio programs like these are super powerful, but the learning curves…
Growth: Romance vs. Reality
Playing guitar takes a lot of work. Playing any instrument has challenges. Many of my students struggle with improving, even in optimal environments. They often voice their concerns in such a way that reminds me of their inner sensitivity (this is at least partially responsible for why they are drawn to the self-expression of a…
A Personal Clarion Call
The best way to progress isn’t to be the most organized, ambitious, or the best planner or hardest worker. The best way to make progress is to stay focused on the work–laser-focused–to overcome the daily resistance that reduces any long-term goal to nothing more than daydreams. Resistance makes a mess of all men who do…
Rig Rundown: My Travel Pedalboard, Etc.
The board To keep things minimal from a liability and a functional perspective, I slimmed this pedalboard down as much as possible. I was bringing my Fender AVRI Jazzmaster, which has that dreaded 60-cycle hum, so first order of business was to omit as much of it from the signal chain as possible by putting…
Ramblings of the Last Five Weeks
Those who know me personally know that I have been traveling for some time. With remote working being a thing nowadays, I found the call of the wild irresistible, so I packed up and got out of Dodge. It’s been fun, challenging, and filled with lots of growth. I sit here a better man, fully…
The Shopkeeper
I recently read a book, “Keep Going” by Austin Kleon–a fun little jaunt through artists’ everyday struggles. Being an artist (or aspiring musician) is like a long-term relationship; there are ups and downs, high and low arcs, times of discovery and joy, and times when it seems like nothing is new or will ever change. Despite…
D.I.Y. Guitar Pick Hack (Never Lose Your Pick Again!)
Here’s a simple hack for slippery guitar picks. Take some course, 150 grit sandpaper (or equivalent), and pinch & twist the pick back and forth a bit. Make sure to avoid getting the tip of the pick. Viola!
Pulling the Trigger: hand struggles of a musician
I’ve been dealing with a pretty scary tendon issue with the middle finger of my fretting hand for a few years now, probably even longer. Sometimes it will just lock-up half open, caught on something. Then my finger snaps closed, pulling through the catch-point and causing a nice blend of pain and cracking. This all…
Making a string mute from a bridge cover D.I.Y. (Fender offsets, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, etc.)
If you own an offset like a Jazzmaster of Jaguar, then you might dislike the microphonic noise created by heavy strumming. I enjoy banging on my axe pretty hard, and sometimes (like when I’m playing funk!) I don’t want to hear that noise build-up from the excess string length between the bridge and tremolo. I…
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Walking The Line 