What I Learned from John Pizzarelli
My wife and I attended a John Pizzarelli concert a few weeks ago. Pizzarelli puts on a fantastic show and I’m a big fan. I have seen him in concert before and knew what to expect: great performances from the American Songbook, burning solos, and great story telling. This night, I was assuming, would be [...]
Continue reading...Feedback Through Soundcloud
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Consistent feedback is one of the markers of great teaching. Most private music instructors have a limited amount of time with a student each week. A half-hour or hour lesson with a student, once a week, does not provide multiple checkpoints in a week a student could use to deepen their understanding of a piece [...]
Continue reading...Practicing While the World is On Fire
Thursday, March 14, 2013
“Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity.” – Jean de la Bruyere More often than not I feel like I am running around with my hair on fire. My day is packed with a thousand different things that demand my focused attention. I am also [...]
Continue reading...Using Major and Minor Shells
Friday, February 22, 2013
Here is a short video I made about using major and minor shell voicings in acoustic guitar playing.
Continue reading...Preparing for Music Studies
Saturday, February 16, 2013
I’m frequently asked by students what they should do to prepare for their first semester of music studies. It seems most people understand how demanding it can be to earn a degree in music. Prospective students want to make sure they have the proper foundation in music in order to be successful. So, if you [...]
Continue reading...How to Play in Any Style: Listening
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Making a living playing guitar is difficult. To be successful as a guitarist you must be able to play in multiple styles, all at a high level. Playing in multiple styles goes beyond playing the correct groove or notes but also includes sound. A guitarist must be able to replicate the vast timbres present in [...]
Continue reading...Guitar Strumming from Start to Finish
Monday, November 5, 2012
One of the greatest mysteries in playing the guitar is strumming patterns. I have had student after student ask me how to strum the guitar like ___ (insert your favorite acoustic guitar player here). The problem I have in answering that question has to do with rhythmic complexity. It would be more confusing for me [...]
Continue reading...Spice Up Simple Chord Progressions
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Let’s face it. Some pop tunes have very simple chord progressions. You can really get bored rolling through three chords for an entire tune. It is also not as interesting to listen to three root position chord, played in first position, over and over. Chord inversions are a simple way to spice up a simple [...]
Continue reading...Adding a Moving Line to a Chord
Monday, October 15, 2012
One of the things that can be boring about playing acoustic guitar is having to “hang” on one chord for a long period of time. You can create interest in a static chord by playing with a creative strumming pattern. Not a bad idea. Another way of creating interest is to add a moving line. [...]
Continue reading...When Opportunity Knocks
Monday, September 24, 2012
NFL replacement officials have been getting a lot of heat for their calls – or lack there of. These officials are from the college ranks, and not even the elite ranks at that. One thing that strikes me is their lack of knowledge about NFL rules. I understand that these referees are not used to [...]
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- Feedback Through Soundcloud
- How to Play in Any Style: Listening
- Practicing While the World is On Fire
- Welcome
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- lancebeaumont: Thanks for the comment. Interesting thought you br...
- Unconventure: That's a great way to use Soundcloud's commenting ...
- Mackenzie Mendez: helpful article-thanks!...
- Cole Rhoades: Julian Lage would be one that I would add.He plays...
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Thursday, May 9, 2013
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