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Articles,
music tips and advice
to get your guitar playing moving forward!
Masterclass
- Creative
Guitar Comping
- By Dave Fox
I can't help it. I like guitar players - I like the fact
that they can rhythmically groove in a way that horn players
just cannot do. This may be due to the fact that a guitar
has a built-in capacity for being strummed. Things that
can be strummed usually groove well with the beat, because
of all the different possible ways that they can be strummed.
Both guitarists and pianists are practiced in the art of
strumming and, consequently, groove in a kindred way.
- Put
That Guitar Down!
- By Chris Standring
From that time I have gone through many periods
of practicing and letting go, practicing and letting go.
Personally I like music to breathe, I don't like it cluttered,
so if I want the music to breathe I feel it is necessary
for me to also. It's as simple as that.
- 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.
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