The word “syllabus” probably takes you back to college classrooms, final exams, and stressing over your GPA. I worked as a college professor for several years, and while my time in academia was a mixed blessing I did learn a lot about organizing a curriculum: a specific set of goals that need to be met […]
Self-assessment on guitar: 3 big-picture areas to explore
Most people seek out a teacher because they feel they’ve learned as much as they can on their own. It’s something I hear from new students all the time. The challenge isn’t the desire to play, or even a commitment to practicing. The challenge is in knowing what to practice. We all want to make […]
Your picking hand: the ultimate analog effect
Electric guitarists have countless ways to manipulate the sound of their instrument. Start with the knobs and switches on the guitar itself. Add the amplifier, which will add another set of knobs and switches. That’s already a lot of variables, and then we get to processing and effects pedals. There are thousands of small companies […]
Road notes: stage interaction and the pitfalls of live sound
Today’s post is a new category, Road Notes…thoughts, stories, and lessons for the performing musician. We’ve just had the first three performances of our first extended tour with Renfree Isaacs, the acoustic trio I perform most steadily with. We are three vocalists, all sharing leads, two of us playing guitar and one playing hand percussion. You would […]
The Perpetual Beginner: 3 things you probably aren’t doing when you practice
For all of you out there that might be struggling with motivation, frustration, and plain old time management, I have good news. Practicing works! When you practice properly, you get better. I also have a less optimistic thought for you, though. Most people don’t practice and never will. Fortunately, you have a choice. You don’t […]
The Perpetual Beginner: powerful practice tips
Let’s face it, practicing is hard work. It’s hard enough just to get yourself started. It’s no different from all the other things we know would be good for us but never do. But if you would like to play better than you do, it’s essential. So let’s look at how we can get motivated, […]
