Do you know how to practice? We all want to improve our skills, but it can be hard to know where to start or how to go about it. A good percentage of people who come to my studio have played for years but feel like they stopped improving a long time ago, and need […]
Flatpicking fiddle tunes: “The Red-Haired Boy”
“The Red-Haired Boy” is a popular fiddle tune, a traditional melody most likely of Irish origin. The term “fiddle tune” is a general description for instrumental folk tunes from the British Isles and elsewhere that have been passed down from player to player for generations. This was once music for dancing, and many of the […]
Light As A Finger: fret hand control and balance.
A lot of guitar students have some confusion about the proper “shape” of the hand. Hold your fretting hand out in front of you, palm up, and let the hand relax. Your fingers are likely to curl, pointing back up the arm, and your wrist will be basically straight. Now bend the hand upward at […]
Back to basics: pick vs fingers
Back to basics: pick vs fingers? No matter how accomplished we might become at anything, it’s always helpful to go back to basics. I’ve been playing music for most of my life and I still learn something new every time I revisit the fundamentals. So today let’s take a look at a very basic thing: […]
Riffin’: a video series on creating killer guitar riffs
Riffin’ is a series of lesson videos on using your knowledge of the fretboard to help come up with killer riffs and signature guitar parts. Each lesson focuses on a specific sound: riffs based on different interval types, scalar riffs, and chordal riffs. Check it out on The Punch-In: insight and inspiration for guitar players,
WHAT IS MUSICIANSHIP?
Musicianship is the set of thought processes that take place in a musical performance, consciously or unconsciously. It has to do with the ability to listen, evaluate, and respond to what you’re hearing in the moment. It can’t been easily seen by an audience, but we feel its effects. Great skill as a player or […]
