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Funk Guitar Lesson: The Muting Technique (Part 1)
In this lesson, we’re going to work on three things: Developing your 16 note rhythmic prowess at different tempos. Feeling 16 notes to a metronome is considerably more challenging than 8th notes. The muting technique – playing all the strings without a single note or harmonic ringing out. This gives it a very percussive feel. Strumming speed (increasing tempo gradually), consistency (keeping a 16 note pulse for a long... -
Guitar Effects Buzzwords Volume 2: True Bypass
This time we look at the concept of ‘true bypass’. Do you have it? Do you need it? Will it make you sound better, and therefore play better? As I’ve mentioned before, the ‘Golden Age’ of guitar effects we find ourselves in can have some accompanying pitfalls, one of which is deciphering the buzzwords that appear to be ‘all the rage’, and not falling for something that may simply... -
Music Globalization
I’ve always been interested in the idea of globalization and how the whole world is connected. We are more exposed to each other than ever before in the entire history. I’d like to try starting a discussion on the effect this has on music worldwide. Both the positive and negative. The Internet has given the world access to anything they want and, has given people the ability to give... -
Inspiration From The Past For Music Of The Future
There are some things that simply can’t be replaced, bought or even imitated, and music performed and played by musicians who have put in unseen hours, blood sweat and tears to truly master their instruments is a unique and timeless phenomenon! Even with all the music programs and technological advancement in this modern age we live in, it is still not possible to replace a true musician with his... -
Keeping Motivation as a Guitarist
Balance, Patience and Consistency. Truly these are three methods you should always remember to apply when entering the crazed world of Music! No matter who you are or where you’re from its gonna take time and you’ll find that learning the language of music is a magical journey that never ceases and is forever changing every day. Never is it the same and it’s very important to keep motivation!... -
Bearded Blues Lick: Bending | Blues Guitar Lesson
Bends carry a lot of emotion and feel. That is why solos usually begin or end with tasteful bending. You can bend a note up e.g. from the 7th fret to the 8th, or down e.g. from the 17th to the 15th fret which is called reverse bending and means you start on the higher note and end on the lower one. The best way to attempt a bend... -
Playing Live As An Artist
If you’re a solo artist or in a band who’s currently playing live, and you have any serious intentions of succeeding in the music industry, then what you play when you step on stage, how you deliver it and the impact it has shouldn’t be underestimated. A great live show or an awful live show can be the difference between ‘making it’ or not. Structure Your Set When playing... -
Guitarists You Should Be Listening To
Listening to great guitarists can do wonders for your own playing. Whether you play the same genre as these guitarists or not, and even whether you would ever use the same techniques these guitarists are known for or not, is immaterial. You can always learn some from a fantastic player to add to your own overall musicality. I’d like to share with you some guitarists that I highly recommend listening to. Some of them... -
How To Read Guitar Tabs – Theory 101
In this video we are learning how to read guitar tabs (short for ‘tablature’) – a simpler way of reading music for guitarists. Below you will see a diagram consisting of 6 horizontal lines. Each of these lines represents a string on your guitar. The top line represents the High e, or 1st string and the bottom line represents the Low E, or 6th string. Note that the High... -
Open Major Chords – A, E & D | Guitar Lesson
These basic open major chords give us a strong foundation to start off with. There are hundreds of songs that use these same three open major chords, so by getting them under your belt, you will be able to start playing your favourite tunes in no time. The reason why they are called ‘open chords’, is because they make use of the ‘open strings’, which are the strings you see in the...