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Motivation to Practice Guitar
As a songwriter, guitar teacher and performing artist, I often find it extremely difficult to just pick up my guitar and play (whether it’s to just have a fun jam, or because I have to.) I am very happy and grateful to be able to make a living through my guitar, via teaching students and the occasional well-paying gig, but sometimes I think that my dependence on my guitar... -
Can Music Make You Smarter
Music Makes you Smarter 1. Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning. It is thought that brain development continues for many years after birth. Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to... -
Playing Guitar In The Zone
Often while trolling the interweb for choice guitar morsels I’ll see something that aligns with how I feel about guitar. Of course I love to share this with all the GE Blog subscribers. Here’s another page out of another guitar teacher’s book. This time it’s Richard Rossicone: “We’ve all seen it. Quarterbacks completing pass after pass. Basketball players making shot after shot. Goalies making save after save. We often say to... -
Gretsch Electromatic Guitar
So I have recently become a convert to Gretsch guitars. In short, for me, the tone and the Rock ‘n Roll ‘bling’ look have me drooling for days! I have even started getting into Rockabilly and 50s Rock ‘n Roll music due to my fascination with the brand and the sound of the guitar and its infamous pickups! Also, I hate to be shallow but the aesthetic of the... -
Rethink your Approach to Blues Guitar
The internet is such a valuable resource for modern guitarists all over the world. I recently came across this interesting post about music philosophy and his approach to blues guitar by guitar teacher John W. Tuggle on his website http://www.learningguitarnow.com, great site for learning slide blues guitar and thought I’d share it with you: “Am I crazy! A little, but who isn’t? There comes a time when you’ve learned... -
Digital and the Future of Guitar
There’s no doubt the influence of digital has been huge in the music world in the past decade. However, being performance specific (with the exclusion of digital album sales and the music business), the guitar has evolved due to this influence. The question is: where will guitar performance be in the next 30 to 50 years? In the words of Peter Kirn, in his article discussing digital guitar equipment,... -
Blues Modal Harmony
The name blues modal harmony may confuse you at first but, have patience and let me explain a few things to help your guitar playing. You will have a greater appreciation for guitar music in general after reading this. When discussing which chords go together in which keys with students, I often have questions about why there are chords in some of their favourite songs (such as Major bVII... -
Memorizing Chords and Scales on Guitar
There are many guitarists out there that are deeply concerned with the notion that memorizing chords and scales on the guitar is a huge feat, and it is but, to learn all of them that exist is simply ridiculous. Guitarists tend to obtain an abundant wealth of knowledge of chords and scales and yet seem to have trouble connecting everything together. All the information seems to be floating around... -
Being a Well-Rounded Guitarist & Musician: Image, Attitude, Ability
Let’s look at what it is to be a well-rounded guitarist. This will also apply to any person aspiring to become the most proficient musician he or she wants to be. “You can be a rock star for five years or a musician for the rest of your life.” – Steve Lukather (Guitarist for Toto & LA Session musician) Being capable in all genres and areas of guitar-playing can... -
Playing An Instrument Can Make You Smarter
It is now claimed that playing an instrument can make you smarter. Research suggests that remembering complex chords and scale patterns can, quite simply put, change the shape of the human brain. It will even boost your IQ by up to 7 points! Swiss neurology experts say that there is more and more evidence pointing to the fact that a musician’s brain works differently from those of others and even looks...