Artists and performers are creatives by trade. Their right-brained sensibilities are critical to self expression and connecting with an audience. But monetizing those gifts isn’t often part of the package. Just as the average accountant or marketer would struggle through a guitar solo or comedy skit, many musicians, stand-up comics, and other artists have trouble […]
Voices of Our City is an inspirational musical ensemble that has garnered plenty of headlines. The choir has been the focus of a documentary “The Homeless Chorus Speaks” that aired nationally on PBS stations. The group has performed with the San Diego Symphony, and opened a benefit concert at the historic Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on a bill that featured Jason Mraz and founding members of the Doors.
Look For The Good, written and recorded in Jason’s home studio in Southern California, is a continuation of his career-long love for reggae music. It’s a genre he’s always returned to, inspired both by its rhythms and its revolutionary lyrics, and after making 2018’s Know. the singer found himself ready to further explore how he could participate in the style…
“What music really comes down to, like a lot of things, is people. Whether you are playing a gig, producing a recording project or coordinating events, it’s all about the people. If you’re listening to my music at a gig we are having a connection. And especially, working in the studio, you are having some impact on this artist’s future. That means something. There’s always collaboration….
The Hal Leonard Bluegrass Guitar Method is your complete guide to learning bluegrass guitar. This book uses popular bluegrass songs to teach you the basics of rhythm and lead playing in the styles of Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Maybelle Carter, Lester Flatt, and many others. Lessons include Carter strumming, alternating bass, waltz strums, using the […]
If you’ve tried learning guitar by working through random books and videos, or even working with a teacher who doesn’t take your unique needs into account, you’ve found that success doesn’t happen from a haphazard approach. It happens when you have strong intention and commitment…
The gifted Grammy Award winning performer, producer, and engineer continues to amaze. Larry’s guitar textures demonstrate his abilities as a solo artist and as an ensemble player. Larry has had the opportunity to tour with Tracy Chapman, Billy Squier, Ric Ocasek, and Miguel Bosѐ. While on tour with Tracy Chapman, Larry performed for the late Nelson Mandela…
In his newest video, Dr. Randy Kertz discusses how to return to playing your instrument after an injury. If you want to get back to playing without risking re-injury, this month’s column is for you. Dr. Kertz’s monthly column addresses how musicians can avoid injury, how they can identify things they may do to cause […]
Another golden moment that stand’s out in Peter’s recall came in Washington D.C. playing with Chick and Al Jarreau. And then doing film work with Chick on the movie The Cat Chasers, starring Kelly McGillis. The band included Vinnie Callouta on drums, Chick, Pattittuci, Kujala. The trust he earned with Correa was such that Sprague became the one to organize Chick’s music in book form for publishing purposes.
Guitar tone is the sound or timbre of the guitar which could mean the effects that are being used, what pickup selection is being used, is it played with a plectrum or fingerpicked, and many other factors. You could say that the sound difference between an acoustic guitar and electric guitar is due to the difference in tone. Or the difference between Kirk Hammett’s distorted guitars in Metallica and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits’s clean to lightly overdriven sound is due to differences in tone.