Practicing: The Long & Short of It
I love to read articles and books about the art & science of practicing. It is no surprise that there are myriad philosophies on this topic. I think it is best to start out with the understanding that, ultimately, every person needs to figure out what works best for themselves. I suggest that you start by doing…
Post-NAMM Show (and what are all those many-colored pedals for?)
What is the NAMM Show, anyways? It is the annual business conference for the National Association of Music Merchants, which has become the annual center of the universe for all things music gear. It embodies all aspects of the music retail business world, but suffice it to say, guitar dominates the many booths at the show.…
Play It Loud! (but don’t forget to also play it quietly)
Think about it… when people speak, the volume of their voice will change as a reflection of their emotional state. (unless they’re trying to sound like a robot) So why shouldn’t you play music in the same way? Aren’t you striving to convey your emotions through your guitar playing? That’s what artists do, ya know. It’s…
Picasso Painted Guitars… and Some Bulls.
In 1945, Pablo Picasso created his work, “The Bull” – a suite of eleven separate lithographs that eloquently transform a fully realized image of a bull into a minimalistic rendering. I’ve seen this in person at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California, where the works reside. As I walked past each of the drawings…
One is Good, Two are Better…
You’ve got two hands, you should use them. Well okay, you probably already do that when you’re playing the guitar. And when you’re eating. And perhaps typing. (although you might not use all ten fingers) What I meant is that you should probably pay as much attention to your picking hand as you do to your…
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