If you ask experts what makes them so good, they are likely to give general answers that do not reveal much. But if you can get them to tell you about tough cases, nonroutine events where their skills made the difference, then you have a pathway into their perspective, into the way they are seeing the world (p. 189).
So how do you apply this to guitar? Chris suggests the following
Ask your teacher what she did the first time she performed. Ask him how he practiced that difficult bit in a piece, even if it’s not a piece you’re working on the lessons in those stories can often be applied to other works. Ask about their early years or playing and what they did to get better during them.
This seems like a great idea to me. Many teachers eventually fall into a rhythm. They are teaching the same things to new students over and over every year. It’s efficient, it’s easy, and it works. But every now and then, you should push them for more so that you get the most for your money. Instead of always asking “how do I”? Challenge your teacher with a “How did you”?
GuitarFriendly.net has put together a selection of 2010 Guitar Blog Awards. We didn’t earn any recognition this year, but hopefully with some hard work we can be in the running for next year. The categories were Lesson Blogs, Gear Reviews, News, Other Guitar Related, and Up and Coming. This is a solid list and it features some sites that I had never seen before. Not Playing Guitar was a new find for me on the list that has a bunch of neat posts.
The folks over at Guitar Noize are challenging you to create a great blues solo. View the link for the full details. In short though, you download a jam track, record a video of you soloing over the track, and then upload it to Youtube. The prizes includes a PRS guitar and a variety of guitar pedals, straps, picks and more. The contest closes Monday September 16th.
Couch Guitar Straps has a line of straps that are made from recycled seat belts. For $17.50 you get a durable, reliable, and eco-friendly guitar strap. These aren’t the flashiest straps in the world, but that just may be a selling point. Your guitar is the show, the strap should be comfortable for you, and better damn sure hold on to your guitar well. Details:
Instead of the cheap nylon webbing most mega-production Chinese-made strap makers use, we use recycled automotive seat belt webbing that that will never break, looks great, and adjusts extra easy and smooth. We also cut the strap about 6 inches longer than the average guitar strap for those who are bigger or who like to play low.
We then sew on our own special vegan end-tabs that are die-cut and made of heavy duty automotive upholstery vinyl on the outside, and further strengthened by a folded-over double layer of super sturdy and flexible carbon fiber cloth on the inside of the strap.
We have two new premium guitar lessons that will teach you all about the Five Pentatonic Scale Forms and Variations of the Blues Scale. Both lessons cover the basic construction of the scale, different forms of the scale, and how to link the forms together. We then show you how to use the scale to solo over an appropriate jam track. If you’re just starting to create your own blues guitar solos, these are invaluable tips.
Are you confused on the difference between MSRP and MAP and trying to figure out which music stores are giving you a good deal? Fretbase has a helpful article explaining some basic guitar buying terms and concepts.
The thing to know about MAP is that this is the minimum price that a retailer can *advertise* a guitar for sale. Retailers are free to sell guitars cheaper than MAP. Many guitar retailers like My Favorite Guitars and Maury’s Music will encourage you to contact them directly for their best price. They do this because they can’t list their lowest price on their website. But they will share it quickly if you call or e-mail them.
There’s no shortage of musicians looking for a good place to rehearse. Either the neighbors complain, you can’t leave the drum set there, or there’s not a place you can afford. Hoping to provide a solution for many is the JamHub silent rehearsal studio. These devices allow each member of the band to plug in their mics/instruments and then also control the mix of what’s coming into their individual headphones. There are three models available: The 4 person Bedroom for $300, the 6 person Greenroom for $500, and the 6 person TourBus that has additional features at $700.
I’d imagine most people would be looking at the Bedroom and Greenroom versions. Depending on the model you get, you can record directly to a computer or SD Ram card, use a built in metronome, or use built in effects. All versions would be easy to use with a couple of guitars and a bass. Using drums is where it gets a little tricky. If you have electric drums, then no problem. If you don’t, you’d have to mic the drums and not play extremely loud, or just have to deal with the noise. Either way, it seems like a possible answer for musicians stuck in dorm rooms or cramped city apartments. And I’d imagine more than a few frustrated parents would be willing to purchase one.
How can you improve you left hand speed for playing Guitar?
Slow Practice – Practice everything slow at first so that you can work on technique
Relax – Keep your hands, arms, shoulders, etc relaxed
Economy of Motion – Don’t let your fingers move any more than they are required to.
To learn more about playing fast, check out Peter’s premium Lines Built for Speed lesson.
In the summer of 2009 Dave Carroll boarded a plane after he had checked in his guitar case at the counter for an United Airlines Flight. During a connection in Chicago, other passengers noticed the baggage handlers tossing instrument cases on the tarmac. Dave’s worst fears were realized. His Taylor had been broken. Dave eventually wrote three songs and recorded videos to document the original disaster, the struggles with airline employees, and amazingly his new found fame as a result of the whole ordeal. Watch the videos for some good country picking and laughs. And always take extra precautions when traveling with your guitar.
