New(ish) Release: “Blue Bell Knoll”
My last post might have been an indicator that solo guitar playing has been on my mind, and indeed it has. For any who might wonder what I’ve been up to for the past 13 months, there have been a… Continue Reading
Author: Lyle Raymond
Learning to Play Solo Guitar
Today I’d like to share some thoughts regarding solo guitar. And by that, I don’t mean “guitar solos,” or so-called “lead guitar”. I mean playing the guitar by yourself, in a way similar to how a pianist might play. Most… Continue Reading
The Whole-Neck, All-Stroke, All-Key, All-Form Scale Workout
My life is full of technique exercises. Books full of them are piled on shelves and tabletops in my office. I have filled notebooks with them. I am a believer in using technique drills for warming up prior to practicing… Continue Reading
A Response to “Why Bands Need to Stop Bitching”
I follow Music Clout on Twitter, and often see posts that suggest they view their target audience as aspiring pop stars, not musicians for hire. So when I caught the title Why Bands Need to Stop Bitching, and upon skimming the… Continue Reading
Private Music Students: I Don’t Care How Much You Practice
“I Didn’t Get to Practice Much” I hear this phrase before a lesson at least a couple of times a week. What does it tell me? When you say “I didn’t get a chance to practice,” here are the two… Continue Reading
Practicing Like You Play
My father was a basketball coach, and one thing he used to say that has remained with me is “Practice like you play.” When he said it, he usually meant that one should work as hard during a practice as… Continue Reading
Andertons’ “Captain” Meets Paul Gilbert
Here’s a recent interview with one of my favorite guitarists, Paul Gilbert (formerly of Racer X and Mr. Big). As both a performer and teacher, I’m inspired by Paul’s energetic personality. He’s got skills and brains, but never loses sight… Continue Reading
Yes, Music is a Language
One of the mantras my students hear is, “Music is a language. It’s not like a language. It is a language.” It’s easy to consider the idea of music as a language as metaphorical, but I contend that it is quite literal.… Continue Reading
Why We Should Avoid Tablature
Let me begin by stating that I love tablature. I use it a lot, both in practice and in my lessons. When I have an idea for a lick, I often write it down on tablature paper. Sometimes I compose… Continue Reading
On Being a “Real Book Musician”
Eric at jazzadvice.com has written a pretty solid article on why jazz musicians shouldn’t rely too heavily on the Real Book. Read it here. I’ll follow up with some of my own thoughts: Real Book Origins and Use The Real… Continue Reading