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
“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
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
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
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
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
There are two modes of performance: A practice mode, in which you assess what your doing, and a live mode, in which you let go of self-conciousness. In the first few minutes of this clinic, Kenny Werner shares some powerful thoughts… Continue Reading
There is an article at The Music Parents’ Guide detailing reasons why students tend to quit. It’s very much worth the read, and I’d like to add some thoughts of my own. I’ll begin by responding to each reason one… Continue Reading
As a followup to my last post containing a block chord arrangement of “I Can’t Give You…”, here is a transcription of Charlie Christian’s solo over the first two sections. A recording, for reference: The transcription: I Can’t Give… Continue Reading
Here’s the latest from my practice sessions — an arrangement of the standard “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” for guitar, using block chords. Block Chords are chords that move in rhythmic unison. This technique is pretty common among… Continue Reading