Every aspiring professional knows they need to practice in order to improve their skills, but those destined for a lasting career recognize early on that the journey towards perfection with your art is one that never truly comes to an end.  There's always room for improvement,...

Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 186"   This Micro Lesson covers a "C Major" Melody line performed along the neck using multiple fret-board positions.  The melody line begins up in the 12th position using pull-off's on the 2nd and 3rd guitar strings. Measure two copies...

GuitarBlog: Simple Guitar Soloing Exercises... This weeks GuitarBlog explores "Simple Guitar Soloing Exercises"...  I think we can all agree that getting really good at playing solos will take a lot of time and effort. Players need to develop their personal sense...

As indie musicians get more and more freedom and power over their music, it also means that they need to start making calls about what they should invest back into their career, and these days, there are a lot of options. Do you focus on branding as an artist, or maybe on...

Let's be honest: does Ed Sheeran look like a rockstar? Hell no. When the scruffy little redhead broke out and took the world by storm, it shook the music scene to its core to realize this kid was behind insightful powerhouse songs like "A Team" and "Lego House."  However,...

ON THE ROAD... The internet has brought the world closer than ever before, yet for young bands on the road, the tool that should be their strongest ally might be working against them. Most cities have a fairly strong local music scene. There are lots of great bands in them,...

Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 185"   This Micro Lesson takes a look at how a "D Minor" melodic line can operate using a Classical Music approach to the structure of both the melody and the time signature.  Classic pieces (especially the Allegro Suites and Preludes),...

There aren't many musicians who are more particular about their gear and how it affects "their sound" than guitarists.  For many guitar-players, every inch of their signal path gets scrutinized, and for some, bigger is always better.  Here are a few "pint-sized"...

Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 184"   This Micro Lesson covers a fast-paced guitar lick in "B Minor" that is based upon the "B Phrygian" Mode.  The lick operates within the 9th position and begins from the 4th guitar string with a triplet phrase in 16th-note triplets.  This...

James Taylor's acoustic guitar style has been instantly recognizable since the early 70s, and has influenced countless singer-songwriters since. He might not be a virtuoso instrumentalist - always using the guitar to accompany his voice - but there's a lot you can learn from...

Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 183"   This Pop-Rock Micro Lesson Riff involves a blended progression that borrows chords from parallel major and minor tonalities in the key of, "A."  The riff begins from the IV-chord of "D" and moves into the tonic chord of "A,"...

As musicians, we are carriers of influence, whether or not we are aware of it and whether or not we intend to be. The sound and messages we release through our art form directly impact our listeners in powerful ways. This is especially true of the youth and adolescents of our...

Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 182"   This Micro Lesson applies the unique sounds of Modal Interchange off of a Tonic note of, "D."  The harmony of this progression operates between a, "Dmaj7," chord and a, "Dm7," chord. Each chord lasts two measures and functions...

Welcome to... "Micro-Lesson 181"   This Micro Lesson takes a look at an easy to play "A Minor" Pentatonic Lick based in the popular 5th position.  This relatively easy to perform minor pentatonic scale lick is formed within the very common 5th position layout...

There are many lessons regarding recording in a studio that you won't know unless you've been there. These are the lessons that are only learned the hard way: by spending countless hours in the studio and making a number of mistakes along the way.  Below are four challenges...