NEW: QwikLicks Series - Video (007)

The latest QwikLicks video "Chromatic Passing Licks" is available in the FREE members area. Includes a PDF handout!

QwikLicks are a FREE lesson series for all membership levels at Creative Guitar Studio.com. Lessons in the QwikLicks Series will run through a short collection of guitar licks in many different playing styles...

Episode 007 of "QwikLicks," covers the application of chromatic passing licks used within a swing /shuffle feel in guitar styles of; "Soul / R and B," "Blues," and "Traditional Jazz." Sign into the website with your free members account to watch the lesson and download the PDF handout. If you're not currently a FREE member of the website, sign up today!

Courtesy of Max Monahan

Five Musical Attributes that Separate the Professional Musicians From the Amateurs...

It would be a gross understatement to say that the world of high-end session musicians is exclusive. James Jamerson played on nearly every Motown record, and session bass player Lee Sklar has contributed to over 2,000 albums over the span of his career. Even in the world of "entry-level" session gigs, it can be very difficult to start building a resume that will keep your phone ringing with gigs.

If you plan on relying on session work for a portion or all of your income, you not only need to take a proactive role in getting yourself on as many recorded tracks as possible. But, you also need to be on time, organized, hygienic, professional, reliable, and positive.

But even before all that, you have to make sure the quality of your playing is impeccable. Bring your best to every gig with these five musical attributes that separate pro musicians from the amateurs.


1. Have total control over your feel of time
For rhythm-section players, this should already be your bread and butter, but impeccable control over your feel of time is a top priority for a session musician on any instrument. Timing is a key component for conveying the vibe and the whole message of a song.

You should be able to play right on the beat, slightly behind it, or even slightly ahead of it on command, and you should also be able to control the extent of your rhythmic liberties to a precise degree.

To get your feel of time on point, practice regularly with a metronome, as well as, a drum machine and play with DAW's and loops. Get a good quality music editor and play along with as many songs (from as many different styles) as you can. In addition, take some time to listen closely to the songs that you study for the most accurate feel of time that the musicians convey on those studio tracks.


2. Have the right gear for the job
If you're making the wrong sound, they're going to call someone else. If you're quickly getting know for playing the wrong sound, you'll never get called again - for anything.

Professional bands, studio engineers, and other session players count every minuet and observe every detail. Their time and their environment is extremely important and valuable. Always have the right gear for the job. If the gig calls for a Telecaster, you should own one and know how to get it's correct sound, whether somebody tells you or not.

Plus, you should make sure that if a job requests a telecaster - you are playing a Telecaster, (not some knock-off that "looks just like a Tele." I've seen engineers actually stop a session and call out a player for not having the right type of instrument. It does not matter if your Paul Reed Smith sounds "just like" or even "better," that a Gibson SG. To the producer, it isn't a Gibson SG - and they wanted a Gibson SG on that track - and you're toast.

Along with this, get to know all the facets of your instrument that affect its sound, and explore them all. For some instruments, like electric guitar or bass, this also refers to any and all pedals you use on your instrument.

Additionally, make sure to never to show up to a session with gear that is faulty in any way. Even just some hum or static interference from a malfunctioning pickup can ruin a take – and cost you the gig. Start with the right gear every time, set levels, test tone, and be familiar with how all of your equipment works. 


3. Develop different attacks
Have you ever played an instrument that sounded not so great, and then handed it to your seasoned teacher, only to have them make it sound incredible? There are many factors that play into this, but chances are a large part of it has to do with your teacher's attack.

This describes the way musicians strike their notes and it dictates a ton about the tone of the note that comes out. A note struck with tons of attack or energy will sound totally different than a note played gently. Great players have built up excellent control over their attack, which gives them total control over the sound of their instrument.

Once professional players have figured out the right amount of attack they want for a certain song, they use their control to maintain that level of attack and deliver a nice, fluid-sounding take (without loads of compression).


4. Be able to emulate genre standards
Often times in a session, an engineer or producer will tell you to play something "'80s sounding" or "jazzier" or "even more br00tal." While your first response might be to sit down and scratch your head at what is currently being yelled at you over a talk-back mic, one quality that all successful studio musicians have under their belts is a handle on the standards of the genres that they are advertising themselves as competent in.

This should also mean being able to emulate the playing styles of certain famous players of your instrument on command. Musicians, genres, eras, or any other benchmark you can think of for a particular sound is game to be yelled out in a studio session.

Brush up on your history, gain exposure to several styles and be able to emulate any roundabout adjective that may get thrown at you in a rehearsal or studio session.


5. Get your takes done quickly and correctly every time
Consistency is the be-all and end-all of any professional musician, and for a professional musician, quick takes follow closely behind. If you're not getting your takes on the first or second time consistently, there's always another player just a phone call away who will.

It's a fiercely competitive world, and when you're burning your producer's time by repeatedly blowing takes and simultaneously racking up his tab for your hourly fees, you're not going to have a happy producer.

Be professional: get the right take with the right time, own the right gear, develop your playing attack, and know how to create the right vibe for a song. Do it quickly, every time, and your only worry will be managing your busy schedule with all the gigs you'll get.

Max Monahan is a bassist and a writer living in Los Angeles. He spends his time working for an audio licensing website and shredding sweet bass riffs.

Figure it Out Fridays: Lesson 013 - Part One

Welcome to, "Figure it Out Fridays - Lesson 013," the unique Ear Training Guitar Lesson on YouTube. 

The focus of these lessons will be to study how to transcribe, (learn by ear), a new guitar melody or a chord progression every week... 

Musical ideas are released on Tuesday's, with the Music and TAB's released that same week on Friday. Do your best on the days in between to learn the musical parts. Then, be sure to check out the "Part Two" video to learn exactly how the musical idea operates. Enjoy, and good luck transcribing!

Figure it Out Fridays: Lesson 013 - Part One

Courtesy of Rachel Bresnahan

Feel Like You Never Have Enough Time to Invest into Your Music? These Jaw-Dropping, "How We Waste Our Time Statistics," Might Explain Why...

Eckhart Tolle, the German-born writer and spiritual teacher, implores us to “realize deeply that the present moment is all you have.” Like many simple proclamations, this seems obvious and becomes more meaningful the more you think about it. Because there’s an excellent chance that, at any given moment, you are either noodling around on a phone or tablet, or you are asleep.

Over the last several decades, media and technology have exerted a creeping growth of influence in our lives, eating up more and more of our time. The fact that we even have time for all this stuff is a good thing; technologized society means we no longer have to spend months of the year chopping wood or planting rice just so our families don’t freeze or starve.

But it also affords us an incredible opportunity to do something creative…an opportunity that nearly all of us are squandering while frowning at a tiny screen. Don’t believe me? Check out these incredible statistics.


The average musician spends nine hours a day on social media
It seems unbelievable, but there it is. That’s more time than we spend with family or friends, in school, or even sleeping. In fact, the hours on social media benchmark (that's being broken year over year) strongly suggests that social media is replacing sleep in teenagers.

Pull on that root, and you’ll start seeing an interconnection with other problems. Teens and adults alike are doing office-work, homework, going to work and school, and socializing while multitasking with their phones and tablets, leaving them only partially engaged with all other daily activities.

They’re also staying up late Facebooking /Snap-chatting /Instagramming and texting (verbs that never existed until a few years ago and are now dominant activities in our lives).

How much time do you spend? And is your phone a constant, buzzing distraction during rehearsals and writing sessions? Is it still in your pocket when you’re onstage? Could it be ruining your concentration and forcing you to make less inspired music?

TIP: If it doesn't help you become a smarter /better musician turn away from it. Looking at food people ate that day on Instagram is a waste of your time. Watching a video that complains about how much money rich people have is a waste of your time. That time could be better spent writing music, practicing, or rehearsing.


Twenty-eight percent of your online time is spent wasted on social media
That figure goes up even more when we include “micro-blogging,” a specialized category of online action that includes Twitter posts and the like. This explains a lot: why so little work gets done in an office, why people make so many mistakes when typing, and why your time spent promoting your work takes longer and is less productive than it should be.

While simply posting a link to your new video, you’re bombarded with wedding photos, invitations to try some new coffee flavor from Facebook friends who have been hacked, and friend requests from robots.

For musicians, social media is a necessary tool to get work out into the world… if we can fight our way through all the distractions and just get it done.Be sure to only spend time on what is valuable and not on what you friend or relative snapped a photo of over lunch.

TIP: Focus on Music and Training... Political commentary and social justice shouting matches along with social media "opinion" arguments are a complete waste of your valuable time. Avoid them like the plague!


The average American watches five hours of TV per day
So we get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, and then watch television until we pass out. That’s essentially what this statistic means. That’s 7:00 p.m. until midnight, which leaves you with about seven hours of sleep if you have to work at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow. Okay maybe you like the Walking Dead or Game of Thrones. They can be pretty amazing shows, but the quality of entertainment out there drops pretty steeply after you’ve watched a few of the most inspired series.

Besides, it’s not like these shows have a million hours of footage to watch; a few days of bingeing and you’ve seen every episode. Or you can do it the old-fashioned way and have appointment viewing for an hour a week, freeing up the rest of your life.

TIP: Strum and Play More than You Watch...
Do you strum a guitar while you watch TV? Ever write any songs that way? What would happen if you hung a nice scarf over the screen, put a potted plant on top, and only turned it on for the Super Bowl, like your auntie on Long Island did back in the day? Would you miss TV… or would you make more art?


Most of us spend just under an hour a day driving to and from work.
The average commute for Americans is 26 minutes each way, or 52 minutes a day, total. Round that up to an hour to include walking out to your car, buckling in, and then walking from the car to your job. Many have it worse: 17 percent of us drive at least 45 minutes each way.

All of these numbers are generally increasing due to things like urban sprawl, traffic congestion, and accidents caused by texting and driving. It’s pretty difficult, and terribly dangerous, to try to compose music while you’re behind the wheel, but at least you can throw some of your mixes on a CD, and listen to them on the way in.

TIP: Listen to Music Theory Audio Courses on Your Commute... Andrew Wasson of Creative Guitar Studio has an excellent 5-Part Music Theory Audio Course. It comes with MP3's and PDF handouts that will definitely bring your Theoretical skills up to the next level.


What choices are you making?
Should we banish all these devices and go dark, like North Korea? Probably not, or at least not permanently. Humans, especially musicians, have come to rely upon our technology, and the benefits it delivers are amazing: communication across the planet, with no waiting.

Cheap digital production and mastering for our work. Shooting high-definition music videos on a phone in our living rooms. But if you add up all that social media time, commuting time and TV time, you get the entire day.

TIP: Re-Think, Study More and Sleep More, Your Music is Worth it...
Do emails and texts need to answered within five minutes? Is your instrument getting dusty because you rarely play it? Are you no longer limber enough for some of your dynamic stage moves because you spend the entire day sitting down? Maybe it’s time to put some of the gadgets in a compartment and make time for the rest of your life. Face-to-face interactions. A good night’s sleep. And more music. Lots more music.

Jesse Sterling Harrison is an author, recording artist, and part-time farmer. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, three daughters, and a herd of ducks.

Figure it Out Friday's: Lesson 012 - Part Two

Welcome to, "Figure it Out Fridays: Lesson 012 - Part Two," Ear Training Guitar Lesson. 

Here's the Answer Key for, "Figure it Out Fridays," Ear Training Lesson 012.

In this series, we study how to transcribe a new guitar melody or chord progression every week. Musical ideas are released on Tuesday, with the Music and TAB's released that same week on Fridays. Do your best on the days "in between" to learn the different guitar parts. 

Up-Load your guess of Tuesdays guitar idea (from the part one lesson) to your YouTube channel. Share your examples on; GooglePlus, Twitter and on FaceBook. 

Be sure to check-out the "Part Two" video released every Friday to learn exactly how Tuesdays guitar part looks charted to TAB and in Music Notation. Enjoy the series!

Figure it Out Fridays: Lesson 012 - Part Two

Courtesy of Rachel Bresnahan

We’ve all been there before: the long day in the practice room, our frustration bursting at the seams, about to toss our instrument across the room... 

It can be hard to step away from practicing when we know there’s still work to be done. Here are some small steps and tips for healthy, mindful practice to help you get the most out of your practice time while maintaining your sanity.

1. Take micro breaks
The micro break was a concept I learned in college when I was starting to develop injuries and had a hard time keeping my focus during practice time. A micro break is exactly what it sounds like: a small break between passages. Whether you’re working on difficult rhythm sections or finger-twisting notes, a small break between repetitions can keep your mind at ease.

At the beginning of your practice session, designate a short amount of time for practicing phrases, sections, or parts – say, 10 minutes, or whatever amount of time best suits you. Additionally, designate a shorter amount of time, like two or five minutes, for a break during your playing.

These breaks are meant to be short enough to give your body and mind a brief rest. As your practice session continues, increase the amount of time for both the practice and the breaks. Remember to relax and reflect during your breaks!

2. Stay hydrated
Always, always, always stay hydrated during your practice time. While you may not be running a marathon, playing an instrument and making music can be just as exhausting. Drinking plenty of water will help keep your mind and body happy.

3. Positive reinforcement
Throughout your practice, it's important to reflect upon your progress and areas that need improvement. During those times of reflection, it'll never hurt to give yourself a compliment or words of encouragement. You are your biggest critic, but you should also be your biggest fan. Try to reflect upon small achievements. You nailed that riff? Amazing! You perfected a kick-ass solo? Keep going!

4. Get back to basics
Are fundamentals really going to help you get better? Yes. Should you include fundamentals in every practice? Yes. Are fundamentals always fun? No, but they will help in the long run. Even if you spend just five minutes doing long tones, basic rhythms, or scales, it's still practice time well spent.

5. Record yourself
Recording yourself on a smartphone or on a field recorder will help you notice even the smallest details. You may not have been playing as quietly or loudly as you thought you were, or maybe that riff still isn’t as clean as it needs to be. Recording will give you a better sense of what you sound like outside of your own head.

Rachel Bresnahan is an editorial intern at Sonicbids.

Figure it Out Fridays: Lesson 012 - Part One

Welcome to, "Figure it Out Fridays - Lesson 012," the unique Ear Training Guitar Lesson on YouTube. 

The focus of these lessons will be to study how to transcribe, (learn by ear), a new guitar melody or a chord progression every week... 

Musical ideas are released on Tuesday's, with the Music and TAB's released that same week on Friday. Do your best on the days in between to learn the musical parts. Then, be sure to check out the "Part Two" video to learn exactly how the musical idea operates. Enjoy, and good luck transcribing!

Figure it Out Fridays: Lesson 012 - Part One