Funky Fingerstyle Guitar
I just had the pleasure of spending some time in my home studio recording a few solo tunes.
During the past few days I have experienced the range of emotions from elation to frustration, mainly with my own guitar playing.
I’d like to share some insights with you. The following applies to do-it-yourself home recordings as well as sessions where you go to a pro studio.
I’m gonna give you some straight talk about practicing guitar and taking good care of your body and hands.
This is especially relevant today since so many people are self taught from videos and don’t have a real life teacher for feedback.
One of the favorite “myths” that fans and students hold in mind is that “great musicians practice 24 hours a day, to the exclusion of everything else and that’s why they are so good!”
People always ask me how “many hours a day I practice” and I see that they are living exactly this fantasy of “wow you are a dedicated artist who practices all the time!”
[Read more…] about 10 Tips for Healthy Guitar Practicing
Hey Gang!
I was just peeking through the mountain of “Fanbridge” questions that I have, and I came across a recurring theme…
Question: “Adam what guitar/strings/gear do you use?”
I get asked about this 10 times a week.
With the “mountain” of gear that one sees in catalogs & stores it is easy to get confused.
Since I carry most of my stuff myself (no car – yep, I’m a New York guy), it has to be portable, easy, and sound great.
All of what I am listing fits in a backpack (except the guitars), and I am ready to play any size concert hall or festival.
Keep in mind, this list WILL change, and “there is more than one way to do it” – but this has been working for me.
[Read more…] about 6 Pieces of Guitar Gear I Can’t Live Without
I was thinking about something someone once told me.
“Pitch is Rhythm.”
Huh?
When I sing or play a note, it does not sound like a beat.
When I play a beat it does not sound like a note.
But in actuality – they are the same thing. Let’s take a look at this…
An “A 440” is simply a very fast rhythm. Scientifically speaking we are hearing a wave at 440 cycles per second.
Hey Gang!
I get asked quite often about how I approach fingerstyle guitar arranging, and suddenly – this simple idea came to mind.
I hope this gives you a little “AHA!” moment – to brighten your day.
Disclaimer – there is always “more than one way to do it”. Here’s one approach that I use, 90% of the time.
Most guitarists come out of a “chord” approach, which leads to picking patterns on the chord, and ultimately “jimmying” little melodies on top.
[Read more…] about How To Build Your Own Fingerstyle Guitar Arrangements – Part 1