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Author Archives: Tom
How to get noticed. Are you being heard?
Get noticed by those around you. But how? On a recent vacation, my oldest brother and I got together in my hotel room and played a few songs he brought along in his guitar case. We both sang – he on lead/melody and me doing harmony (as best I could 😉 Little did we know, […]
<span class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-cat-links">Posted in</span> Encouragement
<span class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-tag-links">Tagged</span> Get noticed
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Protest Songs: Music That Inspires People to Action
Protest songs speak to people in ways other music just doesn’t. I grew up during a time when there was a flurry of protest music. From the Vietnam War to the march on Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr. My earliest exposure to music was mixed with songs of protest. Music gets to everyone. It […]
<span class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-cat-links">Posted in</span> Uncategorized
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How to Travel With a Guitar: 3 Solid Ideas
You want to travel with a guitar and you are not a professional musician. How can you take your music with you and still keep your load light? I’ve been doing this for years and have accumulated a few ideas that you might want to implement. Whether you are driving or flying or cruising the […]
Choosing the Best Guitar For You: Does Size Matter?
Choosing the Best Guitar for you can be a challenge. So many types and styles can get you lost in confusion. I touched on the subject of size in a previous post about How to Get Started and I would like to expand on that a bit. I’m a big guy. My wife is…not so […]
<span class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-cat-links">Posted in</span> Gear, Guitar
<span class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-tag-links">Tagged</span> acoustic guitar, beginner, Guitar, small scale, thinline
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4 Ways to Boost Your Pick Technique: Get Control!
Your pick technique may be your weakest skill. It’s great that you know all the chords. Having a grasp of notes and scales is handy but your rhythm and arpeggios fall apart. You may be missing one or more of these techniques and losing control of your pick. Once you have chosen your pick, let’s […]
Rain music – How to inspire your own compositions
Rain music is a topic that appears every now and then on albums. I started playing as a child and learned a couple of rain themed songs to play for some event at school. Since then, I have found it an inspiration for creativity much like snow in the mountains does for others. So, it’s […]
<span class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-cat-links">Posted in</span> Encouragement
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How to choose a pick: A simple guide
How to choose a pick, like everything, depends on several things: Style of music Type of guitar String Gauge Your style of playing You can use finger picks, finger nails or flat picks. For now, let’s concentrate on flatpicks and tackle the others at another time. I use any of the above depending on the […]
Should I mic or go direct?
Mic or go direct is a good question and the answer is not a simple one. Is this live or for recording? What sound are you trying to capture? What do you consider is part of your signal chain? Acoustic or electric guitar? So many questions… Let’s get started. I answered a post on the […]
<span class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-cat-links">Posted in</span> Gear, Guitar, Technique
<span class="entry-utility-prep entry-utility-prep-tag-links">Tagged</span> condenser mic, direct recording, mic, mike
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Budget guitars: They need love, too!
You might start looking at budget guitars if you are just beginning to learn how to play or even just thinking about it. I hesitate to call them “cheap” guitars as those in the bottom price range have become quite good! Let’s explore this a little bit. There was a hilarious series of articles in […]
Why learn music theory? I play guitar by ear!
A friend (and future instructor for Just 2 Play Guitar) and I were discussing music theory the other day. Specifically, when and how to introduce it to a beginner student. Tough question and he has a lot of experience in this area. Over the last year, he has tried a few different ways and has […]
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