Funky Fingerstyle Guitar
Gang, I hope you are well. I know I have been quiet here on the blog for some time, and I have actually been been missing writing for you, and for myself.
Here is an update to let you know where I am at mentally, creatively and spiritually (today is March 6, 2018.)
Today I am using my blog as a journal to help clarify and organize my thoughts.
If you want to join me on my journey, you are invited to follow along.
[Read more…] about Reclaiming Creative Innocence
When you play the guitar, what are you listening for in your playing?
Let’s take a look at this…
When a painter works on detail, she is super close up to the canvas. Each brushstroke, texture and shading is accounted for.
That requires serious microscope up close focus!
However, there’s another mode of viewing the canvas which is stepping way back and looking at the “whole.”
That puts all the tiny details in a different context.
Playing music can be like this too. We can be very close up, and hear minute details, or we can step back and hear the entire, overall sound.
[Read more…] about How to Listen to Your Own Guitar Playing
Sometimes when we work on the same creative project for a long time, under the same circumstances we can get into what is called a “rut.”
This can happen whether it’s practicing guitar, writing, work responsibilities, painting, etc. It’s the feeling of no matter how much we practice or work, that things stay the same.
It’s a “stuck” feeling…we can’t figure out how to get new life, joy and inspiration back into our work.
We wonder “where did the fun go?”
It’s totally normal, so don’t worry if you are feeling this. It means you’re caught in a cycle.
[Read more…] about 9 Ways to Boost Your Creativity on Guitar (and get out of a rut)
Have you ever had times where you’ve tried to master a guitar technique, but get stuck no matter how hard you try?
Or maybe you’ve seen someone play something and they make it look oh-so-easy, yet when you try it, you “hit the wall?”
I’ve been there too, but I’ve been fortunate enough to be shown how to navigate this inner mental game by master teachers. [Read more…] about The Joy of Horizontal Musical Flow
That’s the sound of what you’d want a bass player or drummer to make so that if you were playing with them, you’d feel the beat from what they are doing – not only hear the note.
[Read more…] about How to Develop Your Thumb’s “Thump” for Fingerstyle Guitar
A few days ago, I was contacted by Matt Oestreicher for a podcast interview on The Mindful Musician. Our talk started with Matt mentioning how much he loved my 2015 in review post from last year.
Knowing that this resonated with him made me realize I should do it again, so here is my 2016 review.
I will give it to you straight, and say where I did well, and where I think could have been better.
[Read more…] about 2016 in Review: An Honest and Transparent Look at My Successes & Failures This Past Year
Often we have ideas of how our technique “should” look or be when we play guitar. It can cause a lot of cognitive dissonance when our ideas and the MUSIC itself disagree.
Hopefully this info will help you melt into mental, musical and spiritual grooviness.
[Read more…] about Discovering Your Guitar Technique
Just the other day in the studio, long standing musical problems resolved themselves as if by magic.
I am hoping that you can use this idea for yourself when you find yourself up against the wall, with “unsolvable” problems on the guitar, music and life. 🙂
[Read more…] about How to Let Go of Guitar Ego
Greetings and Happy New Year!
Now that 2016 is here it’s time for me to take stock of what has happened in my personal & professional life in 2015.
The question is “Where did I rock it, and where did I fall short?”
In this post I will share the good, the bad and the ugly with you….and yep, there’s some ugly!
[Read more…] about My 2015 in Review – Successes, Failures and What I Learned
Recently a student of mine on StudyWithAdam.com asked me an question which showed his honesty and vulnerability, and it really resonated with me. It’s part of the mental game that many of us face when working on our music.
[Read more…] about How to Access Your Inner Guitar Genius When Learning a New Piece