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Everyone has some affiliation with music, and it varies for people depending on what instruments they prefer listening to. Then some instruments speak right to your soul, but for this, you need to have the right instruments. Traditional instruments wield an extraordinary power when being played. The tune they produce is so sensual and can…

Wow, did you hear what happened at the 2022 Oscar Awards Ceremony? Duh, Will Smith smacked comedian Chris Rock! No! I was referring to the Best Original Song Award going to yet another James Bond film, it’s the third time in the last 10 years that this has happened! First in 2012 with Adele’s song “Skyfall;”…

The first time I heard this name was in middle school. I must’ve been in 6th grade when I overheard a couple of older kids talking about guitarists. And that was it. At the time my favorite band was AC/DC, particularly because of Angus Young who I swore was the greatest guitar player that ever…

As the seasons change, so do the sounds around us. While winter classics such as Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker and Handel’s Messiah resonated in music halls across the country, now that spring is near so will be seasonally appropriate music to fill our ears. They say all music is rooted in nature. As Shakespeare put it: “The…

The world is changing and many of us are anxious about these changes. We are used to the familiar and are uncomfortable with change. However, these novel circumstances push us to change, which is ultimately what drives progress and development. For instance, digital technology was not commonplace several decades ago. In fact, people were reluctant…

Still sheltering in place? More time to practice! The last step in the Internalizing Tunes tutorial from Chuck Sher is ‘Internalize the Song.’ Below are 5 steps to help you successfully internalize the song after you have worked on learning the melody, learning the harmony and using the melody’s phrases to create your solos. Step 4:…

We’re back with Step 3 from Chuck Sher’s free tutorial on soloing. Have Step 1 and 2 helped you internalize the tunes? Time to try using the melody’s phrases to create your solos. Step 3: Using the Melody’s Phrases to Create Your Solos Think of (or sing) the melody’s phrases to yourself while you are soloing, but use…

Back in the woodshed? Checkout tips for learning the harmony below. Step 2: LEARNING THE HARMONY 1. Play pieces of the arpeggios of the chords of the song using the full range of your instrument. No set number of bars on each chord here—just play until you are comfortable with each one. 2. Play the…

While we are all sheltering-in-place during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chuck Sher, from www.shermusic.com, has provided us with a free tutorial on woodshedding. He has discovered a very useful process to help with soloing on standard tunes. Give it a try and see what seems useful to you! Step 1: LEARNING THE MELODY 1. Play the melody multiple times.…