TC Electronic Hall Of Fame Mini Reverb Review
Reverb is one of those effects that works well both subtle and extreme. Sometimes you might want to just add a little space to your guitar signal, and sometimes you might want to play “surf” music or create ambient washes. So you might wonder if a mini reverb pedal can accomplish both subtle and extreme effects well...
TC Electronic Ditto Looper Review
Looping (recording repeating backing tracks to play over) is great for practice and solo live work. There are a multitude of looper pedals now, varying in complexity, but sometimes simple is best. TC Electronic’s Ditto Looper falls in the simple category...
Old Song Remembered
A song I wrote about 30 years ago, and haven't played in years, popped into my head today. I thought, "I wonder if I remember how to play it." So I grabbed my old acoustic guitar...
Download My Kind Of Jazz Album For Free On Noisetrade
I have been recording and releasing original jazz songs on this website for a while. Now I have collected all nine of them together into an album and made it available for free on Noisetrade.
Quick Pick Trick
Here is easy pick trick I do when playing jazz, but it will work for any style of music. I normally use Fender Medium picks when I play with a pick...
And So It Began
When I was a kid I heard a guy make cool sounds using wood and steel. And I liked it. So I decided to become one of those guys.
Too Good For Your Own Good?
The passing of Alan Holdsworth has me thinking about “virtuoso” guitarists. If you have never heard of Alan Holdsworth, that is my point. Although he was a highly skilled player with amazing technique and was highly respected by professional musicians, outside of guitar players, fusion, and prog rock circles I doubt many people know him. It’s a common sad story that...
Earliest Musical Memories
When I was a little kid my family and I would walk up to the small church on the corner on Sunday nights. And sit on really hard wooden pews. And sometimes a huge bus would pull up and park in the church driveway, and a singing group would come out of the bus and give a concert. And I would like that a lot, especially if the music was lively...
New "My Kind Of Jazz" Song Posted - City 3
I have posted my latest recording for my "My Kind Of Jazz" song demo album. It is a jazz song called “City 3.” It is the third version of this song. But the first one recorded. This time I tried it with horns. I hope you enjoy it. You can find it on the Media page.
RocknRoller Multi-Cart R2RT Micro Review
Electric guitar players typically have a lot of gear. Guitars, amps, pedals, pedalboards, stands, etc. Which is great when you are playing at home. But it less than great when have to move a lot of it. If you play in a band or with friends, you know what a hassle it can be to haul everything around...
New "My Kind Of Jazz" Song Added - "Here In This Moment"
One of my hopes for 2107 is to write and record more music. So here is my first offering for 2017, called Here In This Moment. You can listen to it on the Media page.
It Makes Me Wonder
Because I occasionally buy guitar supplies online, I end up seeing online advertising for gaudy t-shirts that are a variation on the theme “I’m cool because I play guitar.” My friends and family already know I play guitar. And they know I’m not cool. So who is this t-shirt message for? If I walk into...
Line 6 Spider V 30 Review
I am a musician and guitar teacher, and have been using Spider IV 15 amps for teaching guitar for seven years. They are good teaching/practice amps. They are easy to use, have four good sounding amp models, built in effects, and a low price. All good things for a musician/teacher teaching a wide variety of musical styles. So I was naturally interested when the Spider V 30 was released. Here is my review.
Music To Change Strings By
When you have to change your guitar strings on chilly afternoon The Best of Simon & Garfunkel makes the job a little less tedious.
AmpClamp S Series Review
One thing is fairly certain for many gigging guitar players. There is never enough room on stage. I have intentionally made my rig as compact as possible for just this reason. I use a...
Jazz Band Update
I started to start a jazz band back in August. My idea was a little untraditional. Instead of a standard fixed line up for the band, I decided I wanted to have a “collective” of musicians who could play whenever they are available. There were good reasons for this...
Guitar Naming Laziness
Why do so many guitar companies use letter/number combinations to name their guitars? Is it laziness? Is it easier to fit letter/number combinations on their spreadsheets?...
Shubb Deluxe Capo Review
Over the years, Capos have seen dramatic improvements. Gone are the days of loose-fitting elastic bands and the screw-on plastic monsters that we used back in the 70’s. Most capos are now both quick and easy to use. One of the first “new generation” capos was the...
Songs Worth Learning - 23
Soul Man - Sam & Dave
Some guitar players have an instantly recognizable style of playing. Steve Cropper is one of those players. As a member of STAX record label house band, he added his distinctive style to many soul and R&B hits.