To Tour Or Not To Tour…That Is The Question!
It’s every musician's fantasy. The tour bus rolls up to the arena (full of groupies, beer and pizza). Fans are crowded out front hoping to catch a glimpse of America’s hottest band. The group is escorted to their dressing room (full of more groupies, beer and pizza). They enjoy the various pleasures of stardom while…
Studio Singing and Vocal Technique
As a singer, one of the biggest allies in your singing career will be your ability to perform well and do it with consistency in the studio.
The Pursuit of the Record Deal
Do you want a successful, stable and rewarding career as a professional musician? Would you like to know exactly what record companies, producers, and management companies are looking for when seeking out new artists? There are many great musicians who are not able to build a successful career in music because they do not know…
Why Haven’t You Reached Your Music Career Goals?
Seems like a simple enough question, but can you answer it?
Singing And Studio Work
When you've been around the music business as long as I have, one thing you can count on, the vast majority of demos that you receive on a regular basis are second rate. First rate, knock their socks off demos are incredibly rare. There are plenty of "good" demos out there, but the "I've got…
The Best Guitarist Ever?
Electric Guitar Heroes Who is the best guitarist? If you ask most non guitarists, you're likely to hear the standard answers like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page or Eddie Van-Halen. Truth is, all of these are correct and none of them are correct. Everyone has an opinion here and they all think theirs is the correct…
Ted Nugent – The Motor City Madman Returns To The Stage
If you like pure, unadulterated, in-your-face rock and roll, then you're probably familiar with Ted Nugent. His style is truly unique, and he makes no apologies for who he is or how he plays his guitar. His true-to-self persona has attracted millions of fans around the world, and Nugent is going to be thrilling packed…
Want to Become a Professional Musician?…Start Here.
Why so many good musicians struggle to begin their music career. If you are like most people who want a career as a professional musician, the first question you ask is probably, "What do I have to do?" You ask this because you are not sure what you need to do first, second, third, etc.…
Radio Play: Will Topping The Charts Make You Bigger Than Elvis?
Every true life rock ‘n’ roll television melodrama has the same scene: the unknown artist/band gives their freshly cut 45rpm single to the local disc jockey. He spins it on his top 40 radio show…and a star is born. This legend has been passed down through the generations of wannabe popstars like an ancient family…
Opening Acts!…Does Playing Before A Rock Star Make You One?
It's the dream of many a musician to open up for either: their favorite band or the favorite band of their childhood. For many, the ultimate in true rock star status is to share a stage with the musicians who made you want to play music in the first place…to see you name in lights…
Taking Your Guitar Technique To The Next Level Using a Metronome to Develop Speed
If you are not yet playing guitar at the level you desire, this can be due to a variety of causes. Certainly, there are many skills that need to be learned before one can become a good or great musician. From these skills, I want to focus on technique in this article. Physical technique serves…
Improving Your Phrasing—part I
Many times you will hear or read about professional guitar players talking about the elusive topic of phrasing. Guitar teachers talk about it in their lessons and books. We hear about how important it is to have good phrasing and to spend time working on it. Well, what the heck is phrasing anyway? And, if…
Vibrato Control
Vibrato is one of the most, if not the most, expressive tools that we guitarists have in our arsenal of techniques. Continuous musical phrases without the potent thrill of vibrato sound less dramatic than phrases with the right vibrato used in the right places and situations. Classical singers spend many years and a lot of…
How To Practice Guitar With A Limited Amount Of Time
Do you struggle with not having enough time to practice guitar? Are you unsure about what things to practice within this very limited amount of time?
Songwriting – Part 3
Song writing seems to be something many musicians never really get around to understanding very well. If you're serious about making a living in music, a strong understanding of song writing is something you will definitely benefit from.
Practicing Guitar: Self Discipline or Fun?
Do you find it difficult to fully enjoy the process of highly disciplined practicing? Most guitarists either have lots of fun practicing, but are not highly disciplined, or try to be very disciplined, but find it boring or unfulfilling when they do so. So most people make a (conscious or unconscious) choice to sacrifice ‘fun’…
