Even the bass player and the singer played the fucking guitar - never mind me and Gem. But you know, you've got to give everybody a crack at the whip; otherwise, what's the point of being in a band? "It was kind of nice to do it this way. I did the parts and let them bre...
Give as much intensity as you can to the chords so that it feels almost like a percussion piece (one of my students compared this to “thrash rock” on the piano – a concept I totally love!). I think it’s also great to bring out the form of the blues by dropping down in dynami...
I think the last couple of months I've kind of tapped into how I'll probably write for most of the rest of my life. It's just me and the piano, usually late at night when I can't sleep. I'll sit there and start playing chords and singing random melodies. That's h...
A little back story: My old music friend texted me to see if I like Joan Osborne – “she’s ok” I texted back [that opinion is vastly upgraded!] – I only knew the “one of us” song – which I like — I always feel like a stranger on the bus. He had an extra ticket bec...
Driving Home For Christmas, on the other hand, is a little more complicated primarily because of the number of chords. That said, most of those subtle variations on standard chord that give colour to the song and which – to be honest – make it what it is. Give them both a bash. ...
Part IV: Mastering the Ukulele Fretboard Chapter 11: Learning the Fretboard with Major Scales Chapter 12: Taking On Three Minor Scales Chapter 13: Commanding the Fretboard with Chords Chapter 14: Using Scales to Solo and Improvise Part V: The Part of Tens ...
The vocals on the song 'Natural Blues', for example, are in B flat minor. In B flat minor you can play a variety of chords around it that will reinforce it — A flat major, F sharp major — and that, for me, is the way the songs gets written. In 'Why Does My Heart Feel So...
Blues Aces Session AudioGuru 2 comments Last Friday, we had the awesome opportunity to meet a fairly incredible group of girls. They call themselves The Blue Aces, and after having listened to them strum a few chords, I'd say they've earned their title. Their manager contacted me after he...
The old homestead on the top of the hill had been the spot of some of my more successful paintings last year, so this year I decided to skip it and take another crack at the disappointing panorama. I’m not saying this is my best painting ever. But … it very well might be. I’...
My old computer, a glitchy Mac Pro too old for the company to spend money repairing, still works, but not well enough for the paces I put it through every day. It is, however, perfect for testing. I took a deep breath and braced myself. The conversation I would start with my boss...