I uploaded a YouTube short to my channel the other day… It’s a bluesy solo over a constant drone of the E string with my thumb. The key is to hold that beat with your thumb; every quarter note needs to be represented. I was pretty happy (and still is) about my playing. The thumb/beat was solid and the solo stayed within the beat. I listened a little closer As I was uploading the short, I watched it one more time watching the thumb. What do you know? There were some pauses in my playing that I was sure didn’t exist. I’ve worked for years and years to get that thumb consistent and independent but sometimes one falls back into old patterns.. You gotta record yourself I make it a habit to record myself quite a bit and this is why. We have plenty of resources so there isn’t an excuse to not record yourself. You can make up excuses like I did to not record like “It’s too much to organize after awhile” “I don’t have the time to listen” ” I don’t like hearing or watching me play” . The list goes on and on but there are …
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D’Addario Cradle Guitar Capo: My Personal Experience. Affordable and worth a look.
by Larry
written by Larry
I saw an advertisement, on Instagram, for the capo Billy Strings uses; it looked pretty nifty. Since I had an capo failure during a past performance, I thought I would look into maybe getting one. Turns out these Elliot ‘Elite’ capos are $200+ dollars each. I’m sure they are great, well made capos but I don’t have Billy Strings money so I needed an alternative. D’Addarrio Cradle Capo The D’Addario version of a cradle type capo, much like the Elliot’s, except a price that I could stomach($50/60). It was delivered and I used it on my next gig. Worked well and I feel that the intonation was better than my Kyser. But the tradeoff is that the cradle capo takes more time to get on the guitar and adjusted. There was a problem…. After about a month of use, I started to see that the screw I used to tighten the cradle wasn’t rotating well. I could still use it but it didn’t feel right. After a few weeks, the screw was pretty much stuck in place. I figure that the threads were crossed and eventually seized after a while. I had a capo that was useless to me. D’Addarrio …
One Year on YouTube: I Came Prepared for Trolls and Got a Supportive Community Instead
by Larry
written by Larry
There’s a video of Nuno Bettencourt where he asks the crowd something like, “how many guitarist out here”. Of course there is a loud cheer and he was all “ah i get it”… “you all are saying to yourself, ‘I can play that better.’” A funny joke and so true in guitar circles. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard guitarists talk smack about other players. A petty competitiveness that’s just part of the culture and I have to admit that I have participated from time to time. YouTube Channel and TikTok Surprises It’s been a year since I resurrected my YouTube channel, I’ve posted almost 300 videos. I was certain that the internet crossed with that guitarist sh@t talk, I would get some interesting comments. However, I’m pleasantly surprised how nice everyone has been. I was expecting a few cynical or negative comments but all I’ve received 100 percent positive posts; minus the bot comments…. “The idea is top notch This deserves recognition.” Makes no sense on a music post. SMH TikTok, where there are countless trolls, I have received nothing but positive feedback. It’s refreshing and nice to see that the internet isn’t completely full of negative …
I love my Furch LIttle Jane! It’s the perfect travel companion and I will not board a plane without it. How it folds up into a backpack and fits in the overhead compartment is a revelation! One issue I have discovered is that the small form factor of the guitar means a small lower bout. Guitar Ergonomics There is not enough guitar to comfortably rest my forearm when fingerpicking. My wrist bends at an awkward angle, I feel the strain creeping up into my shoulder and wrist when playing for a long period. I’ve went as far as placing a throw pillow on the guitar to get more support but it’s awkward and not a sustainable solution. Enter the Abel Armrest I found the Able Armrest from stringsbymail.com and it’s the only one of its kind, as far as I can tell. Imported from Germany, this device comes at a hefty price ($89.99). The concept is simple: it extends the edge of the guitar outward and slightly upward, giving your forearm a more natural, level surface to rest on. Instead of your arm digging into the sharp edge of the guitar’s side, it floats comfortably on a contoured platform. You …
March, 2025 I posted my first YouTube short demonstrating my new Furch Little Jane guitar. I was testing the waters to see how to do this. I’ve made a few videos here and there but never really went all in. I posted a short here and there after the March post and started getting the hang of it. Late summer, I was on a mission and I posted one short every day for about 4 months. Sometimes it would be two or three videos. I was absolutely obsessed with getting content made. Funny thing was that it has never felt like work. I’ve enjoyed it immensely and still do. Here are some of the insights that I have gained from developing my YouTube channel. Playing Covers is Still King The same rules apply to YouTube as they do when playing live. If you want people to listen to your original music, you need to get their attention with a solid cover song. My best performing videos are covers and the compromise is that I make it my own. How? Many of my covers are of 80’s/90’s rock/metal songs but I do them on the acoustic. One example is my arrangement …
