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 more reasons to record than not.

• The tape doesn’t lie: Every note, every dynamic, every nuance is going to be on the recording. you can’t ignore it. You can, however, improve upon it.
• A great way to document progress
• You can’t rely on your memory or impression of your practice session:
  • An inflated sense of how well you did can mask the mistakes you did make. Like I said, the tape doesn’t lie.
  • Conversely, maybe you had a bad day and your playing sucks and practice was a waste of time. (I’ve had this happen to me). The next day, I’ll listen to the session and I’m like “wow” that was pretty damn good!
• A repository for song ideas to come back to when you’re stumped

The list can go on and on but the reality is that there isn’t an excuse in the world to not record yourself. I have found that recording for YouTube has been a great way to stay consistent. I have to review each video to cut out what I want to post which means many times over I listen. Just like with the short I posted, I find something to improve upon and/or work on more!

Below is the YouTube Short in question: see if you can spot the anomalies in my thumb

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 Stands by Their Product

I got on D’Addarrio’s web sight and contacted support explaining my issue. Within a few days, they had a replacement sent to me and all I had to do was send the broken one back to them. I was pleasantly surprised because I haven’t had the best of luck with companies and their warranties. Their support person recommended that I register my D’Addarrio gear through the players circle. Reason being, is that it’s easier to get warranty claims resolved.

The new capo has been working great for me so far. I swear that it felt like there was a bit of resistance when tightening the cradle. I was afraid that I was going to go through the freeze up all over again. So I took a drop of WD-40 and put it on the threads and me concerns dissolved instantly.

Final Thoughts on the D’Addarrio Cradle Capo

This is a solid capo that works great and the price is easier to handle than some of the more expensive “boutique” capos. D’Addarrio’s standing by their product and getting me a replacement so fast gives the guitar player some added assurance that they won’t be stuck with broken piece of sh#@.

What capo is your goto?!

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 energy. I’m sure, if my channel gets more popular, I’ll get my fair share of negative comments. But that is a tradeoff I’m willing to make.

The Infamous Thumbs Down

Technically, getting a thumbs down on a post is negative feedback but it’s a right of passage of sorts. I even wrote a tongue and cheek post about receiving my first thumbs down. There are some posts where, I get it. It wasn’t that good and don’t blame them. There are other posts where, I’m like “What the?!?!” Either way, it’s interaction and I’m enjoying it all.

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 can then relax and your shoulder and wrist are happier.

Pros and Cons for the Abel Armerst

• Pro: Durable – made out of fiberglass-reinforced plastic.
• Pro: Easy Installation
  • It attaches using a single adjustment screw, and the contact points are padded with cork or felt so there’s no risk of scratching your finish. The whole thing takes about 30 seconds to put on or take off.
• Pro: Fits easily in my LIttle Jane backpack
• Con: Price and there aren’t any alternatives
• Con: Would like to have a bigger size to have
• Con: Appearence
  • It’s a bit plain/utilitarian looking. So if aesthetics are what you are looking for, this will mostly likely disappoint on that front.
• Con: I wish I would have discovered this when I was still with my band
  • I guess that’s a pro as well.

Overall Impression

If you are having issues with your shoulder or wrist when playing a parlor size guitar or similar, I recommend giving this a try. I find that I’m not contorting my back, shoulders and hand to play properly. I like it so much, I use it on my Larrivee as well. Will most likely get one for it and my Martin but will have to slow play that.

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 of Stone Temple Pilots’ “Plush”.

Keep the shorts short

A mistake that I have made is thinking that the listener will want to watch 40 or 50 seconds of me playing the guitar. It might be good but the attention span of a YouTube swiper is not that long. I’ll be honest, if I see Paul Gilbert shredding up a storm, I’m good for maybe 50 seconds and then I move on. I limit myself to under 20 seconds and it’s even better if its between 12 and 15 seconds. A good example is a video amply named, “Quickest Quick Lick on My Larrivee” It was 8 seconds long, got 1.3K views and some subs.

• If a video is performing well from the start, you can always edit it to be a bit shorter within YouTube Studio. I have done this many times and saved my shorts from having fast death. Instead some ended up with 2k views!

EQ your videos

You might be a great musician but if you don’t clean up the audio, it won’t matter. I’ve went back and listened to some of my early videos and cringe. Sounds muddy and the mids are hiding and can’t be heard. I use VideoMaster for my EQ work. I like it because it lets me import the whole video instead of extracting the audio, EQ, and the sinc it back up with the video. It’s solid and its quick. Make sure to see how it sounds on different speakers. I made the mistake of only doing it on my iphone and my guitar sounded like it was stuck in mud. So just like mastering a CD, you need different speakers to reference.

Use Related Videos and Info Cards to Promote Your Long Form Videos

Shorts will get you subs but they will not get you to monetization unless you are able to go viral many times over. By viral, I mean millions of views. You need 3 million shorts views to qualify for the first tier and 10 million for the second. For a guitar channel, it’s just not realistic. Creating long form is a better investment because those videos will get watched more over time. This will get you to the 3k and 4k hours of viewing for you to monetize. You will get your thousand subs way before you get your views is what I’m seeing.

Good content is still the key

In the end you have to put out quality content. If people like what you are putting out, they will come. For me, I make sure my playing is top notch and I won’t settle for something that is half ass. I wasn’t so picky at first but I’ve learned to hone and polish my content. Almost 300 videos posted and I still have a lot to learn but it’s a lot of fun and can’t wait to post another tomorrow.

500 subs is not too shabby and I’m just getting started. On to the next 500 and start getting more views on the long form.

If you get the chance, please visit my YouTube Channel and subscribe. Every little bit helps!

After about 2 months of working on this arrangment of a Genx\Grunge classic, I finally completed my fingerstyle arrangement of Stone Temple Pilots’ “Plush”. Melody is key when arranging a song for instrumental guitar – need something that is recognizable and memorable. From the iconic guitar intro to Scott Weiland’s melody lines, there is not mistaking Plush for any other song. It must have sounded enough like the original because YouTube flagged me for a copyright violation. I challenged it with the reason of fair use (cover song). We’ll see where that goes. I’ll keep you all posted.

Arrangement Notes:

In case you’re interested, here are some details on the song.

• Key: The original song is in G and I kept it there. I prefer to keep the song in the original key. No particular reason, just a preference. Since I’m not singing there really isn’t a need to transpose.
• Tuning: Standard tuning – I rarely do any alternate tunings besides a drop D; which I feel isn’t an alternate tuning since it’s used so much.
• Form: Kept with the oringal form and didn’t try to change anything about the song. Except making it an instrumental that is.

For my second full arrangement for guitar, I’m quite pleased with this one. It’s fun to play and those who have heard it, seem to dig it. Let me know what you think in the comments or better yet, visit my YouTube channel and give the video a like and subscribe. More content to come and if you have any ideas on what my next arrangement should be, let me know.

At eighty years old (soon to be 81 in may), Bruce Cockburn is still touring and entertaining fans at the ready when he comes to town. Picking from his catalogue spanning over sixty years with 35+ albums to his name, he shows no signs of stopping. Age has caught up with Bruce a bit – back and hands not cooperating due to wear and tear and arthritis. Cdhanging fingerings and tunings Bruce is able to play songs that were once thought to be never played again. His guitar chops have diminished but the lyrics and his voice is as strong as ever.

It’s been over twenty years and countless shows that I’ve seen Bruce play. This one was special; I’ve learned to not take shows like this for granted because you never know. This could be the last Bruce Cockburn show, you never know. Sounds like a dire prediction but one can’t help but think that. WIth that said, I sat in the front row soaking it in and appreciating the music and inspiration that Bruce has provided me over the years.

“Time takes its toll but in my soul I’m on a roll”

Bruce drew heavily from his most recent release, “O Sun, O Moon”. Songs like “Push Comes to Shove”, “Us All” and what I feel is his motto of today, “On a Roll”. There were some deep cuts like “Red Brother, Red Sister” and “Stolen Land”. The fan favorites “Wondering Where the Lions are”, “Call it Democracy and “Pacing the Cage” made there presence known as well.

Two plus hours of time well spent. My cup is full and feel revitalized. Seeing Bruce and live music in general always does that for me. Is it my last Bruce Cockburn concert? Maybe but I wouldn’t bet on it because he’sl is still on a roll.

Bruce Cockburn Concert Setlist: March14, 2026

1st Set:

• Cafe Society 
• Trouble with Normal
• When you give it away
• King of the Bolero
• Push Comes To Shove
• Red Brother Red Sister
• On a Roll
• Waiting For a Miracle

2nd Set:

• Last Night of the World
• 3 Al Purdy’s
• Understanding Nothing
• Call it Democracy
• Stolen Land
• Lovers in a Dangerous Time
• Wondering Where the Lions Are
• When You Arrive
• Tie Me At the Crossroads

Encore

• Pacing The Cage
• Us All

Calling all Gen Exers who loved their hair metal, you will know this song. I loved White Lion (mainly Vito Bratta’s playing) and like every band worth their hairspray, they had their power ballad.

When the Children Cry

You couldn’t turn on MTV or listen to the radio for any extended period of time and not hear this song. Was a popular request from friends when I would break out the guitar. Thirty plus years later, I still knew the chords and lyrics. One day I was playing along with it on Pandora and noticed that the melody was strong enough to maybe be an instrumental. In order to arrange a solo acoustic guitar song, a strong recognizable melody is must.

The beginnings of the arrangement

More noodling away and I had a rough draft; a basic structure of what I wanted this song to be. Keeping it simple and then adding embellishments here and there. The arrangement was coming into focus. Now this was the first time I attempted arranging a complete song so it was slow going. Almost four months of messing around, taking a break, trying different types of fingerings, etc… This song was a ear worm for many weeks after I posted it on my YouTube channel.

Recording and getting the right take

Lots of attempts to record. Many times, I almost had it only to mess up the end and have to start all over. I wanted to get it perfect. But one can find themself never releasing anything because it “wasn’t perfect” Eventually, I did find a suitable take that I liked and uploaded it into the ether. I’m proud to share this with you all and I’m happy with how it turned out.

What’s Next? My next arrangement slated for the next week or so is “Plush” by Stone Temple Pilots. Great song, great melody and really fun to play. Can’t wait for you to hear it.

Related Articles:

• Arranging for fingerstyle guitar.

You’re dedication to the guitar is unmatched. You’ve practiced and practiced; yet it seems like you play the same old lick, the same old song over and over again. You’re time with your instrument is just a waste of time lately. Sound familiar? I’m coming out of a stint where my playing was pissing me off to be honest. I felt stuck and frustrated and when I’m in this state of mind, I am left uninspired and not wanting to pick up this six string addiction. I have found ways to break free from the repetitive guitar playing rut and thought I would share with you and maybe you’ll find them helpful.

Record Your Guitar Playing

This suggestion sounds cliche and it works! I’m going to throw a bit of a curveball here and suggest not to record just the audio but video as well. Why you ask? I have found that seeing me playing the guitar gives me insight on more than just what I’m playing. It’s giving a view of how I’m playing it. Do I look comfortable playing or do I look strange? How’s my posture? Do I look cool? These questions will give you insight and inspiration in your guitar playing.

Grab your phone, record yourself and then get a notebook and take notes. Critique and compliment yourself in the process. You’ll be surprised on what you will get from this. I usually come to find that I’m playing better than what I give myself credit for.

Jam With Pandora and Train Your Ears

Yes, I said Pandora! Yes It’s still a music streaming service and for this purpose my go to. I don’t want you to play along with songs that you know but also with songs you don’t.

• Pick a song on Pandora and seed it with a song/style your like. This will start an interactive playlist where you have to listen and play.
• Play along. Take note of the progression, minor/major and how the melody works with it.
• Do whatever you like but try not to look up the tab because this is to train the ears. If I’m truly stumped, I’ll look up the tab.
• You don’t have to know the song completely. Let the playlist guide you like a teacher would if you were in a lesson. If you like something, make a note and add it to your repertoire.
• Extra Credit: record yourself doing this.

I chose Pandora because in my experience, the song suggestions are more diverse than Spotify. Even though Spotify is the #1 streaming service, their dynamic playlists tend to play songs you have already heard or the same old stuff you already listen to. They goal here is to get outside the box and Spotify really sucks at that.

Walk Away For a Couple of Days

Maybe you’re just burned out and setting down the instrument might be the best choice. When you come back, your head will be fresh and new ideas will come. Take notes mental and physical on what you might like to work on once you get back on the horse. Technique, songs, theory, etc.. You’re hands will also benefit from a rest as well.

Getting out of a playing rut is a frustrating thing to overcome. However, it’s doable and finding ways out of the slump is a good way to improve in the process.

I’ve been playing guitar for close to 40 years and have played many arrangements of popular songs, but I had never fully created my own arrangement until now. The process came naturally once I dove in. The song I chose was White Lion’s “When the Children Cry,” and after many months of working out the arrangement, changing voicings, and practicing it over and over, I finally posted it to my YouTube channel. Along the way, I uncovered some insights about arranging for guitar that I thought I’d share with you.

My Steps in Arranging Songs for Fingerstyle Guitar

1. Know the song forward and backward

• Listen to the piece over and over until you can play the whole song in your head. It helps with arranging/voicing and gives you the ability to work on it without having a playback device with you; you won’t always have your phone handy when inspired.

2. Learn the chords first

• Just stick with the base chords and recognize what they are and where they go in the songs. This is the foundation of your arrangement. Learn the root. Once you know the base chords, then you can move to alternate chords like adding a 6th, 11 or a borrowed chord, etc.. to add some color.

3. Be able to play the melody in more than one way

• This is the essential part of your arrangement so the listener will be able to identify the song. It’s a good idea to learn it in different positions as well; more options for when you bring it all together. Once you are know the melody forward and back, you can then add your own flair to the song and make it your own

4. Mess around and keep it simple at first

• I’ll go through the chords and start to incorporate the melody. Kind of like a jam session of sorts; playing it by ear and along with the original song.
• Playing the melody with only the root of the chord as the accompaniment. Keeps it simple and a good base to build from there.
• Once I get that base I’m happy with, I start building upon it; different chord types, variations on the melodies, etc… I want to make it my own without taking away or losing the vibe of the original. Tommy Emmanuel is the king of arranging a song that you recognize but when he plays, you know it’s him and the song stays true to the original sogwriter.

This is just a small list of what I’ve found useful in tackling guitar arrangements. As I continue developing this skill, my approach will evolve—but the key to creating original arrangements is consistent practice. Arranging is a craft that must be honed and polished over time. I know I’ll look back someday and cringe at my earlier work, but that’s okay—each arrangement represents the best I could do at that moment. Keep playing, and let me know what you’re working on right now!

My First Complete Guitar Arrangement:

No Views on YouTube Short

Posted two guitar shorts on my YouTube Channel and it didn’t get any views after an hour. Rather perplexing and frustrating after all the work I put in to get the video published. This is also rather peculiar because my last 6 or so shorts got well over 1k views and many likes; usually a few hundred views within the first hour.

I waited and waited for the views to come

No need to panic, just gotta trust the algorithm right? After two hours of waiting and worrying, both videos were stuck on a big fat zero. This happened to me before when I first started but hadn’t had to deal with it in a long time. So what did I do in the past?

I downloaded the underperforming videos and immediately reposted. What do you know, both videos are already at 300+ views in about 10 minutes.

What could cause the zero Shorts views?

I haven’t a clue why this happens from time to time and it seems as if no one has an idea of why either. The only common theme in all of this was these YouTube shorts were scheduled and not published immediately. The problem is not consistent but that is the common thread of all my zero viewed videos. So when in doubt, delete and re-upload.

Uploading Video After Video

As of the writing of this post, I have published 157 YouTube shorts and videos; Mostly shorts but at that clip, I’m almost at 200 subscribers which is exciting. In most cases I have posted at least one a day every day for the past 3 months and lately it’s been two or 3 a day. My wife is amazed and wonders how I can keep it up at that clip but honestly it hasn’t been that hard. With 40 years of ideas in my brain that I’m finally able to get out and share with people, the ideas just flow. I usually record me jamming and noodling on the guitar and take the best clips for shorts but I make sure that it’s a quality clip; not mistake free but quality.

My Channel usually gets around 800 to 1k+ of views, 15 to 20 likes and few comments here and there. I feel that they do well on a small channel like mine because it’s authentic and not AI. I’m not miming the guitar playing over a produced track to make it look perfect. The viewers know its a human, a real human playing. I do my best not to upload the same content and by that I mean content that sounds the same. The clips are usually 8 to 20 seconds long. When I first started, the shorter the clip, the better. Now that I have a little bit of a following, I find that I can get away with longer clips from time to time. Longer means, 15 to 30 seconds and 20 seems to be the sweet spot.

Will The YouTube Well Run Dry?

I won’t be able to produce shorts at this clip every day forever. Eventually, I will need to come up with other ideas and guitar arrangements which I have already started. I have a series of videos called “Quick Licks” and “Quick Riffs” where I basically show off. I feel as if that series of videos have taken it’s course and I need to go a new direction which is to start producing long form videos which will be original works, arrangements and content featuring me talking to the camera. That last one makes me nervous but it’s about creating connection with your audience. In the next few months I’m planning to upload at least a new long performance videos it create a nice foundation of videos that have a better chance of being viewed over a course of months or even years instead of the YouTube short one to two days.

If you have visited my Youtube channel, drop a comment and let me know what you think. Ideas and constructive critiques are always welcome.

~Larry AKA “Mac5150”

https://www.youtube.com/@realmac5150

Past Posts About My YouTube Adventure

• You know you’re a GenX guitarist when…
• Furch Little Jane Guitar Review/Demo
• youtube

It’s a grind! That’s what I’ve heard and I’m experiencing just that in getting my YouTube channel back on track. Over a decade ago, I orphaned it, sort to speak and am finally picking it back up. Going to be retiring in the next couple of years so why not focus on my music and have a couple of years to get it going before that happens.

YouTube Shorts Are My Main Source of Content

I have found with my long form videos, I don’t get as many views and in turn, not as many subscribers. My short attention span needs a bit more stimulation and YouTube shorts gives it to me. I’ve created a series of shorts called “QuickLicks” which is me ripping a fast lick in 10 seconds or less. I have found that no matter how good I think the guitar lick is, the shorter the better for retention and subs. This method keeps me engaged and I treat it like a video game to where when I get a sub, it’s like leveling up so I’m always motivated. As of this writing, I have 106 subscriptions on my channel. For context I had 12 4 months ago so I feel like I’ve made some decent progress.

I need to make more long form content to really build my channel

YouTube shorts are good but in no way sustainable. There are only so many guitar licks I can come up with and the well is running dry. PLus to monetize, you have to have over 3 Million views (90 day span) to qualify after you get to a certain level of subs. At about 900/1000 views each short, on average, that’s nearly impossible. So I’m working on the long form videos; mostly covers and some arrangements. I have to buckle down and start recording them.

Why start a Youtube Channel?

Every musician wants there stuff heard, right? I’m no different but I also started it because it holds me accountable to where I’m practicing regularly and learning new stuff every day. Being in a band and working on my channel have been the best tools in my progression as a guitarist. I’m literally leveling up and having a great time at it! So if you’ve come this far in reading this post, please take the time to check my YouTube channel out and subscribe. I can use all the support I can get.

https://www.youtube.com/@realmac5150

Over the course of many months, I’ve been documenting my experience with the Furch Little Jane LJ11-SR travel guitar—from the initial purchase to taking it on countless international and domestic flights. I’m thrilled with the 2k+ investment, and it’s convinced me that a full-sized Furch is next on my list.

Along the way, I’ve created a lot of content about this guitar. So if you’re thinking about buying a Little Jane but need more information before committing, I’ve gathered all my posts and videos in one spot. Check out the links below—they cover everything from sound quality and build to how it handles airport security and cramped airplane cabins.

What are your thoughts on the Little Jane? Let me know in the comments.

*Note: I haven’t any affiliation with Furch in any way. I just really like this guitar.

Little Jane Guitar Blog Posts

• Furch Little Jane Travel Guitar; Should I buy?
• Finally, An Armrest for better guitar ergonomics – Review of an armrest for my Little Jane…
• Furch Little Jane Travel Guitar: Ordered!
• My Little Jane LJ11-SR is Home!!
• Furch Little Jane Guitar Modifications
• Furch Little Jane Goes to Scotland

Demo Videos (shorts)

Check out my YouTube Channel to hear and see the Furch Little Jane in action; new videos being posted all the time.

• Furch Little Jane YouTube demos

It’s highschool, the early 90’s and we have some free time during our music/choir class. My best friend an I would bust out our guitars and jam to whatever we felt like. Some songs were just made up others were the pop songs of the time. I remember playing “Tears in Heaven” quite a bit and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” for my friends. Brings back good memories of my Jr and Sr year in HS. But there was one song that was our the top request, especially the girls. If you played guitar in the early 90’s ,this was a must. Can you guess it?! It’s an essential part of the GenX guitarist repertoire.

As I wrote in the video description, if I had a dollar for everytime…. HA! But not complaining at all. It was a blast and fond memories of my early guitar and musical endeavours.

Question: What GenX classics do you remember that were staples back in the day and what are the “More than Words” songs of today that all guitarists need to know?