I’m going to be doing quite a bit of traveling this summer and I don’t leave without a guitar. For past trips, I have outfitted my Larrivee OM with a Calton case and I’ve never been scared that my guitar would end up in pieces. Been to Alaska for two tours with my band, trips to California a and Oregon. My Calton case was a smart investment but the tradeoff with a sturdy Calton case is the weight and size. It’s quite heavy and tough to lug around the airport and small rental vehicles. My wife and I will be traveling to Scotland this summer and I’m looking to keep it light so no Larrivee but I still need something to play on the trip. Furch Little Jane Travel Guitar In my quest for a guitar to take to Scotland, I stumbled upon the Furch “Little Jane” travel guitar and I have to say I’m intrigued. A solid wood acoustic guitar that can be taken apart and put in a backpack that fits in the overhead compartment of an airplane. Yes Please! I’ve checked out youtube videos and been on forums and the overall consensus is that this is a …
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It’s that time of year again! The time where all the guitar manufacturers and musical instrument dealers have sweepstakes for us to enter! I can tell you I have entered to win a Breedlove, Gibson, sweetwater, Adams Audio, Yamaha, Rattlesnake Cables… You name it, I’ve entered. Have I won? Well, I’ve won a lot of email in my inbox but that’s OK, can unsubscribe pretty easiliy. Why Bother Many say, “why even try, I never win” and I get it but what the hell. I haven’t won either but it only takes one time. My question to you is have you won? Do you know anyone that has one something pretty cool in the musical instrument realm. I figure, I’m due so why the hell not. I’ll keep you posted if I land something! Lemme know if you have won, want to hear about some good news!
Can’t Remember? I’ve heard and read many artists state that some of the best performances that they have given were ones that can’t even remember. By this, I mean they give into the music/performance and go into a sort of trance, I guess you can say. I’ve seen this in many guitarists that I admire from Eddie Van Halen to Bruce Cockburn and the result is usually a performance that strikes awe in my heart. I say to myself, “how can I play like that?” Let the music take control: I’ll be honest, this is something that I still struggle with. Two reasons: 1. I want to remember my performance so I actively think about it while playing. This hinders me because then my mind isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do; play the guitar. The outcome is that I will either have a brain freeze and forget a passage or my playing because sloppy. Either way, it’s a performance that I would rather forget rather than remember.2. I want it to be perfect so I over think and critique myself as I play. Same result as above. Play For Yourself: Why is it that when we practice, we are …
Been Distracted: If you have followed Guitar Musings in the past, you have probably stopped reading the blog because there hasn’t been a post in months. This has been for a number of reasons; some personal and others professional. Anyway, I’m trying to get myself back on track; with my playing and my writing. Surround Yourself: I have found that, even though I play for many hours, I don’t practice. I’m just noodling on the guitar but not learning or polishing my craft. Some of that has to do with me being a bit lazy/uninspired and not knowing what to do. That is why I signed up for lessons with a local teacher and am completely excited for my first lesson. I have heard great entrepreneurs say that if you want to keep the energy of your new venture going, surround yourself with other entrepreneurs. Doing this will keep the energy up and you will be more likely to succeed. I’m doing the same by surrounding myself with other guitar players. Just the thought of playing on a regular basis has gotten my creative juices flowing. I can’t wait. Are you surrounding yourself with other players to keep you going? …
Hola music fans, So everyone keeps asking me how the Guitar Contest went. In a nutshell, it was mixed. I did everything exactly the way I wanted to. I made some contacts, met some stars, I turned in a performance that the crowd got into, and I distributed over 600 copies of my CD to guitar fans. The one bad part was that while the judges all agreed that I had the chops (“I’d have to practice for 100 years to get those kind of chops” – Earl Slick) , they weren’t quite ready for the intensity. Their critiques sounded like something my parents would have said (which I’m actually OK with, rock and roll ain’t for the parents). So needless to say I didn’t win the contest. But I accomplished what I set out to do and made a splash. To quote the editor of Guitar Player Magazine – “Yours will be the most watched video from the contest once we post them on Youtube.” Here’s a video my wife shot of my performance. For the record – Judges: Earl Slick (David Bowie guitarist) Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson guitarist) Elliot Easton (The Cars guitarist) Steve Lukather (Toto guitarist) Greg …
