Live-streaming has opened new opportunities for many musicians. It has also created new categories of challenges. These prep and performance tips can make your Zoom gigs the best they can be. Read the post.
There are many kinds of ninth chords, and they can be used in different ways. This post explores different kinds of ninth chords and how you can use them, with plenty of examples of their use in popular music. Read the post.
Jazz musicians know and integrate substitution chords on a regular basis, but musicians who play other genres of music can also employ this concept to great effect. Read the post.
When you’re planning for a big gig, use these strategies to prepare and practice so you play, perform, stream, and record with success. Read the post.
Don’t get stuck in a rut while you’re stuck at home. Do something productive for your music career every day and let your fans hear from you. Here are some ideas to get you started. Read the post.
While we’re navigating the current stay-at-home lifestyle — which means a moratorium on most everything that goes along with being an active musician — there are a number of activities you can engage in to help advance your music career. Read the post.
“The Happy Song” is music that is scientifically engineered to make a baby happy. Is it freaky mind control or brilliant use of resources? Or a bit of both? Read the post.
For musicians who were the originators of the “gig” economy, music gigs, music lessons, and merch sales are not the income drivers they were just weeks ago. Read the post.
Blind musician and motivational speaker Joey Stuckey is proof that following the four pillars of success can help you overcome whatever obstacles are in your way. Read the post.
While it might be impossible to play EVERY style of music there is, you can gain confidence, experience, and new ideas playing in musical genres outside of your regular routine. Read the post.
When I had the opportunity to be playing at Carnegie Hall with the great Wouter Kellerman, I had to say yes. With the gig five days away, thoughtful, strategic practicing helped get the music where it needed to be in a short amount of time. Read the post.
Growth as a musician requires a practical approach, which can include the use of programs and apps to help organize and incentivize deliberate practice sessions. Read the post.
If earning a living as a professional guitar player is your dream, it means establishing a stable and regular income, probably from multiple sources. Read the post.
Not all these songwriting tips deal with the minutes and hours you’ll spend with your instrument in your hand, but that’s partly the point… your life outside your music studio should be rich and inspiring so that the music you create is too. Read the post.
The first of a two-part series explores how taking time to learn another instrument will help you become stronger at your first instrument and improve your songwriting chops. Read the post.