Find new ways to stretch your musical limits and develop a creative routine
Choosing to turn your creativity into a regular routine can help you stretch your limits, sharpen your skills, and open the door for new career opportunities.
Choosing to turn your creativity into a regular routine can help you stretch your limits, sharpen your skills, and open the door for new career opportunities.
Band rehearsals are part of playing live music, and there are things you can do to ensure you’re making the most of your time. I’ve got 11 tips to get you on the right track. Read the post.
The symphonic metal mashup of “Carol of the Bells” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” holds lessons that can elevate music of any genre. Read the post
While Nashville tuning uses the same notes as a standard guitar tuning, used by itself and in layers with other guitars, this tuning can bring an articulate presence to a recording. Read the post.
Interpreting pop songs as instrumental covers can be a challenge. Here are tips to take your musical transformations in exciting directions. Read the post.
Eleventh chords can provide lush texture to your songs, but they can be confusing. We’ve got charts and real-world examples to help you better understand these extended chords. Read the post.
The flat-six chord can add drama to your music, and with some exceptions, is best used sparingly in your songwriting. Read the post.
Sixth chords have an inherent lack of identity and purpose that can be riveting — a sixth chord can provide ambiguity, set curiously dark moods, and add a layer of complexity to your music. 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.
McCoy Tyner, a giant of jazz piano, embodied powerful lessons that music-makers of any sort can learn from. Read the post.
LA Philharmonic’s Gustavo Dudamel embodies principles and practices that will benefit music-makers of any style and genre. 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 you take the stage, the music comes first — but wearing the right outfit can play a small (or not so small) part in helping you give a performance your music deserves. 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.