A lot of people play guitar or piano or sing, but don't really consider recording themselves because they don't know how. The recording world is very mysterious to those who aren't in it. But it's actually pretty easy to set up your computer into a sweet recording studio. Recording stuff can be incredibly fun if you take the time to get s

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Recently I came across a blog post that talks about using Facebook as a marketing tool for your band. I agree with some of what the blog post says, but there are also some things that they mention that didn’t work. The thing is, I believe that wit

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This is a blog I wrote about building up the nerve to write music. I know many musicians and non-musicians who would like to compose music but won't because they think they can't. I still don't know much about music theory and I've made about 50 songs of my own. There isn't any secret knowledge required to make your own music; all you ha

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It's easy to say that there is nothing original left in the music world. But just with a couple of simple observations, one can see the infinite potential that lies in songwriting. Things like arranging two different melodies together, writing different lyrics to similar melodies, or simply modifying a single note can add a wo

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Picking out a new instrument when you're just starting out can be daunting. What if you spend all this money on some nice item and then find you hate playing it a few months later? I had this problem a while back and didn't know where to start. This is the guide I wished I had several years ago. It talks about the advantages and disadvantag

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Though this article is written primarily for musicians, the lessons can apply to anyone looking for more creative inspiration. There's a myth that says you can't turn on creativity like a faucet, but anyone who says that has no idea about human potential. There are ways you can develop your own creativity so that inspiration

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We feel relatively comfortable now playing a right handed guitar left handed and holding the guitar. We can make the major chords A, B, C, D, E, F and G with the right hand. What about the left hand? How do I hold the pick? What type of strumming technique do I use? There is no particular technique, and I have never seen any pa

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Left handed guitar player/ How to play a left handed guitar right handed is a musicians blog written by singer/songwriter/guitarist Ben Willis. Ben is a left handed guitar player who has been playing a right handed guitar left handed and upside down for the past twenty nine years.
Left handed guitar player/ How to play a right

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In my first article we discussed how as a left handed person I came to play the guitar in an unorthodox manner by flipping over a right handed guitar and playing it backwards. This was done not to be different but out of necessity because I had to borrow someone else's guitar at the time so I couldn't restring it. Now I will

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Andy McKee is a fantastic guitarist and plays in a very unique style. Since he plays his guitar so differently, I believe he is indirectly contributing to the invention of a new musical instrument. Just as almost every other instrument represents an evolutionary change from a previous one, Andy's guitar style has the potential

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Everyone loves Guitar Hero, and everyone secretly hopes that Guitar Hero skills translate to actual music skills. Most musicians will tell you that they don't really apply, but I wanted to do more research on the more subtle parts of music performance. I learned about sight reading, eye movement, short-term memory and muscle c

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Being a left handed musician I have accepted the fact that musical instruments especially the guitar are designed for the right handed player. Everyday tools and conveniences are designed and built with no regard to lefties such as power saws, water fountains, pay phones and even fire arms. The list goes on.
When I was around

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Should I play a right handed guitar? I can't answer that question. That is up to you. All I can do is offer my experience with playing a right handed guitar. Why would you want to when you are left handed? I explained earlier that my reason was economic. When I was learning I had to borrow someone else's guitar because I coul

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In the Nashville music industry there is one position that is arguably the most crucial to the success of the business as a whole: the songplugger. Most songwriters and publishers depend on the plugger to pitch their songs, and the artists and record labels look to the plugger to bring them the hits they need for their artists.

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In your music writing or creative work, there are probably many little routine things that you do all the time that happen to be slow and inefficient. Often you won't bother to fix these things because it doesn't seem worth it. Well, seriously, by eliminating annoyances you may be opening up more energy than you think for you

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Everyone loves listening to music, and folks usually listen to favorites to a point where they've memorized not merely the song, but each individual part as well. But by listening intelligently, you can understand the difference between a well made song and a mediocre one, or a well-produced album from an amateur one. You'll

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Penn undergrad Nikhil Dhingra is quite the latest find when it comes to young talented musicians. Nikhil has performed at many venues in Downtown Dallas and Philadelphia including Club Dada, The Door, Legacy Shops, World Cafe Live, and