Improving Improv Melody

Oct 13, 2022 | General, Uncategorized

Improving Improv Melody How did it take me so long? I recently had a breakthrough while working on improving improv melody. It feels a bit like finally finding the clutch in a manual car after being stuck in first gear. This whole time I knew there was a way to shift...

Circles – Post Malone – Song Breakdown

Oct 10, 2022 | Song Breakdowns

Transcribing Notes From John Neil (Head Transcriber) – Breaking Down – Circles by Post Malone A few general things: In every 4th measure, there is some sort of F chord, sometimes definitely major, sometimes, kind of minor, though the vocals sing an A...

Reflections – What Did I Do This Week?

Oct 7, 2022 | General

Reflections – What Did I Do This Week? Doing a weekly “What did I do this Week” blog has helped me reflect on my daily progress, which this week, wasn’t much. But I do think it would be a great time to reflect on why “Music By The...

Be a Drummer, Seriously

Oct 5, 2022 | Drums, General, Guitar

Be a Drummer Seriously, just do it. It’s just one of those simple facts of life that everyone plays guitar. If you need a great guitarist, chances are you’ll have more applicants for the position than you can handle. Like a colony of ants that is mostly...

“It’s ok to say no”

Sep 30, 2022 | General

What did I do this week? #3 And “It’s ok to say no” “It’s ok to say no”, was something that played in my mind most of this week. Along with “if I say “yes” to something Im saying “no” to something else. Do that for a week; let it guide your decision-making process, it...

Slide Guitar, Oh Man

Sep 28, 2022 | Guitar

Playing Slide Guitar, Oh Man. An audition and… slide guitar. Like, a lot of slide guitar. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against slide guitar. I greatly enjoy a competent player. For me the emotion a slide guitarist can express is perhaps the...

Dreams – Fleetwood Mac – Song Breakdown

Sep 26, 2022 | Song Breakdowns

Transcribing Notes From John Neil (Head Transcriber) Melody A nice song about a pending breakup, which is most likely Lindsay Buckingham (guitarist) breaking up with Stevie Nicks (singer and songwriter), while they continue to be in the same band. The vocal range is...

Music Can be Cooking up Something Good

Sep 23, 2022 | General

What did I do this week? #2 Music can be cooking up something good Have you ever cooked a great meal, something from scratch, something that you really poured your heart into? When the cooking is all done, and you’ve enjoyed the meal with friends and family, someone...

Get Yourself Out There

Sep 21, 2022 | General

Getting yourself out there makes the difference. Pro or Amateur? What makes someone a professional musician? Is it being a virtuoso, playing in a dingy bar, or traveling the country on a tour bus and hitting stadiums? The line between amateur and pro can seem fuzzy at...

Born to Be Wild – Steppenwolf – Song Breakdown

Sep 19, 2022 | Song Breakdowns

Transcribing Notes From John Neil (Head Transcriber) Believe it or not, this song was originally written as a ballad. It certainly didn’t end up as one. It’s also believed to be the first use of the term “heavy metal”, from verse 2, which is describing a motorcycle....