Category: Instruction

5 Instagram Guitarists You Need To Follow

 

Few mediums have been as entraining and enlightening for musicians as the internet. The access to sheet music, video tutorials, and countless recordings are all at your fingertips. While YouTube remains both entertaining and helpful, Instagram has really become a valuable platform for guitarists, regardless of wether you are sharing content or gleaning some inspiration from others. The tight time limitation of Instagram is perfect for readily digestible and motivation guitar nuggets. In no particular order, here are five accounts you should be following.

1. ProGuitar | proguitarofficial

Curated by Swedish finger style wizard Emil Ernebro (@emilernebroguitar), this account offers clear, concise, useful, and oh-so-tasty guitar licks that work well in country, jazz, and blues settings, but can easily be worked into any idiom. Beyond the fantastic playing, Emil’s earnest and genuine interest in sharing his craft is inspiring.

2. Josh Meader | joshmeader22

Personally, I love guitar players that don’t play like a “typical” guitar player, but rather they make their guitars sound like horns or pianos. Josh’s effortless playing and flawless transcription of sophisticated horn solos is truly remarkable.

3. Jack Ruch | @jackruchguitar

Jack Ruch has chops, but more importantly he has taste. Everything Jack plays is musical, lyrical, and honest. It’s important to find your own voice as a musician, and it’s clear that Jack has found his. I am consistently delighted by his blues, jazz, and soul playing.

4. Jens Larson | jenslarsenjazz

Beyond being a highly proficient guitar player, Jens is wildly prolific. Nearly every day he posts a like complete with harmonic analysis. If you are an aspiring jazz guitar player, or simply desire a more sophisticated understanding of the instrument, follow Jens. Bonus: his YouTube videos are fantastic, and highly informative.

5. Soundslice | soundslice_music

Last but certainly not least, Soundslice is a must for all musicians. The platform combines traditional notation, tablature, audio, and video. The musical transcriptions are crowd sourced and distributed amongst theirs users and subscribers. You can find highly accurate transcriptions of the classics, as well as original collaborations by musicians from opposite sides of the globe.

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Switching from Electric Bass to Upright Bass

Maybe you’re a seasoned veteran of the electric bass, or perhaps you’ve been at it just long enough to get your feet under you. Or maybe you’re a guitarist who can function on electric bass but you feel bewildered of where to start on upright bass. For me, I played guitar, then learned electric bass, then through exposure to more kinds of music, fell in love with the sound of upright bass. So I rented an instrument with an option to buy and got started. Boy did I have a lot to learn! I remember sitting with a tuner and trying to find each note on the neck because… well, there’s no frets!!! It’s true that the upright bass can be a daunting instrument to tackle. However, my 10+ years of experience have helped me gain some insight that will help those just beginning the rewarding journey of learning upright bass. Here are some starters to get you going.

Continue reading “Switching from Electric Bass to Upright Bass”

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Drop 2 Chords

Drop 2 chords: A Crash Course

The world of harmony is a vast and beautiful place, with nearly limitless possibilities to explore; one is only limited by their creativity and their ear’s ability. Many players often ask themselves where to start on their chordal journey. You’ve got that G and C chord under your fingers and you know there must be more out there. But where? Drop 2 chords are the perfect place to start.

Let’s forgo the explanation about the naming convention and construction of these chords, as that information is detailed in the video.

Let’s talk about why these chords are important. Drop 2 cords allow you to easily play chord inversions, or the order of notes within the chord itself. Do you want to have a certain chord tone in the bass? How about the melody? No problem – just use the desired inversion. This concept is critical for chord-melody playing.

Secondly, drop 2 chords are incredibly efficient because the use four adjacent strings (1 through 4, 2 through 5, or 3 through 6), making them ideal for rhythm playing all over the neck.

Develop your ear & your understanding of the guitar fretboard

Lastly, drop 2 chords are important because they develop your ear and your understanding of the fretboard. Soon you’ll be to hear different chord inversions and know all of the notes in that chord regardless of string set or position. As such, modify the notes of a single chord allow you to quickly create all chord qualities (major, dominant, minor, diminished, etc.).

What are you waiting for? Grab your guitar and start exploring this important concept. Have fun! For more information about Drop 2 Chords, guitar lessons in our Nashville studio or online lessons, please contact me at [email protected]

Thanks,  Sam

Nashville guitar lessons, drop 2 chords

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Aging and Music

We’ve all heard the phrase, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but at Green Hills Guitar Studio, that’s exactly what we do.

The myth that older adults are incapable of learning new skills is just that…A MYTH. Although scientists once believed that after a certain age your brain was incapable of growing and absorbing new information, a new discovery called Neuroplasticity proves that adult brains are way more resilient and savvy than previously thought. Continue reading “Aging and Music”

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The Benefits of Piano: A Starter Instrument

So, your child wants to start music lessons. Well, one of the very first steps is simply picking an instrument. While there’s no wrong choice when it comes to playing music, there are different advantages to playing various instruments, especially as a beginner. And if you aren’t quite sure where to start, the piano is a great first option. Continue reading “The Benefits of Piano: A Starter Instrument”

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Vocal Coach on Musical Self-Criticism and Judgement

voice instructor in Nashville

I am very excited to have Nashville vocal coach Jaime Babbitt joining us at Green Hills Guitar Studio.  Aside from being a really great human being, Jaime is a songwriter, a very experienced singer, an in-demand vocal instructor, speaker and recent author with her book, Working With Your Voice, published by Alfred in 2011. Continue reading “Vocal Coach on Musical Self-Criticism and Judgement”

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What to Look for in A Guitar Instructor

In my last post, I talked about what you need to know about yourself before looking for a guitar instructor. In this post I would like to share some thoughts on what to look for in your guitar instructor. This applies whether you are looking to study guitar in your home town or seek guitar instruction online. Continue reading “What to Look for in A Guitar Instructor”

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