Recent Articles
-
Category Archives: The Players Room
Breaking Down the Barriers: The Locrian Mode
Now we come to the end of my series on modes of the major scale, and this is a tough one. The Locrian mode is the least used, and probably the most misunderstood out of all of the modes of … Continue reading
Posted in The Players Room
Tagged Alnico II Pro, bjork, chords, frank gambale, Locrian, Metallica, modes, rush, sabbath, scales
Leave a comment
Cage Match: Cover Bands vs. Original Bands
Ah, it’s an argument guitarists have been having since we started strumming our first G chord: should we learn and continue to play songs we like for fun and money, or should we forge our own path just like our heroes did? Certainly we can debate this in a civil manner, right? Right? Game on! Continue reading
Posted in The Players Room
Tagged '59/Custom, beatles, Classic Stack Plus, Custom 5, fab faux, hybrid, original music, Spinal Tap, tribute
11 Comments
Drum Programming For Guitarists
Once upon a time guitarists had to contend with clumsy drum machines if they wanted to make a demo. Either that or, y’know, learn to play the drums. But sequencers and home studio software have changed all this. Now you can craft passably life-like drums on your laptop while sitting on your butt in your PJs on the couch. Continue reading
Posted in The Players Room
Tagged DIY, Drum Programming, Drumkit From Hell, Guitar Pro, MIDI, Toontrack, Virgil Donati
1 Comment
Three Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Band
Sometimes I think it’s a miracle that any bands succeed at all, given all the things stacked against them. The world can be very unforgiving to music, especially for those of us on the fringes of popularity (or, if you’re … Continue reading
Slap Bass Bassics – The Thumb
Simply put, the thumb in slap bass is the bass drum of the drummers kit. It provides that punch, it gives the rhythmic pulse that everything else is laid upon. It can be as simple or as complex as needed (please remember that comment, and repeat it to yourself a couple more times to let it sink in), but it needs to be solid to keep the beat moving. Anything else and you stand to lose the feel of the groove, which is priority number one as a bassist. Continue reading
Breaking Down the Barriers: The Aeolian Mode
Welcome to the next installment of my series on the modes of the major scale. This is probably the most popular mode, and the one most associated with music we have learned on guitar. The reason being is that the … Continue reading
Posted in The Players Room
Tagged a minor, aeolian, Blues, jimmy page, led zeppelin, modes, scales
Leave a comment
Finding the Right Guitar Teacher
Say you find yourself playing the same things over and over again, or you’re at the beginning and you don’t know where to start. Books, magazines and YouTube are confusing, so you go to seek out someone to make sense of it all. It is time to look for a guitar teacher! Hopefully this article can give you something to consider when choosing someone who can not only show you what you want and need to know, but who can inspire you to create things you never thought you could. Continue reading
Posted in The Players Room
Tagged guitar hero, lessons, notation, piano lessons, tablature, teacher, Yngwie
2 Comments
Cage Match: Standard Notation vs Tablature
In this series of articles, I will attempt to encourage an open dialog about very polarizing viewpoints regarding standard notation verses tablature, but in a more or less positive manner. Some people know only one, some know both. Usually guitarists … Continue reading
Posted in The Players Room
Tagged bach, Guitar World, lute, notation, tab, tablature, Yngwie
26 Comments
Breaking Down the Barriers: The Mixolydian Mode
In the last Breaking Down the Barriers article, I discussed the Lydian, or 4th mode, of the major scale. The Mixolydian mode is a very popular one, so you are bound to hear it more. It sounds great with many … Continue reading
Posted in The Players Room
Tagged 59/Custom Hybrid, iron maiden, Mixolydian, modes, scales, the beatles, the doors
Leave a comment
Buying Used Guitars Online for Fun and Profit
As 2013 begins its inexorable stretch toward the warmer days of Spring, it feels right to talk of new things; of rebirth; of bare-limbed trees emerging with new growth, brown fields awakening with the green hues of renewal, and old … Continue reading
Posted in The Players Room
Tagged adam jones, advice, Bill Kelliher, brent hinds, buying, Etiquette, guitar, Les Paul, les paul custom, mastodon, norlin, norlin-era, rules, selling, shipping damage, shopping, silverburst, tips, tool, travis bean, used, used guitar
1 Comment
