COULD YOU BE THE NEXT AMERICAN IDOL?

Do You ever dream of being the next American Idol? What does it really take anyway?

The tv show by that name seems to make it look pretty easy sometimes. Lots of copy-cat artists, but very little original content. Oh, I admit, there are times when I’m impressed with the vocal skills of an artist. But sometimes the so called “talent” on the show is downright bad. It’s even more amazing when these poor to average contestants move ahead in the competition. How do they do it?

Perhaps it’s all in the way the product is packaged- hype might be a better name for it. Jaci Rae, author of The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing, and Money made this point clear when she said:

“A rock packaged and sold as a rock, is just a rock. But a rock packaged and marketed as a friend, becomes a cultural phenomenon.”

Sad, but true. However, there is an important lesson to be learned here. People are emotional beings. Therefore, they will respond either positively or negatively to the image you present. Fortunately, this is something you have a measure of control over. Consider the kind of impression you are making. How do people react when they see you? What do they say?

By learning how to communicate more effectively with your audience, both visually and musically, you can gain an edge over the competition.

Do you need a makeover?

Learn more about the music business by clicking here.

Till next time…

Keep practicing!

guitarcoach

Free Guitar Tips

GET YOUR MUSIC HEARD

If you are a guitar teacher or indie musician like myself, then you have probably entertained thoughts of building your own website someday. It’s nice to dream about the possiblilty of getting your music heard by millions of people, or earning an income online, isn’t it? But perhaps you quickly gave up the idea because you see yourself as an artist, not a “techi” person. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel!

However, I’m living proof that it is possible! It was only a short time ago when I was in your shoes and knew nothing about building a website. But I’m glad I didn’t let fear stand in my way.  My site, ABC Learn Guitar.com,   gave me the opportunity to have two of my songs played on tv!  I simply used the point and click tools provided by Site Build It to make it happen.

The good news is that SBI is currently offering a…

$100 Summer Sandals Special!

From now until midnight June 21, you can get in on the special that is “hotter than summer itself.”

Those who use SBI to build their website enjoy…

UNmatched “Top 1%” results

UNparalleled proof of success

See for yourself RIGHT HERE.

The Summer Sandals $100 Special ends at the “stroke of summer”… midnight, June 21.

You can change your life, AND that of someone close to you, for the better. But, most importantly, you can even get the chance to have your music heard ALL OVER THE WORLD!

Till next time…

Keep practicing!
guitarcoach

FREE GUITAR TIPS

WHAT’S EASIER- ELECTRIC OR ACOUSTIC GUITAR?

There seems to be a misconception floating around that starting your first lessons with an electric guitar is somehow more difficult than starting with an acoustic guitar. The opposite is actually more true.

The neck of an electric guitar is longer and thinner than an acoustic guitar. The action (space between string and top of fretboard) is generally lower on an electric guitar also. As a result, less strength is required to push the strings down onto the fretboard, thus making it easier to play.

The classical guitar would be next in line as far as ease of playing is concerned. This is because it has nylon strings which are more flexible than the wound steel strings of a dreadnaught acoustic guitar. The challenge with classical guitar, especially for those who have small hands,  is playing a wider neck.

So, when rating guitars from 1. being the easiest to play, and 3.  being the most difficult, my opinion is:

1.  electric
2.  classical
3.  acoustic steel string (dreadnaught)

Now, when it comes to style, that’s another matter…

Each of the instruments I mentioned above are generally associated with a particular style of music. Electric guitars have a long history of association with rock and roll music. Likewise, classical guitars were developed to play classical music and acoustic steel string guitars are most often associated with country-western music. However, that does not mean they are restricted to these areas only.

Each style of guitar music has it’s own merit and unique level of difficulty. I doubt if it’s even possible to really compare such a thing as which style is the most difficult to play. We can all think of great musicians in each field… Eddie Van Halen, Segovia, Chet Atkins- all of whom were supurb guitarists in their particular style of choice.

The important thing to understand is that all the notes and all the chords are the same, regardless of the type of guitar you use. So when choosing a guitar for yourself, or your child, consider the style of music you (or they) want to learn and take it from there.

For more help read:

10 Best Guitar Buying Tips

Until next time…

Keep practicing!
guitarcoach

Free Guitar Tips

OVERCOMING GUITAR PLAYING LIMITATIONS

The longer I play guitar, the more aware I’ve become of my own phyisical limitations. The nerve damage in my left elbow, for instance, creates a painful burning sensation whenerver I keep my arm bent for any prolonged period of time. My right thumb joint also seems to be suffering from the effects of excessive fingerstyle guitar playing. I don’t mean to complain, but what’s a person to do? In my case, I’ve had to dramatically reduce the amount of time I play at one sitting. So, shorter practice sessions and frequent breaks have become a necessity.

There are others who face similar challenges. Last week I was contacted by someone who had some different guitar playing limitations to deal with. Here is what they said:

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QUESTION:

I have recently taken an interest in learning to play the guitar. During a search I came across your site. I’m right handed and on my left hand I’m missing the tip of my index finger from the last joint up (farthest from my knuckle). I am curious if you think that it might be better for me to learn on a left handed guitar so that I may use my complete right hand as my fretting hand? I was told by a local shop owner that I shouldn’t try to learn as a left handed player. Not knowing what would be best is making it difficult to purchase an instrument. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

ANSWER:

Your desire to play guitar is commendable, and it is also the main key to your success. My friend’s son lost his right arm and learned to play the guitar lefty (he was right handed). I also once saw a man without any arms play the guitar with his toes! Both of these men were exceptional guitarists- better than most people whom I’ve seen play with two arms and two hands.If at all possible, I would suggest you lease or borrow a guitar before you buy one. Sometimes stores and/or teachers will have a guitar you can rent while you’re taking lessons. I do that for my students. That will give you the opportunity to see if you can use your right index finger effectively. But even if you do have to buy one, there is usually a limited time within which you can return it. So, you could always exchange it for a left handed guitar later if it didn’t work out for you. Just be sure you don’t damage the guitar within the time frame allowed by the warranty.Definitely try a right handed guitar first, because that’s the way your brain is wired.

Try to find a teacher that is flexible and sensitive to your particular needs, as many guitar chords and techniques can be modified to make it easier for you to play. It will probably be easier on your fingers if you use an electric or classical (nylon string) guitar to learn on. Your index finger may create some “reach” problems, so perhaps the electric guitar would be best, as the classical guitar has a wider neck.

All in all, I don’t think you will have any major problems once you get some basics established. I think it’s really great that you want to learn how to play the guitar! Thanks for submitting your question.

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Perhaps you have similar concerns about playing the guitar and this is just the nudge you need to give it a try. Get started today with a free guitar lesson!

Until next time…

Keep practicing!
guitarcoach

Free Guitar Tips