Hot Music & Instruments Posts
How To: Use a capo with your ukulele
Whether you play guitar or ukulele, or whatever instrument that actually uses a capo, being able to successfully use a capo is important for creating new sounds and new forms of amber for your chords. In this video you will learn how to use a capo to change the notes of the open strings to create new chords more easily up and down the neck.
How To: Play a Delta Blues style progression on a resonator guitar
If you're looking to get into slide guitar, the place to start is in the Delta, the deep south, with artists like Son House, Robert Johnson, and Bukka White. You can find their music on the Library of Congress' website as it is all open to the public now. In this video you will learn how to play some basic Delta Blues with some finger picking techniques, slide techniques, a standard I IV V progression, and more.
How To: Create your own podcast and publish it
Podcasting is a great way of doing your own form of radio broadcasting, among other forms of other recorded media from the comfort of your own home! But, you don't need to have an iPod to do it or listen to it (a common myth). In this video you will learn what a podcast is, how to create one, publish it and then get subscribers!
HowTo: Cremate Yourself into a Vinyl Record
Think you're a music lover? Then arrange to offer up your remains as the final sacrifice to the Gods of Rock. A UK company called And Vinyly offers music fans an interesting post-death "alternative": have your ashes pressed into a vinyl recording of your favorite song, or opt for a personalized recording of your last will and testament.
How To: Remix vinyl and create your own track with turntables
If you're looking to getting into DJing on turntables, the first thing you should learn is how to remix songs live to create your own just using a couple turntables. In this video you will learn how to do a live remix using vinyl with various mixes already on the 12" vinyl.
How To: Practice head voice octave slides (sirens) to strengthen your singing voice
In this two-part singing lesson, Kevin Richards will teach you about octave slides, sometimes called octave sirens, which are vocal drills that well help increase the range of your head voice and strengthen the transition between chest and head registers. This vocal exercise can be done anytime, anywhere. There's no need for a piano or audio scale.
How To: Remove vocal breaks from your singing voice
Vocal breaks are a serious problem for singers just starting out. For those of you new to singing, Kevin Richards offers some advice on how to avoid vocal breaks.
How To: Use your falsetto singing voice or your head voice
There's a lot of heated debate about the difference between head voice and falsetto, and Kevin Richards is here to clear things up for you. In the fist video, he quickly talks about the difference between the two, along with a few examples. In the second video, he expands upon his explanation and serves up even more examples of falsetto versus head voice. If you're just beginning singing, then you definitely need to know that they're not the same.
How To: Recognize and resolve voice register breaks when singing
One of the main problems that haunts beginning singers are voice register breaks. Why does you voice break? And how do you prevent it? Well, in this singing lesson, Kevin Richards shares his knowledge on the reasons behind voice resister breaks and serves up some possible solutions for you.
How To: Do warm up and warm down exercises for your singing voice
Kevin Richards gives a you a great lesson on warming up your singing voice. What should you do to warm up your voice? How often? How long? Well, it all depends on the type of person and how much you have spoken throughout the day. These tips for warming up (and warming down) your voice are definitely helpful, like warming up from the top of the scale, down.
How To: Play the Blues scale and other licks in the right hand on the Piano
As a musician, whether it be Piano, Guitar, Bass, vocals, what have you, learning the Blues is incredibly important to not only being a better musician, but also to passing on the heritage of American music in general and keeping it alive! In this fantastic lesson you learn how to play the Blues scale, licks and some right hand technique to get you started!
How To: Play power chords with open strings on the guitar
As Guitar players, the goal is to be a member of the band when you have to be, and when it's your time shine, you go for it full force! But during those times that you have to hold back and hang with the rhythm section give the idea of open string power chords on your guitar during your rhythm guitar sections to add a feel that will definitely bring out any section of a song (although you might want to consider waiting until the chorus to open up like this.)
How To: Play two signature Blues licks on the guitar
Sure, you can play minor pentatonic over the Blues all day and probably almost get away with it in a live setting. But if you want to play like the greats, you've gotta learn their licks! In this video you will learn two signature Blues licks that almost every player knows, that you can play over any sort of dominant or major slow blues progression.
How To: Play an Freddie King style Blues lick over the IV chord on guitar
They always did say, "simple music is the hardest to play, and Blues is simple music." Playing the Blues requires a specific touch that takes practice as well as a great compilation of licks! In this video you will learn how to play a signature Freddie King lick (ripped off by Eric Clapton, Stevie and other great guitar players, because that's what we do) over the IV chord of the progression (the fourth chord in the scale of the key). The faster you get with it, start to add trills, quick ham...
How To: Play a Chicago Blues style twelve bar blues on the guitar with finger picking
It's extremely important as a musician to learn how to play the 12 bar blues. Understanding how to feel your way through all 12 bars without getting lost and staying in time is crucial to you succeeding in other styles of music. If you're looking to spice up your 12 bar blues with something a little more melodic, check out this great video lesson! You will learn how to play an Elmore James, Chicago Blues style 12 bar blues riff over the chord progression using finger picking.
How To: Pick the right resonator (steel) guitar and bottleneck slide
Resonator guitars (also known as steel guitars) are a unique type of guitar made with tricones or a single aluminum cone, and are great for slide guitar for both Blues and Country music. Made famous by artists such as Son House (see deathletter blues). If you're not really sure which would be the best, what a resonator (steel) guitar is exactly, or how to pick out the right slide for the sound you're going for, this fantastic video will you guide perfectly! You will learn a little history abo...
How To: Mic your guitar amp and get a great sound in a live setting
When playing live, having the BEST sound possible is probably the most important part of the show! (well you know, besides rehearsing and stage performance, but that's a completely different subject!) When you're playing out, you need to be prepared to have a sound man who has absolutely no idea what he's doing or how to mic anything, including your amp. In this video you will get a full walkthrough of the different mics that you can use including dynamic mics and condenser mics, and differen...
How To: Play "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard on acoustic guitar
Want to play Glen Hansard's "Falling Slowly" on the acoustic guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Glen Hansard song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Stand Tall" by Dirty Heads on acoustic guitar
Want to play Dirty Heads' "Stand Tall" on the acoustic guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Dirty Heads song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play Weezer's "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" on guitar
Want to play Weezer's "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" on the acoustic guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Weezer song on your own guit...
How To: Play "Undisclosed Desires" by Muse on an electric guitar
Want to play Muse's "Undisclosed Desires" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Muse song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Resistance" by Muse on an electric guitar
Want to play Muse's "Resistance" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords in tab notation. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Muse song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "Uprising" by Muse on an electric guitar
Want to play Muse's "Uprising" on the electric guitar? See how it's done with this free video guitar lesson, which presents a complete breakdown of the song and its chords. While this tutorial is geared toward those who already have some knowledge of the guitar, players of all skill level should be able to follow along given adequate time and effort. For more information, and to get started playing this Muse song on your own guitar, watch this video tutorial.
How To: Play "American Honey" by Lady Antebellum on the guitar with Dave Haywood
Lady Antebellum's guitar player Dave Haywood somehow finds time while on the road to show you how to play the guitar part for "American Honey". He will show you how he tunes down the guitar to an open C# tuning (take DADGAB and tune it down another half step) and then breaks down the entire song from intro to the end.
How To: Play "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum on guitar with Dave Haywood
As a touring musician, you never really have a lot of time to sit down and do things like this, but you're in for a treat. Lady Antebellum's guitar player Dave Haywood gives you an in-depth video lesson on how to play the rhythm gutiar part in "Need You Know" while out on their Keith Urban tour. You will learn the chords that he used and also some of the methods that he used in fingering his chords, as well as putting the capo on the 4th. fret. Although what isn't clear is what tuning his gui...
How To: Play the minor pentatonic and move the scale up and down the neck on guitar
Learning all of the patterns of the pentatonic is important, but if you're stuck to just playing them in their box shaped patterns, you can really find yourself getting stale and insecure in your playing. So break out of the box with this video! Learn how to connect your pentatonic patterns up and down the neck with ease and add an extra breath of life to your improvisations!
How To: Play flamenco and classical guitar with basic chords and scales
Many parents think that starting with Classical Guitar is how you're supposed to learn Guitar, which isn't true, you can learn Guitar any way that you want! But, that doesn't mean that Classical and Flamenco guitar is not UBER awesome at the same time! If you've got a nylon string guitar and want to learn how to get some of those cool licks and chord progressions down that you hear in movies like Desperado, start here! In this video you will learn the basics of using finger picking, using you...
How To: Play a melodic style of rhythm guitar with Paul Jackson Jr.
Paul Jackson Jr. is one of the tastiest session musicians alive and has played with hundreds of artists over the span of his career including most of the guitar work on Michael Jackson's Thriller album! In this video he explains the secret to his style and how to pick apart chords and play the very basic components of each chord to create a more sonically sound rhythm guitar part that doesn't step on anybodies toes but is catchy enough to be noticed in the mix.
How To: Play Johnny Cash-style country rhythm guitar
Even if you're a metal head or a shredder, you can't deny how cool it is when a good ol' country picker gets up there and rips it up! Johnny Cash was one of the few modern Country singers who brought electrified country into the mainstream for his time. If you're looking to add a few country-fried licks to your arsenal and learn how to do some basic country guitar, check out this video lesson! You will learn how to alternate between the root and fifth of the chord to simulate the bass, as wel...
How To: Play funky R&B and blues rhythm guitar
Funk, R&B, Blues, these are the styles of music that grooves the hardest and are the most about feel and less about technicality. Not only that, but the various inversions and triad groupings used in those styles can easily be transferred into Rock, Pop, Jazz, Metal and so many other styles. In this fantastic video lesson you will learn the basics to playing rhythm guitar in these styles.
How To: Play basic Blues on the acoustic guitar
The blues is where it all began. Before you learn how to play rock or jazz or metal, you should start with the blues. Learning the basic 12 bar form can help you feel out measures and develop your sense of direction in music, and learning how to play the shuffled rhythm will help to increase your proficiency with learning other rhythm patterns. In this fantastic video you will get a basic over view of the Blues on the acoustic guitar and a quick variation on the standard blues shuffle.
How To: Write a bio for your band's website and promo materials
Band bios have a cherished place in the world of band promotional material. A killer one can do wonders for cultivating your image among your fans and potential employers. This video will give you tips for writing a killer band biography that will get you noticed.
How To: Play funk rhythm guitar
Funk guitar is an interesting creature, you're not always playing chords, and you're not always playing lines, it's a happy medium of playing parts of chords, with single note rhythms, muting and pocket playing. If you've ever wanted to get a basic idea of how to play funk this video lesson is for you! You will get a great over view of the basics of funk including common lines, common chords, and muting techniques as well!
How To: Solo over Jazz changes using melodies and focusing on key centers on guitar
Jazz is a complicated style of music that takes a completely different style of thinking and playing to even do it somewhat decently. Soloing in its own right is the toughest, but there's a great way of getting started, and thanks to Jeff Richman from Musician's Institute, you will learn how! In this amazing video lesson, he goes through showing you the various ways of using melodies and key centers to really bring out your solo over any sort of Jazz Changes.
How To: Improvise over Jazz changes using chord tones with Jeff Richman
Soloing over a large amount of Jazz changes can be tough, with the chord changes sometimes spanning through two or three different keys. One trick to soloing in Jazz to solo over the chord tones of the chords that are being played. You can either use only the 3rd and 7th the chords, as well as using triads and arpeggios. In this amazing video lesson from Jeff Richman from Musician's Institute, you will learn how to apply all these techniques over Jazz changes.
How To: Use a metrenome to improve your internal clock with Pathik Desai
Even though this video is for guitar, learning how to improve your internal clock to feel tempos and measures is important for ALL instruments. If you can't sync up with a metrenome you can't sync up with the drums, and quite frankly no one will want to play with you at that point. But don't worry, if you're having trouble with your timing and are looking for a way to help improve your internal clock, Pathik Desai from Musician's Institute, has a great lesson in store for you! You'll learn so...
How To: Play funk in 7/8 time on the guitar with Ross Bolton
Every once in a while you're going to run into an odd meter song, and one of the most common is 7/8 (7 eighth notes per measure). If you listen to a lot of Frank Zappa then odd meter is nothing new to you. If you're not familiar with odd timing, or are having trouble lining up, this amazing guitar lesson from Ross Bolton, an instructor at Musician's Institute, can help you out. In this video you will learn how to count 7/8 meter as well as play it and apply it to funk guitar.
How To: Add rhythmic variety to your solo on guitar with Jeff Marshal
Just playing the same sixteenth notes over and over and over again in your solos can become stale after a while, and even if you learn every scale and every lick in the world, if you play them all with the same rhythmic dictation, it can get stale fast and you will lose a lot of your audience members! In this fantastic video lesson, Jeff Marshal, instructor at Musician's Institute, gives you an in depth look into adding rhythmic varieties into your solos.
How To: Apply a shape shifting technique to your solos one the guitar with Dave Hill
Soloing is something that every guitar player should learn. Being able to solo on command is crucial to being a great professional musician period! If you know all five of your patterns and are still just playing in the box patterns without much movement, then this video will help break you out of your cage! Dave Hill, a teacher at Musician's Institute, goes into great detail showing you how to use a technique called "Shape Shifting" by moving your lines through each of the patterns on the ne...
How To: Play melodic funk rhythms on the guitar with Dave Hill
Funk music is about the pocket and about the groove. As a guitar player, your job is to try to fit in the best that you can with the rest of the rhythm section, which means not stepping on other peoples toes. But when it's your time to shine, being able to use a little melody in your funk rhythms can go a long way! In this amazing video, Dave Hill, a teacher at Musician's Institute, goes into detail on how to not only play the three note triads of the chords you're playing over but also all t...