DEVELOPING AN ORIGINAL SOUND

Developing an original sound is very important if you ever want to have a successful music career.

However, it's rather common to see young artists trying to sound and look like other famous artists whom they admire. 

I think this picture that my friend sent me the other day is a good example of that.

It's cute, but the cat is definitely suffering from a case of mistaken identity!

While being a "copycat" may get you a gig,  it probably won't ever get you a recording contract.

Singers, songwriters, guitar players, in fact all musicians in general, tend to mimic the style and sound of their favorite artists at one time or another.

This is a normal  part of everyone's musical development because there is so much to be learned from those who have paved the way before us.

But you are a unique individual who may have something original to offer the music scene as well. So, if you want to be noticed by the music industry, then you'll have to find a way to stand out from the rest of the crowd instead of just blending in.

To do this you will need to develop your own unique image, sound, style and voice.   

So instead of copying others, try using some of the musical influences in your life to create an original sound that defines you.  Then blend in your personality, experiences, and perspective in order to express your thoughts, your feelings, your ideas, your hopes, and your dreams through your own music.

By combining these attributes and perfecting your musical skills, you will be moving along the road to developing a successful music career.

FREE 4 DAY VIDEO COURSE:
Music Success Blueprint Explained - CLICK HERE!

Till next time...

Keep practicing!

Kathy Unruh
abclearnguitar.com

BluesJamSession Review

Peter Morales, the passionate owner of BluesJamSession, has certainly dedicated his efforts toward creating what he calls the "Ultimate Blues Guitar Package". Here is what he has to say about it...

"It consists of 60 blues backing tracks in every style with video lessons and improvisation guides. We think this is extremely important because we have heard plenty of midi-sounding free jam tracks on other sites that are pretty low quality. Some were downright cheesy sounding while others do not come with video lessons or instructions (scales, chords, tips, etc). You know what I mean if you’ve paid for those lousy tracks in the past.  Well fortunately, these flaws and mistakes are hardly to be seen in BluesJamSession."  

The BluesJamSession package consists of:

• Over 60 blues backing tracks in every tempo & style
• Video lessons, guides, chords and scale sheets
• Step by step instructions guiding you how to improvise
• Great for both electric, acoustic guitar and even wind instruments

So, it doesn’t matter if you’re beginner, or whether you are proficient in improvisation, because Peter Morales has provided tons of tutorials to guide you along.

The straightforward instructions are clear and concise, and extremely easy to follow. Even a complete beginner will be able to master improvisations and techniques within minutes by following the videos!

Furthermore, the jam tracks cover a wide range of genres, styles, tempo, length... that is geared for all musicians. Even if you play a wind instrument, this package would be suitable for you...

Another thing worth mentioning is that BluesJamSessions provides very good customer support. By ‘good’ I mean they are polite and will reply to all your questions,  usually within minutes, or at the most an hour.

Here’s the negative part...

Certain files in the members area may take a long time to download due to their size. However, this is completely understandable as the tracks are pretty hi-quality. You can, however, opt for the 2 CD physical edition in the members area to alleviate this problem.

Conclusions...

I haven’t seen any other blues jam package that is as comprehensive, and for such a low price, as BluesJamSession. Have you?

The quality of the jam tracks and videos are probably among the best available.

And I have nearly missed telling you about one of the most important parts... The variety of the tracks. They have actually prepared a few different tempo/length tracks for every single style of blues. So be sure to take a look at their track list.

Its being offered right now for a limited time 50% discount at:

BluesJamSession.com

I've been told they are CERTAINLY increasing the price within days. So, I suggest taking advantage of this special offer while it lasts.

Till next time...

Keep practicing!

Kathy Unruh

Best Guitar Method for Learning Chords

What is the best guitar method for learning chords?  That's a good question. I realize that some of you may feel completely overwhelmed by the idea of trying to memorize all of them. So, perhaps I can offer a few helpful suggestions.

The fact is, there are a number of different methods you could use to learn guitar chords. So, the first thing I'd like to say is, give yourself a break and try to keep it simple! 

It's easy to keep it simple, just remember these two things...

1.  There are only 7 letters in the musical alphabet that are used to build chords.
2.  Hundreds (possibly thousands), of songs can be played using only 3 basic chord types - Major, Minor and Dominant7.

One method commonly used for learning guitar chords is to organize them by their type. Many chord charts are illustrated this way. The chord type might be listed either above or to one side of the actual chord grid (or chart).

If you want to use this method for learning guitar chords, I suggest you start by learning the most basic chord types first. After that you can work your way through the more advanced chords.

Here is one way to organize the different chord types... 

MAJOR CHORDS
 Maj, Maj6, Maj7, Maj9, Add9, 6/9, Sus, +

MINOR CHORDS
 m, m6, m7, m9, m7b5, m11, mMaj7

DOMINANT 7 CHORDS
 7, 7/b5, 7+, 7SUS, 7b9, 7+9, 7b#9+
 9, 9+, 9b5
 11, #11, 13, 13b9

AUGMENTED CHORDS
 +

DIMINISHED CHORDS
 dim

Another method for learning chords is to organize them in relationship to a specific Key.  Doing this will enable you to practice playing chord scales and/or various chord progressions around the Circle of Fifths. I like to use this method, but it requires that you know a bit of music theory.

As far as I can tell, most beginners don't want to spend a lot of  time, or money, studying music theory. So there is another relatively fast and easy alternative called The Musician's Toolbox.

The nice thing about this method is that the instruction is given at a slow and steady pace.

• The Musician's Toolbox provides over 100 individual videos showing how to play some of the most commonly used guitar chords- all from your own perspective.

• You will learn how to read a chord diagram, switch chords easily, and keep a steady beat.

• All these chord types are covered... Major, Minor, Major 7, Dominant 7, Sus2, Sus4, Power Chords, and Barre Chords

• You'll also get 14 different play-along chord progressions in each key, ranging from easy to more difficult. 

But the best thing of all is that it's very affordable and you can view it over and over again!

So if you've been looking for the best method for learning guitar chords, but don't want to spend $50 an hour or more for private lessons, The Musicians Toolbox might be the answer.

Click the link below to get more details about the program right now...

The Musicians Toolbox

 BTW... I almost forgot to mention that The Musicians Toolbox files can even be used on your iPod, PSP, Zune, or other portable video player too. =)

Till next time...

Keep practicing!

Kathy Unruh

Slow Down & Play Faster...

Believe it or not, one of the "tricks" to playing faster on the guitar is to slow down.  It's a discipline that will be hard to develop for anyone who has a natural tendency to always be in a hurry- which is true for many of us living in today's culture.

However, it will actually save you time in the long run if you make an effort to slow down when you play. The reason for this is that it will give you a chance to focus on improving your technique and memory skills.

One thing I've noticed as I get older is how much harder it is to memorize musical passages, especially if there are lots of subtle changes throughout a piece of music, or song, that I'm trying to learn.  If I get impatient and rush through the music then I will usually have difficulty learning and memorizing it correctly. 

There are some tools available for guitar players today that will actually slow down the music to a song so that you can learn how to play it at your own comfortable speed.  One of the best that I've come across, and used myself, is Song Surgeon. 

A great way to see a quick overview of some of the new features (by the way it is LOADED with new features) is to watch the intro video on the front page of their site...

http://www.songsurgeon.com
 
Here's what their customers are saying...

"I downloaded version 3 a week ago and immediately I was impressed with what you had done. The looping function is great, very easy now to isolate a passage and tweak the start and finish points with the sliders!  Then having the ability to save the segment along with tempo changes and pitch is awesome for creating lessons and working on solos etc!"

"...you are right when you say the quality is not lost when slowing down the tempo!!!  Amazing! Even when slowed to 20% the notes match the notes on the guitar, makes it very easy to transcribe solos!!!"

If you'd like in-depth detail about the new version, just go to the site and download the fully functional, four hour FREE DEMO.  There is not a better way to experience this tremendous new product, than trying it yourself.  You can learn how to download it right now by simply clicking the link below...

Song Surgeon Demo

Use this handy tool to download songs from YouTube and other sources (CDs, MP3s, etc.) so that you can learn how to play your favorite songs at a speed that is easy for you. I think you'll discover that slowing things down will make your progress on the guitar a lot faster!

Till next time...
Keep practicing!

Kathy Unruh
abclearnguitar.com