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Category Archives: Music in General
Alabama Songwriters Festival
Today is the 4th of July! Among the fireworks, picnics and all the other activities going on this day, is the Alabama Songwriters Festival in Guntersville, Alabama. Actually, it has been going on since Friday, but today I’ll be going there. … Continue reading
The Nashville Numbering System
The Nashville Numbering System was around long before Nashville became known for music. I’ve seen it called by several other names and it is a basic part of music theory. I’ve heard several bluegrass musicians call it this, so I’m … Continue reading
Posted in Beginning Banjo, Music in General
Tagged Chords, Cripple Creek Chords, I IV V, Nashville, Numbering, System
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Adobe InDesign CS4 – a review
What does this have to do with music, you ask? In and of itself, not a lot. However, I am writing a book or two on the banjo, and this has proven to be a significant choice – that of … Continue reading
Posted in Music in General, Reviews
Tagged Adobe, Banjo Book, Book Writing, Desktop Publishing, InDesign
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What to Listen for in Music – a review
What to Listen for in Music, by Aaron Copland. Aaron Copland was one of the first, and still one of the greatest, American composers of what we usually call classical music. For us bluegrass, old-time and folk musicians, it’s worth … Continue reading
Posted in Music in General, Reviews
Tagged Aaron Copland, Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, Tone Color, What to Listen for in Music
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Heilmeier's Catechism
Here’s something I read in the Huntsville Times recently that I’d like to share with you. It starts with Lisa Porter, the director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA – sounds a little like DARPA; the name of the … Continue reading
Quitting While You're Behind
Imagine you are going to a regional bluegrass festival (That would the the Tennessee Valley Old-Time Fiddlers Convention in Athens, Alabama for me). You hear some young banjo player picking out an incredible set of licks and you think to … Continue reading
Posted in Beginning Banjo, Music in General, Tips & Techniques
Tagged Attitude, Better than, Deflate, Inspired, Persevere
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Seven Facts About Inspiration
1 – Teachers should provide it for students. Some of it, at least. And remember too, the old saying about leading horses to water; it certainly applies here. We get inspiration from many different sources and our instructor should be … Continue reading
Posted in Music in General, Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged Failure, Inspiration, Persistence, Santana, songwriting, Success, Tower of Power, Visualize
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Music: A Cure for Modern Day Complexity
Go check your email. Can’t do it? Maybe the SMTP server is down. Call ‘em up and find out. Search for their number and find it if you’re lucky. Go through the voicemail maze and finally leave a message in … Continue reading
Posted in Banjos and Society, Music in General, Philosophical Ramblings
Tagged Complexity, Cure, Information Technology, Music, Refreshing
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The Fence We All Straddle
When it comes to ways to learn the banjo or mandolin, there are a couple of different paths we can follow. Each path uses the same set of tools and so can look very similar to the other, but the … Continue reading
Posted in Beginning Banjo, Music in General
Tagged Banjo, Duplication, Improvisation, Learning, Mandolin, Tablature
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