Listening to music is passive, making music is active!
Listening does not provide the same benefits as playing.
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The story of the guitar is, of course, a big one. The instrument, and its stringed precursors, goes way back — all the way to the Greeks. And the influence of the guitar can be felt far and wide. It plays a lead role in classical in Spain, jazz in France, blues in the Delta, and beyond. This three part video series paints the bigger picture for you, Part 1 (In the Beginning, Part II (Out of the Frying Pan), and Part III (This Time it’s Personal). This documentary features many interviews, check it out.
Venturing toward unchartered territory, Martin Guitar took a plunge in 2020 by introducing the avant-garde SC-13E model geared toward players who favor an acoustic guitar with the same degree of playability as an electric. It was a bold move from the time-honored, pedigreed company that’s well aware that its most ardent followers prefer their instruments deeply steeped in Martin’s most traditional shapes and sounds. Despite its unconventional design, it seems the tried-and-true SC-13E became a successful gamble that paid off because Martin Guitar has launched three additional SC models: the SC-10E, SC-13E Special and the SC-13E Special Burst.
I’ve never seen a bass like this before! The SitarBass fuses elements of the traditional Indian instrument with a bass, resulting in the ability to bend notes a la Indian Classical music while retaining the thump of an electric bass. The curved frets allow for notes to be bent with great control and expression. The body of the instrument is made in Miraj, MH, India by 6th generation sitar makers. It has a slightly hollowed neck and is made from red cedar to reduce weight. Rail-type 5 string Bartolini P/J pickups ensure consistent coverage while bending each of the four strings and the two coils of the p-bass style pickup are angled to match the curve of the frets.
Far from being the cliched instrument you hear upon stepping off any plane to Hawaii, the ukulele has been enjoying a surge in popularity over the past few decades. Artists get their music out to the world through digital platforms and live performance, so now we know many more of the best female ukulele players.
"Written for the guitarist who has been playing for a while, but is seriously hampered by the feeling that they don't know what they're doing. Guitar EncycloMedia provides the perfect solution to this problem by efficiently presenting the theoretical basis of music in a way that is clear, easily applied, and does not require the reading of staff notes or TAB." - Randy Roos, Associate Professor of Guitar, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA.
Dramatically improve your playing by easily learning all the chords, scales, arpeggios and modes necessary to improvise something uniquely different every time with every song. With over 323 pages, Guitar EncycloMedia offers total fretboard knowledge in one book. It is as essential as your instrument!
Order Guitar EncycloMedia now through May 19, 2022 to receive FREE SHIPPING! Only available from the 12 Tone Music store. No coupon code needed. Domestic orders only. Money back guarantee.
"Bass EncycloMedia is filled with practical and highly musical techniques and information that will benefit bass players of any style and ability level, especially those who have passed beyond the 'beginner' stage. This is a great addition to the library of every bass player. I am very impressed! " - Dr. Robert Cutietta, Dean of the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California.
Dramatically improve your playing by easily learning all the chords, scales, arpeggios and modes necessary to improvise something uniquely different every time with every song. With over 323 pages, Bass EncycloMedia offers total fretboard knowledge in one book. It is as essential as your instrument!
Order Bass EncycloMedia now through May 19, 2022 to receive FREE SHIPPING! Only available from the 12 Tone Music store. No coupon code needed. Domestic orders only. Money back guarantee.
Here is a lesson in the Chicago blues guitar style pioneered by Magic Sam, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Earl Hooker and many others. Let's start by laying down a signature Chicago-style shuffle groove in the key of A...
While there had been records featuring fuzz before, this was the one that really put it on the map and sparked a demand from guitar players for the sound. The Maestro FZ-1, which first saw the light of day in 1962 is the fuzz pedal that Keith famously used in 1965 on Satisfaction. Now, 60 years later, Gibson has revived the Maestro brand for a series of new pedals. If you’ve never played a Maestro that may be because the original brand became extinct in 1979.
Mark Whitfield graduated from Berklee College of Music in the spring of 1987. Shortly thereafter, he returned to his to his native New York to embark on a career that has afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with such legendary artists as Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Smith, Clark Terry, Shirley Horn, Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Turrentine, Christian Mcbride and his mentor, the great George Benson.
