Vai Solo

For my fellow pickers.....check out this one from Vai. I like it when he starts the loop and uses the swells.

Mixolydian Mix O Licks!!

One of the things I have been practicing lately are licks. This I don't normally do because I like to create more my own stuff but I will never get to playing things like Frank Gambale that way. So I am learning a bunch of Gambale licks. I found a cool vid of his. My only complain is you can't hear it well unless you turn up the volume....but still its pretty cool. When I first heard this style in 1989 I did not understand it. Sounded like a bunch of out of key notes, mistakes even. Now this stuff sounds beautiful. I WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY LIKE THIS ONE DAY IF I GO TO THE GRAVE TRYING!!!

How to prank a telemarketer

This is not for kids ears but I think most people will find this link to be absolutely hilarious:

How to prank a telemarketer

Not so small thinking - following the muse

Lately I have been making some changes in my musical approach. The changes are moving quickly from my head to my heart and I think its for the better.

I am really not sure where I picked it up but somehow I adopted a real hesitantcy to embrace and do what I enjoy most and really do well. Questioning if it is "good" or not instead of just acknowledging what the muse "is" that is in me and following that direction.

Letting the muse be the guide instead of "the theme of the project" "the required style", "the attitude/image" I want to portray. These are all things from the head and not from the spirit that really provides the cool stuff.

I am not saying here that I should not take time to work at practicing things outside of what is coming from that stream but I have a real balance to reach in the process of creativity and performance. I just need to let go basically.

I have started to take stands to move more in that direction and I think it is good for me spiritually to do so. Music is a very personal thing, I know we hear that all the time but as a musician I have not allowed that to be my case and as a result it has really hampered my progress and more importantly my deepest passion.

As I start to drop this attitude my creativity really takes a big jump and I find myself at peace with my instrument and even more so with myself.

Its amazing how "little" thoughts are not so small......how they actually can turn the course of what we do and have the potential to shipwreck our passions.