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Guitar Player's Guide |
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A
Guitar Player's Guide to The Muse's Muse Compiled by Jodi KrangleThis
compilation of information resources is put together for those songwriters
who are also guitarists and looking for a way to improve both crafts
at the same place. I hope you find this information useful! If you'd
like to suggest an addition, please do contact me and let me know.
In the meantime, just click on the topic you want to explore below: Articles
| Columnists | Resources
| Tools ARTICLES: These
articles will be useful to you as you improve your guitar playing
and learn the craft of songwriting. Other
articles can be found both in the Songwriting
Articles section and in the Newer
Articles section.
There are a lot of them and I highly recommend that you check them
out!
Back
to Top COLUMNISTS: There are a lot of columnists here who have been incredibly
generous with their time and have contributed excellent articles.
Though columns that deal specifically with guitar playing are few
and far between, some have been recently started here and I'd like
to draw your attention to them. I invite you to continue checking
their columns regularly for additions. And if you don't find the
answer to your particular question, feel free to ask the columnists
directly! Each one has an email address you can write to at the
bottom of their menu page. - Engines of Creation
Alex Jasperse's column is a combination of lessons and
articles designed to challenge the sonic touchstones to which
so many guitarists chain themselves to. From practice techniques
to questions about the multifaceted capacity of the guitar, these
articles will explore the new ways to celebrate the advancement
of the instrument.
- Songwriting
Techniques and Theories
Kole is a professional Musician, Guitarist, and Instructor
living in the Los Angeles area. This column deals with all things
pertaining to the topics like songwriting inspiration and composition
techniques.
There
are also a bunch of fantastic articles listed in the Previous
Columnists section - the place where I put all the columns
by folks that are no longer writing for the site (and there have
been a lot over the years!). Many of them would be
very useful to you as a songwriter (even if they aren't specifically
about guitar playing) and deal with a whole host of different topics
from where to find your inspiration to how to get along in the music
business and what to watch out for. Back
to Top RESOURCES: Here are some locations around The Muse's Muse that might be
particularly helpful to you. - Help
For Newcomers - Tips on how to get the most out of this
website.
- Muse's
Muse Music Resources - A huge number of links in any number
of musical categories - quite a lot of them having to do with
guitars - from how to get instruction to how to buy them. If you
don't find precisely what you're looking for here on The Muse's
Muse, you're bound to find it in this database.
- Muse's
Muse Message Boards - A place for you to talk with fellow
songwriters about topics that are of interest to you. There's
a HUGE amount of guitarists on that site and several forums dealing
specifically with putting music to your lyrics and performing
with your chosen instrument. Why not drop by and join in the conversation?
- The
Muse's News - The website's monthly e-zine and newsletter
had its first issue released in March 1998. 13,000+ subscribers
later (and growing!) the newsletter is one of the most popular
features of The Muse's Muse. There are also frequently articles
about guitar playing or resources that mention it. Have a look
at the back issues on this page.
- Rob Bourassa's Free 7 Week Guitar Course - Even if this isn't actually on The Muse's Muse itself, it was brought to my attention and deserves a place here. If you're a beginner looking to get a bit more serious about learning, or even if you've been playing a while but just want to upgrade your skills, this is a fantastic course to check out. And it's entirely free! All you need to do is subscribe to Rob's YouTube section (which is also free) and you're ready to go!
Back
to Top TOOLS: These links will provide you with the tools to keep yourself
organized, find that perfect chord, allow you to find some great
reading resources to supplement your knowledge on the craft of playing
guitar, find the best deals on purchasing guitars, and lots more.
- BerkleeMusic.com
Online Courses - At this famous music school, you'll find
a whole host of different courses you can take to both further
your guitar playing skills and your songwriting skills. And you
can take them whether or not you're able to actually be in Boston.
Check out their current roster of instructors and courses.
- Information
on Electric and Acoustic Guitars - An entire section of
the site devoted to information about how to get the most out
of your next guitar purchase including buying guides and a brief
history of the instrument. If you're interested in buying a guitar
soon - whether it's your first one or your fifteenth, you'll want
to check this out. Some great deals, too!
- SongU.com
Online Songwriting Courses
- At SongU.com, you can take over 30 instructor-led and self-paced
songwriting courses 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for one affordable
yearly tuition. Learn from a faculty of successful award-winning
industry professionals and active hit songwriters. In addition
to personal feedback from the instructors, online guidance counselors
and coaches will provide you with a customized learning path tailored
specifically to your goals. Special
for Muse's Muse visitors: Take a free songwriting course
to familiarize yourself with SongU - before you buy a membership!
Click
here to learn more!
- Lyricist
V3 Songwriting Software (Newly updated!) - Organization
for songwriters - receive a $5.00 discount just for purchasing
it here (normally $49.95)! Read
a review to learn more. There are chord charting functions
in this software that make it particularly useful.
- MasterWriter
Songwriting Software
- "This remarkable piece
of software turns your Mac or PC into a valuable songwriting partner"
-- Richard Leiter, Keyboard Magazine - Find out more about
this program (and receive a $70 discount for purchasing it here!)
- by visiting this
page. You can even try it for 30 days before deciding
if you want to keep it!
- Guitar
Scales & Theory For Songwriters: You Can Play Guitar -
If you're serious about learning how to play guitar and you want
some options about the styles you learn, this Billboard top
rated DVD course by Scott Morris is definitely for you. Learn
how to play in the style of rock legends like Steve Vai, Stevie
Ray Vaughan, Eddie Van Halen. Or find out how to play the way
blues greats like Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Robert Johnson do.
This is a course well worth checking out.
- Suggested
Reading - A list of books that are a worthy addition to
any songwriter's library and including the books that are reviewed
in the newsletter. These books are a great source of inspiration
and instruction and definitely recommended.
There are some especially for guitar
players - but you'll find links here to do further searches
on Amazon.com if you're looking for something specific.
- Find
Music-related Software @ SharewareMusicMachine - Many
of these software programs can help you keep track of your chords,
play them for you, record them, and learn more about how to play.
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to Top
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