Ramblings from an Independent Music Artist

 First off, I AM a guitarist, so I have every right to say everything I'm about to say. While some blogs I write are a little more from an objective, general perspective, many of the guitar-centric ones I write are written from my point of view as a guitarist with a conscience. And I realize that guitarists HATE to be scrutinized, just like vocalists, drummers and other musicians, but especially by other guitar players. Well either stop reading or put on your big-girl panties if you're a "lead guitarist" who might be a little sensitive on the topic. Oh so many years ago when I started playing guitar, my primary influences ranged from AC/DC to the Sex Pistols to Nirvana, and I just wanted to be a guitarist in a good band. In the beginning it was all power-chords and downstrokes, punk rock fury at its finest. When I actually started learning a couple of simple scales (ones like major, minor, blues, pentatonic, etc. that are the foundation of "guitar solos"), m...

  OK, this topic was actually started by my buddy Eddie some time ago, but I thought I'd carry it over here and toss my 2 cents into the ring (comments are welcome): "Does a song have to have a solo to be 'good'?" I'm noticing a number or reviewers bagging on bands, or at least taking "points" off when a song does not have a solo in it. Personally, i don't think it should be a "deal-breaker." The first Stone Temple Pilots CD has no solos at all. i can't cite the source, but i remember reading that somewhere, and realizing that i didn't even notice in all the times i had listened to it. i just really liked that CD (still do), and that was all that mattered.  I think the worst thing a guitarist (or any potential soloist) could do is add a solo just for the sake of having one. If there is no statement to be made, then don't say anything. Now don't get me wrong- i like a great solo as much as anyone (Vai's "Call It ...

  Let me preface this by saying I was appalled at Ace's weird political takes over the last few years. There were some live videos of performances where he goes off on a pro-tRump tirade that would've made draft-dodging statutory-rapist Ted Nugent proud. I did not like "this" Ace. "That" Ace was unhinged and cringey as hell, with most of his pro-tRump rants being as unsolicited and from out-of-left-field as those by the orange pedofelon himself. "That" Ace was a dick, and was not the guitar hero I considered integral in my own guitar playing (directly, and through other influences). Unfortunately, like a lot of music, I was around insufferable people who tried to "force KISS" into the previously-punk-rock sound of one of my early bands (a move that would essentially ruin the band, I hate to say), and I went through a phase where I wanted nothing to do with the band, but over the years I was reintroduced to them by my bandmates Kenny and L...

  Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) A while back I happened upon an article (here:  https://guitar.com/news/music-news/adrian-smith-drop-d-tuning-iron-maiden/ ) where Adrian Smith from Iron Maiden was talking about being the only guitarist in the band to utilize drop-D tuning . Personally, I like the idea of just one guitarist using an alternate tuning, because it adds a unique layer to a song, be it a new tune or a reimagined classic.  I didn't really get into Iron Maiden until I was probably in my late 20s or early 30s, but I was especially intrigued when Adrian came back into the band and they kept both Dave and Janick around, making it a three-guitar band. I usually don't really care at all for bands that have more than two guitar players, but Maiden and the Foo Fighters get a pass on this one, because they both distribute the duties well, with each player adding their own chord voicings and differences in tone , and the overall sound in both cases ends up being huge . But...

  Original Article (By Phil Weller published 17 June 2025) Here: https://www.guitarplayer.com/guitarists/jason-isbell-guitar-buying-advice I'm not going to post the entire article here, but I'll post a couple of the parts I want to address regarding Jason Isbell's comment about young players just wanting to get started on the guitar: “Spend the 50, 80 or 100 bucks before you leave the music store and let them set it up for you,” he says. “Let them set the action right, make sure the frets are level, make sure it’ll stay in tune.” “Because of course you’re not gonna be able to afford an incredible instrument when you’re that age. But if you spend the extra time, the extra money, you get home and you can play it. It makes all the difference in the world.” Okay, let's talk "setups", then... I don't disagree that a good setup, even on a guitar that might not be the greatest, definitely is crucial to making playing fun and efficient, as much for beginners as pe...

  I was scrolling through some posts on a music discussion site, and I ran across an interesting thread a fellow posted that really caught my eye, as it's been a source of many a raised hackle. Here's his original post: Years ago, my late wife had a cousin, about 15-16 at the time, who had been taking guitar lessons for a few years. They asked if I could show him some things. So when they were up for a visit, I borrowed the bro-in-law's acoustic and we went to a back room to go over some things. I wanted to get a general idea how far along he was, so I would know what to show him. So I asked that question. His response? "We're on eighth notes now." The instant he said that, I knew he couldn't play a lick. He proved me right. He didn't know how to tune, only knew a couple of open chords, no barre chords, and his picking method involved holding his arm out in open space with no control at all. His lessons with his "guitar teacher" seemed to hav...