Guitar Nine Columns

What They're Saying About These Michigan Bluesmen

Solo Guitarist Creates Unique Blend Of Musical Mediums

Instrumentalist Bridges Modern And Traditional Stylings

Mad Guitar, Electronic Sounds, Experimental Vibe

Bringing A New Edge To Contemporary Jazz

How to keep from destroying your confidence by setting realistic expectations for your recording projects.

I decided to do the independent route because that is the only route that is available to me at the present time. I have had releases on A&M Canada and Legato Records but I can`t wait for the "grown ups" to decide whether or not to release the music. I want to have my music out there like anybody else and if I have to do it all myself--so be it!

I just released my first CD after 27 years of playing. For me it represents the end of a struggle to accept my influences, yet still feel I have a voice of my own. I also wanted to express the fact that I just love to play, and that I love music without borders. Most importantly, I want to create music that expresses my true heart, and that inspires the listener to do the same.

No man is an island. No indie label is an island either. The importance of cooperation.

Guitarist Paul Kuntz is back with some fresh ideas on getting out of playing `in the box` and save untold wear and tear on your frets.

The best marketing tip though, is not to think of the market when you are composing or playing your music. Play only what is true to you--as an independent musician, you have that luxury.

I am trying to reach into the heart of the listener and make him or her feel what I am putting out emotionally. I just want young people to become emotionally attached to music again. I want to enlighten a younger audience.

Instrumental Jazz-Rock Fusionist Eyes The Future

Presenting Listeners With A New Breed Of Instrumental Music

Funk & Jazz Meet Heavy Instrumental Rock

Instrumental Rock Where Melody Rules

Classical Guitar Augments New Age Instrumentals

Creative Self-Indulgence And Adventurous Guitar Playing

In the last few years I`ve made a record for a major label that didn`t get released. Then I signed with a indie label. I thought the majors were the bad guys, and this label would give me more attention. WRONG! To make a long story longer, the small label had bad distribution and never paid a bill, let alone the tour support and promo budget.

I knew what I wanted to do but there were no labels dedicated to the guitarist as the artist, but only to the guitarist as a shred meister. I read an interview with guitarist Glenn Phillips, who has released ten albums independently. I realized from his comments (about the music industry) that the only way to reach my goal was to follow his example.

CD recorders (or burners) are great in any studio. Should you consider releasing your next CD on CD-R.

Progressively Minded Guitarist Blends Metal, Funk & Rock

Original Jazz/Rock Arrangements Fuel New Release

Rock Meets Latin Shred For Instrumentalist

New Age Electric Guitarist Crosses Stylistic Boundaries

The beautiful part about the tempered music scale lies in it`s flexibility. One of Ken`s favorite tricks is to take one shape, and use it to move up or down the fretboard in a linear way. The similarities in chord shapes will allow you to do the same.

Guitarist Paul Kuntz is back with some thoughts on how to avoid that feeling of being `lost without a map`.

Kick-start your musical development with these essential tips from Curtis.

Learn the essentials of the swept arpeggio from one of the masters of the technique.

Gerry Magee begins his multi-part series on expanding your mind, as well as your fretboard, with the benefits of thinking like a composer.

Don't make the mistake of thinking this is someone else's job. As an independent artist, the ball is in your court.

For Europe my music is not aggressive enough and in the US I didn`t have anybody to present it to. So rather than making so-called industry contacts and "wait until it happens" I decided to do it myself, which turned out to be much faster and got me and my music much more respect. I highly recommend a musical statement such as this to all musicians who intend to be a part of this complex industry.

I hope my music, although there are no words, communicates and reaches people on an emotional, spiritual and entertaining level. I try to incorporate various instrumentation, and contemporary compositional influences.

We have tried to record as much of our playing as we possibly can, both in practice and "jamming" sessions, and when we perform live, to give ourselves some feedback. When playing it`s very difficult to listen to yourself because you`re too busy thinking about what`s going to happen next, while in critical listening you concentrate on the blend of what has just happened. By listening to recordings of ourselves we can pick out the improvisational parts that work well, sound great, or have promise, then try to concentrate on developing them.

Acoustic Progressive Jazz Meets New Age Fusion

Guitarist Blends Progressive & Neo-Classical Influences

Guitarist Makes Mark In Music Mecca

Instrumental Rock For The Hungry Heart

Part two of our e-mailbag dump, answering some of the most commonly asked questions about releasing and promoting records.

Paul Abbott discusses the phenomenon of sound.

Highlighting the ways that other instruments and their players can profoundly effect us.

Putting yourself in the shoes and sticks of the drummer.