Tempo and the real muscian

Being able to play a piece of music at a consistent speed is crucial to become a great musician.  The word for speed in music is TEMPO.  All great musicians can play at a set tempo.  They may speed up or down if the song req...
by John Baucum
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Are you a bass player or a guitar player playing the bass?

Are you a bass player or a guitar player playing the bass? I had taught bass for many years when I first started playing bass with our church band. I knew how to play the right notes: A, D, E.  I understood rhythmic groups: qu...
by John Baucum
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Music Theory

Musical theory is the How and Whys of music.  Theory is a way of explaining why certain notes and chords sound good together and others don’t.  Having a good grasp of music theory is vital to becoming a good musician.  The...
by John Baucum
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Are you too old to start playing the guitar?

People often ask me, “How old does my child need to be before he can start guitar lessons?”   It is really up to the child.  I taught a 3 year old once.  They were really focused for about 15 minutes.  They hit one str...
by John Baucum
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Technique

Some people say image is everything.  Although there is aspect to that, I think that having great chops is more important.  Hammer-ons and Pull-offs are essential to every guitar player’s repitua.  Hammer-ons are played by...
by John Baucum
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How to play Hammer-ons and pull-offs on the guitar.

A hammer-on is accomplished by slapping your finger down quickly on the guitar in order to make the note ring without using a pick.In this example, I have placed my first finger on the 1st sting 3rd fret and am going to hammer ...
by John Baucum
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