A few guitarists’ interpretations of Hendrix tunes… Ben Verdery: Sheryl Bailey and Vic Juris: Monte Montgomery: Read more →
SciFi Themed bands
Rob Bricken of io9 has a list of 11 Science Fiction themed bands, including Sun Ra. Read more →
String Choices for Acoustic Swing
Jonathan Stout just posted what may be the definitive guide to string choice for swing guitar. I’m geeking out over Monel as an alternative alloy to 80/20 Bronze, so a set of Martin’s Tony Rice Signature Monel strings are in my future. Read more →
RadioLab on Music and Language
RadioLab’s latest podcast is on the connections between music and language. It’s odd to hear the “all great composers had absolute pitch” myth repeated here. Anne Fernald’s “fundamental melodies” are similar to some of Schillinger’s thoughts on the origin of melody. “The brain abhors the new… Stravinsky realized it is the purpose of the artist to challenge the brain —… Read more →
Cruise Ship Drummer
On occasion, I like to play drum transcriptions and plunder them for new rhythmic devices. When such a mood strikes me, my first stop is almost always Todd Bishop’s awesome blog, Cruise Ship Drummer. Read more →
Pete Thorn Teaches Eruption
Using the Cycle of Thirds Diagram
The Basics: The three Minor Thirds Cycles (like C, Eb, Gb, A) are the squares. The four Major Thirds Cycles (like C, E, G) are located in three note groups to the sides of center. Tritones are located directly opposite each other in the same square, just like in the traditional circle of fifths or chromatic circle. Perfect Fourths move… Read more →
“Circle” of Thirds
I created this diagram to help with visualization of chromatic third cycles for tunes like Giant Steps, Countdown, or Central Park West. You can find out more about how to use it at Using the Circle of Thirds. Here the zip file containing the original svgs for pitch names, pcs, and a lines only template. Read more →