by John McGinley | May 5, 2022 | Articles, Recording Tips
Absorber panels in useCost: $20-$26 (per panel)Time: 30 min. (per panel)Credit for this design goes to:Chris Banning (aka studio_drums)from John Sayers’ Recording Studio Design Forum Materials needed:- 2″ Mineral/Rock Wool or Rigid...
by John McGinley | May 5, 2022 | Articles, Recording Tips
One of the most common questions I get from musicians is “What’s the best way to soundproof my practice space.” For starters, the first thing you will need to determine is whether you need sound isolation or acoustic treatment–or both. ...
by John McGinley | Feb 5, 2018 | Articles, guitar, Resources
I’m going to make a big confession: I make mistakes when I play the guitar. Not only do I make mistakes, I make them nearly every single time I pick up the instrument. However, I learned quickly while playing in my first band that most of my mistakes are...
by John McGinley | Oct 26, 2017 | Articles, guitar, guitar-showcase, Resources
Finding your practice groove can take some time and effort but once you discover it, the rewards will be unmistakable. Here are 3 simple things you can try to make practice more fun and efficient: 1. Keep it short, but consistent You’ll be far better off having...
by John McGinley | Oct 16, 2017 | Articles, guitar, Resources
I love capos, but they have a bad rap. Sometimes when I suggest to a guitarist to use a capo for x reason, I’ll get that look–the look that says “Seriously? I’m not a cheater but thanks for the suggestion.” For those of you open to...
by John McGinley | Sep 25, 2017 | Articles, guitar, Resources
If you don’t have a clue as to when or why you need to change out those guitar strings, look no further. This topic comes up frequently during lessons. Most often, students don’t have a particular problem at the time–they just want to make sure...
by John McGinley | Aug 7, 2017 | Articles, guitar, Resources
Improvisation can be one of the more complex and intimidating topics for any musician. But if you break the process down into manageable chunks, you may find you’re closer to improvising on the guitar than you currently imagine. I think of improvisation as a...
by John McGinley | Jul 18, 2017 | Articles, guitar, guitar-showcase, Resources
Here are a five gadgets that are universally helpful to almost any guitar player. If you’ve been playing for any length of time, you likely have some or all of these items already. If not, maybe it’s time to update that guitar wishlist! String Winder...
by John McGinley | Jul 11, 2017 | Articles, guitar, guitar-showcase, Resources
Solos don’t happen in a bubble. Even if you’re a vocalist singing acapella (without accompaniment), there will almost always be an implied chord structure supporting what you’re singing. When many people think of solos, they think of scales. While...
by John McGinley | Jun 20, 2017 | Articles, guitar, Resources
When searching for affordable quality gear to recommend to students, every now and then I come across a game changer; something that stops me in my tracks and forces me to rethink my previous assumptions. The Fender Champion 20 and 40 modeling amps presented one of...