A native of California, Jazz Vibraphonist and Composer Tyler Blanton has been welcomed in the New York Jazz scene as a major new musical voice of his generation. Blanton’s original modern jazz compositions imbue a deep sense of swing and melodicism furthered by his improvisational prowess which is rooted in the tradition, but always stretching in the moment.
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ENTER TODAY! Enter for your chance to win ‘Fretboard Studies for the Improvising Mandolinist’ from Mel Bay Publications! Sweepstakes ends May 23, 2013 at 11:59 pm ET. This contest brought to you by Mel Bay Publications, Inc.
Gerry Hemingway is a master of extended technique and a pivotal figure in the new music scene. This video is flat-out amazing. It is a piece for solo cymbal. The amount of textures and tones he gets from a single cymbal is mind-blowing. He has more musicianship in his fingernail than most of us could ever hope for. This is some impressive stuff!
Did you enjoy the Sweet Spot Article by Tom Bills? Don’t miss the opportunity to get a free digital copy of his coffee table book. Subscribe to the Mel Bay Newsletter today and get a complimentary digital copy of “The Natura Elite Archtop Guitar” by Tom Bills, a 67 dollar value yours free when you join the Mel Bay community.
Finding The Sweet Spot: The Secret To Making Any Guitar Sound Its Best.
by Tom Bills
Have you ever noticed how some guitar players can make any guitar, no matter how lousy the guitar might be, sound great? Players like this can also take a great handcrafted guitar and make it truly sing and seem to come alive. Is it just the fact that they are “that good” that makes this happen? I think it has to do with being able to find what I call, “the sweet spot” on any given …
ENTER TODAY! Enter for your chance to win ‘Electric Guitar Anatomy and Mechanics Wall Chart’ from Mel Bay Publications! Sweepstakes ends May 17, 2013 at 11:59 pm ET. This contest brought to you by Mel Bay Publications, Inc.
Now available through Mel Bay! Expand your skills with the “Play the Accordion Vol 2” the follow up to the acclaimed “Play the Accordion Vol. 1“.
Looking to add some pizazz to your Ukulele repertoire?
Follow along with this simple and easy tutorial by Andrew Driscoll and you’ll be jammin in know time.
want more? get the book here
David Barrett is the world’s leading expert in blues harmonica education… blazing the way in every facet of its education for over twenty years.
At the age of 16, David was a private student of the local legend Gary Smith who introduced him to the local blues scene. By age 18 David was studying music theory and started teaching harmonica at local music institutes. By age 20, David had released his first book, Building Harmonica Technique (Mel Bay Publications), that is considered to be the first serious blues harmonica method to …
Thoughts on Arranging the Same Music for Different String Instruments
by Katherine Curatolo
Arranging the same piece of music for different instruments can be a more complicated process than it might seem. Although notation software makes the physical process of transposing music a simple task, it still isn’t as easy as just changing a clef or an octave with one click. There are a number of factors to consider for each individual instrument.
The choice of which key to use when transposing for different instruments depends on the specific music and the most …
