On Practicing Guitar

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  • Red Lion Blues Jam Going Strong in Greenwich Village

      The jamming scene in NYC has been going full tilt recently. I’ve been going to the Red Lion in Greenwich Village on Monday nights and American Trash on Wednesdays in the Upper East Side, as often as I can. I recently made it out to the Red Lion for what turned out to be…

  • Johnny B Goode Tab and Video

    When I was still carryin’ my guitar in a gunny sack, I started playin’ Johnny B. Goode, and jamming on it with some local kids. I thought it was the greatest thing. One of the kids even told me, “you can really play that song.” I was like, “everybody plays it.” But he insisted, “no,…

  • Good Time Clicks for Safdie Brothers and Robert Pattinson

    The new film by the Safdie brothers, Good Time, finally found its proper venue – for me. The Roxy is a beautiful, Paris-inspired movie theatre in the basement of the Roxy Hotel in Tribeca that shows classic, indie and other creative films for $12 a pop. Red curtains, red seats, a little bar – there’s…

  • A Timeless Tribute to John Abercrombie

    Love and devotion were in the air at the recent “John Abercrombie: Timeless,” tribute at Roulette in Brooklyn. The music was spot on – inspired, beautifully played and non-competitive. In a tribute to a great guitarist, only three guitarists would take the stage. For me, there was reason to be grateful because a friend and…

  • Bukowski Can’t Write This

    With the wind at my back, I steadied myself. And pushed on. I could see the city lights before me. The wharf, the piers, les clochards, all beckoned. I was headed to the LIC Bar to play a gig with Saints and Sinners, AND Mancie, mind you. This was no ordinary night. Google maps says…

  • Let’s Talk About Practicing II – What I’m Practicing Now – Have A Cigar, Seven Come Eleven, more…

    Sadly, ruts are a part of practicing – I first noticed it when I was fourteen. My teacher explained to me, “You’re going to have ups and downs.” I won’t say that I was in a rut recently, but I felt that I was having trouble getting my practice sessions off the ground. I was…

  • A NYC Blues Odyssey

    The cold winds of February brought along a trio of blues gigs in my hometown, New York City. Two of the hits were over in a New York minute, but there were lots of great musicians and plenty of fun. The venues included the Delancey on the Lower East Side, Big Ed’s World Famous Blues…

  • Killing Me Softly Basic Chords Review – Chart and Video

    “Killing Me Softly (With His Song)” makes for an excellent review and exercise of the basic chords in addition to being a lovely tune with some interesting theory behind it. The song was a number one hit for Roberta Flack in 1973 and with her beautiful vocal and arrangement she crystallized a certain kind of…

  • Gary Clark, Jr. Solo with Tab for “When My Train Pulls In”

    When I first heard Gary Clark, Jr., I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. The hype surrounding his playing, his acting gigs, the perfect image and awesome singing voice made me wonder about his gasp, authenticity as a player, but the truth is that what I heard in terms of his guitar playing…

  • Happy New Year!

    To All My Friends, Happy New Year and Many Happy Returns! It’s been a bit of a crazy year, but let’s not worry about the tough stuff. It was productive if arduous. I spent a lot of time working on a new album which will be ready soon.  A lot of great lessons and students…