Author: Dre DiMura

  • Allegro! Exploring the Legacy and Technique of the Great Django Reinhardt

    Allegro! Exploring the Legacy and Technique of the Great Django Reinhardt

    + Welcome to Soundfly! We help curious musicians meet their goals with creative online courses. Whatever you want to learn, whenever you need to learn it. Subscribe now to start learning on the ’Fly. A fire roars with life on a cool summer night somewhere in the north of France, possibly even just over the Belgian border. Music drifts into the night…

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  • The Unacknowledged Impact Gregg Allman Had on My Life as a Musician

    I never listened to the Allman Brothers much, which is probably not what you’d expect to hear from somebody who’s about to write 500 or so words about Gregg Allman. But as I reflected on his passing last week, I realized that Gregg and his brother Duane had a much greater impact on my life as…

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  • What Makes a Great Debut Album? These 5 Classics Can Teach Us Everything

    What Makes a Great Debut Album? These 5 Classics Can Teach Us Everything

    What makes a great debut album? Its reflection on its time and place in contemporary society? The hype it generates? An ethereal and indescribable showing of artistic genius and virtuosity? While there are certainly patterns and similarities within the athenaeum of commercial music — the “sophomore slump,” the “edgy cover artwork,” or the scorched-earth PR campaigns…

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  • 6 Songs That Prove Otis Spann Sold His Soul to the Devil, Too

    Blues legend has it that at the corner of Highway 61 and Highway 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, otherwise known as the “Devil’s Crossroads,” a young Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil in return for the ability to play the bejeezus out of his guitar. Well, I’m here to make the case that there…

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  • Everything to Consider When Buying Your First Guitar

    Everything to Consider When Buying Your First Guitar

    “I got my first real six-string. Bought it at the five and dime. Played it ’til my fingers bled. Was the summer of ’69.” – Bryan Adams Whether you’re thinking about hunkering down and buying your first guitar or looking to upgrade from the $199 Strat pack that your grandma gave you for Christmas to…

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  • How to Play the Guitar Without Looking

    How to Play the Guitar Without Looking

    Tired of constantly glancing down at the fretboard during your solos? Having trouble singing while you play? Maybe you’re just out to emulate all your favorite blues musicians, like Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell, or Sonny Terry (also blind)… none of whom could even see their guitar, let alone the fretboard! But for…

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  • Discover Alternate Tunings with Led Zeppelin’s Classic Guitar Riffs

    The consensus amongst musicians seems to be unanimous: Led Zeppelin has written and performed some of the most high-intensity rock and roll music ever. Yet beneath the fuzzed out, thunderous madness of Valhalla and Middle Earth typically associated with rock’s golden gods, there is a wealth of musical ingenuity and innovation waiting to be uncovered by…

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  • Please Don’t Stop the Music: How the Brexit Might Affect the Music Industry

    Please Don’t Stop the Music: How the Brexit Might Affect the Music Industry

    With the aftershocks of the United Kingdom’s vote to exit the European Union still being felt around the world, it is unclear how Britain’s historic “Leave” vote will affect the global economy, trade, and immigration. In addition to political and social issues, there may also be far reaching implications for musicians in the UK, EU, and…

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  • How to Be Every Sound Guy’s Best Friend

    How to Be Every Sound Guy’s Best Friend

    The sound guy/gal: The final piece between the killer show you have been rehearsing for for months, bringing down the house… or going up in smoke. The thing is though, sometimes they’re tired (they often work days and nights), or still irritated about the band last night who got too drunk and spilled beer all over the DI…

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  • How to Play Adele’s “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” on Guitar

    Today we’re going to take a look at the guitar lead in on “Send My Love (To Your New Lover),” the third single off of Adele’s spectacular 2015 album, 25 (we also broke down her first single “Hello” on piano here). This is a great song and a fantastic riff, and it is a total blast…

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Ryan Lott: Designing Sample-Based Instruments