Horns are a prominent piece in the puzzle of modern music. When it comes to pushing the language of American music forward, predominantly via jazz in the 20th century, their role has been invaluable. But what about their prominence in film? Whether it’s the saxophone, trumpet, or trombone, or, yes, even a bunch of tubas,…
Everyone knows about the Strats, Teles, and Les Pauls. These guitars are ubiquitous in the rock world. In fact, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a guitarist who’s been playing for over ten years who hasn’t at some point owned or dabbled with one or all of those classics. Yet no matter how much we…
On-stage banter can be one of the most memorable parts of your set. Talk to your crowd like a pro with these tips for upping your banter game.
Distortion, or dirt, as us cool guys call it, is not only used in loud garage rock. In fact, it’s used in every genre of music under the sun. It’s that crunch on the guitar, that huge, fuzz sound, the broken amp effect. There are three major types of distortion: fuzz, overdrive, and distortion, as well…
If you’re a drummer, warm up your hands and fingers before playing to prevent injury and increase dexterity. Use these exercises to do just that!
If you’re like me, you’ll be celebrating World Toilet Day this weekend! Besides reflecting on the mission of this holiday, which is to raise awareness of the 2.4 billion global citizens with no access to clean and safe sanitation, however, I’m not totally sure how people are supposed to celebrate World Toilet Day — save for using…
It was late 2009 when I got my first taste of Agadez. Searching a relatively primitive YouTube for new music to explore for an ethnomusicology class, I came across a four-minute clip that would change my perspective on the electric guitar for years to come. Recorded in 2004 by Sublime Frequencies founder Hisham Mayet, the…
Antoine “Fats” Domino, Jr., one of the early pioneers of a musical style that came to be known as rock ‘n’ roll, whose iconic voice and boogie-woogie piano playing helped inspire entire eras of brilliant songwriting, passed away on October 25, 2017. He was 89. With his flat-top haircut, rotund figure, and buoyant personality, Domino…
Halloween is right around the corner! Are you ready? Got plans to perform live or throw a listening party somewhere? As with any holiday, the opportunity to do a little something special for your fans is not to be overlooked. In fact, Halloween is prime time for breaking routine, having a little fun, and connecting…
In Kaki King’s brand-new, free course for Soundfly, Digital Pedalboards, she takes us through why she decided to make the switch to a digital pedalboard, how she makes use of this new, more compact electronics setup, and some helpful tips for how to customize the tech for our own use. Kaki’s setup involves only five pieces of gear.…
