Writing « Path Zero

The Purists and the Purists

There are many roads into musical zones. And, zones are ever-present. What works for some, to get into one, can work for others. Universals do exist. Yet, there isn’t some pre-given zone waiting for discovery. We shape our world through perception, action, experience, and interpretation. There may be many classes of purists. Let’s discuss two possible types. The first, the replicators, [...]

Life-Long

The guitar’s accessibility, versatility, portability, & ideal shape, makes it a perfect fit for human musicking. Music is a lifelong endeavor. Yes, we can learn to play using advanced systems that enhance & speed up the process, yet ’7 days to mastery’ or ‘be a pro in 10 easy lessons’ is impossible & a touch misleading. The kind of thinking [...]

Secrets

We hear so much about the secrets to playing guitar. They always seem to revolve around separating us from our cash. Can we just say it out loud: there are no secrets to playing guitar in the sense they are being paid for. If someone knows something, and we don’t, and they withhold it from us until we give them [...]

Why Guitar Hero is So Good, Even Great

As a guitar teacher, you might think that I frown on Guitar Hero, when actually the opposite is true. I think it does a lot, I mean, a lot, of good. I congratulate parents for purchasing the game & for moving into lessons for the real thing. I travel to teach. I get to sit in practice spaces of students. [...]

Natural Systems

With some help from the Oxford American Dictionary Natural of or existing in or produced by nature in accordance with the course of nature having certain inborn qualities or abilities System a set of connected things or parts that form a whole or work together; nervous system, railroad system, solar system, digestive system a set of rules or principles forming [...]