Live Musician Central

The Who Need A Meeting

   One of the things I’ve encountered in my career playing in bands is the importance of keeping everybody on the same page. One thing that is constant is the fact that things constantly change. The band may have started out with one vision, one goal and a clear path to get there. As time goes on and people grow and the band gets out playing in front of people those things will most likely change. Before long, the band that started out as a rock-n-roll roadhouse band is playing a bunch of country music and not everyone in the band is happy about that. Another thing that happens to bands is personality conflicts. They’re inevitable and unavoidable. Sometimes there are hurt feelings because of things that have been said or done in the heat of the moment. You can make it through these things as long as the band keeps the ability to talk to each other openly and honestly.

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Tascam MP-GT1 Portable MP3 Guitar Trainer

   When I was first learning how to play songs by ear from the original recordings it was a huge struggle for me. I was trained to read music from a young age and playing by ear was a whole new world for me. I remember sitting on my bed and working on a song for several hours before I finally had it down. The hardest thing of all was learining how to play the guitar solos. The notes flew by so fast that I couldn’t begin to pick them out.

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No you can't use my microphone!

   Man if I had $5 for every time I’ve been asked “Can I Play Your Guitar?” I’d be rich! I’ve had people stumble up to me at gigs drunk out of their mind and ask if they can sit in with the band, and of course play my guitar to do it. I once had a guy grab my 2nd guitar off the stage while I was playing and play air guitar with it. Lucky for that guy he was a visiting Japanese dignitary at a marketing convention that didn’t speak any english. I think he knew enough from my reaction to quickly put my guitar back. I guess some words are universal. So when somebody asks me “Can I Play Your Guitar?” my policy is to simply say “No”. There are several reasons I’ve learned to just say no over the years.

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One Happy Fan!

   The greatest thing about playing live music is the interaction you have with the audience. There is no better feeling than to see the audience completely taken by what you’re doing onstage. It’s a very symbiotic relationship in the fact that the audience feeds off the bands energy and stage presence and the band feeds off the energy and appreciation they feel from the audience.

   I remember at one particular gig, we had a fan that was completely into the music we were playing. I mean the guy was completely lost in the music. We’re talking borderline out of control.

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   Today I just wanted to let everybody know that June is Fender month at Musician’s Friend. This is a big deal to me because I’m a huge user and fan of Fender products. Read more »

    Yet another Shreds video and the solo is pretty darn funny. But what really cracks me up about this video and makes me laugh everytime is see it is watching Ozzy Osbourne clapping! You see him clapping like a loon everytime he plays live but you can’t hear it. So pay special attention to Ozzy’s beautiful clapping on this Rock’n video.

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   Here are the best new releases on iTunes this week. If you want your band to stay current and relevant, then pick the new hits, learn them and stay ahead of the game.
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Clayton Acetal Standard Guitar Picks

   I’ve used dozens of different types of guitar picks over the years in the quest to find a great guitar pick. I wanted a pick with the following qualities:

• Non-slip, sweat resistant surface
• Long lasting and break resistant
• Good hardness for a sharp attack

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Frank - Ready To Rock

   With gas prices taking a huge chunk of change out of all of our pockets, bands are looking for ways to stay in touch with their audience. Today I’m going to talk a bit about streaming a live concert online for all your fans to enjoy.

  The easiest way that I’ve found to do this is with a great Internet streaming service called Shoutcast. It’s a music stream that you can listen to with either Winamp or iTunes. You can check it out at www.shoutcast.com and it’s very easy to set up. Here are 3 links on how to set everything up: Read more »

  This is number 5 in our series of Dance Set Lists for your band to learn. These lists have been compiled from the Mobile Beat Top 200 Dance Songs Of All Time. These songs are proven to keep the dance floor filled all night long. You should be able to pick the songs you want your band to learn from these set lists and have the rest on your iPod. They’re a great way to keep the party going while your band is taking a break. So please download and enjoy Live Musician Central Dance Set List 5.     Read more »