It is my belief that, decades ago, guitar players and other musicians had a more dramatic sense of theatre about them. Many people in the rock and metal genres had a separate persona that they would have onstage. This is definitely not the same as people that are pretending to be something they are not whilst marketing it as their true self – I am referring to people playing characters to an otherworldly degree, an alternate version of themselves or simply creating a new char

Musicians tend to fall into one of two main categories; some people gravitate towards one instrument although they have rudimentary skill with other disciplines, and others seem to be equally at home with anything that you put in their hands. I find myself firmly in the former category, but I have met many people who align with the latter statement (I may or may not be a bit jealous!). In this blog post, I want to discuss how having some experience with other instruments asid

There is the old joke that the ideal number of guitars is X + 1. Meaning that you always just need one more, and once you have that one piece to finish the collection then another one comes along that you must have. It is a vicious cycle and we have all been there at one point or another.  However, that begs the question of how many guitars do you actually need? The answer to that question is going to change depending on who you ask. In this blog post, I will try to help you

There was a time when creating professional-quality music required access to expensive recording studios, high-end equipment, and specialized engineers. For many musicians, especially those just starting out, these barriers seemed insurmountable. Today, however, the landscape of music production has changed dramatically. The home recording revolution has made it possible for anyone with a passion for music to set up a recording studio in their own home. This transformation ha

It is easy to understand that the best melodies are going to be different for each person; the concept of something being ‘the best’ in almost any instance is entirely subjective. Unless you are ranking a melody on the most money generated etc (something that is very hard to accurately determine!), then this will always be the case.  Today we will be talking about the best melodies, how we can classify this with our own personal set of rules, some examples of what I think are

The electric guitar is one of the most influential and iconic instruments in the history of modern music. Its sounds have defined genres, inspired musicians, and created some of the most unforgettable moments in music history. But the electric guitar is not a monolith; it comes in several distinct types, each with unique qualities that shape the way it sounds and feels. Among the most notable categories are solid-body, semi-hollow, and hollow-body guitars. These designs refle

Video game music (VGM) has transformed from a series of simple, functional sound effects into an art form celebrated by gamers and music enthusiasts worldwide. Today, it occupies a space where creativity, technology, and storytelling converge, crafting soundscapes that are as memorable as the games themselves. As a genre, VGM has grown to blend diverse musical traditions, from classical orchestration to electronic experimentation, all while embracing cutting-edge technologies

Having played in various ensembles, from smaller groups playing rearrangements of tunes, to touring bands playing original music and larger corporate style function bands, I am in a unique position to comment on whether or not you should actually learn the original solo of a tune properly. In this blog post I will discuss arguments for and against this, and my end goal is to help you determine the correct choice for yourself. This is all under the assumption that you have the

Some guitar players prefer to go down the multi-fx route for their entire chain; using products like the Helix from Line 6, the Kemper Profiler and a seemingly endless list of others to create your entire signal chain is commonplace. Whether or not you should do this is entirely your choice, and something I have discussed in a blog post before. The purpose of this blog post is to discuss uses for these systems within an existing guitar rig, whether you have a conventional amp

Let us start off by stating that the world of acoustic instruments is a minefield. Unlike electric guitars, the shape, the woods used in construction, the nut and saddle material all make a significant difference to the sound. This is because the instrument itself produces the sound that you hear, rather than with an electric guitar where the speaker in the cabinet or PA speaker makes the biggest difference to the tone.  You can read more about the different types of acoustic

One thing that I struggled with for a very long time was having my guitar solo at an appropriate volume compared to the rest of the band. The idea was for the guitar to still fit in tonally, but have the lift and any ambience that I required. I have experimented with many different methods over the years, and I have discovered a few that work best for me. In this blog post I am going to discuss a variety of things you can do to effectively get your solo from your fingers to t

It is all well and good having a nice selection of pedals, sometimes people put weeks of research, testing and decision making into choosing the right product for them. Then it goes right next to the equally as special pedal and then it all gets powered by something from the Stone Age. Often the one part of a rig that lets a guitar player down is the power supply, and they are not all made equally. In this blog post, I will discuss the pros and cons of different power supplie

If you have read any of my gear related blog posts in the past, you would have undoubtedly come across my advice where I explain the approach I recommend you take when buying new gear. This includes figuring out what you need, what gear you use, factoring in budget and various other points of interest. In this blog post, I want to walk you through my own personal journey that happened very recently – buying a new delay pedal. Read on to learn when I decided I wanted a new del

Music is more than sound; it’s a pulse, a rhythm, and a vibe that brings people together. Few genres embody this better than funk, soul, R&B, and their related styles. These groovy genres have roots that run deep in African American musical traditions, evolving over decades and branching into countless substyles that inspire artists and audiences alike. Let’s take a journey through the rich history, defining characteristics, and notable artists of these enduring genres and th

Drive pedals are one of those strange things that guitar players love, despite the fact that most of them are derived from a select few circuits. Some people buy specific models because their favourite player uses them, and manufacturers like to over complicate things by having a million different drive sounds in one.  Josh Scott of JHS Pedals proved that you can make something cheap like the Digitech Bad Monkey sound almost indistinguishable from an original Klon Centaur, so

Neo-soul is more than just a genre—it’s a vibe that bridges the timelessness of classic soul with the innovation of modern music. Emerging in the 1990s, neo-soul blends the best elements of soul, R&B, jazz, funk, and hip-hop, creating a sound that feels both nostalgic and fresh. Known for its authenticity, emotive lyrics, and organic instrumentation, neo-soul has captured the hearts of music lovers seeking depth and groove in equal measure. This article explores neo-soul’s de

All too easily the word ‘legend’ is passed around, in all walks of life but especially in regards to music. However, on December 3 rd  2025, certified music industry legend Steve Cropper sadly passed away at the age of 84. Please see below for the interview our leader Michael Kaplan did with Steve back in 2017 (the picture above is from that same day). He was a true gentleman too! Steve Cropper Interview Career Highlights I suggest watching the interview above, and checking o

I find that sometimes the most impressive players are not necessarily the flashiest, the fastest or write the heaviest riffs. As I get older and mature as a musician, I constantly find that I am enamoured with those players that just sit in the pocket as tight as possible, become one with the rhythm section and remove the work ‘shred’ from their dictionary. As you can see by the title of this blog post, today I want to talk about some great funky players, those that have a st

Have you ever imagined what our life would be like if you were a noble adventurer, fighting dragons and ancient beasts in mystical realms in forgotten times? Well, some people have anyway. One small problem with this is that it is not really possible given that dragons and other assorted beats are rather hard to obtain. The closest we can get is to immerse ourselves in the world of power metal, where the themes often revolve around fantasy and, in many cases, the whole band i

One thing that surprises me all the time with rock guitar players is how many random bits of riffs they know. In fact, I would hazard a guess that the average player would only be able to get through the whole song that those riffs come from 1 in 10 times. This is where rock guitar players differ from a jazz guitarist, because the latter tend to memorize changes and melodies much more frequently.  Some players, like Paul Gilbert, are a veritable encyclopedia of guitar riffs,