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Modern technology you gotta love it!  The internet has revolutionized our world in so many ways.  You no longer need telephone books, maps, or even an encyclopedia!  All you have to do is go online and, voila it's there.  In this post I would like to share with you some of my favorite websites and blogs that have helped my playing!  Please feel free to share some of the websites that you like in the comment section below!

http://www.musictheory.net/
This is a GREAT site!  You may not be into music theory but it's the building blocks of music.  This site is great for all aspects of music!  Ear training, note recognition, interval training, etc.  This isn't the flashiest site but its very helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Guitartricks#p/u/22/pNzJmURoPuQ
I just found this site not long ago.  It's great!!!  They have all sorts of guitar lessons on their normal site and some free lessons on their youtube site.  Check it out!

http://www.guitarinstructor.com/
This site is cool too!  They have online lessons that you can view for only $1.99 per lesson.  Not a bad price!  There is a wide variety of lessons from professional players.  They have lessons ranging from rock, jazz, blues, to even guitar maintenance.

http://www.harmonycentral.com/index.jspa
Harmony Central is a invaluable website.  There are all kinds of user reviews on amps, effects, guitars and anything else that deals with music!  If you're thinking about buying some gear check this site out first to see what others think of it!

http://brokenheadstock.com/
I also follow a few different blogs.  This guy has a great blog!  I found his blog one day after searching for a tap tempo pedal schematic.  Check it out http://brokenheadstock.com/?p=82 . He discusses his gear and what's worked for him.

http://godgearandguitars.blogspot.com/
This is Chris Lockwood's blog, he's the guitarist from the band "33 miles".  I love the name of his blog, God, Gear, and Guitars!  They have some great songs too!


Ok so there are just a few websites that are very useful.  What about you?  What sites / blogs do you follow?  List them below!

Who's Your Influence?

Throughout my years of playing I've had people ask me, "Who are some of your influences?" and "What guitarists do you listen to?" This is always hard to pinpoint because you pick up all kinds of things from all kinds of players. And of course as music is always changing so is your playing. With that said some of the people I am currently listening to are Lincoln Brewster, Ben Gowell, and Nigel Hendroff. Each of which have their own style of playing.

Lincoln Brewster is probably one the most widely known worship guitarists. He has multiple albums and is an outstanding player! He is an extraordinarily versatile player who can adapt to any style of music. In his latest album he goes from rock, to blues, to gospel, and then some. It's a excellent CD and I would encourage everyone to buy it! He also has two instructional DVD's that are currently out. I have the first and it too is great! Also if you haven't heard his testimony and how he came to know the Lord you've got to read it!

Ben Gowell is currently playing with Paul Baloche, Michael W. Smith, and Sara Groves (All @ the same time JK). His playing is very super creative. You generally won't hear him scream out some lightening fast hardcore flashy solo (though I'm sure he could) however his creativity and consistency make him a very sought after guitarist. I love Ben's style that always makes you say, "How and where is he playing that?" I've had the honor of meeting Ben at a Seminars 4 Worship event and he is one of the most down to earth people you could meet. His love for playing the guitar and more importantly his love for his God comes shining through! Ben also has an instructional DVD out and it focuses on everything! From chord shapes, to scales, to music theory, to equipment, its all in there (like a good pasta sauce)! It's got to be the most beneficial instructional DVD I have seen (and I've seen a lot)! If you don't have it get it!

Nigel Hendroff is one of the many guitarists who play for Hillsong United! He (like Gowell) is a very creative guitarist. Hillsong's music is very unique and different and consequently so is Hendroff's playing style. Nigel doesn't have an instructional DVD however you can find him on Youtube teaching many Hillsong songs!


All these guys are great guitarists! They all have shaped the way we play worship music today! They all currently play for their churches and have a heart for God! So there are just a few of my influences as it pertains to worship, how about you? Who are some people you're listening to? Who are the people that help shape the way you play? Please share them below!

Serving Him,

Jimmy!

Timing Is Everything!

I remember it like it was yesterday. We were in the batting cages and I was having the hardest time trying to hit that crazy baseball. For some reason I just could not hit the ball. I never had any trouble hitting a baseball when I was in little league. But as I got older that ball started coming at me faster and faster. One of my friends Brian was having the same problem at first but then all of a sudden he started hitting every single ball that came his way. I asked him about it and what he differently to start hitting the ball. He gave me a very simple answer, "Just keep your eye on the ball until it hits the bat." I thought, "thats it?" It seemed too simple, and yet it was the very thing that worked. You see I would look at the ball as it came towards me but then close my eyes as I swung the bat . I don't know why I did that, I just did. Anyway, the point is, is that I would inadvertently take my eyes off the ball and that would throw off my timing. When your trying to hit a baseball timing is crucial! If you swing a half a second early or late it can drastically affect where your ball will go. The same is true for music! Timing is everything- whether you're a guitarist, drummer, bass player, or even a nose whistle player, timing is everything! If you're a half a second early or late you very well may have a glorious train wreck on your hands. If you take your playing seriously you must work with a metronome on a consistent basis! It is so vital! I don't care if you can shred like a maniac or do a 20 minute drum solo! If your timing is off then it just doesn't matter all that much. This week I want to challenge you to work with a metronome for 15 minutes every day. Just strum along or play scales with it. Don't start off on 130 bpm. Take it easy and work with a section of a song at a time. If you're working a solo or trying to build up speed in your playing, play the part slow at first. When you can play it 10 times in a row without any mistakes, gradually speed up the metronome. If you're thinking, "I don't really need to work with one of those, I've got good timing" - than you need to work with one. I naively thought that at first and quickly realized how off I really was. If you don't have a metronome you can buy one at any music store for around $10. Or you can even work with one online for free. Just follow this link!

Serving Him,

Jimmy!

Recipes!

So my wife started two new blogs this past week and was very excited about them! She posted them and asked me to go and check them out, so I did. She did a wonderful job - the layouts and color schemes were perfect. She then proceeded to ask me if I actually read any of her posts. To be honest with you I skimmed them over but I didn't actually read them. The first one I saw was all about a brand new muffin recipe. Now as much as I like to eat I'm not all that interested in cooking. However it got me thinking about tone (because every self respecting guitarist knows that everything goes back to tone right?...JK:) Yes I know it sounds odd but it got me thinking about tone! You see when you find a good tone that you really really love its just like finding a great recipe! The guitarist, guitar, amp, and pedal setup all mix together to get that unbelievable sound! So I give my wife and her "muffin recipe" all the credit for starting this new blog!

Some of my favorite tone recipes are as follows;

American Telecaster - Mesa Boogie Rectoverb - MXR Distortion +

American Strat - 65' Fender Deluxe Reverb (Vintage Reissue) Pushed Hard

American Strat - 65' Fender Deluxe Reverb (Vintage Reissue) - Tube Screamer

Gibson ES 135 - Mesa Boogie Rectoverb - Fulltone OCD

I would like for this blog to serve as an ongoing conversation of ways to improve our effectiveness for playing for our Mighty God! So please use the comment section of this blog to give your ideas and thoughts! If you have a favorite "tone recipe" that you love please post it here!

Serving Him,

Jimmy!