Most of us grow up associating personal failure with shame. The view that failure is the enemy of success exists throughout much of American society. Commonly, we meet those embarrassed by past failures and anxious about the inevitability of future ones. Rather than welcoming obstacles…

Part II of the series “40 Guitarists to Check Out” includes more guitarists whose musical contributions are worth considering. Most of the guitarists listed are lesser known…

Over the years, many enthusiastic guitar students have had little or no familiarity with highly accomplished guitarists of different musical genres. Some of these guitarists are better known; others are more obscure…

The learning process can often present challenges. At times, the student sees challenges as impossible to overcome; this results in the decision to quit their musical journey entirely. Here are some of the most common pitfalls students encounter and ways to surpass them:

As someone passionate about teaching music and saving students’ time and money, I am pained whenever I meet prospective students whose former guitar teachers misled them. In many cases, the students would have likely been better without the instruction for which they had paid.

Many who ask me about my influences are surprised to know that Steve Vai is among the greatest of any. As much as Eddie Van Halen originally inspired me to play the guitar, Vai's style and voice resonated with me immediately. Here are some of his words of wisdom:

Prevent yourself from physical injury playing the guitar. Tips on avoiding stresses that most guitarists ignore:

In over 33 years of teaching, approximately half of my students have been kids between the ages of 4 and 12. This article addresses many common questions parents ask and provides insight into the music learning process.

Why the quest for perfection in music may not be as worthwhile and practical as it might seem.

Few students, teachers, or parents would deny that competition is very prevalent in music. More music competitions exist now than ever; increasing numbers of students participate from year to year…

Why and how music and jazz education fails the majority of players: