Numbers, to many, have meanings. Numerologists are people who claim to know what each number universally means and their combinations thereof. Seem far out and weird? I thought so at one point myself, but one can not deny that they are everywhere and many times consistently appear. Music is filled
Archive | Wit & Wisdom
Musical humor, gig stories, and bits of wisdom for you to chew on, learn from, plant seeds for further though, and generally assimilate into your own playing and life.
iFiddle Johnny Gimble Tribute Lesson
By fiddlejamman on May 18, 2015 in By Ear, Country, Country & Western, Founder’s Blog, iFiddle Magazine, Lesson List, Master Class, Wit & Wisdom
Famed Western Swing fiddle icon Johnny Gimble passed this week. He was 88. Mike Spears of iFiddle Magazine asked me to do a little tribute piece about Johnny. I tell of my experience playing his parts at a Bob Wills Festival. I hope you enjoy! It is a fun memory
Taking it Outside in Jazz
By fiddlejamman on February 25, 2015 in A major, Ab major, Artist Level, B major, Bb major, By Key, By Knowledge, By Scale, C major, C# major, Cb Major, D major, Db major, E major, Eb major, F major, F# major, G major, G# major, Gb major, Ionian Mode, jamming 103, Jamming 104, Jazz, Learning Methods, Lesson List, Major Pentatonic Scale, Master Class, Music Mechanics, Style Studies, Wit & Wisdom
If Country music’s format is to play as “in” as possible… meaning the right notes at the right time, then Jazz’s format is to purposefully take it “outside” the key or scale that is under it, stretching it, creating tension, and then releasing it by bringing it back… or not!
A humility lesson worth repeating
I’ve told this story hundreds of times now, to my private students, and have slipped mention of it in a few videos here at FJi too. It represented a watershed moment in my musical development. One of those “ah-ha” moments, that we also immediately follow with a forehead slapping “I
Secret Trick to Creative Greatness
By fiddlejamman on December 30, 2013 in Artist Level, By Knowledge, Founder’s Blog, Gigger Level, Jammer Level, Jamming 101, Jamming 102, jamming 103, Jamming 104, Lesson List, Master Class, Music Essentials, Music Philosophy, One-Room-School-House ORSH, Wit & Wisdom
In creative endeavors, technique is helpful, but not at all necessary. Raw creative expression is as simple as playing or doing something simple, completely on purpose, with complete inner authority. This is something that someone who has never played a note before can do in their first day, if they
What’s good for the planet = #1
By fiddlejamman on December 10, 2013 in Bulletin Board, Founder’s Blog, Lesson List, Music Philosophy, Wit & Wisdom
Practice vs Performance – Yin & Yang – Stephan Wremble article report
By fiddlejamman on November 21, 2013 in Artist Level, By Knowledge, Founder’s Blog, Lesson List, Master Class, Music Essentials, Music Philosophy, Wit & Wisdom
Reading the latest (December 2013) issue of Acoustic Guitar Magazine today (with another of my own inspirate-ors, Willie Nelson on the cover), and liked very much something that Babik friend and supporter, super guitarist (one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 100 guitarists of all time) Stephan Wremble said in a