Summertime Music Lesson Discounts!

I normally don't promote at this blog, but I have some very cool summer discount packages I want you to know about.  Check them ...

How to Fix Practicing Frustration

Do One Thing at a Time! Students at any level can get frustrated when a passage, riff or chord-change doesn’t lock in quickly. Did th...

How to Play and Sing at the Same Time

Playing and singing at the same time is usually a challenge for the beginner, and sometimes the professional as well! The secret is Rhythm...

How to Pick a Teacher

A good teacher should guide you toward your musical goals. Ultimately, he or she should be a good musician, a good teacher and someone you l...

Should I Take Private Music Lessons?

First off, ask yourself, “Am I happy with the way I play?” If you are happy with the way you play, you probably don’t need private music les...

Why Learn Scales?

Scales are the vehicle for understanding the language of music . They are the musicians’ alphabet. They define the elements of a song, give ...

Buttwinick Musical Services Update ~ July 2011

Greetings! As 2011 roles along, activity is activated and production is purposeful! I hope all is well with you, and here is an update from ...

Chord Technique on Guitar and Bass

Does it take you a long time to learn a new chord? Do you want the secret to quickly learning new chord shapes? Applying this write-up could...

Guitar & Bass: Which Way is Up?

Learning what “up or down the neck” means is one of the funniest things about learning beginning bass and guitar. This has perplexed and e...

Music Lessons Payoff in the Real World

Here's an example of applying private music lessons to life: _____________________________ "This week I had a breakthrough in compo...

The Famous F Chord on Guitar

One of my beginning guitar students is working on her “F Chord" and it prompted me to make a few comments about this. (I’m also pilotin...

Metal Analysis

One of my guitar / songwriter students is into metal, esp. Avenged Sevenfold. My roots are mainly in classical, hard rock, funk, “world” and...

Glossary of Musical Terms

I recently added a cool "Glossary of Musical Terms" at one of my websites. You should check it out! This is an expanding list of m...

How to Make A Living as a Guitarist

[This is the original, unedited version of the GUITAR PLAYER magazine article titled: FREELANCING—How To Get Hometown Gigs Now. Guitar Play...

Guidelines for Practicing a Musical Instrument

Be there. Have your attention on what you are doing. Be willing to learn something and accept the fact that it probably won’t happen over a ...

Can music lessons ruin your originality?

Contrary to what some people believe, music instruction does not have to blunt one’s creativity. “Good” music instruction will enable one to...