Little Rock Jams - A Music Studio Blog

DIY Amp Build - Video 1

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:19:12 GMT

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Be sure to check out all the articles in the DIY Amp Build series!

The amp Gilmore Jr. 1/2 watt is finished and I love it! In fact, I haven't played any of my other amps since.

I have about 20+ hours of video that I've edited to bite size portions. The videos will document the amp build and some of the troubleshooting I had to do when it was blowing fuses.

In this first video, I'm mounting the power and output transformers, both Mercury Magnetics. If you haven't looked into Mercury, check them out. I heard nothing but good reviews about them and I can confirm them. The amp sounds great!

To save time, the videos will have sections that go into overdrive as I do some grunt work. Throughout, you will see comments and tips related to the build and sometimes, just funny thoughts I have during the build (especially after I shocked myself).

Thanks for reading and viewing! Let me know what you think.

DIY Amp Build - Video 2

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:14:29 GMT

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Be sure to check out all the articles in the DIY Amp Build series!

This is the second video of my Gilmore Jr. 1/2 watt tube amp build. This video is just mounting of the on/off switch and the standby switch. I like it because I had Kenny Burrell and John Coltrane tracks playing in the background.

A tip for you ....

When testing the sweep of the switch to determine the ON/OFF states, make sure you mount them correctly so that both are in the same position when on or off.

I'm mentioning this because when I mounted the tone controls, I reversed them. I'll tell you more about that and what I did in the next few videos.

Check out my guest post on DeftDigits...

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:29:31 GMT

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Our friend and practice motivator extraordinaire, Joe Walker, is running a great series on his studio website called Discover a Guitarist.

Joe wrote a guest post for us this past summer in our series on making a living with music, My Life and Music, and has given me the opportunity to write about one of my favorites...

Prince

I know you all have heard of Prince, but do you also know that he is a monster guitar player that can handle Rock, Blues, Jazz, Funk, Country and even Shred?

Check out my article and be sure to leave a comment on what you think!

Deft Digits - Discover a Guitarist - Prince

Follow Master Yoda, you will, to become a great player!

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:24:05 GMT

My son had a school event this weekend at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts in Hot Springs.

While they were learning the ins and outs of building robots, I was desperately trying to find my happy place. Without a guitar in hand and no iPod, I was reduced to scanning the room for interesting things to stare at and ponder...

These are really old chairs...

This must be the junk room, look at all the monitors with sticky notes on them...

That's a cool Yoda poster...

And as I read the poster, which had Yoda quotes about the force, I thought how relevant they were to learning how to play a musical instrument.

So - reach out with the force and feel the power of Guitar Master Yoda!

photo source www.askhg.com

Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.

When you practice, look at your material (exercises, etudes, tunes, etc) as something you will learn how to do, and do well, to help you grow as a musician.

Do not think this way "I'll try to learn that new solo, but if it is too hard, I'm just going to jam on a blues. That's easy and fun".

Practice time is too precious to waste on things that will not move you closer to your goals. Make sure what you practice is in line with what you want to do and then work with purpose toward mastering the material.

"DO", as Master Yoda would say.

A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind.

When you practice, you must be committed and focused in order to truly learn the material. Every musician has had practice sessions where they are engaged and focused, as well as sessions when they are thinking about everything but practicing. And every musician will tell you the focused practice sessions are those where they progressed the most.

Or as one teacher once told me, "you find your playing will suck less".

So whether you are a glass half full (I'm better) or half empty (Hey, i suck less than I did yesterday), focusing during pracitce is where you get the bang for the buck.

Work with yourself in this case. If your attention span is 20 minutes, work hard for 20 minutes then break. If you can go longer, great. Whatever your attention span is, commit that time to your practice session and focus 100% on your practice material.

Control, control. You must learn control.

We've had our hand and ears since birth. And in most cases, they will do exactly what we want them to do. When it comes time to learning how to play a musical instrument, they decide they are in control of us.

It doesn't matter what you are working on, a scale passage, new drop 2 chord voicings, a walking bass line, etc., speed will only come after accuracy. You must practice slowly to train your fingers and ears to play and hear the material.

If you do not have enough control to play something slowly, you cannot expect to have anymore control when you play at tempo.

Have you ever said to yourself, or your teacher, "I can play it fast, I just can't play it slow"? I have, a long time ago, in a state far, far away. In reality, if you can't play something slowly, it is most likely a counting issue. You're having trouble counting and playing precisely where you should. In order to play it faster, you have to rely on "feel", which can fail you when it comes time to play the piece for others or with a band.

Slow down, gain control. Then build up to where you want to be.

You must unlearn what you have learned
(sometimes)

There will come a time where you find an easier or more efficient way of playing something that you have spent hours and hours practicing (sometimes years). You will find this more often when you are self-taught.

When you find a better or more efficient way of playing something, first determine if you use it in your playing. There is no use spending practice time relearning something you will not use. On the other hand, if you will use it, learn both how to play it and analyze why it is better than your current technique.

It seems that changing old ways is sometimes harder than learning it originaly. By going slowly and analyzing why the new technique/method is better, you train your fingers and brain at the same time.

Take it slowly, because both your brain and fingers will want to continue their old ways. And as always, once you have it down, make it musical.

Mind what you have learned, save you it can

Can you play F# lydian dominant? Can you play all inversions of a half diminished chord, on all string sets?

You Can't?

Who Cares!

We often get so hung up on what we don't know that we fail to see that we already have the tools we need to make music. The trick is knowing how, and when, to use what you know.

We often see students that have worked hard on their chops and have some basic things going, like the ability to play their pentatonic scale patterns and change keys, a few different grips for their major/minor/7th chords and some rhythm skills.

But for some reason, they do not feel ready to start playing with other people, be it in a band or a jam session.

When you learn the physical part of playing something (scale pattern, chord grip, etc.), next work on applying it.

For example, you know how to use the root position A minor pentatonic scale over an A minor chord. If the chord was D minor instead, can you move the scale up and play it in D? If so, you have to ability to play over any minor chord you come across using one pattern.

Now, how about using D minor pentatonic over a C minor chord? It works and gives you the chord tones for a Cmin6/11 chord. What about that same scale over an Fmaj7 chord? Still works. How about D minor over a Cmaj9 chord? Yep, one scale pattern can be used with several chords.

In this case, the theory of "why" is secondary to having the ability to see that your tools can be used in more ways than you think they can. And until you have a better understanding interval relationships (the dreaded theory part), your ear can help you with the notes that sound good and those that are not so hot.

If you have a few things going and can play them with ease, make the jump and start playing with others.

Learn you will, young padawan, when you follow the teachings of Master Yoda.

October Practice Party - Halloween Night 6:00 p.m.

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:33:33 GMT

It's time for a practice party again!

We're having a party on Halloween, from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. You will still have plenty of time to trick or treat after the party.

We'll have pizza, drinks and of course, Halloween candy. You can get on stage to sing or jam with friends and other students. And you can bring a friend with you.

Don't forget to wear your Halloween costume. Bonus points for anyone that comes in Kiss makeup!

The catch ...

You have to practice 6 hours this month and log your practice time for your instructor to sign off on. You can pickup your practice sheet from your instructor or the front desk.

My Life and Music - Luthier Justin Kinchen

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:16:43 GMT

Catch up on this series and read the posts from Joe Walker and Jason Shadrick

Here is another installment in our series about people who make their living with music. We're going to learn about insturment repair and lutherie (instrument building) from Justin Kinchen.

Check out his website - www.guitarrepairinc.com

Follow him on Facebook - Guitar Repair, Inc.

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My name is Justin Kinchen and I own and operate Guitar Repair Inc, a stringed instrument, amp & effects repair shop in Little Rock, Arkansas. I am a certified Luthier and have a ton of experience working with bands to shape their sound, perfect their instruments, and frequently build custom instruments for them.

I came to be in this field entirely through chance and by putting in a ridiculous amount of time and money into skills and knowledge that most people would consider inconsequential. My dad is a carpenter and electrician with a great love for music, especially classic rock and Motown. This collection was always playing while we were working on or around the house. Since we didn't have much money, we also had to fix a lot of things as opposed to replacing them. My dad always took time to show to me what he was doing and why. This gave me a good understanding of how to work with my hands and a great love for music. When I finally got a guitar, it was a beat up Korean import that had probably been sitting in a second-hand shop for ages. The neck had a twist in it, the tuners were stiff, and the action was so high I could use the thing to slice fruit. My dad starting helping me fix it up and we managed to get it into playable condition. I kept at it and started reading all I could about not just music, but also gear and how it worked, sounded, and was put together. I started hanging around a local music store that had a part-time repairman who had gone to Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie. For some reason, the guy seemed to like me and always answered any questions I had. Over time he showed me a lot of cool stuff and even let me do some stuff around the shop. Eventually I built another electric, but it didn't come out well at all and I'm still a bit embarrassed by it. That failure, coupled with my desire for a nice guitar and lack of funds, led me to keep researching and trying to perfect my failures. Eventually I came to have a great respect for two things my dad and my grandfather (Also a wealth of technical knowledge) routinely told me: “Measure twice cut once” and “Always use the right tool for the job.”

By the time I got to college I had managed to build a better instrument, but still far from great. I was going to college to play football and to either become a lawyer or a football coach. I sold my electrics since I needed money and did not anticipate having any free time to play. So aside from a couple of physics, engineering, and business classes, I didn't do much to further develop my resources. Early into my second year of school I had to retire from the gridiron, suddenly leaving me with a tremendous amount of free time. I got a beat up old acoustic from a Memphis pawn shop and started taking lessons. I also started tinkering with the acoustic and applying some of the stuff I had crammed into my head during those 8 am physics and engineering classes. Soon I had acquired a couple of cheap pawn shop specials to work on and started putting together a specialty tool collection. I had a friend who played in a local band who came across me working on something and asked me to take a look at his rig. I made a couple of adjustments and soon he was having several of his friends bring their guitars to me. As into doing all this as I was, I don't think I ever really thought of the prospect of somehow doing it for a living. At the same time, I was acquiring more and more technical books and videos regarding instrument engineering and trying to apply more and more of what I was learning to my work.

When I finished school, I decided to stay in Memphis with my friends for a year so that we could plan and finance a long trip abroad. In order to finance this trip, I took a job working in sales and analysis for a shipping company. Long story short: Corporate cubicle work is awful and boring, albeit well paying. After a year of saving, four of us settled on spending our year abroad in China teaching English as a second language. China was decided on because it had the best exchange rate to modern civilization ratio and because English teachers have flexible schedules and great pay. I was also really excited about it because China is home to a large number of guitar manufacturing plants and some excellent Luthiers, who I spent a lot of time observing and learning from. Seeing how materials were graded, selected, and processed was an incredible experience. I also picked up a lot regarding how to efficiently use your time when trying to produce quality instruments, especially if you are unwilling to compromise on quality or methodology. It was a great contrast to the books and personal experience I had gathered on my own. China was also where I really started diving into the electronic side of things and putting my dad's soldering lessons to use. It was during all this that I started to truly imagine a scenario where I could do all this for a living. I started looking into getting a job with one of the major manufacturers in the U.S., but quickly realized that getting the kind of job I wanted from them required going to Luthier School. Not having enough money to pay for school and survive the six months of unemployment it would require, I decided to move home to Louisiana and take a job teaching high school English and coaching football.

During my year teaching there, I added some classes from small local colleges on instrument building and continued researching on my own. I was also lucky enough to find that several of my old friends had two successfully gigging bands locally and my skill set was quickly able to be put to good use. This led to working with several other bands and eventually being paid to work exclusively for an 80's cover band. My primary responsibility was to make sure everyone's gear worked reliably and was as easy to play as possible. This quickly grew into re-building their gear and sound from the ground up and working their rigs during live shows. Despite being an incredibly intense and time intensive job, it was a ton of fun. Finally I had enough stashed away to hit Lutherie School and formally accumulate what I had learned and not yet learned. During my time there, I would say I averaged about five hours of sleep a night and $3.00 a day on food. When I finished, I knew I had finished my best work so far. I also knew that it was still nowhere close to the ideas for design and execution that I had in my head. I returned home and sold all the guitars I had made at school to finance more advanced tooling and quickly received several more deposits on custom guitars while continuing to do gig work and repairs.

After doing an extensive amount of research on the business side of things, I determined that the best way for me to continually grow and improve my work was to do repair work full time and focus on building custom instruments to order that provided real solutions to the individual player. Shortly following this, my wife and I relocated to Little Rock and opened up the shop. While repairs keep me very busy and custom work even more so, I will be starting to take contract work from local bands and adding custom pickups & pedals to the menu as well.

Enroll now for Fall Classes

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 19:53:38 GMT

We're now enrolling for the new school year. Call now to pick the best time spot before they're all gone!

Also, Rock School auditions are this Saturday, August 27, starting at 1:00 p.m. The auditions are open to any student, ages 8-17, that are interested in participating in the 2011/2012 Rock School program.

Call the studio at 501-312-1800 if you have any questions.

My Life and Music - Jason Shadrick

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:57:27 GMT

We're continuing our series, "My Life and Music" with a contribution from Jason Shadrick, Associate Editor - Premier Guitar Magazine. For those interested in the business side of music, this article is for you!

I first met Jason in 2005 at the National Guitar Workshop summer camp in Nashville (actually, Middle Tennessee State University outside of Nashville in Murfreesboro, TN). This was a little over a year before I opened Little Rock Jams. At the time, the thought of leaving my corporate job to open a music studio had not crossed my mind. I was just a guy that somehow talked his wife into letting him take a week off and go play guitar in Nashville.

Getting back to Jason...

The extent of our conversation in 2005 was "You're in Reynolds Hall, room 206 - have a great week!". After opening Little Rock Jams in 2006, I promoted the NGW summer camps to my students. I remembered Jason because we have the same first name and he did most of the announcements throughout the week (which were mostly - "Does anyone know where insert teen name here is? They did not come to roll call/dorm check" Teenagers!).

I reached out to Jason in 2007 for NGW catalogs and through working together on incentives for the students, we had several LRJ students attend the NGW camps in Texas, Tennessee and Illinois. Since then, he has moved on to his gig as Associate Editor of Premier Guitar.

I don't say this often, but Jason is one of the few people that has a cooler job than I do.

Here's his story...

I distinctly remember when I was about 16 and thinking "Of course I will be a famous guitarist. How could I not be?" It's slightly embarrassing to make that confession now, but it does show that when I was young, my career prospects were fairly limited. As I inched closer to my post-high school path, I began to meet other musicians who took the performance route. Their musicianship was intimidating but it did show me that if you wanted to be a performer as a profession, you had to be extremely dedicated.

After high school, I took two years away from school entirely and took some time do really think about what I wanted to do. It wasn't a matter of if I wanted to go to college, but exactly what musical path to take. Eventually, I applied to four or five colleges and decided that the first I would go to the first one that said "yes." I don't necessarily recommend that particular decision-making process, but looking back on it, I am glad things worked out the way they did. After three rejection letters, I was accepted to Minnesota State University-Mankato. One of the reasons I decided to apply to MNSU was because they had a Music Business program. It seemed like a better idea then a performance degree and I wasn't interested in the Music Education route due to having to learn nearly every instrument under the sun.

Strangely enough, I didn't have to audition for the music department, which was both bad and good. Good because with my foot in the academia door, it was up to me to make up any deficiencies I might have. The downside was that I had no idea what I should work on. Going into my first Theory 101 class as a freshman, I soon found out what I was in for. You see, I couldn't read music at all. I mean nada, nothing. I thought that was just something you learned when you became "serious" about music. The five-day-a-week musical bootcamp that I signed up for really forced me to buckle down and keep up with my fellow students--many of which have been reading music for close to a decade by that time.

During college, I really worked hard to develop not only my musical skills but also learning how to be more organized. As part of my degree, I had to do a certain number of internship hours. Considering Minnesota and Iowa weren't bursting with cool musical internships, I figured I needed to look elsewhere. Before I went to MNSU, I was introduced to a singer/songwriter from North Carolina named David LaMotte. I really enjoyed his straightforward style that combined some cool guitar parts with interesting stories. Having never met him, I was in the computer lab one afternoon and decided to just email him out of the blue and ask for an internship. In the email I talked about my background, why I felt it would be good to work with him (he ran his own indie label) and what I could add. A few days later David emailed me back with his phone number and by the end of the week I had landed a two-week internship that summer.

Since I had to cover my travel and housing costs, I couldn't afford to stay in North Carolina enough that summer to fulfill all the credit hours I needed. I had to find something else. Since I began reading guitar magazines, I had always seen the ads for the National Guitar Workshop, but never went because my family couldn't afford to send me across the country for a week and there wasn't any locations close to where I grew up. Once I locked down the first internship, I went to NGW's website and saw a tab marked "Job Opportunities." There was a position listed called "Traveling Resident Advisor." Essentially, it was a camp counselor-type job but it moved around. In total, I would be spending a month on the road with one week each in New Orleans, Austin, Chicago, and Nashville. They would cover my flights, housing, and food, plus a small stipend. I sent off an email along with a resume and hoped for the best.

About two weeks later, Nicole, from the NGW home office, called and talked to me for about 15 minutes. Pretty standard first interview-type stuff. After that first phone call, I couldn't tell either way if I might get the job. Later that week, Nicole's boss Paula called and talked to me again. This time she wanted to know all about what it was like to be an Eagle Scout (I added that to my resume against my Communications professor's advice). At the end of the phone call she asked if I wanted the job. Great, now I had all my internships lined up.

The summer went by very quickly and the NGW experience was especially cool. I got to meet and hang with some of the best guitar players around. After the summer ended I thought, "That was fun." It never crossed my mind that I would do that again. In the spring of 2005, Paula called me and asked if I wanted to be a director. I continued that for a few years until I finished grad school at the University of Northern Iowa.

During my last year of grad school, Dave Smolover, the owner of the National Guitar Workshop called and asked what my plans were after I graduated. He then offered me and my wife (she was a co-director with me for a few summers) jobs in Connecticut at the home office. Later that week, through a connection with Corey Christiansen, William Bay from Mel Bay Publishing got in touch and asked if I would be interested in coming down to St. Louis and interview for a marketing position. After a lot of thought, we decided that moving to Connecticut and working for NGW would be best.

My position at NGW covered everything from answering phones, awarding scholarships, marketing, artist relations, and a whole lot more. Each summer I would spend anywhere from 4-6 weeks on the road working at the various workshops. Like many jobs, there were good days and bad days but it was a great experience and I met some of my best friends through NGW.

After my son was born, my wife and I decided we should think about moving back to Iowa in order to be closer to our families. One part of my job was to contract all the print advertising for NGW, so I got to know all the ad reps at the various guitar magazines. I knew Premier Guitar was based out of Iowa, but other than that and the fact they were the most content-focused magazine out there, that was about it. I emailed my ad rep and let him know if there were any openings at the office in Iowa, I would be interested. About ten minutes after I sent that email, I had an interview set up for when I was home for Christmas. After some back and forth, I was eventually hired to handle more of the technical lesson-based writing.

My position at PG covers a wide range of duties. From day to day I could be writing a lesson, hauling gear around, or neck-deep in Photoshop working on a graphic for the website. In the end, I think the biggest thing has has lead me to where I am is the combination of luck, having an open mind, and networking as much as humanly possible. I never really considered myself "the best" at anything I did, but I knew that if I just kept going progress would be made.

Get Social with Jason!

Follow Jason on Twitter @jasonshadrick and on facebook

Here's another backing track to practice with...

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 19:00:48 GMT

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Rock School Boot Camp students ... here is the Guns n' Roses backing track in the style of Sweet Child o' Mine.

Work on the intro and your pentatonic patterns.

Everyone else, enjoy!

DIY Amp Build - Just a few more days before I plug in!

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:32:07 GMT

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Be sure to read the first post - "Summer Project - DIY Tube Amp"

I received the Gilmore Jr. amp kit 06/17/11, unpacked it, and spent the next few days reading the instructions, taking notes, trying to decide what I want to do with the cabinet, etc.

I would say I am about 60% through the project right now. I have video of everything for editing once the build is complete (there are a ton of gaps where I'm scratching my head, maybe desoldering, scratching my head some more). I'll edit those out for interests sake.

Check out some of the build pics on Flickr...

Finally, here are a few things I've learned over the last week....

Amps and electricity are serious business - When I read the one hand rule ... "When testing a live circuit, put one hand in your pocket so if you get shocked it won't go across your heart and kill you". Justin even told me, "check with your right hand, it is further away from your heart". YIKES!
Too much caffeine and soldering is not a good thing. You don't notice jittery hands until you're holding a soldering iron and can't seem to get the solder on the right spot.
Soldering irons are hot.
I am more blind than I thought. That or the components are super tiny.
Deciding on a head or a combo is more difficult than I thought. Right now, I'm leaning combo with a 10" speaker.
Keep your iron tip clean.
Make notes - check your notes - triple check everything. I've taken my time and in doing so, have caught a few things that would have caused problems later on.
It's amazing how tube amps work. Up to this point, my amp knowledge has been "power switch, plug guitar in, turn volume up". Gain stages, phase inverters, loads, oh my!

I'll post again in a couple of days when I have finished and plugged in.

UALR Classical Guitar Performance - Free 06/25/11 7:30 p.m.

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:04:22 GMT

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Please take advantage of this opportunity to hear 4 of America's most promising young guitarists perform in concert at UALR this Saturday evening. The members of the Helios Guitar Quartet are students of Grammy winner William Kanengiser at the University of Southern California, (co-founder of the LA Guitar Quartet), and are enroute to performing for the international convention of the Guitar Foundation of America in Columbus, Georgia next week. They will perform their own transcription of Book 1 of Bach's Well Tempered Clavier. This is a terrific opportunity to see how the classical guitar continues to evolve in our time. And, thanks to the support of the UALR Student Activity fee and initiative of the UALR Student Guitar Society, it is free and open to the public!

Here are the particulars...

Who: The Helios Guitar Quartet

What: Guitar Quartet recital featuring the Well Tempered Clavier

Where: Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall; UALR Fine Arts Building

When: Saturday, June 25, 7:30 pm

Sponsor: The UALR Student Guitar Society...open to the public and free admission...

My Life and Music - Joe Walker

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:02:00 GMT

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Here is the rest of Joe's epic tale... (click here to read the first post)

If you're considering pursuing music in college, Joe provides some great advice at the close of his post.

Joe just moved to Seattle and is taking on new students at this time. If you're in Seattle, give him a call.

Be sure to check out all his guitar goodness online as well!

Blog: From the Woodshed

Twitter: @JoeWalkerGuitar

Facebook: Joe Walker Guitar

Youtube: Joe Walker Guitar
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Second Semester

In my second semester, I was placed into Combo 3, with more capable players and much more challenging material. I supplemented my weekly one-hour lesson with Bob Boss with a weekly one-hour lesson with bass legend Bob Magnusson. (Students are permitted to take lessons with any of the available instructors, regardless of instrument.) My lessons with Magnusson revealed a major opportunity to improve my facility around the fretboard when he showed me his monster arpeggio workout. My playing received another shot in the arm this semester between the extra lessons and more challenging combo.

In order to graduate early, I enrolled in the only elective available to satisfy the requirements: a graduate seminar in theoretical analysis of twentieth century classical music. That was tough. I also took a graduate seminar in music research. That was surprisingly awesome. Professor Smigel brought researching and writing processes to life and made this course the pleasant surprise of my education. Although I don't expect to find myself in an academic environment of dedicated research, I saw the beauty in discovering the past, asking the right questions, and using the juxtaposition of existing ideas to make new statements. See the culmination of this class in my Jazz Education Research Prospectus.

Third Semester

By my third semester, fall 2010, I made it to Combo 2. The players were insane, and the material was outrageously difficult. I expanded my range of private instructors, taking simultaneous lessons from Bob Magnusson on bass, Professor Rick Helzer on piano, and Professor Richard Thompson on piano. (Note, no guitar, but I still played guitar in these lessons. They covered general compositional and improvisational concerns, nothing instrument-specific.) I took Prof. Helzer's composition/arranging course which required a prolific output from all the students. I wrote an original combo tune harmonized for three horns, a sax soli, and a brass shout chorus.

Also taught by Prof. Helzer was a graduate seminar in jazz. That was a fascinating course. There were about ten jazz majors including myself sitting around a table for three hours one night a week, discussing compositions and solos throughout the history and spectrum of jazz. We shared composing strategies, road stories, teaching/learning tips, and incredibly funny musician jokes. Part of the class involved writing personal journals about the reading and discussions. We also wrote a chromatic modal tune and a flexible-form tune.

Recital

Before my third semester started, my professors convinced me to save my recital for the spring. I was eager to finish, but I discovered that I could do it without enrolling or paying extra tuition, so I elected to save it and spend some extra time on it. With little else to do, I went all out early. I held most of my group's rehearsals before classes began in January 2011, and I had all my charts, example recordings, solo orders, and the set list online, accessible by anyone in my band at any time. I learned a number of important lessons from this first experience leading a band. The results were wonderful, and I was overwhelmed by the stark contrast between my professional-grade graduate recital and my failed first audition just two years prior.

Thoughts

It was clear from day one that the most valuable asset of a music school is its students. Far beyond the courses, combos, auditions, and juries, my classmates taught me more than I could have gleaned from any other experience. That alone made this a worthwhile experience. The camaraderie of working on the same projects and the ability to witness each other's improvements led to a bond that isn't available outside an academic experience. It's a special kind of networking that makes a deeper connection, and it's set up automatically for each class of students.

The other big assets of SDSU in particular are the weekly one-on-one attention to detail in private lessons and Professor Rick Helzer. Rick is an amazing human. He teaches the entire series of undergrad jazz theory courses, he teaches the composition/arranging courses, he teaches the graduate jazz seminar, and he writes his own (remarkably clear) textbooks for all his courses. On top of that, he carries a full load of private students, and his attitude is always in the interest of helping students learn. I connected with him particularly well because I love the way he thinks; analytical, obsessive over details, and incredibly well-organized.

Two special events stood out in my experience: masterclasses by Lee Konitz and John Stowell. Konitz played a concert with his quartet and spoke about improvising, playing free, and playing in groups. Stowell played a duet concert with Professor Helzer and later gave a masterclass, focusing on guitar issues, theory, and professional advancement in music. I was able to take a private lesson with Stowell that evening as well. These experiences had a profound effect on my outlook on school and my musical direction, both professionally and artistically.

Another important aspect one mustn't overlook in searching for a school is the price tag. As a state school, the SDSU tuition was rock-bottom (despite all the student protests over raising it). The tuition at LA Music Academy made me go a little cross-eyed, so that's why I turned it down with no scholarship. At SDSU, the private lessons alone, calculated to an hourly rate with a semester's tuition, are a comparable or even better deal than you could find seeking private lessons on your own. Even with all the bureaucratic nonsense that comes with a state university, I was always confident I'd made a good decision.

Advice

The first thing you need to know if you're looking into music school (or any formal education) is why you want to do it. Are you just taking some classes for the skills and knowledge, or are you pursuing a full degree? If you're after the degree, how will it benefit you? I knew when I started that telling a musician who might hire me that I have a Master of Music means nothing. For any kind of performing gig, how I play and how I conduct myself make all the difference in the world. How I got there and what I've studied don't matter. In my case, the Master of Music diploma is valuable for only two reasons, both relating to education: a shortcut to conveying that I know what I'm doing and a completed prerequisite for any positions that require an advanced degree. These appeal to me because I enjoy teaching guitar, and I know it will feature in my professional future. If I had no interest in working as an educator, I'd have no use for the degree.

Also ask yourself how much you could accomplish outside the academic environment. If you practiced like mad, took private lessons with a great teacher, and really applied yourself with professional networking, could you reap the same rewards you'd expect from a school? Make sure you really know the extra benefits you're getting from school.

Don't forget the real world. Work! If you can find the work you want to do while you're taking classes, great. Otherwise, find whatever you can. I started music school with a day job in web development. When I quit that job, it allowed me to spend more time on school, but it also allowed me to spend more time teaching private lessons and playing gigs. That's the kind of work I want to do long term, and it was a joy to be able to get started while I was still in school.

If the school you're considering is nearby, see if you can meet some of its local alumni. From attending jazz jams and browsing the online ensemble rosters, I was already familiar with many of SDSU's current and past jazz students by the time I started. They were friendly people and many of them blew my mind every time I heard them play. I also discovered that other local musicians were aware of the caliber of players SDSU was churning out. Check your music scene for a similar reputation.

Conclusion

Know what you're getting into and why. Explain your reasons out loud to someone who knows you well and can play devil's advocate for a bit. If you decide that music school is the path for you, then milk it for all it's worth while you're there. Make friends and give them your highest respect; they are your future coworkers, employers, and employees. Take advantage of your school's facilities and research tools. Try not to forget what you learned as soon as you finish a course; memory requires maintenance. Turn your academic projects into real-world benefits.

Summer Project - DIY Tube Amp

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:05:00 GMT

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My first guitar amp was a DIY amp built by my Uncle Mike. it was a tube amp based on a Fender Princeton schematic he had.

It was a 1x12 with volume and tone controls. The cabinet was built from ... leftover kitchen cabinets. Seriously, think early 80's brown plywood kitchen cabinets and that is what it looked like. Plus, the handle was a silver kitchen cabinet handle.

If you ever saw Eddie Murphy talk about wanting a McDonald's Cheeseburger and instead, getting a home fried glob of meat with green peppers on Wonder Bread, that is how I felt about that amp.

At first, I was happy to have something (anything) that would get loud. But during the mid-80's, the popular guitar sounds were the high gain sounds of Crate, KMD, Peavy, etc. Remember the guitar tones of Jake E Lee, CC Deville, Richie Sambora, Warren DeMartini? That's what I wanted.

Well, being a tube amp based on the Princeton, that DIY just didn't cut it for my 15 year old ears. Yeah, I was stupid. Looking back, I remember how I had to crank it to get it to break up at all. And when it did, it was more of a crunch than the buzz I was looking for. That headroom and crunch would be sweet tone now that I know what to do with it.

With that said, I've decided to build a DIY tube amp as a summer project with my son, Zach. It will be fun for me and will keep him off the XBox for a few hours over the summer. Who knows, he may even get into electronics or dare I say ... playing the guitar by the time we're finished!

The plan is to build both the amp and the cabinet. I'm going to film us during the process and write about what I learn (ex. don't touch that capacitor with your fing... - BZZZZTT).

Hopefully you all will find it interesting as well!

A few weeks ago, I started researching DIY kits/schematics available online. One I found that had nice sound clips and great customer reviews was the Gilmore Jr. 1/2 Watt kit available from Guytronix.

After listening to the Gilmore Jr. sound clips and then reading reviews from builders about the quality of this little amp and the great support from Richard Guy, I decided to get some information and place the order.

I talked with Rich today and he took plenty of time to answer all my questions and give me encouragement to tackle this project.

So, at this point, the order is on its' way and I will be like a kid waiting for Christmas to get here! Once I get the shipment, I'll film the unpacking and the build and post here. Watch for the new posts in the coming weeks!

My Life and Music - Joe Walker

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:03:00 GMT

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As mentioned in the previous post, we're kicking off our series "My Life and Music" with the story of Joe Walker.

_____________________

Four years ago I started seriously considering music school. This month, I finished a Master of Music degree in jazz studies at San Diego State University. Before weighing the costs and benefits of my personal experience, I'll review the path that got me here.

Beginnings

I started playing guitar in 1998 at age 14. I was into alternative rock, blues, and virtuoso rock. (See Albums in My Blood, in which I embrace all my listening habits from that era.) I went to college for computer science but somehow found time to commit two hours every day to practicing guitar. I got into jazz, taking Bob Keller's jazz improv class and playing in Bobby Bradford's jazz ensemble. I got heavier into the virtuoso players; I even tried Steve Vai's 10-hour workout a few times. I also enjoyed learning classic rock tunes, and I spent a summer dedicated to Led Zeppelin. Before I finished college, I started the indie rock band Blue Judy with a few friends. We wrote, recorded, and performed a bunch of original music around Los Angeles, and we had a giant list of rotating covers we threw into our sets at college parties.

In 2007, after several years of dedicating my musical life to Blue Judy, I left the band, the city, and my job to spend a year doing nothing but practicing guitar. I started a guitar blog, From the Woodshed, in order to record my progress and articulate my thoughts. I also started looking into music schools to continue my studies after my year alone. I was primarily weighing LA Music Academy with Musicians Institute. I was accepted to the former, and I pushed for a scholarship, but upon discovering that they couldn't offer me one, I decided to work for a while before diving into music school. I ended up working in San Diego, still studying guitar obsessively and performing whenever I could. The San Diego State University jazz studies program popped up on my radar, and I started preparing for an audition.

Auditions

My first audition was rough. I had worked my butt off in preparation, but my improvising and sight reading were not up to the level the professors wanted to see. I passed at the undergraduate level, but I was shooting for a Master's degree. Since my previous Bachelor's degree was in computer science, I needed to prove that my musical experience was up to par with a Bachelor's in music. Apparently I hadn't, so I was denied entry to the grad program. It was a downer at the time, but I wasn't in any hurry, so I contacted Travis Daudert, a current student in the program, and I asked him to give me six months of lessons to prepare for the next semester's auditions. I figured he would have some valuable insights on the program, what I could expect to get out of it, and how I should prepare for another audition. Turns out I was right. I learned a ton that summer, redirecting my development from theory to practice as Travis encouraged me to sit in at weekly jazz jams.

My second audition, in September 2009, went much better. I could still feel the same glaring weaknesses, but I felt much more like I knew what I was doing. I was accepted, and I geared up to learn like the wind for four semesters.

First Semester

In addition to the audition, I had to take a few placement tests for all incoming music graduate students. They encompassed classical music theory, ear training, sight singing, and classical music history. I did well enough in ear training and sight singing, I might have even passed, but I remembered very little classical theory, and I'm sure I got every classical history question wrong. Along with the other students who didn't pass all the placement exams, I was enrolled in a remedial crash course for grad students in theory, ear training, and sight singing. I was also given a big music history research assignment, due at the end of the semester. I found the class fun and enlightening. I learned all the concepts and details fundamental to conventional music training that I'd never seen before.

The performing groups at SDSU are divided into a big band (sometimes two) and various combos, loosely based on skill level. I played in Combo 4 during my first semester. It was directed by another grad student, and the other players were all young undergrads. That was a good experience for me, because I could quickly bring my playing back up to speed (after five years since my only other experience in a rehearsing jazz band), and I was in a position to help out the director with insights in group playing.

SDSU jazz students take one to two hours of private lessons every week. The studio faculty are amazing. The guitar instructor was Bob Boss, a local veteran performing musician. The first life-lesson I picked up from him was perhaps the most valuable advice I received at the university: Learn tunes! My lessons with Boss had a strong emphasis on repertoire building. His approach to learning was to get the notes off the page and forget about the written music as quickly as possible in order to play from one's head instead of the paper.

My first of three required graduate seminars was this semester. The topic was jazz history, and the class included all the current grad students, roughly 15 of us, many of whom were already well into successful careers in jazz. The course format focused on student discussions and reports, and I learned a ton from my new peers. My two big reports were on Kneebody: The Future of Jazz and the History of Jazz Guitar.

All this intense learning and musical immersion inspired me to quit that day job I'd been working at since arriving in San Diego. My first semester had been pretty easy, especially compared to my grueling undergrad experience, and I saw an opportunity to finish in three semesters instead of the standard four. I cleared it with the administration, and I knew it would afford me zero free time for the coming year, but I pushed ahead in order to graduate in December 2010.

New Series - My Life and Music

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 14:54:00 GMT

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One thing you will often hear me say is that I have the greatest job in the world. I get to play guitar whenever I want, teach others how to play, work with great musicians and talk shop all day.

The worst thing about my job is cleaning the toilets at the studio. But hey, I'll trade that any day for what I get to do.

With that said, I have a confession to make ...

There are others out there that just might beat me out for the title of the "Greatest Job in the World".

Since opening Little Rock Jams in 2006, I have had the pleasure to meet many wonderful people in the business, both locally and on the internet. I've asked a few of them, those that have really great gigs or that have made music an integral part of their life, to tell their story. You know, how they went from a 12 year old 'tweener bugging their mom to get them their first guitar to turning music into a career and a lifetime passion.

Most of these guys have their own websites, blogs, facebook and twitter pages. If you dig music, learning how to play guitar, gear (amps, pedals, etc.), Lutherie (building guitars) or seeing how others made a career with music, follow this series and the authors on their websites. It will be time well spent if you "must" do something other than practicing.

We'll kick off the series tomorrow with Mr. Joe Walker, formerly from California and recently relocated to Seattle.

I came across his blog, From the Woodshed, a few years ago (2007 maybe?). I was instantly intrigued because this guy saved up his pennies and took a year off from work to do nothing but practice guitar. As if that was not enough to make me follow his blog, as I read his posts, I was impressed on how he stayed on track over the year and took advantage of his time to really dig in and explore the material his twisted mind came up with. He was a practice monster during this time and I took several ideas from him and incorporated them into my own practice routine. His blog is a must read for anyone that is serious about learning their instrument.

Joe decided to go back to school to pursue his Masters degree in music. He had a few setbacks getting into the program, but was accepted and recently completed his degree. Check out Joe and band playing one of his original compositions, Miss Information, at his recent graduate recital.

In addition to how he started playing guitar, Joe will discuss the choices that led him back to school and advice and tips on how to get the most out of your education.

Check back this week for his article!

Time to practice ... Blues in A Backing Track

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:32:00 GMT

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For those of you in Jam School, here is another track you can use to practice the exercises and lead ideas from the first tune.

For everyone else, enjoy!

Practice Party in May for all students 13 and under...

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:50:00 GMT

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We're having a Rock Star Practice Party in May for all students, ages 13 and under, that practice at least 15 hours in April. The date of the party is 05/13/11 at 7:00 p.m.

We'll have pizza, drinks, music, games, rock star make-overs and you can perform on stage American Idol style or bring your instrument and rock for real!

Everyone should have their practice logs by now to track your practice time in April. If you do not, stop by the front desk or ask your teacher for one.

We'll need all practice logs turned in by 05/06/11 to tally your hours and to let those who made their practice time know that they have a backstage pass for the party.

Now, go practice!!!

Open Position - Piano/Vocal Teacher

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:59:00 GMT

Little Rock Jams is opening another position for a Piano/Vocal teacher.

Interested individuals should send their resumes to info@littlerockjams.com.

Missed your music lesson? Here's what to do (and not to do)...

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:26:00 GMT

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Everyone has missed a music lesson before.

Whether it is something planned like a vacation, or unplanned as a student once told me, "Events conspired against me last week", missing a lesson will not derail your efforts.

Here is what music teachers all over the land (especially here at Little Rock Jams) recommend you should do, and not do, when you have to miss a lesson.

Missed Lesson - To Do List

Keep Practicing - Treat the week like any other week. Keep your same practice routine. But, make sure you have the assigned material 100% under your fingers before the next lesson. If your teacher assigns the correct workload, 2 weeks between lessons should be plenty of time to nail the material.
Contact your teacher if necessary - if you're having trouble with the material, or are unsure if you are practicing correctly, send your teacher an email or give them a call. Every teacher would prefer you practice the material correctly rather than having to relearn it at the next lesson. Let your teacher know the problems you're having and they'll get you back on track.
Try to learn something new on your own - Have your lesson material ready, as advised above. However, with the extra time between lessons, find something else to work on. Make it something fun like the riff to your favorite song, a solo or a chord progression using new chord voicings, etc. Choose anything that will keep your hands on your instrument and playing when the lesson material starts putting you to sleep (which it should after two weeks of practice).

Missed Lesson - Do Not List

Do not think "I have a weeks vacation! I can take a break from practicing" - First, remember why you want to play and realize that practicing will get you to where you want to go! Don't look at practicing as something you need to take a vacation or break from. This thinking usually leads to absolutely no practice, or very little, over the two weeks between lessons. And if you don't practice, you'll actually regress from where you were at your last lesson.
Do not beat yourself up about missing - There are some students that have a mental time line of when they should reach their musical goals: "If I take a weekly lesson and practice for 2 hours every day, I'll be able to nail that Paul Gilbert solo in 6 weeks". Then, when they hit a speed bump, like a missed lesson, it throws everything off. They think they're behind schedule and there will be no way of getting back on track. If you miss a lesson, big deal. If you keep practicing and make your next lesson, you won't lose a step.
Do not waste your time - you can get plenty of practice in during the week leading up to your next lesson. However, don't waste it on everything but your lesson material. Get your lesson material together, then find some cool things to work on. Don't waste your time on material you know and that is not relevant to your current lessons. Make sure you work on lesson material first and the fun material next.

So, to wrap everything up ...

Don't miss your music lesson. But if you do, keep practicing and be ready to impress your teacher at the next lesson with how well you know the assigned material!

Jam Workshop Backing Track

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 17:49:00 GMT

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Jam Skills Workshop - 03/19/11 2:00 p.m.

Here is a two-chord rock progression in E. We're using this as our backing track for the material we'll cover in the Jam Workshop today at Little Rock Jams.

Jam School starts next month!

Class size is limited to 6 students. This April session is "Introduction to Jam Sessions".

If you need help getting your playing together to play with others, this class is for you. Also, if you will be participating in other Jam School courses, this is a good starting point.

For more information on Jam School, or if you want to register, come out to the workshop this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. You can also call us at the studio at 501-312-1800.

Little Rock Jams Supports Japan!

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 19:13:00 GMT

Students and Friends of Little Rock Jams - Support Japan!

Here is how you can help!

Right now, we have 630 fans on our studio facebook page. Between 03/15/11 and 03/31/11, with your help spreading the word, when we reach 1000 fans on our facebook page, we'll donate 100% of the student registration fees equally between the Red Cross and Save the Children Japan Relief Funds.

And if we don't hit 1000? We're still going to make a donation, because the people of Japan need all the help they can get during this time of crisis!

Help us get to 1000 by liking our facebook page and sharing this with your friends. Tweet about the donation, share it on your facebook pages, post it on Tumblr, your blog or any other site you use.

Help us spread the word. Thanks!

It's what we do at Little Rock Jams!

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:48:00 GMT

Little Rock Jams is a full service music studio located in West Little Rock in Breckenridge Village (Rodney Parham and I-430).

We offer private and group music lessons for the following instruments:

Piano
Guitar
Voice
Bass
Drums
Banjo
Pre-K program ages 4-6

We also have some of the coolest music programs around:

Jam Sessions - For all students
Jam School - Want to play great at your next jam? Jam School will show you how!
Rock School - Contemporary band program for all students 18 and under
SongCraft - Songwriting class that covers everything from song idea to performance
Workshops - covering topics you need to know about!
Rock Star Birthday Parties - VIP only, Baby! Private parties where you rock out
Recital Programs

If you are looking for music lessons in Little Rock, we teach all ages and all skill levels. Whether you are just starting out or have been playing for years and have a specific need, we can work with you! Plus, with our performance programs, you always have an opportunity to play with others!

If you're looking for a cool birthday idea in Little Rock, our Rock Star Birthday Parties are for you. It is the real deal, a ton of fun and we make it easy on parents by taking care of everything you need to have a great party!

Sign up for our Studio Newsletter for information on our monthly events and announcements:

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Follow us online: (Friend us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter)

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This weekend 03/19/11 at Little Rock Jams

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:39:00 GMT

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Workshop Saturday 03/19/11 2:00 p.m. - Jam School Kick Off

Brian Goins will lead the workshop on jam skills and introduce our newest class, Jam School. This is a hands on class, so bring your gear.

Make-up Saturday

This is our "all hands on deck" makeup Saturday for the snow days we had earlier this year. If you still have to schedule a makeup, stop by the front desk or give us a call at the studio, 501-312-1800.

Wrap up of the AMS vs. Musicians Friend thread

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 15:54:00 GMT

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Before I start, we have packages from AMS today ... YAY (geek time for the JamHub).

If you look at the previous thread about customer services issues with Musician's Friend, you'll see in the comments that Justin from MF posted a reply last night after I contacted their online support.

Within 3 hours of that initial response, MF resolved the issue to my satisfaction. Very prompt attention ... Thanks Justin for your help with this!

It was explained that something had gone awry with the order and they apologized for the communication/support issues I ran into. The order was shipped, but instead of having both orders from Musician's Friend and American Musical Supply to set up the JamHub jam room today, we'll have to improvise until next week when the rest of the gear arrives. (that's what good musicians do, no?)

Bottom line, I would have liked the Musician's Friend gear to arrive today like the American Musical Supply order, but they listened to my concerns and took steps to make sure I was good to do future business with them.

Kudos Musician's Friend for taking care of your customer!

Thinking about ordering gear online? Read this first if you're considering Musician's Friend

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:01:00 GMT

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If you're a student here, or have been following our studio blog, you know about our performance programs and jam sessions.

Recently, I heard about one of the coolest pieces of gear to come out in a long time, the JamHub. Immediately, I knew this was a great fit for our studio. We could rehearse our student bands or have a jam session any time we wanted without interrupting lessons or making the neighbors mad!

In fact, we have a new class starting next month, Jam School, that will incorporate the JamHub. We announced it on our studio email newsletter Tuesday. Check out our facebook page for more info.

So, I decided to set up a jam room for the studio. We needed the big Jamhub, another electronic drum kit, multi-effect units for guitar players, mics, stands, cables, headphones, extenders, everything.

We worked with our friends over at the Little Rock Guitar Center, Blake and Jerry, but they were back-ordered on several things we needed so I decided to just get everything online. (Thanks for your help guys!)

Even before we opened in 2006, I used online stores to order gear. Musician's Friend, American Musical Supply, Sam Ash, Sweetwater, zZounds, etc. Generally, always had a good experience ordering online...

Until now!

So, I hit Musician's Friend first. I put everything I needed into the cart and find half of it is back-ordered as well. (I later found out that Guitar Center and Musician's Friend are under the same ownership - which explains the back-order).

After pricing alternatives for drums, the JamHub accessories, etc., all alternatives were higher priced and added several hundred dollars to the order.

So, I go to American Musical Supply, and find everything I need, in stock, for the same price. Excluding bulk mic/xlrs/instrument cables. So I think, "I'll order the big, expensive equipment from AMS because they're in stock and order the bulk equipment from Musician's Friend to spread the wealth".

I don't fault Musician's Friend for being back-ordered ... but as you will see, I fault them for the poor service I got after the order.

Musician's Friend sent a "temporary order number" email immediately after the order placed. As did AMS.

The next day, I received an order confirmation and shipment email from AMS. Nothing from Musician's Friend. No big deal, it was just the next day.

Wednesday, I get confirmation from AMS that I'll have everything by Friday as promised, with tracking numbers. This reminded me that I still had nothing from Musician's Friend except the temp order.

So, I call them to check. I was told the temporary order was legit, not sure why I didn't get another email. Was told the order had not been processed for shipment but that they would put a "move immediately" order in to get it shipped.

I asked about getting the order at the same time as the AMS order, which I should have if the fulfillment process worked right. After discussion, the rep talked with their supervisor and agreed to change it from ground to second day air.

Problem fixed ... or so I thought!

Last night, 8:34 p.m., I received the confirmation email from Musician's Friend "Your Order has Shipped!" - USPS ground 5-8 day delivery. WTFrank?!?!?!

Not only that, but the tracking numbers on the email are not recognized by the tracking website.

So I call this morning. Get another rep who tells me that they can't tell if it is 2nd day air or ground and that the tracking orders were not recognized because "they" probably just haven't scanned the boxes yet.

So essentially, "Dude, don't know - can't help you. Check for yourself, later"

Really Musician's Friend? This is the best you can do? You already missed out on a few grand to AMS for being back-ordered. But with this customer service, your pushing me to anyone but you for future orders!

I'm going to hit up Musician's Friend support and email this for their review. I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Spring SongCraft - Starts 03/01/11 7:00 p.m.

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 20:48:00 GMT

Little Rock Jams Songwriting Class - SongCraft

Class begins 03/01/11 7:00 p.m.

Call the studio at 501-312-1800 to enroll or if you have questions about the program!

Little Rock Jams Backing Track - Mid Tempo Rock

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:42:00 GMT

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Here is a mid tempo rock tune in E suggested by our senior instructor, Brian Goins. Brian said this was a regular tune played at our jam sessions.

Work your solo ideas using E minor Pentatonic and E Aeolian. Also, if you practice the rhythm guitar part, push the C and D chords on the "and" of beat two over the first 8 bars. Play the next 8 bars straight, no push.

Enjoy!

Little Rock Jams Backing Tracks - Bb Jazz Blues

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:23:00 GMT

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Here is a jazz blues backing track in Bb. Don't let the number of chords throw you, it is still just a I-IV-V blues. We've thrown in a few ii-V changes to add movement to the progression. Ask your teacher to help break this down for you.

Enjoy!

Spring SongCraft Class - Now Enrolling!

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 20:58:00 GMT

We are now enrolling for our next SongCraft Class.

This class is 8 weeks long and will cover all things related to writing and performing your original material ... lyrics, song structure, hooks, chord progressions, melodies, critique sessions and a performance opportunity.

Call the studio to enroll at 501-312-1800.

You can also email us with questions at info@littlerockjams.com

Play Along Backing Track - The Thrill is Still Here

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:40:00 GMT

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Here is a slow blues backing track in B minor in the style of "The Thrill is Gone" by B.B. King.

Enjoy!

Top 4 parent tips to help your child get the most out of their music lessons

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:51:00 GMT

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Long Post Alert - But good stuff, so read on

Our February workshop covered two topics - Practicing for Beginners and Practice Advice for Parents.

As much as we would love to see all children have that internal drive to learn how to play and want to play all the time, we know that there is a lot of competition these days from video games, surfing the internet, texting friends, TV and more.

I have kids, and if you're reading this, you probably do too. And we all know that generally, if kids are left to their own devices, they are more likely to do the "easy" thing like watch TV instead of doing homework ... go online to tweet and facebook rather than do their chores ... text with friends rather than practice.

So, this is where you, the parent, can help...

Here are 4 tips that will enable you to help your child grow musically and to get the most out of their music lessons.

1. Understand that music can be a lifetime activity that your child will enjoy. Encourage them to always explore and have fun with music. Don't set expectations that can create stress and cause the child to dislike music.

Parents can sometimes set unrealistic expectations that the child may have trouble meeting. Learning to play is a lifetime pursuit. The truth is, the better you get, the better you want to get. Understanding this, every day the child plays and practices, they are getting better. It is not something that you can easily see (or hear) day over day. But it happens.

Beginning students, especially children, will have to put a lot of work in to get to a point where they are playing songs. Most students will start with a few simple melodies, graduate to playing the cool parts of songs they like and then eventually learn about song structure and playing an entire tune. This could happen over a few months or many months. The point is, if they are working consistently with their practice and play time, allow them to learn at their pace. The better they get, the more they will play. And the more they play, the better they will get.

Eventually, they will play all the time and you will then have to deal with the problem of telling them to stop playing and do their homework.

2. Be a Musical Parent!

You probably enjoy music. And you can probably be placed in one of three categories:

A parent that can play a musical instrument
A parent that took lessons as a child and has said before "If only I had stuck with it"
A parent that has never played, but would like to learn how.

Parents are the first and most important influences on their children. And, if you are a musical parent, your children will see that music is a positive thing through you. How many times have you and your kids turned up the radio in the car, sang and chair danced to your favorite song? Every time you have, you've sent the message that music is fun, makes you happy, good times.

Being a musical parent can mean many things. Here are what we consider the most important.

Most important, by far, when your child takes music lessons, do not be a "drop off" parent. Our experience has shown that the children that progress quickly and consistently are those where the parent takes an active role in their lessons. Take the time to speak with the teacher before and/or after the lesson to get feedback on what the child is working on. Teachers are quick to praise good work (you always like hearing good things about your kids). We are just as quick to ask for your help at home if we know there is a problem with practice time. Your child's teacher will tell you what they are working on, what to expect to hear from them and some tips to help them practice. Check out our articles on practicing for ideas to help at home.
Learn how to play yourself. Take lessons with your child or on your own. Or, let your child teach you after their lesson each week. This will reinforce what they learned in the lesson, and make it fun for them. Kids always love to reverse roles on parents and become the teacher.
When you and your child are listening to music in the car, ask them what they like about the music, what they don't like, what instruments they hear, etc. This will open their ears, and yours, so that you start hearing the big picture and not just listening to the lyrics. This will encourage your child to think about music outside of the practice room, which will then reinforce their love and enjoyment of music.

3. Send a clear message to your child about their musical education. Be committed to their learning.

All children are excited when starting a new activity. Practice time will be a breeze, they'll always want to show you something, the fun never ends ... until baseball season starts (or football, basketball, etc.)

When the new wears off, or something else new is started, set expectations that they will continue to learn and play music. Again, it is a matter of getting them to a point where they are actually able to make music and not just practice all the time. Once they hear the music coming from their hands or voice, they will want to do it all the time. Getting to that point is the rub.

If you don't let them know that you are in this with them, they will see that they can get by with minimal practice between lessons (or no practice at all). This will stop their improvement, and they may even regress. This is the point where most parents think "they just don't have it" or "I knew I didn't have any musical genes to pass on to the kids". Baloney! Everyone can make music - you just have to be consistent and stick with it until you can. Any worthwhile endeavor takes time and commitment.

Send the right message by always talking to them about their music. Even if they can't play a full song, have them play what they can for you. Treat it like a concert. And when they finish, tell them how cool it was and that you can't wait to hear more from them. Let them know by your actions that you are committed to them learning how to play!

4. If your child does express negative feelings about music or their lessons, ask questions and find out what the real problem is.

The Right Teacher

We have great teachers here at Little Rock Jams. We also build our lessons around what the student and parent wants to accomplish. A new student will have to learn the basics (walk before you run), but we're not going to try to force a methodology or style of music on the student.

With that said, there are some teachers that feel there is ONE WAY to learning, and it is their way. We have heard students saying of past teachers, "he only wanted to teach me jazz. I wanted to do metal", "I didn't want to learn how to read music, I just want to strum songs" (before the flames begin - reading is a great skill to have - all musicians will eventually realize this and put the work in to learn - but when you start out, if it is pushed on you, it may drive you away from music). If you have a teacher like this, talk with them. You may not be getting the whole story from your child. The teacher may have a logical path laid out and if you see the big picture, you can help your child understand also.

If however, the teacher tells you that their way is the only way to learn, get with the program ... or that rock music is too simple, your child needs to learn real music like Classical or Jazz ... Find another teacher. If you don't, you may set your child up to not like music due to the negative feelings from going to a lesson they do not enjoy.

Not putting the work in

If you find out that the cause is that they really would like to be able to play, but do not want to put the effort in to learn, then attack this problem.

Your teacher can give you some tips to help, but it really comes down to reducing or eliminating the distractions that take them away from practicing.

The best example is XBOX ...

Kids love it. It's rewarding to progress through the game, stimulating with the sounds and graphics, and something they can do without putting a lot of effort in.

In this case (or other distraction), set limits. A good one I recommend is that for every minute of music practice, they get 2 minutes of game time. So, 25 minutes of practicing = 50 minutes of game time. It's a good trade off at a beginning level. Once they are able to play, you'll see them self regulating game time down, practice time up.

As a parent, you know how to negotiate - you do it with the kids all the time. Get creative, work with the teacher on some ideas and they will get the time in.

So there you go...

A few tips that will help you help them. Let's us know what you think or if you have some good ideas. We would love to try them out!

Student Appreciation and Workshop Day - 02/12/11

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:27:00 GMT

Student Appreciation Day - 02/12/11

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Free electric string changes for students. We also have our monthly workshop from 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. ... Practicing for Beginners. This workshop is designed for students new to playing a musical instrument and for parents to get several tips on how to help your child get the most out of their music lessons.

Inclement Weather Closure 02/04/11

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:12:00 GMT

Little Rock Jams will be closed 02/04/11 due to the inclement weather and the closing of the Little Rock School District.

We will reopen on Saturday 02/05/11 for regular and scheduled make up lessons.

Everyone drive safe and stay warm!

Rock Star Birthday Parties at Little Rock Jams

jason@littlerockjams.com (Jason) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:02:00 GMT

If you're looking for a cool birthday party idea in Little Rock, check out our Rock Star Birthday Party!

We're talking backstage passes, fan posters, rock star makeovers, performing on stage with friends and family to your favorite songs, hands on time with real instruments led by our party hosts, party games and more. It's VIP, baby!

Plus, for the parents, we take the headache out of the party for you. We provide the cake, drinks, flatware, party invitations, party hosts and goody bags. All you have to do is show up and have a great time with your kids!

Give us a call at the studio, 501-312-1800 or check out our party page on our website for more information or to book a date!

Little Rock Jams - A Music Studio Blog

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