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June 29, 2006
Changing your own strings is something every guitarist should know how to do. There’s a lot of different approaches to changing strings, this is the one that works for me. 1. Use a peg winder to loosen all the strings. Unwind each string and remove it from the tuning peg. Electric - Push the ..
June 29, 2006
I’ve met a countless number of people who say they’d like to learn how to play the guitar but actually never went on to learn. These are the ones who actually have a dusty guitar case lying around the house or started taking beginner guitar lessons that they discontinued for one reason or ..
June 19, 2006
Hardcore was originally acclaimed as dirt, quick and bustling punk-rock, which emerged in the US in late seventieth through early eightieth. The hard-core bands, including Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Teen Idles, Minor Threat, Jerry’s Kids posed as founders of hardcore.Until eightieth, hardcore ..
January 09, 2006
Precious is the beautiful first single from Depeche Mode and this is the maxi single for the single release. Overall the remixes all complement the original version of this song and the strongest ones are Sasha's Spooky Mix - Edit and Sasha's Gargantuan Vocal Mix - Edit. Sasha has done an excellent .
January 09, 2006
I suppose my first realisation that music was something more relevant than learning the words to carols for the school Christmas concert was appreciating my Dad's collection of 78s’. He was a man with unusual tastes in music. My contemporys’ parents listened to American crooners, like ..
January 06, 2006
For those just starting out in the music business, you must measure you progress in small steps. Everything in manageable; the largest aspirations can be accomplished by planning and moving forward at your own rate. I’ll tell you my story; maybe you can learn from it.It is hard to believe that only .
January 06, 2006
As I’ve said in a previous article, Chords are the easiest way to play and the simplest way to embellish your playing. If you have no illusions of grandeur and you just want to play your favorite songs on the piano or accompany your friends, even your church, chord piano is probably the solution ..
January 05, 2006
A friend told me once, I would like to give you a piece of advice: “Don't listen to advice!" May I give you some advice on how to relate to all learn to play guitar advising on the net.I stand amazed when I see all fitness equipment being advertised on TV and I wonder, how is possible that ..
January 05, 2006
Is it really possible to conquer the guitar fretboard? Do you find the notes you want to find? Is tabulature cheating? Let me invite you to the guitar fretboard!I suggest that you right now start to take command over your guitar. Usually when you are playing your first guitar sheet music melodies ..
January 05, 2006
Sliding is another legato technique used by all guitarist. They are very simple to learn, just pick a note or notes and slide your finger slides to another note(s).This is presented in most TAB format as a “/" slide up and “s" slide down. First let’s do a simple slide up. Use your 3rd finger on the .
January 04, 2006
Have you ever wanted to create your own unique piano songs? Just simple pieces that express how you feel? You can if you learn how to improvise first and then learn how to compose. Here's why.Improvising allows you to express what you feel without constraint. In essence, it's like freewriting ..
January 04, 2006
Do you know what a guitar player has to spend to get a good quality acoustic instrument? Anywhere from $500 to $2000 depending on make and model. Do you know what a piano player looking for a grand piano has to spend to get a similar quality instrument? Anywhere from $5000 to $100,000 and up!Who ..
January 04, 2006
Most people choose an upright piano as a necessary evil. If they had the money, they would probably get a grand or baby grand piano.But there are many benefits to owning an upright piano. Economy, lower prices, and decent sound are all factors to consider when purchasing an instrument. In this ..
January 04, 2006
Let's face it. Nothing compares to the beauty and attractiveness of a baby grand piano. The curves, the strings, the way the whole thing looks just makes you want to go over and play.Baby grand pianos give the serious musician with limited funds the ability to own something that one can be proud to .
January 04, 2006
Many families are now purchasing digital pianos to learn on. And why not? They're relatively inexpensive, take up very little space, and produce high quality grand piano sound. But there are certain drawbacks to owning one.For example, it's a good idea to play an acoustic instrument before trying a .
January 03, 2006
Recently, there was a discussion on the MusicThoughts list regarding how to develop passive income as a musician. Of course, there are many types of passive income open to musicians, but this discussion in particular involved using affiliate programs to earn money.For the newbie, affiliate programs .
January 03, 2006
It continues to boggle my mind how many bands don't take the time to come up with a decent description of their music. It's extremely important, and when you're marketing yourself online, it's essential.So grab some paper, we're gonna create two simple band descriptions that will help you earn you ..
January 03, 2006
It continues to boggle my mind how many bands don't take the time to come up with a decent description of their music. It's extremely important, and when you're marketing yourself online, it's essential.So grab some paper, we're gonna create two simple band descriptions that will help you earn you ..
January 03, 2006
Over the past couple o'years, I've gotten out of the habit of writing press releases. I have a score of websites and projects that I'm working on, and I have just as many excuses as you probably have.But today, I read a great article from PR Fuel which kinda struck home. The idea: “the more ..
January 03, 2006
Everytime I make a new friend, they seem to come away with marketing ideas.Today, I got an email from one. Her name is Jen Clower-Brown. She is a fantasy artist and friend who I've worked with on a number of fantasy art projects. She wrote:Marc,I just received the cd I ordered of “The Trial ..
January 03, 2006
A few years back, I wanted to find out if my press releases got any media coverage. Media folk don't have the time to tell you if they're publishing a story about you. So I was excited when I heard about services that monitor publications and notify you when you make the press. The problem was it ..
January 03, 2006
One of the Brobdingnagian Bards’ early CDs, Songs of the Muse is going into it's second pressing. When I saw Christopher Knab's article “Your CD Cover is Your Best Ad For Your Music", I decided this was the perfect inspiration I needed to update the CD graphics.I've been a fan of ..
January 03, 2006
Putting politics aside for a moment (Vote John Kerry for President), presidential campaign strategies offer an interesting lesson for unsigned bands.I was listening to NPR this morning on the way to work. They said George Bush was heading back to Pennsylvania to campaign. This is his tenth time or ..
January 03, 2006
Seems every time I read an article about music promotion, they seem generally the same thing. “Play in your local market with a fifty mile radius of your hometown."That's actually pretty smart advice. If you can build a buzz in your region, that local buzz will eventually spread outside of ..
January 03, 2006
A couple weeks ago, I asked “How do you sweeten the deal?" to find out what you give your fans to secure extra CD sales. Then I started reading Seth Godin's new book, “Free Prize Inside!", and I realized a big mistake I've made.I'm a big fan of freebies. Peruse my many websites, you'll ..
January 03, 2006
I was never a very “great" marketer. I remember in the sixth grade we had a Social Studies project where we could sell whatever we made. I made some chocolate chip cookies, threw them in cheap sandwich bags. My base cost may've been low, but it was no good when no one bought any. Not when ..
January 03, 2006
I remember a while back reading David Nevue's book, “How to Successfully Promote Your Music the the Internet". In it he threw out a cool suggestion for increasing the searchability of your band.His suggestion was to write a review of CDs that you feel are similar to your style of music or CDs .
January 03, 2006
This weekend, we're flying to Hollywood. We are booked to perform at the Into the West Oscar Party, sponsored by New Line Cinema's Official Lord of the Rings Fan Club. We are so psyched.Unfortunately, I haven't done nearly as much promotion for the event as I would've liked. After five years of ..
January 03, 2006
I'm a huge fan of SpamAssassin. I have many websites and all of my servers use it. It cuts out about 80% of the crap heading to my inbox. And while I do lose a few newsletters, it's worth it.The problem is too many indie businesses just don't get it. They think flashy is the way to go, but more and .
January 03, 2006
I was walking on campus today back from our weekly gig at the University of Texas’ South Mall, when I heard a member of the Young Conservatives of Texas speak. March 2nd is Texas Independence Day and so this fellow was preaching that if you work hard and play by the rules you too can lead a ..
January 03, 2006
A couple months ago, I wrote The Rogues to ask them directly what it is that makes them so successful at selling CDs, and why they are one of the top 10 bands on CDstreet selling CDs. Sharon Wothke wrote back:"As head sales person for the band, I think that I would be the one to talk to. The Rogues .
January 03, 2006
Well a great performance and an interactive sales crew is just the start to seling more CDs at gigs. The Rogues also employ other salespeople."Our sellers work off of a commission, with bonuses built in when an individual's sales total reaches a certain amount. Giving a salesperson a commission ..
January 03, 2006
I read somewhere not too long ago that someone was lamenting that artists are putting out too many albums without spending enough time promoting them. Well, I hate to say it, but my group, the Brobdingnagian Bards, is guilty of such a crime.You see, when I started The Bards a couple years ago, I ..
January 03, 2006
I remember when I first put the Brobdingnagian Bards on MP3.com and started to learn the ropes. I would listen daily to music there, but I never listened to bands that were higher in the charts than we were because I didn't want to boost their ratings any more than they already were.I guess greedy. .
January 03, 2006
I first started publishing my band newsletter during the Summer of ‘98. I tried the snail mail route. It was exhausting. Electronic newsletters (aka ezines) were the way to go.I must've tried it all too. I promoted gigs, told of our latest accomplishments, gave away a free mp3 every month. ..
January 03, 2006
The recent changes in the payback formula at MP3.com had catastophic results to indie artists everywhere. My band, the Brobdingnagian Bards, was making over $100 per day when the system dropped out from beneath us. But you know, it didn't hit us as hard as many artists.The reasons is that about two .
January 03, 2006
At the end of August 2000, I read some ad copy at CelticWays.com. In it John Wilmott, NMA Promoter, spoke of a new direction in the music market. He predicted CDs were going out of style to be replaced by MP3s and the new digital technology. And he awoke in me a desire to look into the new music ..
January 03, 2006
A year ago, I wrote a passionate article on the merits of charging $15 when you sell your CDs. Some of my reasonings included: It's tough for indie musicians and you have a good music, so don't short-change yourself; you can always discount the CD for special reasons (2-for-1 special); and, the ..
January 03, 2006
Have you seen the new Kevin Spacey movie, Pay It Forward? I'll tell you, I loved the movie. I'm an idealist. So seeing an “idea" rocketed forward to me is beautiful.For those of you who haven't seen it, it's about a boy responding to a class assignment comes up with basically an idea to ..
January 03, 2006
We all know that off-line promotion is just as vital as on-line promotion. But what other means of “off-line" promotion can you do other than mailing out your Flyer or Newsletter? Alot. We could go into Media, Radio, Television and others but that is another topic in itself. Postcards are the .
January 03, 2006
If you are just starting out promoting your band, if you have no fan base, or if you just want to attract fans who like your style of music, then start publishing a Genre Ezine.Genre ezines are electronic newsletters catering to your style of music. Unlike band newsletters, they are not limited to ..
January 03, 2006
A couple of my groups favorite Celtic bands are Enya, Loreena McKennit and the Chieftains. I guess I kinda liken the Brobdingnagian Bards to these groups. Like Enya, we play some beautiful romantic mood music. Like Loreena McKennit we add a popish flare to our performance. And like the Chieftains, ..
January 03, 2006
Even better than just endorsing other companies is trading endorsements. There are several advantages to it. For you, your endorsee would promote you to their clients, and your name would be linked to a successful business. For them, you are a travelling billboard. You cover a lot of territory that .
January 03, 2006
It's amazing how many different places you can find inspiration for your musical career. I was reading a book on copywriting, when I came across some great tips. I adapted them for musicians.FYI. I edited the info a little (like cutting the typewriter comments), and then focused on a small-named ..
January 03, 2006
The concept of the eBook (electronic book) is fantastic. You no longer need to find a publisher. No need to spend a fortune printing. No need to do anything but write. Now it might seem kinda silly to for a band to give away an eBook when they have countless CDs and can copy/paste MP3s out the ..
January 03, 2006
For startup musicians, email is a gift of God. When I first started managing bands a number of years ago, I spent hours licking stamps and sending out postcards for upcoming gigs, spending over $100 on people that never showed up to my bands’ gigs. We didn't even make that much at the gig, ..
January 03, 2006
Two weeks ago, I went to Italy to visit family and see the country. I was a military brat, so I've been there plenty of times before, but nevertheless, it was a magnificent and learning experience, both artistically and as a guerrilla marketer. So for the next few weeks, I'm gonna take you on a ..
January 03, 2006
We live in a high-speed world. We want every thing now. Sadly, the “I want it now" attitude does not working in the field of marketing. Marketing is all cafefully planned, that's why you must assume the position of the bard.Bards of old traveled the world and weaved their musical webs to ..
January 03, 2006
In Ireland a few hundred years ago, feudal lords ruled the land. The lay people did not interact with lords. People could exist their whole lives and never meet, or for that matter, see their reigning lord, unless you were a bard.Bards had the luxury of being exempt from many of the laws of the ..
January 03, 2006
I read a “tip" on music sales today that made me angry. The author asked, “Are you selling your CD for $15?" Then goes on to say that we are Indie musicians and we shouldn't. Sell it for less because it is the industry standard for Indie musicians to sell for less. How do I say this ..
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