Maximum Musician Lessons
These articles were contributed by Darrin Koltow of Maximum Musician.
A Musician's Most Important Skill
By Darrin Koltow
It's the one skill you can't do without. It's the skill on which every other skill is built. It's a force that moves mountains, builds skyscrapers, and turns 98-pound weaklings into Arnold Schwarzeneggers. Enough mystery already. What is this skill?
How To Improvise - A Guide For Beginning Guitarists
By Darrin Koltow
There's nothing magical about improvising, except the great feeling you get when you hit the right notes. In this article we show you how to hit those notes.
How Chord Progressions Work
By Darrin Koltow
Here's a common chord progression used in many popular songs. You'll hear it in songs like What a Wonderful World, and Cupid, by Sam Cooke, as well as some more modern tunes. I highly recommend singing a song you like as you play these changes. That makes the song come alive. Let's discuss why this song sounds as good as it does.
Love Your Mistakes
By Darrin Koltow
Mistakes, errors, hitches and problems are a part of making music. And believe it or not, they are necessary to your growth as a musician. Let's investigate some ways of looking at mistakes that ultimately help your playing, even if a particular mistake seems to be dragging you down.
Blues Triad Mystery
By Darrin Koltow
I created BTM because I wanted to learn triads in a way that was fun for both fingers and ears. I wanted something Bluesey. I wanted to play *music* and not a monotonous lesson as boring as cardboard. I couldn't find a lesson like this, so I wrote one.
Grow Your Ears With The Net
By Darrin Koltow
Being able to listen and hear is probably the most underrated talent a musician can have. Sadly, while we talk a lot about ear training, aside from working on one's own, there's has been little developed as learning aids.
All About Chords Part 1
By Darrin Koltow
This week, Darrin explores the basics of chords and harmony right where you want to learn it - on the guitar. It's a great way to learn with developing your listening skills as well.
A Mixolydian Scale Blues Guitar Riff
By Darrin Koltow
The man behind MaximumMusician gives us a great introduction to the Mixolydian scale - how to find it, how to use it. It's great for blues, rock and a host of other things and, as always, Darrin makes learning it a joy and not a chore.
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