Las Vegas Jazz Guitarist, Ted Vieira
TedVieira.com
It's always an interesting story (at least to me) when it's about how someone learns what their passion is. That moment when it occurs to them what they're crazy about and will probably end up obsessing over for the rest of their life. I started playing guitar when I was about 13, and of course my goal was to play as much Aerosmith, Kiss and Led Zeppelin as I could each day (of course at an … [Read more...]
There are a few really good jazz resources out there. For those of us who can't get enough, I want to make sure you know about a jazz podcast that features interviews with current jazz artists that are out there in the trenches keeping the music alive and growing in new and different directions. The podcast is called The Jazz Session. The show's host is Jason Crane and you couldn't ask for a … [Read more...]
I've written other articles about this and have often stated how important "feel" is for a musician. Knowing a bunch of scales and being able to play at lightening speed is all good, but if you want your audience to feel what you're expressing, you've got to start with your feel. Here is an awesome example of how powerful feel can be when making music. Marcus Miller is an amazing musician. He and … [Read more...]
John Stowell is a fantastic jazz guitarist with, what I think of as a very advanced sense of harmony and approach to the music. I saw this video on John's website the other day and just wanted to share. You can learn more about John by visiting his website: JohnStowel.com … [Read more...]
This is really a great app for your iPhone or iPad. It's like having a RealBook in you pocket. Maybe your at a rehearsal and someone calls a tune you're not familiar with. Just pull out your phone and go to the tune you need. At first I thought having a chart on an iPhone screen might be a little to small to read, but it's not! Also you can invert the colors so you can either have a white … [Read more...]
I just wanted to share this video with you. 2010-02-19: Writer/Filmmaker Bret Primack, aka Jazz Video Guy, offers his thoughts on a question, which like indigestion, seems to pop up from time to time. Features clips of Sonny Rollins, Joe Lovano and Bob Mintzer. … [Read more...]
As we all know, guitarists are not generally known to be the best sight readers on the planet. Of course this is a huge generalization, but for the most part it's true. Guitarists have so many options that make reading seem unimportant. However, being able to sight read music can do amazing things for your playing and your musicianship. This month I've just listed several points for you to … [Read more...]
Musicians admire, and enjoy working with guitarists who know what they're doing. Music can be complex and challenging and the more you know about music, the less you'll be affected when someone throws something challenging at you. The more you know about music, the more helpful you'll be in your current playing situation. The more you know about music, the more appealing you'll be to a prospective … [Read more...]
I've heard from a lot of my friends and other colleagues that, while on stage, they often let their playing wander due to the fact that they're playing the same songs night after night, gig after gig. Their solos become just a bunch of licks and runs that they do from night to night. Do you experience this? It's actually pretty common and will probably happen to you at least once in your … [Read more...]
Let's face it, a lot of players, when they first start learning to play guitar, want to burn, burn, burn. They want to play as many notes as fast as they possibly can and blow people away with their shred ability. This can be extremely attention grabbing and, at the appropriate moment, can be the right thing to do. However, one of the most important virtues of a musician is to make his audience … [Read more...]