Don't be afraid. It's fun. Here you see, I'm tracking a tune for a gig tomorrow night. One of northeast's leading country bands invited me on to play a gig with them, and it's been my pleasure to learn some of the parts from Chet Atkins, and many others! This one is a sweet and easy alternating-bass boom-chuck. Enjoy! I will add it to our lessons center soon. https://vimeo.com/1113779260/12c861f6db?share=copy

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Stage Fright, Gig Nerves, and What to Do About Them Hi everyone, I recently caught up with a former student of mine—a tremendously talented, kind, and professional young guitarist whose band is quickly gaining recognition. Honestly, he was a fantastic player even before I met him! He reached out to talk about stage fright and gig nerves. That’s something almost everyone has faced in some form: at work presentations, public speaking, giving a toast, or performing music. So, how do you deal with it? My Wedding Performance Story I once played classical guitar for a wedding in upstate New York—prelude pieces by Bach, Sor, and Tárrega. Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous at all. Even as the seats filled with guests, I stayed calm. But then, the back doors opened. The bride appeared in one of the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen. Suddenly, emotion hit me like a wave. I thought of my own wedding, my own bride, and the importance of this moment. I was about to play Pachelbel’s Canon in D when my right hand started to shake. For the first time, I truly felt the weight of being the soundtrack to one of the most important days in someone’s life. What saved me was something simple: - I whispered to myself, “It’s just business.” - I focused on breathing in through my nose, out through my mouth—slow, steady, controlled. As I forced my breath to slow down, everything shifted. It was almost an out-of-body experience. I just heard the music flowing, saw the bride walking down the aisle, and felt myself detach from the overwhelming emotion. My preparation took over, and muscle memory carried me through. The lesson? Emotion is powerful, but professionalism and preparation must guide you. Practical Ways to Tackle Stage Fright Here are some strategies I’ve relied on and often share with students: Preparation = Confidence 1. Practice until mistakes are rare. If your fingers know the songs inside out, nerves have less power over you. 2. Check your gear at home. Make sure guitar, amp, mic, and cables all work. 3. Pack extras. Strings, picks, capo, strap, batteries, cables—even an extra guitar if you can. 4. Know the venue. Visit the space in advance if possible so nothing feels foreign.

Simple is good. My student, Sammie, has made it all the way through “Mama I’m Coming Home” by Ozzy Osbourne except for the solo. I’ve been kinda dragging my feet on recording it because I knew it would mean some extra time and attention to technology/recording gear. I was just so inspired to get this right! Well here’s the funny part….your ear can advance faster than your brain and fingers 😂 I found the desired tone so quickly with my gear (A Marshall “drivemaster” pedal into my computer) and, the right delay and reverb in garageband. It just felt right. It sounded right. I also just set up my pawn-shop les paul with slightly thicker strings at Eb standard tuning. When your instrument starts out FEELING comfortable and SOUNDING great, honestly, it gets easy. I had just finished teaching Sammie her lesson, had a last-minute cancellation, and used that time to record in 1 hour’s time what I would call the quickest, cleanest and best solo of my 30 years playing. The perfect storm: quick, clean and comfortable (ok, and coffee). It’s an easy solo. Wanna know why it wins? 1. It’s simple 2. It’s recognizable 3. It’s melodic (you can hum it) 4. Clear rhythm 5. Short and sweet (radio-friendly!) Here’s the video. I hope you like it. A fitting tribute to Ozzy. PS if you’d like to REALLY improve your soloing chops - and all of your playing (including string gauge, guitar setup, and comfort aspect), message me! Happy to chat.

This one is dedicated to student @Mark Johnson . What I really appreciate about Mark’s learning style is how he uses what he learns to do his own thing. For example, when we worked out “Since I’ve Been Loving You” by Led Zep, we went for Jimmy Page’s intro note for note. Then, Mark used those notes and inspiration to just rip some blues riffs in that style. Here’s “Under the Bridge”, the next tune we’ve covered. It’s an intermediate riff, and a great chance to grow - even if you don’t play it exactly perfect. It used a “C shape” chord and “E shape” barre chord. Have fun!! https://www.skool.com/guitarsongmastery/classroom/9133be05?md=7e21bd9da35640c69f3f0cc62e5f80b3