Author Archives: Mike
Coming Soon: Website Reviews
As any student of music is surely aware, there is a virtually unlimited number of instructional resources available, often for free, online. Even when I was learning guitar, I relied heavily upon a number of websites for tablature, playing exercises, … Continue reading
Posted in Music Lessons, Pedagogy, Reviews
Tagged Banjo, Free lessons, Guitar, Mandolin, Music lessons, Pedagogy, Reviews
Leave a comment
Muay Thai
Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing, is the national sport of Thailand. Though it has ancient origins, Muay Thai developed into its modern, standardized form in the twentieth-century. Its mythology and history is deeply embedded in Thai culture and it is … Continue reading
Coming Soon: The Mike Op Music Beginner Guitar Series!
I’m just putting the finishing touches on my new instructional program the Mike Op Music Beginner Guitar Series! Hopefully this online guitar course will be available for purchase before Christmas. Here’s what it’s all about: This eight-part program is intended … Continue reading
Posted in Music Lessons, Pedagogy, Products
Tagged Guitar, Music lessons, Pedagogy, Products
Leave a comment
Gear Review: Brossard Picks
Brossard Picks: Wood, Bone, and Horn Guitar Picks Although they are expensive, Brossard Picks are certainly worth a try and make for an ideal gift for guitar or mandolin players. There are many options for package sets in the 20-30 … Continue reading
Book Review: Unlocking the Guitar – Notes on the Neck, by Chuck Anderson
Unlocking the Guitar – Notes on the Neck, by Chuck Anderson. Anderson Music Publications, 2002. ISBN#0-9719730-0-8 This book provides an approach to one of the trickiest topics guitar players of any level face: learning the notes on the neck. The … Continue reading
Free Mandolin Lesson Now Available
Another new mandolin lesson is now available under the Sample Lessons on this site. Here we have a three part lesson dealing with melodic variation, using “Bury Me Beneath the Willow” as our model. Enjoy!
Album Review: Moanin’ by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Moanin’, by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, 1958. Blue Note, 95324 On October 30, 1958 Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recorded the album Moanin’ at Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey for the Blue Note label. Moanin’ is … Continue reading
Album Review: The Best of Mississippi John Hurt
The Best of Mississippi John Hurt, by Mississippi John Hurt, 1990. Vanguard, 19/20. This album is a live concert recording from Oberlin College, 1965, of one of the most influential and imitated guitarists of the 20th century. Though recorded near the … Continue reading
Free Mandolin Lesson Now Available
This is a mandolin lesson on the topic of melodic embellishment. The tune “Nine Pound Hammer” is used as a model through three successive variations. Tablature, notation, and analyses is provided in the pdf files. The audio examples are midi … Continue reading
The Grateful Dead, Dark Star Orchestra, and Representation
In a very interesting article appearing in November 2012, in The New Yorker (“The Vast Recorded Legacy of the Grateful Dead”), Nick Paumgarten writes about many aspects of the culture surrounding the Grateful Dead. However, his perspective is unique in that it … Continue reading
Posted in Ethnomusicology, Performance, Reviews
Tagged Ethnomusicology, Performance, Reviews
Leave a comment
