I’m a southside Chicago native with a passion for the Chicago music scene! Growing up on the hard rock of the ’80s and ’90s, I have always been inspired to be a great guitar player and musician. Besides being a customer service rep at zZounds, I love cooking, playing video games, and traveling.
Bridge The Gap: Bridge Writing Tips
When you listen to a song, you’re taken on a journey of ups, downs, twists, and turns. The bridge is a great place to make some of these twists and turns happen! This section is not necessary for every song, but it can help add narrative and/or color layers. Continuing in our songwriting series, we […]
Build Up and Erupt: How to Transition From Pre-Chorus to Chorus
In our previous post, we explored the inner workings of constructing verse lyrics and themes. But where do we go after we’ve nailed that first verse? Most often, we go to a pre-chorus and/or a chorus. Approaching writing these two sections can be overwhelming given the amount of possible options you have to work with. […]
It’s Your First Verse: Make It Pop!
Each part of a song has an important function. Whether it’s the chorus, the bridge, etc., each section serves a structural and artful purpose. However, the first verse has a unique job: setting the foundation of your song. In this post, we will discuss using a variety of lyrical devices to create an effective first verse to […]
Talk Box and Friends
When guitarists don’t want to sing, they buy a talk box — at least that’s what I do. An instrument in itself, the talk box was unleashed onto the world in the 1930s and became popularized in the 1970s. Mostly seen as a novelty, it can also be a major sound piece as a handful […]
A Guide to Basic Melody Writing
What is a melody? Chances are you already know, even if you don’t know the dictionary definition. If you have listened to music, then your instincts will tell you while you are listening, even if subconsciously. The great thing about melodies are that they can come from the voice or an instrument, making them an important part of […]
MXR Slash Octave Fuzz Pedal: The Underdog of Fuzz?
The MXR Slash Octave Fuzz is a pedal that sounds like it knows it is the underdog. It’s angry, gritty, and intimidating, and if you think you can handle it, it is well worth spicing up your chain with. Now, why do I consider this pedal an “underdog?” Well, Slash is not particularly known for using fuzz. So the […]
Micro Cube GX: Small Amp, Big Surprises!
One of the best things about being a guitar player is that our rigs can be great tools for creativity. Whether it’s with larger-than-life amps, or large, complex pedal boards, the possibilities are truly endless! But sometimes, even the gear addicts among us like sitting down to play without having to hook up the entire […]
MXR Dyna Comp: Get the Most From Your Compressor Pedal
Before buying the MXR Dyna Comp compressor pedal, I did what any musician would do: I scoured the Internet for reviews of all kinds. I came across a few demo videos on YouTube and noticed something interesting: This pedal was only being shown in one light. The people demoing the Dyna Comp were using it […]
Victory Countess + Gibson Les Paul: A New Take on Classic British Tone
If you’re a guitarist, you know how important it is to pair the right amp with the right guitar, and the time it takes to find the right combination. While there are many guitar/amp pairings that are legendary in many ways, for rock guitarists, there’s one iconic pairing that has stood above many, if not all […]
