How-To Guides 5
Choosing a Pick From the Plectrum Spectrum
The guitar pick – that small unassuming element of music that is often disregarded entirely. What a bummer too, because for what amounts to mere cents, selecting the right pick for the job can drastically alter your tone and playing feel in surprisingly crucial ways. Most guitarists I have known over the years have had […]
zZounds 2017 Holiday Gift Guide
If your shopping list this season includes any musicians, here’s a tip: don’t get them socks, get them a gear gift they’ll really want! We’ve put together this list of gift ideas at an array of price points, all under $200. From stocking stuffers to innovative gifts that are sure to wow, check out our […]
Foundational Beats: Funk Drums
Welcome to Beat Connection, a series dedicated to promoting modern and vintage dance styles the only way we know how…by providing you a musical starting point to help you create that beat. In our previous posts, we took an in-depth look at all the tools available to help you create a beat and we’ve begun […]
Mix Character into Drum Tracks with Wurst
A drum track can make or break a song, or even a record as a whole, so it’s of huge importance to nail the recording process of drums, and — in a perfect world — accomplish the tricky feat of adding character to your tracks. This is where the “Wurst” drum mic method comes in. […]
How to Intonate Your Guitar
Besides knowing how to change strings, knowing how to intonate your instrument is a skill most guitarists should learn. Keeping your guitar intonated keeps notes in tune throughout the length of the neck, with the pleasant side effect of making your guitar more enjoyable to play. Let’s face it, nobody wants to play a guitar […]
The Big ’80s Snare Sound
Although the 1980s have come and gone, the impact the decade left on studio techniques (and snare sounds) still lives on today. Yes, some studio tricks from that era can be quite over-the-top, but if you’ve never indulged yourself in how they’re done, you might be missing out on a broad palette of sounds. In […]
What String Trees Are For
Often overlooked, string trees are an integral little piece of equipment for your Fender-style guitar or bass to play properly. Since a flat headstock doesn’t tilt back to give each string the proper break angle, a string tree (or string guide/retainer) applies downward pressure to the string, ensuring it stays properly seated in its slot […]
Foundational Beats: Rock Drums
Welcome to Beat Connection, a series dedicated to promoting modern and vintage dance styles the only way we know how…by providing you a musical starting point to help you create that beat. In our previous posts, we took an in-depth look at all the tools available to help you create a beat: Simpler, Sampler, and Drum Rack. […]
Preparing for Your Next Recording Session
Alongside writing and touring, recording is an extremely important part of the working musician’s trifecta. Walking into a well-equipped, professional recording studio is an inspiring feeling, so it’s important to be prepared to efficiently capture that inspiration. Generally speaking, studio time doesn’t come cheap. Whether you’ve saved up for an allotted amount of time in […]
