Thursday Tips
3 Practice Questions to Ask Yourself!
Have you hit a ‘practice wall’? It happens to all of us, One of the best ways to get over the wall is to ponder these 3 questions*:
1 Do you enjoy playing guitar?
2 Are you having fun with your songs?
3 What is the one thing you could do so you would practice more often?
Exploring your answers can help you find solutions!
Play on…
Marlene
Proud Member of NAMM
*In this episode I discuss and explore possible answers and solution ideas, click here to listen to this week’s podcast episode!
How Temperature & Humidity Can Affect Your Guitar
It goes without saying, but I’ll say it, if you’re comfortable, then your guitar is comfortable. The ideal conditions for a guitar* is 74-76°F and 45-55% humidity – which is ideal for us too!
Try these tips to help your guitar stay happy and healthy:
1 Use a humidifier in the case and in your guitar room
2 Use a humidity/temperature gauge (hygrometer) to understand the conditions in your location.
This simple solutions can help your guitar to weather the weather!
Play on…
Marlene
*To learn more about the ideal environment and easy solutions to protect your guitar, listen to this week’s podcast episode!
Road Trip Guitar Travel Advice!
One of my favorite things about guitar is that it’s portable. So why not take it with you on your road trips?
Here’s some of my ‘guitar in the car’ road trip safety tips*:
1. Keep your guitar in a case when traveling
2. Be aware of the guitar’s placement among the luggage
3. Don’t leave your guitar alone (and cooking) in your car for long periods of time.
4. Temperature and humidity awareness is important – so remember this, if you’re comfortable, your guitar is comfortable.
Play on…
Marlene
*To hear details about these tips and a few more, click here to listen to this week’s podcast episode!
Airplane Travel 101 For Your Guitar!
Flying to your vacation destination? You can take your guitar too* – and here’s how:
1. It can be your carry-on luggage – see FAA rules below**
2. Use a gig bag or hard shell case for travel
3. Loosen your strings 1/2 turn per string prior to flying
4. Your guitar goes through security, like any other luggage
5. It’s allowed to be placed in the overhead compartment.
Up, up and away!
Play on…
Marlene
P.S. If you check your guitar, rather than taking it onboard as a carry-on, use a hard case and mark it fragile for better protection.
*To learn all my useful guitar air travel tricks & hints, listen to my newest podcast episode!
**Flying with Guitar FAA Rules
As Seen at the NAMM Show – New Guitars, Gear & Technology!
The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show is an annual music industry event showcasing the newest guitars, guitar accessories and guitar technology (other instruments too).
Here’s a few I thought you might like to know about:
Guitars:
Cordoba: Fusion Series guitar
Martin Guitar: Beautiful ocean themed artisan guitar
Accessories:
Gator: Headliner guitar cables/built-in quiet switch, see my YouTube video
Music Nomad: Guitar polish, humidifiers & string changing tools, see my YouTube video
Openhagen: Unique wooden wall mounted guitar stand, see my YouTube video
Kyser Capo: Beautiful Abalone design
Technology:
Positive Grid: Spark Go Smart Amp & Bluetooth Speaker, see my YouTube video
Tascam: Easy-to-use home recording device, see my YouTube video
Play on…
Marlene
Proud Member of NAMM
*To hear about all this fantastic guitar gear, click here to listen to this week’s podcast episode!
To see videos of these cool new guitar gadgets, go to my YouTube Channel, MarlenesMusic1
Mother’s Day Songs to Play for Your Mom!
What better way to show your mother love than with your beautiful guitar music? Here’s a few songs* you might like to play for her:
The Mother (Brandi Carlile) chords
Thank You Mom (Good Charlotte) chords
Wind Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler) chords
Play on…
Marlene
*Learn all about these songs and how to play them by clicking here to listen to this week’s podcast episode!
Mexican Songs to Play on Cinco de Mayo – May 5th!
Cinco de Mayo, May 5th, is a celebration of Mexico’s Battle of La Puebla in 1862. It’s a great time to play Mexican music like these two popular songs*:
Viva Mexico chords
Mexico en la Piel chords
Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Play on…
Marlene
*Learn about these songs & how to play them by clicking here to listen to this week’s podcast episode!