Bang on the Drums All Day
You know you’ve got a great rhythm. You see it in your finger snaps, your walking, your attention to sounds and patterns. If you are one of those kids or grownups who likes a great beat and responds well to it, then you might be the right person to take drum lessons in Scottsdale at
Winning at Music Instruction!
Month in and month out, our music instructors at Scottsdale Music Academy work hard to teach students how best to learn and get good on an instrument. The music learning process doesn’t happen overnight. So it’s in this learning time that our instructors and students find certain moments of music magic to carry each onward
Key Benefits of Music Lessons
It’s a well-worn tale, the story of the parents who push their kids into playing music on some instrument. “Why?” the kids ask. “Because we said so” the parents reply. Some kids warm to the opportunity right away and jump into the music lessons with enthusiasm. Other kids might shrug their shoulders and wonder why
Melissa Pullon
Austin Forney was a student of SMA and is now majoring in sound engineering and digital media at Grand Canyon University. He has improved greatly w guitar and bass and is even trying keyboards and drums. He absolutely loves it and he attributes so much of it to SMA.
Tips for Shooting a DIY Band Video
Today’s fans don’t just want to hear your music, they want to watch a video to see how you and your band look. Making a band video is one of the new skills that are necessary for bands to learn today. At Scottsdale Music Academy, we often shoot starter videos of the students so that
Led Zeppelin “Black Dog” Guitar Tutorial
Hi, guitar players! We want you to achieve your musical goals in 2017, so let’s do this! We’re Scottsdale’s leading music academy for beginning and intermediate musicians, and we want to help you get better on your chosen instrument. Our talented music instructors work with you and your schedule and budget, to help you move
Everlast “What It’s Like” Guitar Tutorial
Today’s acoustic guitar tutorial from Scottsdale Music Academy founder John Davis has him mastering the acoustic pickings, bends, and hammer-ons for the big 1998 Everlast hit “What It’s Like”. “What It’s Like” hit the #1 spot on several Billboard Rock music charts that year, and reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as well.
Hail hail Rock ‘n Roll – A look at Chuck Berry’s legacy
It was with much sadness when we learned that Chuck Berry, rock n roll guitarist, singer, duck walker and writer, passed away from natural causes this past weekend. Chuck was 90 years old, and was living about 45 miles west of his hometown of St. Louis, MO. Chuck Berry meant EVERYTHING to rock ‘n roll
‘Rock ‘n Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution’ Guitar Tutorial
AC DC Guitar Intro One of the coolest things about learning guitar at Scottsdale Music Academy is the ability to see guitar tutorials on how to play your favorite rock ‘n roll guitar songs. In the clip below, John shows you how to rock the intro of AC/DC’s classic rocker “Rock n Roll Ain’t
Rock the District Finals THIS Saturday March 4!
The Rock the District finals are THIS Saturday night March 4th in Cave Creek, AZ. This *is* the biggest music competition for young musical talent in the Valley. Scottsdale Music Academy are thrilled that two of our band coaching groups – Last Man Standing and Grand Entrance – are performing in the finals of the
Because It’s All About That Bass
No matter what you thought of the Meghan Trainor-Kevin Kadish hit song from 2015 “All About That Bass”, the songwriters nailed the intent behind the song. It *is* all about that bass. A pumping bass guitar line is the engine behind any good song, a mood enhancer, a liberating force. Think of classic 80s songs
Drum tuning
Drummers, listen up! One of the most overlooked elements of drumming is having a properly tuned drum kit. No matter how many drum lessons you take here at Scottsdale Music Academy or how steady you can keep a beat, if your drum kit is out of tune then nothing else matters. The reality is an