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. […]
Everlast “What It’s Like” Guitar Tutorial Read More »
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
Hail hail Rock ‘n Roll – A look at Chuck Berry’s legacy Read More »
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 ‘n Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution’ Guitar Tutorial Read More »
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
Rock the District Finals THIS Saturday March 4! Read More »
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
Because It’s All About That Bass Read More »
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
One of the big breakout groups in the past few years is The Chainsmokers, a duo made up of two East Coast guys – Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart (from New York and Maine, respectively) who met in New York and shared similar interests in EDM, DJing and indie rock. After getting together, they
Learn to play The Chainsmokers “Closer” on acoustic guitar Read More »
The 2017 Bon Jovi tour started this week – catch up on all the dates at the band’s website – https://www.bonjovi.com/. And if you’re in a local band, there’s still time to submit your band’s video to get a shot at opening up a Bon Jovi show in the city in which you play most
Learn to play Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” Read More »
Many musicians starting in their career will play a dive bar or two at some point. The experience is twofold – the musician gets used to playing with people right in front of them at eye level, and the audience gets a close, intimate look and feel of an up-and-coming player. Lady Gaga, star of
Performing for the World in a Dive Bar Read More »
It’s nearly time for that big musical event of the year when musicians of all kinds are recognized by their peers and fans. That’s right, we’re talking about the 2017 Grammy Awards, which will air live on February 12, a week after the Super Bowl, at 8pm EST on CBS. Among the performers scheduled to