These awesome videos are from Douglas Niedt’s Guitar Technique Tip of the Month series. If you’re a classical or fingerstyle player who has questions about how to properly take care of your nails you can’t do any better than this. By far the most valuable resource I’ve ever seen on the subject, the videos are extremely detailed in both the amount of information contained (about 45 minutes) and the quality of the videos. The HD format will allow you to get a close-up view of Niedt’s excellent recommendations. Enjoy!

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Fingernails Section I: Introduction and Fingernail Length

Fingernails Section II: Shaping the Fingernails

Fingernails Section III: Sanding, Finishing, and Polishing Your Fingernails

I’m looking forward to seeing David Wilcox in Columbus this fall. Here’s something I ran across on his website:

Such a simple question: what kind of music do you play? Well, um, can I tell you a story? OK.

Once upon a time in a faraway land there was a huge debate between all the possible political candidates so everyone could judge for themselves who was best to lead the country. Unfortunately, they judged the speakers the way they judge musicians. They grouped them into genres by the sound of their speech. The ones who had a slight Southern twang were put it in one category, and the ones who had a little New York edge to their phrases were put into another category, and the ones who had that Midwestern plains sound were put in another category. If you asked somebody what was said or what the candidates stood for, the only answer you’d get was: Ah, he sounded like he was from Maine, or: Oh, that guy was from Oklahoma, as if that described the speech that was delivered. Were people really not hearing the meaning? Were they only hearing the sound? When you ask: “What kind of music is that?,” Isn’t the question more about what it does to your heart and mind? What about the ideas and emotional assumptions that were sung? How did it inspire your imagination or affect your sense of wonder? But maybe in our made-up little story about the political candidates, the truth is that most people aren’t looking beyond their desire to listen to someone who’s from the place that they call home. I always wanted music to move me, but maybe for most people, the purpose of music is not about how it moves your heart and mind but rather just its ability to make you feel comfortable sitting where you are.

-David Wilcox

Danny Macaskill – Industrial Revolutions

Kilian Martin: A Skate Illustration

Sometimes I can’t believe how much music my students haven’t heard. So I made this list to help point them toward some of the best guitarists of all time. With the advent of youtube, grooveshark, spotify and other services checking out new music has never been easier. Or cheaper. So pick an artist, go to YouTube, and start listening!

70 Guitarists You Really Should Know About *

Rock
Jeff Beck
Chuck Berry
Eric Clapton
The Edge (U2)
Paul Gilbert
Jimi Hendrix
Eric Johnson
Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
Alex Lifeson (Rush)
John Mayer
Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
Pete Townshend (The Who)
Steve Vai
Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
Angus Young (AC/DC)

Jazz
George Benson
Gene Bertoncini
Lenny Breau
Larry Carlton
Charlie Christian
Bill Frisell
Frank Gambale
Grant Green
Jim Hall
Allan Holdsworth
Pat Martino
Pat Metheny
Wes Montgomery
Joe Pass
Django Reinhardt
Lee Ritenour
John Scofield
Mike Stern
Martin Taylor
Frank Vignola

Acoustic Fingerstyle
Tommy Emmanuel
Michael Hedges
Pete Huttlinger
Leo Kottke
Adam Rafferty

Folk
Indigo Girls
Joni Mitchell
Peter Mulvey
Paul Simon
James Taylor
David Wilcox
Neil Young

Blues
Robben Ford
Buddy Guy
Robert Johnson
Albert King
B.B. King
Freddie King
Gary Moore
Jimmie Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan

Country/Bluegrass
Chet Atkins
Jimmy Bryant
Maybelle Carter
Danny Gatton
Tony Rice
Merle Travis
Brad Paisley
Jerry Reed
Doc Watson

Classical
Julian Bream
Eliot Fisk
Douglas Niedt
Christopher Parkening
Andres Segovia
John Williams
Andrew York

*This list reflects my personal tastes. I’m attempting to recognize both musicians that are often overlooked by casual listeners and musicians that young listeners may have not yet been turned on to. Many artists cross genres so don’t get too hung up on the labels. Yes, one could argue that I left so-and-so off the list. Whatever, just listen…