Billy Jones
Featured Student: Mike Cooke
Hi! My name is Mike Cooke. I'm the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Bones Jones Music Band called Angry Atoms. After dabbling a bit in...
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Billy Jones
- Jan 9
- 2 min
Three Things We Love About Eddie Van Halen
In honor of the late Eddie Van Halen’s birthday on January 26, we are celebrating the things we love about this behemoth of a guitarist....
Billy Jones
- Dec 2, 2021
- 2 min
Size doesn't matter. Does it?
Pick size, that is! What did you think I was talking about? Pick Primer Guitar picks are used for a few reasons. They help: create a...
Billy Jones
- Oct 13, 2021
- 2 min
How to Play Like Jimmy Page
What guitar player hasn't dreamed of becoming their guitar idol? We certainly have! If Jimmy Page is on your list of guitar heroes,...
Billy Jones
- Sep 3, 2021
- 2 min
To Plug In or Not to Plug In
Hey electric guitar players, should you be practicing plugged into an amp? You know our favorite answer is it depends! There is value in...
Billy Jones
- Jul 26, 2021
- 1 min
How do you find your own sound?
A huge factor in finding YOUR sound is learning what the guitar greats before you have done. What does this amp sound like? What is gain?...
Billy Jones
- Jun 12, 2021
- 1 min
Do you control your fretboard or does it control you?
Remember the 90’s movie Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone? Well, playing the guitar really has nothing to do with...
Billy Jones
- May 7, 2021
- 2 min
3 Reasons to Play Guitar With Other People
Ever see a football team with only 1 player on it? Me neither! Why? Football is not a solo sport. Neither is guitar! Guitars are meant to...
Billy Jones
- Mar 31, 2021
- 3 min
3 Reasons Why YouTube is Sabotaging Your Guitar Playing
There are literally endless options for finding out how to do something on YouTube nowadays. Want to learn that song? That riff? That...
Billy Jones
- Mar 3, 2021
- 3 min
The hidden price of tension and what to do about it.
Do you know how many times my previous guitar and bass teachers told me about tension? Zero. I only recently started considering how...
Billy Jones
- Feb 5, 2021
- 4 min
Are you making progress?
Merriam-Webster offers us one definition of progress as “to develop to a higher, better or more advanced stage.” But exactly HOW can you...
Billy Jones
- Jan 19, 2021
- 2 min
4 Ways to Make Sure You Don't Suck at Slide Guitar
Do you feel excited but also a little intimidated by the prospect of playing slide guitar? If so, you are not alone! Even the most...
Billy Jones
- Jan 5, 2021
- 2 min
Winter is Coming
Game of Thrones reference aside, cold winter weather is upon us. What are you doing to care for your guitar this winter? Depending on the...
Billy Jones
- Dec 8, 2020
- 1 min
The Best (Affordable!) Gifts for Musicians
I'm tired of finding gift-giving guides where every recommended item is $100+. If you are like me and you need some holiday gift-giving...
Billy Jones
- Dec 8, 2020
- 1 min
Have you practiced today?
Want to know the best way get motivated to practice? It's wildly simple: Put your guitar where you see it. Jeff Beck once said of his...
Billy Jones
- Nov 17, 2020
- 2 min
Tips to Touch Up Your Guitar Playing
It’s pretty easy to see how finger position makes a big difference in your guitar playing. But what about your thumb? The position of...
Billy Jones
- Oct 14, 2020
- 1 min
Is it major or minor?
You know some scales and you know some chords, right? Now what? When playing in a Minor Key (ie. Em, Bm, Am), use the Minor Pentatonic...
Billy Jones
- Oct 12, 2020
- 2 min
Should Guitar Players Learn to Read Music?
Do I need to learn to read music to play guitar? In short: it depends, but probably not. New students and parents of aspiring guitar...
Billy Jones
- Sep 8, 2020
- 1 min
Improve Your Guitar Playing in 1 Simple Step
Do you play your guitar sitting down? Me too! But sitting down to play can lead to bad form, which leads to bad technique, which makes...
Billy Jones
- Jun 5, 2020
- 2 min
Our Favorite Bassist
We would be remiss if we didn’t pay homage to some of our favorite bass players. Meshell Ndegeocello tops the list. Often credited as...
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