
Author Archives: Ed Lozano
Author Archives: Ed Lozano
The tritone has been the topic of so much discussion that has led to some misinformation and misunderstanding. First, the tritone received its famous nickname, the Devil’s interval, for being the diabolus in musica or the Devil in music. The two notes, when played together, form a dissonant sound that has been described as being […]
Continue readingWhen I was about 13 or 14, my music teacher made me write out everything. I hated him at the time for that; but, today I’m so grateful. I wanted to learn rock tunes and he taught me music. Ah, the sweet ignorance of youth! He made me buy a music notebook… And, use it! I […]
Continue readingEvery beginning guitarist, at one point or another, hears the term pentatonic or pentatonic scale. Usually it’s very early on in lessons or from fellow guitarists. Likewise, intermediate players look to develop new and interesting ways to improve their pentatonic playing. However, it’s been my experience, as a player and instructor, that most fail to […]
Continue readingTurning the E & A Open-Major Chords Into Movable ShapesAs a rock guitar teacher, one of the first things that I teach an aspiring, young fretblazer is the E power chord (E5). Here’s the basic premise: A kid walks in for his first lesson and after teaching him the parts of the guitar, how to […]
Continue readingImagine a world where you only feel happy emotions. That would be the same as playing only in major keys. It would be the same sound and, after a while, it would get quite boring. I know that many people feel that being happy all of the time seems like a good idea. But, imagine […]
Continue readingLet me tell you a story. I few years back, I took a hiatus and went to the Andes mountains to relax. I brought with me a dozen books and my guitar. This was a relatively remote part of town, complete with water and electricity rationing. It turns out that my neighbor’s son was a […]
Continue readingGuitars are like cars, there are many makes and models. And, just like there are certain fundamentals to driving a car; there are fundamentals to playing a guitar. In other words, everything that you learn on one guitar can be transferred to another. As you gain more experience, you’ll discover that certain techniques work better […]
Continue readingThe 12-year old version of me was working for the local butcher. I delivered dead carcasses to the old ladies of the neighborhood, swept sawdust and pig fat off of the floor and cleaned up more chicken grease from the rotisserie station than I care to remember. However, one block east of the butcher shop […]
Continue readingMy first guitar was a Harmony Strat-o-tone—a cheap knockoff of the legendary Fender Stratocaster. I purchased it because it looked like the black guitar that David Gilmour was sporting in a Pink Floyd poster that I saw in the record store. The neck was too thick, the action (the distance between the strings and the fretboard) […]
Continue readingEvery time that a guitar is picked up for the first time, chances are that there’s a story behind it. In most cases, there’s a song that inspires someone to think, “That would be fun to play on guitar!” Then, after said guitar is purchased, some sort of learning program begins: private lessons, YouTube videos, […]
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