Hey Blues Fans,
I came across a cool utility that allows you to slow down or speed up flash videos, such as the ones on this site or YouTube. The utility is called “Enounce MySpeed”. You can download a demo here. I was just playing with it and it works great with the videos here at www.learnblueslicks.com. I tested it on Firefox and Chrome and everything worked fine. I’m using WinXP.

The utility sits in your system tray and when it detects that you’re playing an FLV file, a slider bar pops up that allows you to slow or speed up the video. The nice part is that the audio stays at the same pitch, so if I lick is in A, it’s still in A when slowed down.

I am not affiliated with this company in any way. I came across it while I was researching something else and though it would be a nice addition to your blues-learning toolbox. Try listening to one of my lessons while at 3x speed…it’s pretty funny. If you do try it, leave a comment here an let the other readers know how it works.

I hope this helps.

Hey Blues Fans,

Sounds like a silly question. But really, why are you here on this website? Did you stumble upon the site accidentally? Do you want to play in a band? Do you just want to jam with some friends? Or do you just want to sit in your spare room and play along with jam tracks? Are you just starting out on the guitar, or are you picking up again after 20 years of not playing? The reason I’m asking this question is because I want to make this site better and provide the content that you want. What do you want see more of, or less of? Are the licks to complicated? Too easy?

Please, leave a comment with your thoughts.

Thanks,

Haywyre

Hey Blues Fans,
I was watching TV last night and felt compelled to write a short blog entry. Have you ever seen a car commercial in which all the lease terms are spoken in about two seconds at the very end? The people who read these disclaimers and fine print are very skilled at speaking fast. Imagine, however, if they were the narrator of your books-on-tape. You sure would finish the book fast, but you never get to enjoy it. Wouldn’t you rather listen to the voice of Morgan Freeman?

This analogy applies to the blues. Certainly, there a thousands of players who are technically better than BB King, and can play 50 notes for every single note that BB plays. Why, then, is BB King such a revered guitar player? It’s because the listener can sit back and enjoy that single note, the emotion with which it’s played, it’s vibrato, it’s tone. BB King is Morgan Freeman, Yngwie Malmsteen is the guy who talks fast at the end of car commercials.

If you listen to guys like Robben Ford and Larry Carlton, the same applies. You get to enjoy tasty lick after tasty lick. They let you savor the notes before serving you the next course. Even when they play “fast” you can hear each note and enjoy it.

Don’t get me wrong – I love Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, et al. But I bet if you were to do a survey about which Satriani song people like best, the winner would be “Alway with me, Always with you”. It has a beautifully appegiated chords, a memorable melody, and masterfully crafted solos.

So, the next time your listen to the blues, pour the drink of your choice, sit back, close your eyes, and really listen.

Care to comment?

P.S. I’ll be in Japan on business, so I won’t be able to post another lesson until next week.