Guitar Articles

March 07 2010

Use the Major 6th when improvising blues

Here is a quick tip for those who are stuck in the pentatonic or blues scale, when playing blues leads. Try using the Major 6th (often guitarists will call it just the 6th, even though th ...

» Use the 6th in blues

March 06 2010

Tube Mic Preamp

The world of mic preamps is a large and confusing place for newbies. Questions inevitably come up. Should you get a tube preamp or solid state? Should get one with eq options on, compressor, class A, mono or dual preamp ...

» Tube Mic Preamp

March 05 2010

New Dolphinstreet Logo

I have created a new logo for Dolphinstreet. Check it out in the header at the top of the page.

It is quite simple, but that was my intent - a simple, effective logo for my website. What I had before was ...

» New Dolphinstreet Logo

March 03 2010

New John Hiatt Album - Open Road

John Hiatt just released a new album yesterday. I bought it on iTunes the very same day, and I've been listening to it today.

I have been a fan of John Hiatt for a long time now. He is a tremendou ...

» New John Hiatt Album - Open Road

March 01 2010

Youtube comment of the month - February 2010

Ok, I admit I don't look like George Clooney or Cary Grant... so here are two funny comments, which share the award for February.

I am always entertained reading the youtube com ...

» Youtube comment of the month - February 2010

February 16 2010

I won an award from Jemsite

Website Awards are something I don't win a whole lot of. The fact is, my website could use a face lift. I've been so busy with other things, and the task of making this place look a bit tidier has ended up on ...

» Website Award from Jemsite

February 04 2010

Hockey Fight Song

A while ago, my friend Stefan in Sweden asked me if I was interested in adding a guitar solo to a "hockey fight song" he had written. This song was meant to be used by a hockey team in Sweden, and the thought ...

» Hockey Fight Song

January 31 2010

Youtube comment of the month - January 2010

You know, I get a lot of comments on my youtube videos. Some of them are really funny too, so I've decided to post the funniest or most interesting comment for each month here on my blog, fro ...

» Youtube comment of the month - January 2010

January 29 2010

Canada Blues Music

What, there are good blues artists in Canada? Well, yes there are! Although live music seems to have become more scarce in recent years, there are still great blues artists out there, and there are plenty of good one ...

» Canada Blues

January 26 2010

Practicing Guitar vs Buying Guitar Gear

Are you someone who feels you are not spending enough time practicing guitar, yet you look on eBay and guitar forums everyday to see if you can score some new guitar gear? I'm not trying to mak ...

» Practicing Guitar vs Buying Guitar Gear

January 22 2010

Digital Wireless from Line 6

I have not used wireless systems myself, because I have not had a need to. I usually just stand in one spot, more or less, when I gig. I remember in the past, some friends of mine used wireless systems. They ...

» Digital Wireless from Line 6

January 17 2010

Hagstrom Swede Video Review

Or, "how many guitars does a guy need?"

My local music store Music Centre Canada has had this gold top Swede guitar on the wall for a long, long time. I played it in the store a few times ...

» Hagstrom Swede Video Review

January 16 2010

Marshall JMD:1 amps

New 50 and 100 watt Digital Marshall amps? Yep, it's true. Marshall now introduces the JMD:1 Series. The Marshall JMD:1 integrates an all-tube power amp, advanced digital preamp and studio-quality multi-effects t ...

» Marshall JMD:1 amps

January 15 2010

Joe Bonamassa - great guitar player

Joe is a great guitar player and a fairly young one too, but he's certainly no newbie. He's been around for many years already. I've seen an old clip of him on youtube as a kid with Danny Gatton. Aweso ...

» Joe Bonamassa - great guitar player

January 14 2010

Scale Practice Tip

Practicing scales while practicing finger stretches

Sometimes I get asked about how to practice scales and exercises. In fact, one of my guitar students asked me yesterday about finger exercises and whether ...

» Scale Practice Tip

January 10 2010

Jet City Amps

People are talking a lot about Jet City Amps lately, I've noticed. I can see why. These guitar amps are "designed by Soldano", but they are inexpensive. Furthermore, from what people have told me, they also sound ...

» Jet City Amps

December 31 2009

Happy New Year!

On behalf of myself and my imaginary friends, we would like to wish you a very happy, healthy and successful 2010!

Thanks for all your support in 2009. We hope you learned something useful at Dolphinstreet.com ...

» Happy New Year!

December 26 2009

Camrose on Boxing Day

Amalia and I went down to Mirror Lake in the afternoon on Christmas Day. It was a beautiful winter day, around minus 5 and lots of people out on the ice; some skating, some playing a game of hockey.

I was ...

» Camrose on Boxing Day

December 25 2009

Avatar is a great movie

The movie Avatar is impressive, grand, beautiful and powerful and visually stunning. James Cameron knows how to create movies that have a strong and long lasting impression.

Story

The story is ...

» Avatar is a great movie

December 20 2009

Silent Night Guitar Melody in PDF and GP5

I wrote this simple arrangement of Silent Night for my students. It's a way you can play the melody by using (mostly) just 2 strings at a time.

When you play a melody like this, by ha ...

» Silent Night Guitar Melody

December 19 2009

Line 6 JM4 Looper Pedal

Line 6 has come out with an interesting looper pedal. It has powerful looping capabilities, and it is also an amp modeler, effects unit, as well a composing and practicing tool. Have a look at this device if yo ...

» Line 6 JM4

December 15 2009

Google Autumn Photo Challenge

I am a finalist!

I submitted a photo to the Google Autumn Photo Challenge a while ago, just for fun. To my surprise, I received an email stating I am now one of the 12 finalists! This is sure a s ...

» Can you help? Google Autumn Photo Challenge

December 13 2009

I'm 40 years old today

Wow, time flies, eh?! I have now lived in Canada for a few months over 10 years, and a lot of things have happened in my life. Things that I am very grateful for. I have a wonderful family and I live in a great sma ...

» I'm 40 years old today

December 12 2009

Best Overdrive Pedal

What is the best overdrive pedal? Not an easy answer, since the number of good overdrive pedals available these days is mind boggling.

I have started a top overdrive list here, and I am trying to stick to ...

» Best Overdrive Pedal

December 09 2009

M9 is a great stompbox modeler

I just got this stompbox modeler called M9, made by Line 6. This modeler has a variety of vintage and modern tones all packed into one convenient package.

The M9 Stompbox Modeler provides brillian ...

» M9 - great stompbox modeler

November 26 2009

Wah pedals reviews

A comparison (or maybe just a demo) of the Dunlop Crybaby, EVH Crybaby, Fulltone Clyde Wah, and EX-7 with 2 wah models (Crybaby and Vox McCoy). Using a Marshall JVM 410H. Guitars were my Suhr Classic and my Michael K ...

» Wah pedals reviews

November 18 2009

Zuiko 50mm F/2.0 Macro lens

I did quite a bit of research about recently, about digital SLR cameras. I was thinking about switching to Nikon or Canon. Those are the most commonly used camera brands on the market today, or at least that's ...

» Zuiko 50mm Macro Lens

November 16 2009

Is learning guitar licks bad?

How to really learn from guitar licks

I sometimes end up in discussions with guitar players about playing and learning how to play, and I have noticed that some players who have been pl ...

» Is learning guitar licks bad?

November 15 2009

Steviesnacks.com

If you are interested in playing blues in the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan, I am sure you know of Steviesnacks.com. If you don't, well then you are missing out on some really cool stuff.

Steviesnacks.com is ru ...

» Steviesnacks.com is a great site

November 11 2009

Changing guitar strings

Ok, I admit it, I am lazy. So lazy, that I haven't ever changed strings on my SX acoustic yet... and the Michael Kelly I bought in January still has factory strings on! That guitar hung in the store for a good w ...

» Changing guitar strings