The Guitar Journal

By: Jesse Paliotto
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  • Summary

  • A weekly podcast on making music & fingerstyle guitar.
    (c) 2024 The Guitar Journal
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Art Entertainment & Performing Arts
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Episodes
  • EP10: Jon Gomm on Songwriting, Musical Storytelling, and Writing Your Own Rules

    EP10: Jon Gomm on Songwriting, Musical Storytelling, and Writing Your Own Rules
    Mar 6 2025

    The Guitar Journal podcast returns with a new episode featuring the extraordinary Jon Gomm, acclaimed singer-songwriter and virtuoso acoustic guitarist from Yorkshire, UK. In this wide-ranging conversation, host Jesse Paliotto and Jon explore fascinating insights into the guitarist's creative process—from developing song concepts before touching the guitar to his approach to alternate tunings and performance techniques. The discussion covers everything from the challenges of touring the US to Jon's unique method of handling online critics (hint: it involves his mom). This episode gets into both technical wisdom and some deep artistic philosophy.

    Also, check out Jon demoing his arranging method by deconstructing his song "Deep Sea Fishes", breaking down how he builds complex arrangements from simple elements. It's a masterclass in fingerstyle guitar that connects Jon's remarkable ability to balance technique with authentic emotional expression.

    Links

    • "A Little Respect" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHfbPBAGe4M
    • "Deep Sea Fishes" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei4nRyWV0Gc
    • Jon's Instructional Videos - https://www.jongomm.com/video-lessons
    • Jon's Guitar Bootcamp - https://www.jongomm.com/bootcamp

    Tracks

    • 00:00 Introduction to Jon Gomm and His Music
    • 03:13 Experiences at NAMM and Music Trade Shows
    • 06:14 Challenges of Touring in the US
    • 08:54 The Art of Covering Songs
    • 11:37 Songwriting Process and Techniques
    • 12:20 Deep Dive into 'Deep Sea Fishes' Songwriting
    • 15:30 Technical Guitar Playing and Performance
    • 32:05 The Art of Tuning and Fingernails
    • 33:47 Songwriting Process: From Concept to Arrangement
    • 35:30 Production Techniques: Blending Acoustic and Synthetic Sounds
    • 37:24 The Importance of Originality in Music
    • 40:09 Navigating Creativity and Learning
    • 42:06 Exploring Alternate Tunings
    • 46:28 Texture and Expression in Fingerstyle Guitar
    • 54:46 Advice for Aspiring Guitarists
    • 01:02:40 Upcoming Projects and Events
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • EP 9: Trevor Gordon Hall on Structured Spontaneity, Collaboration, & AI's Creative Role

    EP 9: Trevor Gordon Hall on Structured Spontaneity, Collaboration, & AI's Creative Role
    Feb 21 2025
    Join us for a chat with Trevor Gordon Hall, a guitarist and composer who's taken acoustic guitar into uncharted territory. Trevor breaks down his unique "structured spontaneity" practice approach, opens up about his recent trio work with Andy McKee and Callum Graham, and shares some real talk about making music in a digital world. We dig into the nuts and bolts of his reverb stacking experiments, his thoughts on AI in music, and what it takes to keep the creative fire burning.If you've ever wondered how to keep your practice sessions meaningful or how to embrace new tech without losing your musical soul, Trevor's got some hard-won wisdom to share. It's a conversation that gets into the heart of what it means to be a musician today - both the challenges and the opportunities.Links🎸 Trevor Gordon Hall Online Lessons 🔥Truefire.com: https://prf.hn/click/camref:1011liVve/destination:https%3A%2F%2Ftruefire.com%2Feducators%2Ftrevor-gordon-hall%2Fe4601JamPlay.com: http://prf.hn/click/camref:1101lja53/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fjamplay.com%2Fguitar-lessons%2Ftrevor-gordon-hallTriplicit Trio album - https://tripliciti.com/"Light Through Colored Glass" nylon string album, Trevor Gordon Hall: https://trevorgordonhall.com/latest-studio-albumAndy McKee, "For My Father" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAphofZCkfYCallum Graham, "Tabula Rasa" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXJ5fgadB2kSheldon Schwartz luthier - https://schwartzguitars.com/Vanguard Audio Stereo Mics - https://www.vanguardaudiolabs.com/Tommy Emmanuel, "Papa George" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1dBRQHpMZQThe Power Of Habit, Charles Duhigg - https://amzn.to/4kew2FZJack Grassel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Grassel Effortless Mastery, Kenny Werner - https://amzn.to/438E8JTThe War of Art, Stephen Pressfield - https://amzn.to/4kcPnXSEmily White on music management - https://amzn.to/4kaGjCLMood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist , Liz Pelly - https://amzn.to/3QsAPWmCaveman Country on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/2IXGR6Cfp1a9XOF4Q79fnv?si=rtrc8cDxQ5m25M88zuFY5APeter Thiel, Zero to One - https://amzn.to/3F1gKE7Corin Nelson, mixing and mastering - https://www.corinnelsen.com/"Returning", Will Ackerman - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pUQNuiFuoQ&list=PLmxXxLpkLiHeflMb7kBba6OXsE6Cj2FhrNeural DSP Quad Cortex - https://neuraldsp.com/quad-cortex"This Beautiful Chaos", Trevor Gordon Hall - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX1vs7RpWFo"Live From the Strand Theater", PBS - https://trevorgordonhall.com/new-live-album-orderChapters00:00 Introduction to Trevor Gordon Hall01:10 Collaborative Projects and Trio Dynamics05:19 The Impact of COVID on Music Collaboration08:42 Exploring the Nylon String Guitar12:39 Creative Constraints and Mental Health18:27 Navigating Mental Health as a Musician25:40 Mindfulness and Mental Health27:09 The Pressure of Public Sharing28:36 Personal Resonance in Creativity29:14 Building Keystone Habits31:03 Morning Routines and Deep Work33:05 Structured Spontaneity in Practice39:10 Discipline vs. Passion in Music42:43 Long-Term Goals and Resistance46:05 Exploration and Enjoyment in Music48:51 The Impact of AI on Music49:48 Creative Collaboration with AI51:16 The Disruption of AI in the Arts52:46 Navigating the New Landscape of Music56:03 The Human Element in Music Creation59:42 Innovative Uses of AI in Live Performance01:05:00 Reverb Stacking: A New Frontier in Sound01:10:51 Final Thoughts and Encouragement for Musicians
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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • EP 8: Chris Parks on The Barry Harris Method and Rethinking Jazz Guitar

    EP 8: Chris Parks on The Barry Harris Method and Rethinking Jazz Guitar
    Feb 1 2025

    (Note: Reuploaded Feb 2 with improved audio so you can hear Chris's guitar.)
    Jazz guitarist Chris Parks discusses his musical journey, focusing on the Barry Harris method and its influence on his playing. He shares practice tips, explores learning fundamentals, and emphasizes community learning through platforms like Open Studio while developing individual style.

    Chapters

    • 00:00 Introduction to Chris Parks and His Journey
    • 05:08 Discovering Jazz and the Barry Harris Method
    • 10:05 Understanding the Barry Harris Methodology
    • 15:10 Integrating Barry Harris Concepts with Other Approaches
    • 19:57 The Freedom of Scales Over Chords
    • 25:11 The Unique Perspective of Harmony in Jazz
    • 37:01 Transforming Simplicity into Beauty in Music
    • 39:33 The Limitless Nature of Scales and Chords
    • 42:21 The Importance of Musical Practice and Accountability
    • 46:02 Finding Your Unique Voice on the Guitar
    • 51:42 Building a Community of Musicians
    • 54:17 Exploring Guitar Preferences and Techniques

    Links

    • Charlie Parker, "Embraceable You" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbT4JlDmjxg
    • Roni Ben-Hur - https://ronibenhur.com/home
    • Things I Learned From Barry Harris channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thingsivelearnedfrombarryh2616
    • Barry Harris videos from The Hague - https://www.youtube.com/@BarryHarrisVideos
    • Satriani interview - https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/joe-satriani-names-one-issue-with-modern-guitarists-that-jimi-hendrix-never-had-its-not-their-fault/
    • You'll Hear it Podcast - https://youllhearit.com/
    • Open Studio Program - https://www.openstudiojazz.com/
    • Lowden Acoustic Guitars - https://lowdenguitars.com/
    • Gibson L-5 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_L-5
    • Collings I-35 - https://collingsguitars.com/electrics/i-35/
    • Larrivee D-60 - https://www.larrivee.com/products/d-60-traditional-series
    • Telecaster Road Series - https://reverb.com/p/fender-road-worn-50s-telecaster
    • Tim Lerch - https://www.theguitarjournal.com/tim-lerch/
    • Pasquale Grasso - https://www.pasqualegrasso.com/
    • The Amazing Bud Powell - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p38uSbPTyIQ&list=PLJPlEDxzQ3QZC55IC7yCKpCJWKL5BhUJo
    • Thomas Echols - https://www.thomasechols.com/
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    1 hr and 9 mins

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