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Videos We Love: Man With No Hands Plays Guitar

Friday, April 13th, 2012

Have you ever wanted to play guitar, but thought of a hundred reasons to hold off?  You’re too busy, you’re too tired to practice, your fingers hurt after playing for two days… the list goes on and on for some people.

Well, you may need to put those excuses to rest after watching this inspiring video:

His name is Mark Goffeney, a San Diego musician who has even performed internationally with his band, Big Toe. Browse around YouTube and you’ll find tons of videos featuring this impressive guitar player, strumming everything from the Beatles to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  How’s that for some inspiration?  We can’t even imagine how many hours of practicing he’s committed to learn how to use only his feet to play.  It’s just the kind of talent and commitment we here at TakeLessons thrive to see.

Now it’s your turn – so pick that guitar up and start practicing!

 

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You might also like…
- Videos We Love: Walk Off the Earth Thinks Outside the Box
- Watch Now: How to Play “Pumped Up Kicks”
- Watch Now: How to Tune a Guitar

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Posted in Guitar, Just For Fun, Videos | 1 Comment »

Videos We Love: Walk Off the Earth Thinks Outside the Box

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

You know that saying, “If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere”? These days, it seems like we could rephrase that as “If you can make it on YouTube…”

Whether you like it or not, YouTube has created a new level of status that can make or break a musician’s career.  And the musicians that are doing it right know that ultimately, creativity is king.

Canadian band Walk Off the Earth impressed us in January with their cover of Gotye’s “Someone That I Used to Know,” in which all five band members shared and played one guitar.  (Click here if you haven’t seen it.)  The video propelled them into viral video history and YouTube celebrity status, gathering more than 80 million views in just a little over two months. Well, now they’re back with yet another amazing cover of Malvina Reynolds’ “Little Boxes,” this time performed in room full of boxes and playing on… yes, boxes.

If you have a few minutes, we definitely recommend checking out the other tunes on their YouTube channel.  Our other favorites include their covers of Adele’s “Someone Like You” and the Beatles’ “From Me To You,” in which they once again share and overlap instruments.  What, you guys only play one instrument at a time?  So five years ago.

What’s the most creative music videos you’ve seen lately? We want to know! Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page!




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Posted in Just For Fun, Music Industry, Videos | 3 Comments »

Watch Now: How to Play “Pumped Up Kicks”

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

The song “Pumped Up Kicks” has been a huge hit for indie rock group Foster the People, spending eight consecutive weeks at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S., and even earning a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.  Following the breakthrough success of the song, Foster the People have now earned their place alongside similar genre-defying bands like Phoenix and MGMT.

And best of all, this catchy song is easy to play.  There are four main chords you’ll need to know, and you can be on your way to leading the karaoke with your friends and family.  Join TakeLessons staff member and guitar instructor Aldo B. as he shows you the four “Pumped Up Kicks” chords you’ll need to know below:

Did you find this tutorial helpful?  What other songs would you like to learn how to play?  Leave a comment below or stop by our Facebook page to sound off! Looking for a guitar teacher near you? Click here to search by your zip code and lesson type!

 

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You might also like…
- Watch Now: How to Tune a Guitar
- Videos We Love: Man With No Hands Plays Guitar
- Videos We Love: Walk Off the Earth Thinks Outside the Box

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Posted in Guitar, Videos | 4 Comments »

Watch Now: How to Tune a Guitar

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Over the past few months, we’ve explored some great tips for aspiring guitar players.  From guitar tips for beginners to improving your electric guitar tone, we hope the advice has helped you along the way.  But without a properly-tuned guitar, all of these tips can go out the window.  In fact, playing an out of tune instrument is one very common mistake that guitar players make when first learning to play.

So before you go any further, it’s time to learn how to tune your guitar.  First step?  Get a tuner!  If you don’t have one already, you’ve got a few choices.  You can either purchase a normal, portable electronic tuner (check out these top-rated tuners), or you can download an app for your Smartphone.  Our staff favorites here at TakeLessons are gStrings for Android (free) and Gibson Learn (free) or TabToolkit ($9.99) or for iPhone/iPad.

Now let’s get started!

Questions, comments, or want to share your own tips?  What type of guitar tuner do you recommend, or what other apps do you love?  Leave a comment on our Facebook page to share with the community!

 

 

You might also like…
- 10 Quick Guitar Exercises for the Busy Musician
- 3 Crucial Tools to Help You Learn Guitar
- Purchase the Perfect Beginner Guitar With These Easy Steps

 

Looking for guitar lessons or music teacher jobs? Visit TakeLessons.com! Like these posts?  Sign up to receive daily updates right to your inbox!  Click here to subscribe.

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Posted in Guitar, Videos | 6 Comments »