Fretboard Journeys

 Music is a universal language that has the power to evoke emotions and connect people from different cultures and backgrounds. As a musician, I've always been fascinated by the idea of blending different instruments to create a unique sound that's never been heard before. In this blog post, I'm excited to share with you my experience of making an experimental ensemble by blending the sounds of Turkish darbuka, ukelele, and Little Martin LXK2 guitar. Inspired by Natalia Lafourcade's "Hasta la raíz," I decided to put my own spin on the song using these three distinct instruments. The darbuka is a percussion instrument that originated in the Middle East, and it has a deep, resonant sound. The ukelele, on the other hand, is a small, four-stringed instrument that's often associated with Hawaiian music. Finally, the Little Martin LXK2 guitar is a compact, travel-sized guitar that has a bright and lively tone. The first step in creating this experimental ensembl...

As a musician, I find that some of the most emotional and memorable pieces are the ones that evoke a sense of melancholy. And when it comes to melancholic songs, "Saturno" by Pablo Alborán is one that always hits me hard. Recently, I decided to challenge myself by learning and rehearsing this beautiful piece on my guitar, a Little Martin LXK2. I wanted to create a cover that did justice to the raw emotion of the original song, and that captured the feeling of melancholy that it conveys. However, rehearsing "Saturno" wasn't easy. As you can see in the video I recorded, I struggled with the timing and some of the chords. At times, I felt frustrated and even considered giving up. But I persevered, determined to get it right. As I continued to rehearse, I found that playing "Saturno" became a way for me to process my own emotions. The song's bittersweet melody and lyrics reminded me of moments of loss and heartache in my own life. And yet, somehow, pla...

Bossa nova is a musical genre that originated in Brazil in the late 1950s. Known for its smooth, jazzy sound and syncopated rhythms, it has become a beloved style around the world. However, as any musician who has attempted to play bossa nova can attest, the rhythm is deceptively difficult to master. In my recent YouTube short video, I shared a glimpse of my own rehearsal on the guitar for Joao Gilberto's classic bossa nova tune "O Pato." While it may have appeared effortless, the truth is that bossa nova rhythm is anything but easy. One of the challenges of playing bossa nova is getting the right feel. The rhythm is often described as "swaying," with a sense of forward motion that propels the song along. But this groove is not achieved simply by playing the notes on the page; it requires a deep understanding of the underlying pulse and a delicate touch on the strings. Another difficulty is the syncopation. Bossa nova rhythms often feature off-beat accents, whic...

Manouche jazz, also known as gypsy jazz, is a genre of music that originated in France in the 1930s. It is characterized by its virtuosic guitar playing, upbeat swing rhythms, and the use of the "la pompe" rhythm. La pompe, which translates to "the pump," is a unique strumming pattern that is played on the rhythm guitar, and it serves as the backbone of the music. As a guitarist and lover of gypsy jazz, I've spent countless hours trying to master the intricacies of la pompe rhythm. However, as many musicians can attest, it is not an easy task. In this blog post, I want to share my experience of rehearsing the rhythmic guitar of "Minor Swing," a gypsy jazz piece by Django Reinhardt, and the challenges I faced while playing it. In the short video clip of myself rehearsing "Minor Swing" on my carbon fiber guitar Enya Nova Go, you can see that I struggled at certain points in the song. This is not uncommon when playing gypsy jazz, as the rhythm i...