tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7843809919986593092024-03-04T22:45:53.515-08:00Skinny Devil UniverseWeb-blog of freelance musician/guitarist David "Skinny Devil" McLean - news about his guitar instruction, instructor network, students, solo projects, acoustic duo Alien Blue, percussion ensemble Skinny Devil Circus, band Gone to the Dogs, and much, much more!Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-59501441711975819352023-12-27T16:36:00.000-08:002023-12-27T17:14:26.703-08:00Thankful for '23!Thankful for sooo many things in 2023.....On stage, December 2023, charity event.Last year, I wrote a fairly comprehensive piece on being thankful, loaded with a fair bit of detail, professionally speaking.This year I'd like to focus on something more personal and more general. I do focus on some 2023 highlights in my annual birthday post if you're interested, however....It is often bragged - in Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-78847242231118799102023-12-03T06:03:00.000-08:002023-12-18T12:56:46.229-08:00HAPPY 59on stage with Michael Johnathon, June 2023"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" - Satchel PaigeMy annual obligatory birthday post!Sooo...another trek around the sun, as they say - 59 such treks. This year, as every year, has been quite the roller-coaster ride...from another successful Lexi Music Awards event to hosting open mics to performances at local charity events to Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-15576950485017663012023-05-30T14:45:00.006-07:002023-05-30T14:45:54.301-07:00SUMMER FUN: Free Resources, Gigs for You, Lessons, More!How is it we're almost halfway through 2023?!Well, I hope you are enjoying the year so far...and I have a LOT of resources for you on your musical journey! Before we hit them all, I thought it prudent to share some basic background info for those interested. You can read my bio & student success stories HERE.OK, here we go....1) Summer Lessons - We have a new summer group session of guitar Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-4148026121423571672023-05-25T12:13:00.003-07:002023-05-25T12:13:27.585-07:00AMA - Thoughts on Tyson Fury & Jon Jones Controversy I got a good laugh at this question, as I'm a musician, not a fighter (and when I fought, I was average at best, and that was long ago).Be that as it may, I figured it might be fun to weigh in on this."Did you hear what Joe Rogan said about Tyson Fury and Jon Jones? Now Tyson & Jones are talking back and forth on social media. Who do you think would win?"Yes, I heard what Rogan said, yes I Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-21514007203069157582023-05-24T19:47:00.000-07:002023-05-24T19:47:02.831-07:00RIP Tina TurnerThe undisputed Queen of Rock-n-Roll.....RIP Tina Turner.Her influence began almost immediately, showing young ladies the far boundaries of what was possible in the music business. Tina's career spanned from roughly 1960 until well into the 2000s, and every generation was profoundly impacted by her voice, her music, her style, and her sheer force fighting against all odds.Performing & Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-27488305178979622732023-05-12T11:53:00.002-07:002023-05-12T11:53:32.270-07:00RIP Harry BelafonteThe world lost a huge talent in April of '23 - bigger than most of the 21st century music press realized.... Today, we look very briefly at his life & career (with song charts and video below).Harry Belafonte was born March 1, 1927 in New York City, his father & mother both born in Jamaica and moved to the US before Harry was born. He spent his first 5 years in Harlem, but then moved backSkinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-50884605422380854402023-05-04T07:51:00.004-07:002023-05-04T07:51:18.188-07:00RIP Gordon LightfootWe'll not give this folk legend a proper biographical showing here so that we can get right to the music, but I strongly suggest reading his bio at his Wiki Page or visiting his website.In short, Gordon Lightfoot is known for songs like "If You Could Read My Mind" (his first #1 hit), "Sundown" (his first US #1 hit), "Rainy Day People", "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", and many more, all of whichSkinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-50585983227051365462023-04-18T09:02:00.003-07:002023-04-22T04:24:47.085-07:00Percussion Workshop: "Found" Instruments WORKSHOP: Found Instruments & Body/Vocal PercussionHELLO! My name is David McLean, and I’m your instructor today. This handout is what you will receive at our "Found Instruments & Body/Vocal Percussion" workshops.Let’s quickly cover a few items….I: Tempo, Rhythm, & Meter“Tempo” just means the speed at which you are playing. While some music varies in tempo or is played without aSkinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-29772200746748312762023-04-01T06:16:00.004-07:002023-04-03T04:32:10.753-07:00The Assignment!(ED NOTE: I'm not sure why this jumped to today's note when I added an up-date. The original piece is over a decade old - The Affordable Care Act was under discussion in 2009 and signed into law March of 2010....so this discussion, and what I wrote below, is quite dated.)It started at Facebook. The discussion was over the (then) newly proposed Obama-Care plan (though we could be discussing ANY Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-48643770644022853272023-03-17T07:10:00.001-07:002023-03-29T06:07:07.000-07:00The Music of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"Mid guitar lesson the other day, my student (and Patreon patron) Kit mentioned the soundtrack to the 2000 award-winning film "O Brother, Where Art Though?" and we decided, during the conversation, I was long overdue in writing a lesson article on the movie's soundtrack (similar to my Black Widow and James Bond lesson articles).....so this writing exists to correct that oversight!The soundtrack, Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-28606577340360745422023-02-28T06:46:00.003-08:002023-02-28T16:44:05.681-08:00What a Month Coming!WHAT A MONTH coming up! w/ Max Corona of WBVX-FM1) GIGS - Starts this Friday with Skinny Devil First Friday at Goodwood (hoping to have a few guest players along!) and the Sunday is the 9th Lexi Music Awards at the beautiful The Lyric Theatre w/ 30+ awards (including Lifetime Achievement, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, etc) & performances by The Wallace Sisters, Devine Carama &Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-17751683957532804552023-01-11T18:33:00.001-08:002023-01-13T07:38:37.793-08:00RIP Jeff Beck, Titan of GuitarJUST GOT THE NEWS.....phone was blowing up while I was teaching, so I took a look between lessons and had a load of texts telling me Jeff Beck had died....so I took a breath....and then I took a moment & told my students a little about this GIANT of the guitar world.Now I'm sitting with a glass of scotch and Jeff's music soaring out of the speakers.This is a HUGE loss to the world of guitar Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-67610459062854794042023-01-09T12:09:00.004-08:002023-01-09T12:09:34.886-08:00January - Guitar LessonsHowdy, everyone!WBVX DJ Max Corona (left) and me (right)!Just a note to let everyone know a few details about guitar lessons for 2023! For anyone who needs info on me, my complete instructor bio is available HERE.1) GROUPS - We're starting a new group guitar class (with both in-person AND Zoom options) at Willis Music, Thursday, January 12....beginner G1 class is at 5pm and we also have our G4 "Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-67931083630249930652023-01-01T11:10:00.003-08:002023-01-01T17:53:43.246-08:00January...."Lifestyle Challenge" and a 2023 ChallengeHELLO January & hello 2023!I hope this note finds you each happy & well, and looking forward to new challenges for both January AND for the entire year!Let's take a look first at SHORT-TERM goals using our usual format....Monthly Lifestyle ChallengeFor those new to the challenges, it isn't to compete against others. It's to push yourself to greater heights, have some company & Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-68721518695891005272022-12-26T16:16:00.012-08:002022-12-30T06:30:22.821-08:00Thankful, '22 Style.....THANKFUL FOR so many things in 2022....Not gonna lie, friends - COVID has made life tough for a lot of folks in my industry for the past few years (with careers folding & huge talent moving to other areas for employment), so I'm even more thankful than usual to make my living with guitar in hand. Addressing audience at SDML student recital, 2022.My quick list for "things to be thankful Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-22500547105031495702022-11-17T15:28:00.004-08:002022-11-17T15:33:16.985-08:00FREE Fingerstyle Intro LessonFINGERSTYLE REQUEST? I gotcha covered...with a Baker's Dozen! Explanatory text is below the following video.The following is hardly our usual methodical approach (and similarly, is not an exhaustive list of fingerstyle techniques or concepts). At SDML Academy of Guitar we certainly have a framework for fingerstyle playing, and as I write these words, we're also working on a video lesson Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-60576081160816802592022-10-24T17:07:00.007-07:002022-11-02T08:54:31.158-07:00HAPPY 58"Count your age by friends, not years." - John LennonSkinny Devil Life 2022My annual obligatory birthday post!Sooo...another trek around burning Helios - a count of fifty eight for me. This year has been quite the ride as, I suppose, each & every year has been. Last year I was honored to share the stage with Grammy winners (Victor Wooten, Bobby Rush, etc) as well as amazing new talent, and Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-23296584916146605502022-08-01T16:36:00.007-07:002022-08-09T04:29:26.914-07:00Guitar Lessons (In-Person & Virtual)"The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you." - BB KingHowdy, everyone!Couple of quick notes....including word about our return to IN-PERSON lessons!1) RECITAL - YES, we're back to in-person student recitals! Full band recitals and solo/duo performances are on different days. August 21 is band recital, August 28 is solo/duo recital!Current students: You should Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-73435659276745044032022-07-13T17:25:00.005-07:002022-07-18T11:10:24.811-07:00Musician's Gig List! I'm gearing this checklist towards guitar players (so I won't mention extra drum sticks and drum heads, for example), especially of the singer-songwriter sort, but its easy to modify this to your personal needs.Now, whether you're brand new to gigging or been doing it a long time, its good to have your checklist either at the forefront of your mind or physically written down to look at before Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-51480759321976367502022-06-27T14:10:00.006-07:002022-06-27T15:59:05.681-07:00Guitar LessonsI was asked about my background & successes as a music instructor, so I thought I'd post something here for anyone needing the information!Student Melissa Findley opened for legend Judy CollinsFirst, I primarily teach guitar, but also electric bass, ukulele, songwriting, improvisation, theory, a "piano for guitarists" workshop, and do some vocal coaching. Many of these are taught not just as Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-82334846099596721852022-05-05T11:24:00.008-07:002022-07-13T17:26:10.234-07:002022 Class - Rock-n-Roll Hall of FameA hearty congratulations to ALL the nominees and inductees this year!This piece will explore the music (with song charts) of only a handful of the inductees, but they (and all the nominees) are worthy of your ear! I've chosen a handful based on a guitar-centric approach, but we could easily explore the rhythmic vocal approach or lyrical approach of Eminem or the layered production of Jimmy Jam &Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-7348425728960760482022-05-02T13:22:00.003-07:002022-05-03T13:26:57.842-07:00FREE Group Class & FREE StringsALERT: To celebrate our post-COVID return to group guitar lessons at Willis Music Lexington, we're offering an EIGHT week guitar session (eight 40 minute group classes each Thursday at 5pm) absolutely FREE.BUT it gets better: If you BRING A FRIEND and attend the entire session, you'll BOTH receive a FREE set of guitar strings!AND...while classes are set up for in-person instruction, we also have Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-39011287605833084842022-04-12T09:19:00.003-07:002022-04-14T06:41:06.310-07:00Benefactory in the Cyber AgeMUSIC/ART, DIGTAL TIP JARS, & 21st CENTURY BENEFACTORY: I posted a version of this essay last year, but was recently urged to up-date it and share again....so here it is:It has constantly been suggested to me that I embrace the "subscription model" as an addition to my more traditional biz models. That is to say, I am now offering payment options for anyone who values my work and wants to Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-88257342763053378422022-04-08T08:43:00.006-07:002022-04-14T06:39:49.320-07:00Free G4 Class ExtrasHowdy, everyone!WEEK ONEWe covered finger exercises, rhythm drills, scales, chords/chord drill, and more in the first class!Below is some supplemental material for the free G4 class! We'll expand this a bit each week, but thought we'd give you a LOT this week to kick things off!Enjoy!VIDEO DRILLS:Workout #1 (dexterity, rhythm, scale drills)Workout #2 (chord drill, including barre chords)SONG Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-784380991998659309.post-13707091321904072772022-04-08T08:34:00.004-07:002022-05-02T08:56:57.786-07:00Free G1 Guitar Class OveriewsHowdy, everyone!WEEK ONEThe below video gives a quick overview. We covered:1) parts of the guitar2) holding the guitar3) up-strokes and down-strokes (or thumb & fingers if not using a pick)4) basic finger exercise5) picking patterns6) basic rhythm drill7) reading tabs - melody & the C major scale8) basic open chordsSee the video HERE.WEEK TWOToday is a review of the above, plus....1) Skinny Devilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13896364368518481260noreply@blogger.com0