Jon Shields

  Mastering the Art of String Changing for Your Hollow Body Guitar Changing your guitar strings is one of those fundamental skills every guitarist needs to master, yet it's often overlooked or underestimated. Whether you're a seasoned player or a beginner, knowing how to change your strings correctly is crucial for maintaining your instrument’s sound and longevity. Today, we're diving into a special approach tailored for hollow body guitars, a type that requires a little more finesse than your standard electric or acoustic. Let’s get started! Why Hollow Body Guitars Are Different When you’re working with a hollow body like my Ibanez AF75, you’ve got some unique considerations. One of the key features of this guitar is the trapeze tailpiece, which attaches to the end pin rather than directly to the body. This setup means the tension from the strings keeps the bridge in place, but it also makes string changes a bit trickier. Unlike solid body guitars, hollow body bridges aren...

  Tune Tuesday: P.S. I Love You – A Hidden Gem from 1934 Good morning, and welcome to another Tune Tuesday ! Today, we’re taking a step back to 1934 to explore a beautiful ballad that might not be as widely known as some jazz standards, but it’s definitely worth listening to. The song is P.S. I Love You , and while it hasn’t always been in the spotlight, it’s a classic that I’ve come to love over the years. A Love Letter in Song P.S. I Love You was written by Gordon Jenkins, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Released in 1934 by the great Rudy Vallee, the song initially didn’t get much attention. In fact, it stayed relatively quiet for nearly two decades before being revived by The Hilltoppers in 1953. From there, the song slowly gained a bit more recognition, with artists like The Vogues taking a turn at it in the 1960s, and even country musician Tom T. Hall recording a version in 1989. While it hasn’t reached the same level of fame as other jazz standards, P.S. I Love You has a qui...

  Do You Really Need Music Theory to Learn Guitar? When you first pick up a guitar, the excitement is undeniable. You dream of playing your favorite songs and impressing friends and family. But soon, you might face a question that stirs up mixed emotions: Do you really need music theory to play the guitar? For many, the answer might seem simple: “No, I just want to play.” But what if I told you that you've already started learning music theory without even realizing it? Let’s Break It Down When you learn your first few chords—G, D, C, and E minor—you’re already touching on basic music theory. You might not know it yet, but those chords are a vital part of a musical scale, and understanding this concept is foundational to more advanced guitar playing. You don't need to be a music theory expert to play these chords, but knowing why they work together opens up a world of possibilities. The key of G, the major and minor chord structures, and how these patterns repeat across the fr...

  Tune Tuesday: Black Orpheus – A Bossa Nova Classic Close to My Heart Good morning, and welcome to another Tune Tuesday ! Today, we’re diving into one of my all-time favorites, Black Orpheus . This tune is not only a landmark in the Bossa Nova genre, but it also holds a special place in my heart. It was one of my first jazz songs, and it was actually the first Bossa Nova piece I ever learned. If you’re a fan of smooth rhythms and beautiful melodies, this one’s for you. The Story Behind Black Orpheus Written by Luiz Bonfá in 1959 for the Portuguese film Orfeu Negro (translated as Black Orpheus ), this song was initially almost left out of the movie altogether. But it ended up becoming the movie's theme, and from there, it sparked an international Bossa Nova craze. It quickly became one of the most recognized songs of the genre and helped bring Bossa Nova to America in a big way. What’s fascinating about Black Orpheus is that it goes by several names. In addition to the title Bla...