When it comes to creating original music, people are sometimes afraid of "ripping off" their favorite artists. They don’t want to sound like a carbon copy. This is a valid perspective, but I would argue that not only is it not bad to do, but I would actually encourage it!

Why It’s a Good Idea to Rip Off Your Favorite Artists
​Our favorite artists and bands are our favorites for a reason. They’ve succeeded in connecting with us on a level that others have not. They have an ability that we desire to have, too. We can study their music to figure out just how they accomplished this. While there are many intangible elements to making great music, don’t let that fool you into thinking that dissecting pieces of music won’t put you on the right path. More specifically, you can use your study of your favorite works to guide you along your own path.

In my 10+ years of experience as a guitar teacher, I’ve noticed a common thread among my most successful students: they are constantly exploring and experimenting with the instrument.
Working with a skilled teacher who understands your needs is invaluable, but we typically only get one hour a week with them. No matter how great your teacher is, one hour a week isn’t enough to achieve mastery if that’s your only practice. Following your teacher’s assignments to a T might get you pretty far, but if you want to build a deep connection with your instrument and express your unique voice, a willingness to explore is essential. You need to try new things, even if they sound bad or break the “rules” of playing guitar.

Mixolydian Connections is a course that I transcribed for TrueFire.com, launching on July 11, 2024.

About The Artist
Before transcribing this course, I was unfamiliar with Rick Stickney, but I quickly grew to appreciate his style and teaching approach. He runs a fantastic YouTube channel called Tasty Guitar, boasting over 73k subscribers at the time of writing. After exploring his channel, I understood why he is such an articulate teacher. This course is another example of his clear and concise teaching style, from which I learned a lot and have begun applying with my own students.

Course Overview
This course focuses on applying the Mixolydian scale to the blues. Many of us, when we’re learning to play over the blues while also learning the theory behind it, encounter the idea that "the Mixolydian mode pairs with the Dominant 7th chord." Although this is theoretically true, you will quickly find (as I did to my own dismay) that playing this scale over a 12-bar blues doesn’t sound like the blues at all! This is where a course like this comes in handy; using standard blues conventions to apply the Mixolydian in a, dare I say, Tasty way!

Approach
Rick’s approach to teaching this concept uses what he refers to as “puzzle pieces.” These are 2 or 3 note patterns that are described based on scale degrees. Aided by my transcription, he demonstrates the puzzle pieces to you in a musical way, always connected to the root in some way. Rick then shows you how to play with each of the puzzle pieces in 5 positions around the neck so you have a grasp of how to play these melodies anywhere on the fretboard.

Recommended Prerequisites

• Basic understanding of intervals/scale degrees
• Basic understanding of a simple 12-bar blues (although the chords are laid out for you in the transcription)

Includes

• 28 Video Lessons
• 16 Charts (.pdf)
• 6 Jam Tracks (.mp3)
• 16 Tabs (.gp/.gpx)

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Conclusion​
Even without a guitar in hand, transcribing this course taught me a lot, and I know that anyone interested in these concepts will learn a lot as well. Rick and TrueFire make it easy to work at a comfortable pace to master these techniques and also have fun while doing it!

Today is a very exciting day for my band Daughter Chaos. After years of hard work, we have officially released the first single off of our forthcoming album “Noble Rot.” The first single is the title track “Noble Rot” which can be purchased here.
“Noble Rot” is a chunky, mid-tempo tune with a blistering solo (if I do say so myself). My comrade Sara Abrams lays down the foundation with a mighty bass tone that I had the pleasure of stacking my rhythm guitars on top of. This song was designed to sound like a gut punch at every turn and I think we accomplished that.
Mixed and mastered by the great Mark Lewis, we have a record with a sizzling top end and a meaty low end ready for your ears. Stay tuned as we will soon be announcing the official release date for the album, as well as other great content leading up to the release.
The music video was shot in the depths of a dungeon in Brooklyn, NY and I think it captured the vibe perfectly. In addition to the space, we had the tremendous efforts of our friends over at Ritual Filmz who made this video come to life and we can’t thank them enough. They went above and beyond to ensure that we ended up with a video that captured the energy of the song.
The processes for creating this album as well as the forthcoming album from my other band Framework have been harrowing to say the least. However, the most important thing is that there is new music to hear and there will be more to follow. This is only the beginning and I invite you to stay connected so you don’t miss out on what’s to come.

Daughter Chaos links:

• https://daughterchaos.bandcamp.com
• https://www.youtube.com/@daughterchaos8595
• https://instagram.com/daughterchaosofficial/