The harp that once through Tara's halls the soul of music shed,now hangs as mute on Tara's walls, as if that soul were fled.So sleeps the pride of former days, so glory's thrill is o'er,and hearts that once beat high for praise,now feel that pulse no more

Have you ever done any of the following? 1. Made excuses for not practicing because you "didn't have time"? 2. Practiced the same licks and exercises that you did last year? 3. Felt like you had hit a brick wall in your progress? 4. Felt unsure as to what to practice? Unless your name is Steve Vai, chances are you've done at least one of the above! They are all symptoms of having a lack of vision.

Do you have a wide variety of things that you practice. Or do you like to binge? (You know...the type of player whopractices sweep picking for a kazillion hours a day but only know three chords)! Having a balanced practice routine is essential if you want to become a versatile guitarist. If you just practice one ortwo things, sure you'll get great at those things...but you'll be weak in other key areas.

Now that you've spent hours and days and weeks and months recording your musical masterpieces (and you've also read my article "Tips for a Great Recording Session"), you have arrived at my favorite time in the studio; The Mixdown.

Motorhead-"Inferno"-Review by Les Lewellyn

I was listening to NPR the other day when they did a report on tipping in the restaurant industry. One they had a list of tips on how wait staff can increase their tips. That got me brainstorming and surfing the net for other ideas to boost tips. That combined with lots of performances at Renaissance Festivals helped me to develop my own list of ways musicians can improve their tips. 1. Introduce yourself by name

You have to find radio airplay time if you're going to be heard and we're not just talking the local college campus. The trick is called promotion. Now that doesn't mean you just put your press kit in an envelope with a demo and hope they take pity on you. Perhaps you call a station and they give you the standard pitch of, "Send it and if we like it we'll put you in rotation." After a few months of never hearing your music, you automatically think you're not worthy.

You've got your recording (or songwriting) contract in hand and everything's coming up roses, right? You get your check, finally, but it's not quite what you expected. If you sign not knowing what's owed you then you might be shorted some well-deserved income. So make sure that anything you sign contains a statement to the following areas (preferably in your favor):

To most people, owning the "genuine article" is the only thing that will suffice. As a guitar player, and one who appreciates classic "vintage" instruments, I can fully understand this point of view. I can't think of a single guitarist who wouldn't absolutely adore playing a real 50's Les Paul or Stratocaster. However, becoming the proud owner of a true vintage instrument does have its drawbacks.