Guitar Nine Columns

And those that can`t do - scram! Teaching guitar for fun and profit.

Get a rhythmic grip on odd meters with this new column from Colin Mandel.

Lower Bach pain? A great exercise for right hand picking as well as left hand fretting technique.

A story about a guitar (well, a couple of guitars, actually).

Put down that guitar! How to dramatically affect your playing and creativity.

An original orchestration from "Gilbert Isbin Plays Nick Drake".

I never thought I`d be CEO of Virgin Independent, nor would I want to. I had material to release. No major or indie label wanted to hear about it, so I did it myself. And let`s face it: guitar music is a tough sell, so most majors won`t cut you any slack.

I love it at home, but you can`t play here. You can`t play in L.A. every night. We`re lucky to play once a week here. It`s just the nature of being a musician. People won`t pay to see you every single week. You have to travel and change your audience to be able to play every night.

The talented artists associated with Guitar Nine recall their mentors and heroes.

Blues Rock Band Poised To Explode

Fifteen Years Of Progressive Rock Fusion

Guitar-Based Improvisational Pieces Kick-Off Trilogy

High Energy, Blues/Rock Guitar

Music Creating An Uplifting Ambience

Meaningful Progressive Rock

New Progressive Band Forges Original Sound

Finnish Shredder Pours Out Emotion

Veteran Guitarist Goes Instrumental

Broadening His Horizons With Solo Release

Aggressive, Unorthodox Fingerstyle Wins Fans

Polish Shredder Continues Development

Rhythmically Intense Jazz Fusion

Instrumental Acoustic Music Coveys Soaring Freedom

Original Jazz CD Emphasizes Songs

Fingerstylist Blends Jazz, Folk and New Age Influences

Modern Guitar Flavors Jungle Rhythms

Italian Shred "Extravaganza"

Dynamic Acoustic Duo

Smooth Jazz Instrumentalist Releases Sixth CD

Delta-Flavored Bluesman Releases CD

Defying Categorization With Latest CD

Pushing Progressive's Boundaries

Fusion Guitarist Expands Reach

Music industry guru Christopher Knab is back with dozens of thought-provoking and essential questions you need to consider before taking the plunge.

Good advice for building smooth speed from the guitarist behind the amazing "First Light".

Haven`t you always wanted to play what you hear in your head? Be sure to check out super-picker Shane Theriot`s exercise.

Will Landrum is back with a cool right-hand tapping riff, culled from his self-titled CD.

There`s more to the simple plectrum than meets the ear.

How to get that twangin` country crosspicked sound, when the pressure is on.

I find it hard to believe that some people have trouble getting press. It`s not really that difficult to do. I think the hardest part is letting go of the fear of a bad review. I`ve spoken to colleagues who don`t send their CD out because they`re afraid it`ll get trashed. Yeah, it might. But you have to take that chance.

Well, there really isn`t that big a demand for that kind of music that I write and play over the radio. So what I`ve been able to do by doing my own records and doing my own website is basically ignore the record company thing where the whole machinery has to be in place for airplay, promotions and tours. Now I can make the music I want to make, and so far so good.

Music industry guru Christopher Knab is back to help you professionally develop your music for the marketplace.