Judy Minot

2 weeks ago | acousticguitar.com | Maurice Tani |Mary Flower |Adam Perlmutter |Judy Minot

“Oh, the Dreadful Wind and Rain” is a traditional folk ballad with roots tracing back to the mid-17th century. Like many songs passed down orally for generations before the era of recording, it has appeared under various titles, with small shifts in melody and lyrics. But the core story has remained—and it’s a dark one.

Oct 18, 2024 | acousticguitar.com | Doug Young |Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers |Judy Minot |Jane Miller

Songwriters, guitar players, and Nashville. That’s a tight-knit trio. Nashville holds a long tradition of writing sessions, jams, open mics, studio dates, and songs getting passed on from player to player. It makes sense that a shortcut system to convey chord progressions efficiently would emerge from the city. Neal Matthews, part of the singing group the Jordanaires and a guitarist himself, is credited with developing such a system in the mid-1950s: the Nashville number system.

Jun 9, 2024 | acousticguitar.com | Judy Minot |Jane Miller |Adam Perlmutter |Cathy Fink

You’ve seen that T-shirt that reads “Plays Well with Others.” While many people perform solo, ensemble music can be a special delight but does require additional skills. Just as you need to have your act together about your own playing, you need skills in listening to and interacting with other musicians. You must learn to adjust to how others play, flex your music to fit, and ideally approach all of this with a warm and welcoming attitude.

Mar 20, 2024 | judyminot.medium.com | Judy Minot

The Magic EraserHere is a technique that’s a magic eraser for flubs and wrong notes. It’s just as useful for the initial stages of learning a tune as for dealing quickly with annoying mistakes that crop up after you know a tune. Practicing this technique mindfully and attentively has revolutionized my practicing and allowed me to quickly make measurable, lasting improvements. When I describe it, this approach may sound like something you already do or that you’ve known how to do for a long time.

Mar 20, 2024 | medium.com | Judy Minot

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