GeekDad Hands-On With the jamstik+
On the go but need to rock? The jamstik+ was built for you!
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Tag: Guitars
9 Nifty New Gadget Projects on Kickstarter This Week
From a SAFE drone, to invisible bio-ink, to blinkers for your horse, the new gadget projects on Kickstarter this week are diverse and useful!
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BandFuse: Rock Legends
BandFuse: Rock Legends was released this week as yet another offering in the real-guitar music games. Bandfuse isn’t just a game. It offers a complete series of lessons starting with the basics and progressing through string bending and finger picking. Click through to see my first impressions and how this game stacks up against Rocksmith.
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Have Geeklets, Will Travel: Martin Guitars Factory
The Martin Guitars factory is like paradise for musical geeks. Our family took a tour of the 180-year-old guitar business, seeing the process of how their guitars start as blocks of wood and turn into instruments played by the likes of Eric Clapton. There are 300 steps, some completed by people and others completed by robots, that go into making a guitar, and you’ll marvel just as much at the skilled labor as you will at the numerous machines that dot the tour path.
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Guitars Shaped Like Spaceships From Star Wars
He can play the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs.
Continue ReadingThe I Am So Far Behind in My Book Reviews Review
The end of 2012 is fast approaching, and I’m doing my best to clear my desk, so to speak. I can’t speak for the other GeekDad writers, but it’s always the end of the year when my To Review List …
Continue ReadingGive a Girl a Guitar
I learned my first chords on my dad’s Martin Shenandoah, and rocked out for the first time on his Les Paul. I had choice instruments. But plenty of girls have none at all. Especially not guitars. And if their …
Continue ReadingThe Vox Mini3: A (Tiny) Amp for All Seasons
Years ago, in what we may call the Before-Time, I had a sweet home office, a dedicated room that my desktop, various collectables and musical equipment called home. Then, the addition of two kids took a noticeable toll on my …
Continue ReadingDownload the GeekDad Song For Free For Father’s Day
To celebrate Father’s Day this weekend, you can download the GeekDad song for free! Just click the Download button on the player above. If you’re viewing this post in a feed reader, just click here for the free download: …
Continue ReadingI’ve Raised a Music Geek. Yes!
My oldest son Michael is what I call a bonafide music geek. He has been learning to play the guitar for a little over a year now. His taste in music is quite eclectic, and I definitely know he gets …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: The “GeekDad” Song
Remember the official GeekDad song that I co-wrote with GeekDad Z.? If not, refresh your memory with this free download: The GeekDad Song GeekDad by John Anealio The verse lyrics that Z. wrote really embody what it means to be …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: The Jimmy Neutron Theme Song
If you’re a geek, live with a five-year old and have Netflix Streaming, then you have probably watched a fair amount of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron. While watching the show one day with my son, I noticed that the theme …
Continue ReadingAnnouncing the Winner of the Phineas and Ferb / Slash Guitar Giveaway!
All I can say is: Wow. I don’t have all the past data in front of me, but I’m reasonably certain that the giveaway of a very cool electric guitar decorated with cartoons from Phineas and Ferb and a cartoon …
Continue ReadingEnter to Win an Awesome Phineas and Ferb / Slash Guitar!
The 22-track soundtrack album Phineas and Ferb: Across the 1st and 2nd Dimensions is set to debut next Tuesday, just three days before the new TV movie from the show has its premiere on the Disney Channel. In celebration of …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “Ring Capacity” by Kirby Krackle
With the Green Lantern movie currently in theaters, it just makes sense to work on “Ring Capacity” by Kirby Krackle this week. The band has lots of great songs about comic book characters and video games, so be sure to …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “Rock Lobster” by The B-52s
As per GeekMom Jenny’s request, this week’s Guitar Lesson is “Rock Lobster” by The B-52s. In this installment, we go over open string riffing and pull-offs. Want more? Follow John on Twitter and download his Books, Bytes & Bots E.P. …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane
GeekDad reader Glenn let me know that there is a great cover of “White Rabbit” in the very polarizing “Sucker Punch” movie. I thought about the original version of the tune by Jefferson Airplane and felt that it would make …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: The Transformers Theme
The Transformers Theme may be one of the most covered geek songs. From the original cartoon theme song to interpretations by a diverse group of musical artists like Lion, Mute Math, and Cheap Trick, the tune sounds great in just …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “Starship Trooper” by Yes
Yes, the iconic progressive rock band of the 70′s, may also be one of the geekiest bands of all time. It takes a special breed of geek musicians to compose rock songs that consistently clock in at over 15 minutes. …
Continue ReadingWhich Geeky Guitar Song Do You Want To Learn Next?
I’ve really been enjoying putting together the GeekDad Guitar Lesson Videos. I need your help now. I need suggestions for new songs to teach, so let me know: Which Geeky Guitar Song Do You Want To Learn Next? It can …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “Real Gone” by Sheryl Crow
If you have a young son (like I do), than you have undoubtedly heard “Real Gone” by Sheryl Crow many, many times. It is the song that opens the Pixar Cars movie. If you want to impress the young ones …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: Chiron Beta Prime by Jonathan Coulton’s vide
What do you think is the greatest Geek Christmas song? If you said something other than Jonathan Coulton’s “Chiron Beta Prime”, you’re wrong. This lesson tackles chord progressions with descending and ascending chromatic lines as well as various major and …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “Everyday I Write the Book” by Elvis Costello
Continuing with the literary theme for National Novel Writing Month, this week we’re going to work on Elvis Costello’s “Everyday I Write The Book”. In this lesson, we discuss tuning down a half step to suit a lower pitched voice …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “Paperback Writer” by The Beatles
We’re going to have a literary theme for the next few GeekDad Guitar Lessons because November is National Novel Writing Month. Playing the main riff to The Beatles “Paperback Writer” seems like the perfect way to encourage (or annoy) loved …
Continue ReadingSharing My 2% of Marian Call’s U.S. Tour
Many GeekDad readers are already familiar with Marian Call, an Alaskan singer/songwriter who is currently touring all 50 states. I want to share my story of opening a few shows for her recently in New Jersey. First, let me introduce …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” by Blue Öyster Cult
Keeping with October’s Halloween/Horror theme, this week we dissect the main riff from Blue Oyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”. The riff gets its character by allowing open strings to ring against fretted notes and it is a bit of …
Continue ReadingReview & Giveaway: Paper Jamz Makes Guitarists Out of Air
If you were a teenager or a twenty-something anytime in the past 60 years or so, the odds are you’ve played air guitar at least a few times. It’s OK to admit it: we all do it, and we all …
Continue ReadingTesting out the Peavey AmpKit Link
Peavey has arrived a little late to the iPhone practice amp market, but they have come up a very strong entry. AmpKit is an iOS application, compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The AmpKit Link is sold separately …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon
For the month of October, we’re going to focus on songs that are appropriate for the Halloween season. In this week’s GeekDad Guitar Lesson, we look at several different ways to play “Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon. So, whether …
Continue ReadingGeekDad Guitar Lesson: “Rocket Man” by Elton John
In this installment of GeekDad Guitar Lessons, we tackle “Rocket Man” by Elton John. In this lesson, we learn that piano-based songs like this can easily be adapted to the guitar. Descending bass lines and changing the key of a …
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