Colin Ainsworth's guest appearances

Colin Ainsworth

Music Lessons and Rock Academy Podcast

Nate Richards

Nate Ferro

Pete Napper

OwlTail

Episode #6: Facts and Myths about Learning Music with Nate Richards and Colin Ainsworth. Recorded at Nate's place old-school pass-the-mic style.0:00 – Disclaimer on who is the target audience is for this episode (every age group and everyone who isn’t a once-in-a-generation genius, and doesn’t have synesthesia), matching goals and expectations, the deference between knowledge and skill, and introduction to the episode’s topics – choosing an instrument, technique, music reading, playing by ear, and learning songs5:47 – Colin’s background on choosing an instrument when growing up in a major music region8:59 – Nate breaks down the pros and cons of classical, steel string acoustic or guitar for students starting out15:07 – Colin introduces the technique topic (and attributes the “right way, wrong way, Yngwie” phrase to Ben Eller, who was one in a long line of people to use it), Nate gives examples of why everyone needs to develop a clean technique regardless of musical style, and Colin compares the RGS Rock Mastery Program with the Philadelphia guitar style of Dennis Sandole25:50 – The need to tailor technique to students based on their hand size and shape, and a brief comment on avoiding the dreaded problem of pulling barre chords out of tune29:30 – Nate clarifies the question of music of music reading – it’s not if but when – and lists the benefits of learning to read for those who won’t need to use it regularly33:50 – Nate transitions music reading into learning songs by ear – being able to hear patterns when figuring out songs by ear due to music reading experience, Colin compares the roots of “education” and “erudition” and how to it applies to approaching guitar, Nate talks about overcoming his own frustrations of returning to reading music in high school42:49 – Colin and Nate discuss what you see on a page and what you hear and use Randy Rhoads as an example45:40 – Nate breaks down the pitfalls of playing solely by ear, including the “mysterious extra half of a beat” in the bridge of “Stairway to Heaven,” Colin extols the virtues of figuring out simple pop tunes to build your ear and Nate talks about predictability of current pop country songs54:13 – Nate compares learning songs note-for-note versus coming up with a new arrangement, how learning a song note-for-note is like taking a master class from the guitar player on the record1:01:30 – Colin talks about how the memory builds on itself and taking skills away from music by playing as much material as possible, and how you always think your band’s arrangement of a song is better than the original – whether out of familiarity or ego, and the dangers of picking up bad habits from your favorite guitar players

Episode #6: Facts and Myths about Learning Music with Nate Richards and Colin Ainsworth. Recorded at Nate's place old-school pass-the-mic style. 0:00 – Disclaimer on who is the target audience is for this episode (every age group and everyone who isn’t a once-in-a-generation genius, and doesn’t have synesthesia), matching goals and expectations, the deference between knowledge and skill, and introduction to the episode’s topics – choosing an instrument, technique, music reading, playing by ear, and learning songs 5:47 – Colin’s background on choosing an instrument when growing up in a major music region 8:59 – Nate breaks down the pros and cons of classical, steel string acoustic or guitar for students starting out 15:07 – Colin introduces the technique topic (and attributes the “right way, wrong way, Yngwie” phrase to Ben Eller, who was one in a long line of people to use it), Nate gives examples of why everyone needs to develop a clean technique regardless of musical style, and Colin compares the RGS Rock Mastery Program with the Philadelphia guitar style of Dennis Sandole 25:50 – The need to tailor technique to students based on their hand size and shape, and a brief comment on avoiding the dreaded problem of pulling barre chords out of tune 29:30 – Nate clarifies the question of music of music reading – it’s not if but when – and lists the benefits of learning to read for those who won’t need to use it regularly 33:50 – Nate transitions music reading into learning songs by ear – being able to hear patterns when figuring out songs by ear due to music reading experience, Colin compares the roots of “education” and “erudition” and how to it applies to approaching guitar, Nate talks about overcoming his own frustrations of returning to reading music in high school 42:49 – Colin and Nate discuss what you see on a page and what you hear and use Randy Rhoads as an example 45:40 – Nate breaks down the pitfalls of playing solely by ear, including the “mysterious extra half of a beat” in the bridge of “Stairway to Heaven,” Colin extols the virtues of figuring out simple pop tunes to build your ear and Nate talks about predictability of current pop country songs 54:13 – Nate compares learning songs note-for-note versus coming up with a new arrangement, how learning a song note-for-note is like taking a master class from the guitar player on the record 1:01:30 – Colin talks about how the memory builds on itself and taking skills away from music by playing as much material as possible, and how you always think your band’s arrangement of a song is better than the original – whether out of familiarity or ego, and the dangers of picking up bad habits from your favorite guitar players

Facts and Myths About Learning Music with Nate Richards and Colin Ainsworth

On Episode 3 of the Richards Guitar Studio podcast, the show is back after a 4-year hiatus as owner Nate Richards and guitar instructor Colin Ainsworth discuss the history of the studio and touch on other topics that the series will dive into in upcoming episodes:1:20 Nate outlines freelance teaching to build up students, finding the RGS’ location in the middle of the 2008 market crash, and interviewing teachers in Borders Books11:10 Nate talks about his teachers while learning to play and band experiences in high school19:15 Playing in bands in the ‘90s meant hand-building stages and dealing with the perils of minimum tape/CD orders from recording studios and recording scooped-mids guitar sounds27:26 Nate and Colin discuss the benefits of buying physical media at record stores and the work that went into taping copies of albums39:12 Thank your parents for the investment they make in your future; remember to “respect the business” when it comes to music, that joy in music comes from hard work, and that no music is above or below you47:24 The importance of learning how to read music and basic theory/composition to learn rock music efficiently, the skillsets students tend to miss if they only learn by ear57:55 How the studio’s music curriculum and business model have developed and finding the “junction of art and commerce,” the importance of keeping all students “speaking the same language” to make band rehearsals smooth

On Episode 3 of the Richards Guitar Studio podcast, the show is back after a 4-year hiatus as owner Nate Richards and guitar instructor Colin Ainsworth discuss the history of the studio and touch on other topics that the series will dive into in upcoming episodes: 1:20 Nate outlines freelance teaching to build up students, finding the RGS’ location in the middle of the 2008 market crash, and interviewing teachers in Borders Books 11:10 Nate talks about his teachers while learning to play and band experiences in high school 19:15 Playing in bands in the ‘90s meant hand-building stages and dealing with the perils of minimum tape/CD orders from recording studios and recording scooped-mids guitar sounds 27:26 Nate and Colin discuss the benefits of buying physical media at record stores and the work that went into taping copies of albums 39:12 Thank your parents for the investment they make in your future; remember to “respect the business” when it comes to music, that joy in music comes from hard work, and that no music is above or below you 47:24 The importance of learning how to read music and basic theory/composition to learn rock music efficiently, the skillsets students tend to miss if they only learn by ear 57:55 How the studio’s music curriculum and business model have developed and finding the “junction of art and commerce,” the importance of keeping all students “speaking the same language” to make band rehearsals smooth