Bosco on Stage 

Moving the Bassline

Make your rhythm playing more interesting by adding a moving bass line. Joe Pass is a master of combining chords and moving bass notes to create melody and movement w/in a rhythm line. But it works for any genre. Red Hot Chilly Peppers guitar rhythm in under the bridge is a love letter to Jimi's approach to this style. Speaking of Jimi: Castles Made of Sand. And Stevie Ray did Lenny, which is also Hendrix-esque but pure SRV soul. A rule of thumb i use is if a bass players lines and guitarists chords can be combined creatively and smartly w/in a given space of a rhythm then you can add a moving bass line. Not going to work in all cases but when you’re able to make it work, them its a really nice effect. I’d tell you to ask Jimi or Stevie but alas they were taken from us way too soon.

Consitency in Playing Schedule

Trying to keep the practice streak going? Me too. How do you consistently follow your playing schedule w/ all of the other important things going on your life? The answer...Try hard to do it. You have school, a job, and kids...? a lot is going on. Initially its a real effort maintaining the schedule you set up. if you don’t try old habits drift back in. If you try hard new habits take hold. ....Try it. I will to.

Remember Londoners Lost on 7 July 2005

Remember Londoners Lost on 7 July 2005
Here in NY we know terrorism's horror.
I hope that the families and friends of those lost in the 7/7 bombings of London can find peace and that their deaths will not be in vain.

Major Scales

Spend time w/ your major scales up and down the neck. The seven distinct patterns which if you memorize them, (uggh...hate that word.) will really be a great jumping off point to do almost anything. Modes : The Aeolian mode (natural minor scale) is probably the most useful scale in rock there as it meshes perfectly w/ blues patterns. The Mixolydian's funky and the Phrygian's spooky. It’s all there.
So bust out the metronome and choose one day a week to learn them. DONT front on the major scales!