Friday, 01 March 2019 12:43
For the Guitarist Volume 8: Think Like a Horn Player
Written by Ron Reis
Last month, I talked about how to think like a piano player. That was all about harmony. Horns, too, are all about melody. What is melody? That is the part you can sing. BB King, even when he played guitar, was also singing. What a concept, right? Play things that…
Friday, 08 March 2019 12:21
A great loss: One of Chicago's greats, Marshall Brodien passes at 84 - a celebration of his magical life
Written by Ken Payne
Chicago great legend Marshall Brodien has passed away at 84 after battling Alzheimer’s since he was diagnosed in 2007. Brodien, who started out as a carnival barker for traveling freak shows then later established himself as a hypnotist, was probably best known for his 27-year run with The Bozo Show…
Published in
BuzzBlog
Tagged under
Wednesday, 06 February 2019 17:25
For the Guitarist Volume 8: Think Like a Piano Player
Written by Ron Reis
“Hey man, I’m a guitar player…why would I want to think like a piano player?” Good question. It’s all about being more MUSICAL. What I am talking about is harmony. You can do a lot with different voicings. When someone tells your average guitar player “play a G Chord”, you…
The more I play, the less I play. I think when you are a young player, it is natural to want to make a statement. The way many players do this is by playing a bunch of notes. “Look what I can do”, right? You run all over the neck…
I started playing guitar at age eleven, but I started my first band at fifteen playing drums. The reason why I stuck with guitar is songwriting. I wanted to write songs. The guitar is a good, self-contained unit, a perfect vehicle for writing. Singer/songwriters tend to either be piano players…
Published in
BuzzBlog
Tagged under
Sunday, 07 October 2018 00:36
For the Guitarist Volume 6: Listen To Other Instruments
Written by Ron Reis
Everybody has a favorite guitar player…well, almost everyone. We have those licks we learned from our favorites. That’s how we get a vocabulary of ideas. For me, I have gone through phases. I played along with recordings of people like Stevie Ray Vaughan and The Allman Brothers Band. That gave…
Published in
BuzzBlog
One of the first things we learn as guitar players are chords. You know…..here is a G…..here is a C and so on. But what are chords? Chords are harmonies. The notes in the chord come from the scale they are derived from. If we take the C chord, it…
Tuesday, 17 July 2018 02:43
For the Guitarist Volume 4: Music Theory For The Guitarist
Written by Ron Reis
Music Theory is often a touchy subject in the guitar world. A high percentage of players will tell you it isn’t necessary. I am one of those who clearly disagree with this philosophy. The more you know about music, the better. If all you do is learn a song, you…
Published in
BuzzBlog
Tagged under
For the electric guitarist, there is a dilemma…tube amp or solid state. Both have advantages. Both have disadvantages. Opinions vary as much as people do. I have traditionally been a tube guy, but I will not bias this article one way or another. The first amplifiers were tube amps. The…
Published in
BuzzBlog
Tagged under
More...
Friday, 01 June 2018 17:48
For the Guitarist Volume 2: How Important Is Reading Music?
Written by Ron Reis
In my estimation somewhere around 90% of all musicians can read music to one extent or the other. I would also venture to guess that 90% of all guitarist read very little or not at all. This is why a lot of serious musicians look guitar players as some sort…
Published in
BuzzBlog
Tagged under
Welcome to “For the Guitarist.” I am Ron Reis. I have been playing guitar for around forty years, studying theory for over thirty and teaching on and off for over twenty. This column/blog is aimed at all things related to our six-string friend. My guitars have been the best therapists…
Thursday, 07 January 2016 11:58
FOX' Hit Series "Wayward Pines" Starring Matt Dillon Renewed for Second Season
Written by Kimberly Katz
I never got hooked on Lost, it was too confusing after a while. I am not a fan of The Walking Dead or Fear of the Walking Dead. Both are filled with too much gross, face eating bloody gore for my taste. I disliked Twin Peaks which was creepily sexist…
Published in
BuzzBlog
“The Waiting Room” is an insightful arrangement of relationships in tension with themselves and the outside world, pressed together in the arena of a government agency. Social outsiders, each carrying the weight of a broken soul mismatched with their partner or their environment, struggle to find themselves. This story exemplifies…
Published in
BuzzBlog
Register
Login
Latest Articles
-
25 Years of Rudolph the Red-Hosed Reindeer: A Warm and Sparkling Celebration of Individuality!
Written by Kimberly KatzI fondly recall watching the 1964 children’s television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer each year with great wonder! Its message of hope—that you can be yourself and different from the herd—left a lasting impression. The idea that, through perseverance, you… -
Trap Door Theatre Presents: The Mannequins Ball, Opening January 23rd
Written by Buzz Center StageTrap Door Theatre is thrilled to continue its 31st season with a production of the renowned play, The Mannequins' Ball. Written by Bruno Jasieński, The Mannequins' Ball will be directed by Resident Choreographer Miguel Long, and Managing Director Nicole Wiesner. The Mannequins' Ball will play January 23 – March 1,… -
Three-time Jeff Award winner Ron OJ Parson to direct Hymn
Written by Buzz Center StageChicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces renowned Chicago director Ron OJ Parson will helm the North American premiere of Lolita Chakrabarti's Hymn, making his CST directorial debut. Chakrabarti has re-imagined her play in the South Side of Chicago, following an acclaimed premiere at London's Almeida Theatre. The…
-
CLUE On Sale Now
Written by Buzz Center StageBroadway In Chicago is delighted to announce that individual tickets for CLUE, the hilarious murder mystery comedy inspired by the Hasbro board game and adapted from the fan-favorite film, will go on sale today, Wednesday, December 18. The show will play at the CIBC…
Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.