Hey Charlie, best of luck with that. BTW, I will be appearing at the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival at the end of August. Hope to see you there. Duke 

The blues jams here in London are truely awful! Or, to be less intolerant, they should just be re-labelled as something else, because they're really all playing hard/loud/widdly rock. I would love to meet any Londoners who are doing Dukes lessons to get together and jam. I'm part of a great 7 piece band (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keys, tenor sax and trumpet) so I do get to experience the 'living organism' but I think it'd really push my playing to be trying this stuff with another guitar player. Plus I love it when two guitars work together - I've never had the experience personally but i love it when I hear it on records.

When the "living organism' happens, it is a beautiful thing. Well put Duke.

Hi Duke --- I love the metaphor of a living organism, shifting and changing.

Yes Daniel, That can be very counterproductive being in a loud situation with people who don't listen to each other. Like Mike said, finding a small group of people, even just one other person with similar interests is the best way to start playing with others. Blues jams can be fun, but can also be a nightmare and often don't work to everyone's advantage. Learning how to listen and respond is probably the most imporant element to the live musical experience. A live performance should be like a living organism witth everyone listening and reacting to each other. Shifting and changing with whoever is leading at that particular moment. When that happens its about the best high I know! Sadly many players will never experience that because they are busy trying to show off what thay just learned. and playing it LOUD! Duke

Hi Mike,

Thank you very much from France for this wonderful website!

Please could you consider adding english subtitles to the videos: it would be very very very useful for non-english stupid guys like me.

Corey Harris gives a lot of interesting explanations but it is often difficult for a non-english by birth to fully understand without reading his remarks.

I am sure that many foreigners would subscribe if subtitles allow them to better understand.

Best regards.

Thanks for the comments and advice, Corey.

More great advice from Corey.  Take it from someone who only wishes I could sing out of my mouth the melodies in my heart, sing the Lyrics. use your smartphone for ideas.  Take the best ones to a collaborator who is strong in things that you are not.  Even if you can't sing,   together you'll find the melody. Often improving it.  Complimentary skills help a lot.  My ear is not the best but i have decent rhythm and timing and words flow.   My partner is a great arranger arranger and pianist. His piano and my guitar work together. While I might fuss over the meaning and color of a word he will care about how it sings and sounds.  You want to bevdifferentvthan your collaborator but have that chemist ry Corey talks about. And honesty. Respectful honesty and an open mind and one who isn't lookingbto be the hero but contribute whatever the song needs because its not about the songwriters it's about the Song.  I like that we play different instruments. Different timbre and feel.  Tomorrow i go visit him in NJ.  A weekend of working on ideas we have shared over the past six months.  I can't wait.   good luck.  Try different collaborators. And sing my friend.  Let go of any fear when creating music.   Feel safe.  it will come out. You'll be heard. 

For me I have always found collaborators by trusting my inner feeling.  By trial and error, i have always been able to know what works and what doesn't.  Given that one is a good musician, it is really their attitude and what they bring to the table...chemistry...that's what makes a good collaboration.  It is also important to find collaborators that complement what you are doing.  Good luck to you.

Greetings Jay and thanks.  Sorry I missed your message.  I will be playing and teaching at Jorman Kaukkonen's Fur Peace Ranch later in the year and that is the only teaching gig in person that I have scheduled this year.  Thanks for your support. 

Nice guitar work Andy and your voice carries through.  Your tempo is good here.  Do you ever keep time with your foot or do you always stand up?  The only thing I would suggest is try putting dynamics in your performance.  That is when you are singing, play less forcefully or more quiet and then you won't have to sing so loud and it might feel easier to you.  Then you could slightly raise the volume of your guitar playing while you are not singing.  Good luck and pardon the delayed response to your messge.

Hi Nacho and Dave

I'll keep those in mind.

Hi Everyone, I just took notes on all the suggestions that I feel are appropriate plus I have quite a few new ideas of my own. So there is a LOT more cool stuff coming here on Sonic Junction!

The bookmark points to:  http://www.sonicjunction.com/jerry-portnoy

It does not always remember me so, I follow the log in button (top right).  It takes me to the log in page, http://www.sonicjunction.com/login, where my user/pass is entered.  It is the log in button on that page that takes me to a blank page.  From the blank page I can hit the back button which loads the bookmarked page and I am now logged in.

I have logged in and out a couple of times in the last few minutes and cannot replicate the glitch.  I have seen the problem several times in the last few months.

Hey Daniel,

You might try blowing the 1 hole (as if firing a tommy gun) then reverse it on the one hole drawing in...then again blowing the two hole tommy gun style and finally the two hole draw it help me get the concept it worked for me

....maybe you'll get some advancement....

Hello Mike!

Yes my S4 android version is lower than 4.4 unfortunately. Thanks for your answer!

Hi Dmitry -- it does require Android 4.4 or higher --- perhaps that is the issue?

We have tested tha App in a couple different countries and also with a Galaxy S4.  

Feel free to send me more details via the Contact Us page and I would be happy to work with you to get you up and running.

It's here.  The Sonic Junction Android App.

A request we've gotten is the ability to watch lessons anywhere, anytime, with or without an internet connection. We heard you and have been working hard to make this happen.  

Today we're pleased to introduce the Sonic Junction Android App.  Now, any lesson on your practice list can be sync'd and stored automatically to your Android phone or tablet, so you can learn from the Legends on-the-go.  

The Android App is free for all Sonic Junction Members.

With the App, you get these features:

  - Automatic download and sync of your practice list and lessons

  - Loop points, chords & tab

  - Custom looper

  - Browse, add and subtract lessons from your practice list

To download and check-out the Sonic Junction app, click here to get it at the Google Play Store: 

A fantastic group of Sonic Junction Members tested the app thoroughly during its development.  I want to sincerely thank them for their time and input in making this a great release.

Thanks being part of Sonic Junction.  We're always striving to make this a rewarding and fun place for you to learn, and hope you enjoy the app.

Mike

Founder, Sonic Junction 

I wonder why its not compatible with my Galaxy S4. Maybe Russia is wrong country for this app?

Hi, Looks perfect to me. Many thanks.

Alan

Hi Alan --- thanks for letting us know.  You're correct --- the loop points were missing for that lesson.  It's now been fixed.  Can you please take a look and let us know if everything is now working for you.  Thanks.

There does not seem to be a bar by bar breakdown display for chorus 6/7 of this lesson of Horton Shuffle

Hi Craig --- thanks for letting us know.  

When you are logging in --- what page are you on?

Thanks for the info on your browser --- that helps.

The last several times I have hit the log in button, the next page fails to load.  Hitting the back button takes me to the page that should have displayed.  All is good after that.  I'm using Firefox.

Hello Mike,

Thank you so much for your really deep response. A lot to think about. I forgot about Jerry's master class, but remember thinking I didn't understand the "adam's apple" vibrato. What I do is more of the first type he talks about-the reverse "machine gun"-throat? I don't understand how to do the adam's apple that he talks about.

What I really like about your post, and what I think is very deep, is finding a way to communicate what you want-with what you can do, and then find your own sound. I think that is a reall significant idea to consider.