rooted music coaching

Today we have something really special in store and I’m pumped to share it with you!

Having known and played with many great electric guitar players, I know the struggle it can be (and was for them initially) to find out how to produce great tone. It can be a bit elusive, right?

From having to think through the guitar you play, the types of cables you use (TRUE BYPASS!!!), the pedals, the amp…

It gets intense real quick, especially when you’re first getting started. If you don’t have someone helping you walk through it, or a lot of money to blow on different products as you narrow down your options, you’re in a tight spot.

This is why I wanted to sit down with one of the best lead guitar players out there - Daniel Carson. Daniel’s a friend of mine and has been playing lead with Chris Tomlin for almost 2 decades!

He’s gone through the struggles of finding the signature tone we all look for and came out the other side with the answers.

In this video below, Daniel is going to wa...

I’m excited to talk about a concept called the Nashville Number System with you guys today!

If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a system or concept of music that every professional musician understands and uses on a daily basis!

And it’s something you NEED to know too.  

Check out our video and feel free to let us know any questions or thoughts you have!

If you play electric guitar in any live setting, you know how big of a deal an amplifier is. It can be the secret to great tone, or it can be the reason your tone needs work.

 This is why I’m excited to share what Shane has to say. One of our great coaches at RMC, Shane Cole, shares with us some incredible thoughts on what types of amps you need in order to succeed.

Shane is an accomplished electric guitar as well as bass player. Shane plays for up and coming country artist, Seth Ennis, and has toured with many other artists including Daniel Bashta.

Check out the video and let us know what you think!

I’m excited to share another quick video from Paul Whittinghill. Paul plays drums for the Passion Band and has had incredible experiences leading worship all over the world.

As a drummer there are so many things in your head pulling at you during a set…

I need to stay with the click
Make sure to lock in with the other members of the band
Make sure to not take away from the lead vocal

And the list could really go on and on.

Today, he’s going to let us in on his #1 priority as a drummer and I think it has the potential to really change the way you play!

Hey friends -

I have a question for you… What instrument would you say is the “backbone” of the band?

Maybe one of the guitar players? Keys or bass player?

In my opinion, it’s the drummer. The drummer has the potential to control the pocket better than anyone else and can really “lead” the band dynamically.

Because the drums are such a key element in any band setting, we had one of the best drummers I know, Paul Whittinghill, let us know his 3 keys to being a better drummer.

Key #1: Be a student of music

Key #2: Play a simple groove to a fixed tempo

Key #3: Exercise your fingers and wrists with a practice pad

Paul is a fantastic drummer for many reasons, but the one thing that I really think sets him apart from many others, is that he LEADS the band when he plays.

Going back to what I mentioned earlier the drummer can keep the pocket where it needs to be and lead the band from section to section within any song. Paul does both of those things very well - and I would say as w...

Hey guys!

I’m excited to share another video with you guys today from Zach Norman, one of our incredible coaches here at RMC!

The post today is going to be for singers primarily, but also will be good for any musician in general. As a singer, being perfectly accurate in terms of your pitch as you sing, is hugely important. It’s sometimes what separates the average singers from the truly great.

Now, many singers or even musicians think, “hey, you’re either born with it (a good ear) or you’re not.”

But, that’s simply not true!

Your ears are an ever changing and developing part of of your body, able to be trained. Whether it’s a musician wanting to grow in their ability to accurately hear and diagnose chord changes in a song, or a singer wanting to make sure every single note is pitch perfect, ear training is important.

Today, Zach is going to let us in on the single best way to improve pitch accuracy and I’m excited for you to check out what he has to say!

Take a couple minutes ...

If there’s one thing I love to do, it’s connect people who are like-minded, have similar interests, etc.

Subsequently, if there’s one thing I love as a musician, it’s having an opportunity to play, write, jam or just talk music with others musicians.

There is something so life-giving about doing these things in community with others.

Maybe you learn something about music that you never knew before…

Maybe you decide to listen to some new music based on another’s recommendation…

Or maybe, for the first time, you experience the joy that it is to play music with other people!

I remember when that was for me…

I was about 12 years old and my dad was the pastor at a small church in our hometown.

We needed another musician to assist on the worship team and I had been playing and continually growing in my ability.

So, he decided to have me begin playing on Sunday mornings with the worship team.

Needless to say, I was terrified! Being 12 years old, but surrounded by older musicians ...

Hey guys!

I’m excited to share a video with you guys today from one of our great coaches at RMC, Zach Norman.

If you’re a singer, chances are you know that one of the best things you can do each time you sing is warm up before and cool down after.

I’ve seen singers take their singing to new levels simply by adding in warm ups and cool downs to their event and daily routines. It truly can be a transformative practice if you stay diligent with it!

But, if you’re like many singers, maybe you’ve never taken the time to get familiar with some practical ways to do this. That’s exactly why we wanted to have one of our coaches, Zach Norman, talk for a few minutes simply about vocal warm ups and some practical ways of practicing them.

Take a couple minutes and check out the video below and let us know what you think!

Best,

Chris