“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.” – Lucille Ball I’m convinced that busy people are superior at 2 things: managing their time, and controlling their perfectionism. They create an […]

Unconflicted “I think the person who takes a job in order to live – that is to say, for the money [not for purpose or passion]- has turned himself into a slave.” ― Joseph Campbell I don’t have a specific New Year’s resolution, other than […]

Just a short post this time. I’ve thankfully found some rare and unusual free time this holiday. However, rather than relax (which I’m not sure I know how to do) I decided to transcribe and post a quick little tune. As Paul McCartney says, “You play music, […]

I think this will be my last transcription from Gustavo Santaolalla’s music from The Book of Life. For those who don’t know, there was a secondary score released with a lot of instrumental music and guitar work — which is kinda more my thing. The […]

Calling all beginner and intermediate guitar players: you want to play this. Often times, there’s a single piece of music that can pay huge dividends across the rest of your guitar playing. Everything you learn is a stepping stone to the next. However, some songs […]

As a Gustavo Santaolalla super fan, I’m amazed that the same guy who composed the brooding score for Babel, can also be perfectly at home writing material for The Book of Life. You don’t see this type of seamless versatility very often. Especially from those […]

First and foremost, Gustavo Santaolalla is a craftsman of music. Whether it’s Brokeback Mountain, The Last of Us, or The Book of Life — he perfectly adapts his music to every circumstance. I’ve been a fan for a long time. After his score for Babel, […]

“I love playing instruments that I don’t know how to play – or that I’m not familiar with. I like the idea of danger and innocence that comes from it. As an artist, I feel I should be able to do something with anything I […]

“How did it get so late so soon?” ― Dr. Seuss So, what are you doing 3 years from now? Compared to others, I have only a tiny smigin of internet success. But at 1,400,000 views on YouTube, and roughly 15,000 people on the blog […]

I’ve been so busy with my blog in the past few months, that I haven’t had the desire to write new music at all.  However, as I post the final The Last Of Us transcriptions (there’s probably one more), I’ve been inspired to play my […]

Photo by Vruyr Martirosyan | Unsplash Riding Horses (This post and tab have been updated as of 8/31/20) Riding Horses is one of my favorite selections from Gustavo Santaolalla’s iconic, Academy Award winning score for Brokeback Mountain. It’s truly one Gustavo Santaolalla’s most beautiful melodies. […]

Photo: Mauro Bruno | Otra Cancion [Updated: August 2017] Lima Lima is one of my favorite tracks from Gustavo Santaolalla’s The Motorcycle Diaries soundtrack. Rather than (his usual) simple playing approach, Lima really displays Santaolalla’s guitar prowess. I had an opportunity to see Gustavo Santaolalla play live […]