Shane (4)

Three brand new lessons for playing the Blues, tasteful slide guitar & getting the best tones from your cigar box guitars.

NEW TODAY:  Quick Blues Lick of the Week:  The T-Shape Riff   A seriously badass slide-blues riff that uses shapes to explain it...not chords or music theory!  Another great way to kickstart your collection of blues riffs.

Tasteful Hammer-On Techniques:  This is a simple playing style that will develop your rhythmic playing. I use this all the time in concert in various ways. Here's the foundations of the style, broken down in one easy video.

THE BEST ACOUSTIC PICKUP for cigar box guitar...and the simple method of installing it:    I've played every sort of piezo-equipped cigar box guitar over the last two decades and this setup beats them all.  It's what I use in my new line of guitars...and I'll never go back! 

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Shane Speal's Top 10 Beliefs in Homemade Music
  1. I believe the greatest honor you can give a piece of wood is to make it sing.
  2. I believe that playing an instrument made by your own hand connects you at a deeper level than anything bought at a store.
  3. I believe that sometimes crude & simple instruments play better than ones with all the bells and whistles.
  4. I believe that bells and whistles have their place on stage.
  5. I believe that musical instruments also serve as props on stage.
  6. I believe concerts should be visual as much as sonic.
  7. I believe "grit" is a guitar tone worth attaining.
  8. I believe the essence of old blues music can be found in an empty cigar box.
  9. I believe the greatest advancements in the cigar box guitar music happen when builders and players hang out over BBQ and cold beer, showing off their instruments to each other (and not when they're watching concerts). 
  10. I believe the world needs a new Alan Lomax.  

WHAT ARE YOUR BELIEFS?  POST THEM BELOW.

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WE NEED YOUR HELP CROWDFUNDING FOR SHANE SPEAL'S NEXT ALBUM:  
We're still way under our $7500 Indiegogo goal for the next album. There's only 17 days to go.  Snag a download, t-shirt or even book a private show.  Pictured above: The most popular perks in the campaign have been concert-used guitars from Shane's vault.  He just added this experimental "Five String Cheater."

Indiegogo Campaign
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JUST ANNOUNCED!!!  Strung Together, the Jon Miller cigar box guitar documentary is currently streaming free for Amazon Prime members in the US!!!  

If you have Amazon Prime, you can watch the film in its entirety right now.  
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Our friend Robin Rogers needs our prayers...

This sad news was in my email this morning regarding the health of Blues great, Robin Rogers. Robin is always very nice to me and always willing to sign guitars or pose for pictures. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with her in Memphis this past May for the Blues Music Awards. She is very talented and kind hearted. Please keep her in your prayers.

This sad news comes from Steve Hecht at Piedmont Talent. Robin Rogers who has been in the hospital over the last 2 weeks with a severe liver condition. This condition was diagnosed as an inoperable cancerous tumor in her liver. She is currently at home surrounded by her family and receiving hospice care. Over the last few years she has risen to prominence in the blues world, and has a new release on the Blind Pig label due out on Sept 14th. Prior to her hospitalization, she was doing extensive touring with Debbie Davies. Her humble and sincere personality, coupled with her unmistakable talent, made us all take her in and as an adopted little sister. So this news will surely come as a shock wave to the blues community. For more information about Robin from the Piedmont Talent website click here. We love you Robin.

Shane

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