#17: Guitar Lessons and Nightmare Gigs with Lance Ruby
Lance Ruby is one of those guys that needs to be doing a lot of things at once - and it’s led to absolutely fantastic results. He’s a co-founder of the soul/funk band Danger 5, plays in the blues fusion band Musketeer Gripweed, rocks out with Graham Good and the Painters, and is a member of New Orleans funk group Crescent City Connection. On top of all that playing, Lance is also a music educator, offering guitar lessons for people that want to learn how to play guitar, primarily lead. That guitar you bought years ago that’s just been collecting dust? Pick it up, because Lance is dropping some KNOWLEDGE on us.
We’re also both big fans of liner notes and CD album art, so we explore some of our favorites. And as a touring musician, Lance certainly has a horror story or two from the road. He’s more than happy to share.
Highlights of our conversation include:
All of Lance’s musical projects and how he’s keeping himself afloat during social distancing with online guitar lessons. (1:28)
How virtual concerts have resulted in musicians offering a more comfortable, engaging “onstage” presence. (3:22)
Lance talks about figuring out how to play guitar and discovering his first songs to learn on guitar and the joy of finding new music. (5:28)
Why the days of CDs was a much cooler era, and how putting on a CD or record is much more helpful in learning guitar. (7:36)
Some of the greatest artwork and liner notes from CDs, including Iron Maiden, Wolfmother, Frank Zappa, and Weird Al Yankovic. (10:45)
Groups that don’t look anything like how they sound – and then ones that are exactly how you’d picture them, like DragonForce. (17:28)
The worst gigs that Lance has ever played, a reminder of how wonderful and outrageous live music adventures can be. (22:11)
The essential, go-to meals that Lance has to have on every tour. (27:00)
How Lance’s online guitar lessons have shifted in the wake of virtual meetings and his smart business strategy to create new products to monetize as a result of these lessons. (29:55)
Lance’s tips for people who want to learn how to play guitar, including diving deep into the records you love and using it in your own music. (32:35)
Lance tells us about his dog Richard – yay team Dachshunds! This also turns into a dog love fest, but can you blame us? (36:46)
We talk about Lance’s top guitar players of all-time, including Danny Gatton, George Benson, and Jimi Hendrix. (41:00)
What’s next for Lance Ruby?
Check out Lance’s website to learn more about his work or to sign up for lessons, and give him a follow over on Instagram.
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