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Lee Griffith - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Lee Griffith is active in internet marketing and publishes two blogs. "The Flatpick Post" is a blog dedicated to acoustic guitar flatpickers and features tips, techniques, articles about vintage instruments, and reviews of musicians, music and products. "Griff's Recipe Report" highlights his unique recipes. Lee (a.k.a. "Griff") describes himself as a former "kitchen klutz" who stepped up to the "plate" and learned how to cook. His weekly report includes some of his best recipes, ... [More]
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- Guitar Lesson - Getting Through Those Sticky Parts - Simplify!
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] What do you do when you can play an entire song quite well and at a nice, even tempo--except for one little sticky part? There is that one chord change that slows you down--or one note in that bass run you just can't stretch your finger quickly enough to reach (and keep the beat going).
- Guitar Excellence - What Does it Take?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] What does it take to become an excellent guitarist? What qualities must you possess, and through what hoops must you jump? Here are my thoughts on the subject...
- Guitar Lesson - Learn How to Figure Out a Song by Ear
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Have you ever wondered why some guitarists seem to be able to figure out a song "by ear" with ease? This is a skill that anyone can develop, but the guitarist with more experience will develop it faster.
- Greek Cinnamon Chicken Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Well, my wife Sue said this is the very best thing that I have ever cooked to date. I must admit that the blend of flavors is really unique. I am not really a fan of cinnamon, but I LOVE the way that it worked in this recipe!
- Acoustic Guitar - Why Jam With Another Guitarist?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] I love to play my guitar in jam sessions with other musicians. Not only is jamming fun, but the benefits of jam sessions are outstanding, especially when a guitarist jams with another guitarist.
- Marinated, Grilled Chuck Steak Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] A couple of weeks ago, my wife Sue came home from one of our local supermarkets with a couple of chuck steaks. I had always considered chuck steak to be inferior for grilling purposes, but I decided to challenge myself: Could I take these chuck steaks and turn them into a good presentation from the grill?
- Guitar Practice - Building Your Repertoire
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] A repertoire (pronounced REP-er-TWAR), as relates to a musician, is a compilation of all of the songs he or she is prepared to present. Your repertoire will be a list of each song you can play at performance level. What is the quickest and most effective way to build a repertoire? First and foremost, make the development of your repertoire the focus of each and every one of your practice sessions.
- Guitar Playing - Keeping a Guitar Journal
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] What kind of things would you write in a guitar journal? Well, for starters, you could track your progress on a given song or lick between specific points of time.
- Pulled Pork Sandwich Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] I concocted this a couple of weeks ago. Unlike the eastern North Carolina style pulled pork recipe (which I sent out last year), which does not include tomatoes or tomato ketchup in the sauce, this one is with a traditional style BBQ sauce (which includes tomato ketchup). I love both styles. I love doing pulled pork with this way, because you just roast it in your kitchen oven--and the layers of flavor provided by the spice rub give it a real barbeque flavor.
- Cajun Crusted Chicken Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] I just put this recipe together and tested on my family and everyone heartily approved! It's really easy to prepare, and it makes a great entree, or serve it as finger food for your party! Below this recipe is the recipe for my Creole seasoning mix.
- Acoustic Guitar - What Would I Say to the Beginning Guitarist?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] I have received many emails from the subscribers to "The Flatpick Post Newsletter" during the past year, and many of you have said that you are beginners--in fact, at the VERY beginning of your journey into the world of guitar playing. That got me thinking... What would I say to the beginning guitarist? What would be the best advice and encouragement for those who are just starting to learn the guitar?
- Brined Turkey Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] I brined a turkey recently, and it was wonderful. I put together a recipe for this largely based on a recipe by Alton Brown, but I made quite a few changes, especially in the aromatics. It was a joy both to prepare and eat this bird.
- Guitar Techniques - Hammer-Ons, Pull-Offs and Slides
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides are techniques which allow nuances of tone and the expression of dynamics on the guitar. These basic skills will be an essential addition to your "tool bag" of guitar techniques.
- Cuban Pork Chop Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Cuban cuisine is characterized by the taste of tropical juices, but often it is less spicy than the food of its neighbors in the Caribbean. The spices in my Cuban pork chops give this dish a little extra kick, but are not overpowering.
- Scales and Licks - The Building Blocks for Improvising
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Do you want to create great lead breaks and be comfortable improvising in any and every situation? Acquire the building blocks: scales and licks. Get them ingrained so thoroughly in your mind that your fingers know where to go without asking you.
- Cajun Surf 'n Turf Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] My son Nate and I pulled off a great grilling project this weekend. What we decided to try to accomplish was a Cajun style "surf 'n turf." We started with my Creole seasoning mix. I always make a pretty large batch, because I use it in all kinds of recipes! I use it on fish, on chicken, in my jambalaya, on pork... This turned out to be one of the best cookouts we've ever done! Here are the recipes for the seasoning mix, the steak and the shrimp.
- Buying a New Acoustic Guitar - Things to Look For
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] If you are considering the purchase of a new acoustic guitar, be it your first, or perhaps an additional guitar, there are some important features to know about and to look for. This article will provide you with some essential information for making a wise guitar purchase.
- Creole Stuffed Peppers Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Here is one of the best--and one of the easiest--recipes I've ever come up with. This is a nice, spicy version of stuffed green bell peppers. Oh, the layers of flavor!
- Acoustic Guitar--Nine Steps to Help You Keep Playing
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Guitar playing is like many other endeavors. You can be really enthusiastic about it--but it can soon seem very overwhelming. This is why so many people quit the guitar after working at it for a month or two. Here are some steps to help you keep playing your guitar.
- Crosspicking on the Acoustic Guitar in Bluegrass and Old-Time Music
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Crosspicking is a technique in which the flatpick is used to pick a group of strings in a pattern that repeats. Typically, three pitches are played repeatedly against a four-pulse rhythm so there is a continual shifting of the pitches and of the accented pulse.
- Bluegrass and Old-Time Music on the Guitar - Playing Rhythm and Lead
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] There are the two roles the guitar plays in bluegrass and old-time music: rhythm and lead. Here are some things to consider when playing bluegrass and old-time music on the acoustic guitar. Many of these things also apply for playing folk and rock music on the acoustic guitar.
- American Shrimp on the Barbie Recipe and Cocktail Sauce Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Although the term "shrimp on the barbie" came from Australia (from the Australian Tourism Commission, actually), my recipe for grilled shrimp is not an Australian recipe, but is inspired from some American southern recipes. I put this together for a cookout recently and everyone approved. We had them with cocktail sauce from a tasty recipe of my mom's.
- The History of Flatpicking
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Just what is "flatpicking," and from where did it come? Flatpicking is a method of playing the guitar whereby a flat guitar pick (also called a plectrum) is held between two or three fingers to strike the strings.
- Two Quick and Lean Chicken Recipes
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] I had a couple of packages of pre-grilled chicken breast strips on hand--you know, like you use to make fajitas. On Wednesday I put together an awesome Chinese style dish that was fast, easy, great tasting, lean and healthful. On Saturday I used the remaining package to prepare an even easier Caribbean chicken meal. At six servings per meal, I figured the calories for both recipes came in at 345 per serving. What's more, the fat per serving is only about 5 grams!
- Recipes for Grilled Canadian Burgers With Grilled Peaches Dessert
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] This past weekend I thought I'd create a burger in honor of my friends to the North. I got some Canadian bacon and some McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic Montreal Steak seasoning and I thereby dubbed these burgers "Canadian Burgers." The grilled peaches make the perfect dessert for these burgers.
- Caribbean Grilled Chicken Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] I mulled over how I was going to marinate my chicken, and I thought - What could I use as a base to provide some interesting layers of flavor? Then it came to me - Coca-Cola! I'd never cooked with Coca-Cola before. I went to my word processor and started making a list of the things I thought should be included in a Caribbean marinade. I then followed my own instructions for the recipe, and the results were VERY pleasing!
- Irish Lamb Stew & Champ Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] So what the heck, you might be asking, is "champ"? Champ (or in some areas the dish is called "poundies") is an Irish mashed potato dish that includes chopped green onions. It is served piled high with a well in the center full of melted butter. The dish is eaten from the edge with each bite dipped in the melted butter. It is often eaten as a side dish for lamb stew. I have based my recipes for lamb stew and champ on authentic Irish recipes. If you feel you must, you can substitute beef round steak for the lamb.
- Rib Recipe For Pork Back or Baby Back Ribs
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Here is a recipe I just created after doing a lot of research. I wanted to produce ribs which were tender, with a great dry rub and a tangy barbeque sauce. I wanted layer upon layer of flavor. I wanted an outdoor barbeque flavor, but something I could do in the oven and just finish on the grill.
I put it to the test on Saturday and it passed with flying colors!
- Pizza Sauce Recipe - Incredibly Fresh Tasting
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] I get pizza delivered once in awhile from a local pizzeria that does New York Style Pizza and I am always amazed at how light and fresh the sauce tastes. I began to ponder on this and wondered just what it is that I was missing in my recipe. Here is what I discovered!
- Chinese Recipe - Shanghai Pepper Steak
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] It took me a couple of times to perfect this with the right ingredients, but I've got it down now! This is an excellent tasting Chinese dish and it's easy to prepare. It's lean and healthy too! If you don't like things so spicy, just cut the amounts of the black pepper and the crushed red pepper in half.
- American Grilled Beer Burgers Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Talk about a Recipe that is American through and through! Here is an all-American burger recipe I put together recently. I use beer in many of the recipes I develop because it enhances the flavors of a recipe and adds layers of flavor. Be extra patriotic and use an American brew for this recipe!
- Easy North Carolina Pulled Pork Recipe (Eastern Style)
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Pulled pork is the traditional barbecue of North Carolina.The sauce used in the eastern style of North Carolina pulled pork contains no tomatoes.This is an easy (not technically a barbecue) version that requires no fancy smoking or grilling. Just use your stove and oven!
- Acoustic Guitar Flatpicking Tips for Faster, Cleaner, Crisper Playing
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Whether you pick bluegrass, fiddle tunes, and old-time music on a guitar like I do, or other styles of music, here are some good basics to learn that will get you on the road to playing fast, clean, crisp lead on an acoustic guitar: 1. The first thing you need to do is start with a pick that is thick enough!
- Acoustic Guitars - Is Bigger Better?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Back in the late 70's, when I started to learn how to play lead
bluegrass and fiddle tunes on an acoustic guitar, every bluegrass
player I knew would settle for nothing less than a Dreadnought.
More recently I have discovered that a smaller guitar is much more responsive and
sensitive to the flatpick than a Dreadnought is, so you can make
your licks ring out with a much wider range of dynamics.
- Navy Stew Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Did you know that SPAM luncheon meat played a crucial role in the effort of the Allied forces to liberate Europe during World War II? Hormel Foods provided 15 million cans of SPAM (invented in 1937 by Jay Hormel) to the troops each week, and SPAM quickly became a regular part of their diet. Here is a SPAM based stew that I developed from a recipe that was said to have been used in the galley of a U.S. Navy ship during WWII.
- Buying Vintage Acoustic Guitars - Learn to Look for Problems!
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Most of us don't "go looking for problems," but if you are considering buying a vintage acoustic guitar, it is best to recognize any problems or potential problems BEFORE the purchase. In my article, "Acoustic Guitars--Why Buy Vintage?" I noted some good reasons to buy vintage guitars (guitars that were made between the mid-1920's and about 1970). Now let's consider how to buy such guitars WISELY.
- Mediterranean Grilled Half-Moon Burger Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] The family was together recently, and I had a craving for the taste of middle-eastern food, so I decided to put something together. I didn't have a lot of time to cook that day, so I wanted to do something that would be easy to prepare. It was a nice afternoon, so I thought something on grill would be nice.
- Acoustic Guitars - Why Buy Vintage?
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Why might you desire to seek out and purchase vintage acoustic guitars or other vintage stringed instruments? Well, there are actually two great reasons to buy vintage - Number one, you are a collector - and-or, number two, you are a player.
- Caribbean Grilled Turkey Burger Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] This Caribbean grilled turkey burger recipe is easy to prepare, yet makes a spectacular presentation for any summer patio party! The sweet and spicy jerk seasoning combined with the tropical fruit and and other ingredients creates exciting layers of flavor that are both tangy and refreshing.
- Cajun Bourbon Grilled Chicken Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] I just put this simple recipe together and tested it yesterday. Talk about layer upon layer of flavor! The brown sugar and bourbon marinade gives the meat sweetness and full flavor from within. The Creole spices provide a nice tangy surface.
- American Grilled Dry Rubbed Chicken
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Wow! I didn't know what to cook for dinner last Saturday (it was my turn in the kitchen), so I studied up on some dry rubs, BBQ sauces and techniques on grilling chicken. I experimented a bit and added what I thought would be good. I came up with my own dry rub recipe and lemon BBQ sauce recipe - and some danged good grilled chicken - not bad for a day's work!
- Practicing With a Metronome
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] If you want to be a fast and clean flatpicker, one of the smartest things you can do is to practice using a metronome. How do you begin to practice with the metronome? Decide which tune you want to practice and adjust the timing of the metronome until its rhythm is at a pace that is much slower than you would ever play the tune. Yes, that's right - much slower!
- Care for the Acoustic Guitar
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] Taking these steps to care for your acoustic guitar may seem a bit burdensome, at first. But if you start applying these principles now, your guitar will give you many years of playing pleasure.
- Coney Sauce Recipe for Hot Dogs
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] A "Coney Island hot dog" is widely understood to be a hot dog with "Coney sauce," usually a kind of chili without beans. In reality, Coney sauce did not originate on Coney Island but is thought to have been invented in Michigan. Here is a recipe I developed taking what seemed to me to be the best of the ingredients from a number of Coney sauce recipes.
- Brats Recipe--Beautiful Wisconsin Grilled Brats!
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] In Wisconsin, "grilling season" is from May through September. During these months you will find bratwurst being served at all kinds of sporting events, fairs, picnics, and in back yards. Here is a recipe I concocted with ideas from a number of brat recipes by Wisconsinites.
- Recipe for African Grilled Tilapia
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Tilapia is ideal for both baking or grilling. The fish is very healthful, being high in omega 3 fatty acids. In the kitchens and on the streets of countries in Africa, tilapia is commonly seen grilling over a charcoal fire. This recipe is inspired by several authentic African tilapia recipes.
- A Capo is a Wonderful Thing
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] A capo is a clamp with which you can change the pitch of the open
guitar strings, simply by placing the clamp behind different frets
on the fingerboard. With a capo, you can change the key of any song
quite easily. I love to use a capo, for a number of reasons.
- American Buffalo Burgers Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] What could possibly be more American than an American buffalo? Maybe an American buffalo burger! Here is a little history about this majestic American animal and a great buffalo burger recipe.
- Griff's Jambalaya Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Are you eady for some "jazzy" Louisiana Creole Cookin'? Here's a recipe I have developed for jambalaya. Experiment with different kinds of sausage, and add shrimp if you like!
- Acoustic Guitar Strings - The Merits of Silk & Steel
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] "Silk and steel" acoustic guitar strings, available through a number of manufacturers, are made of silver-plated copper wire wound over a silk and steel core. A lot of my fellow bluegrass and fiddle tune pickers think I'm crazy, but I love silk and steel strings.
- The G Chord on the Guitar - Relearning It
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] I had spent ten years playing G the way many people play it. You know, your second finger is behind the third fret of the sixth (low E) string, your first finger is behind the second fret of the fifth string, and your third finger is behind the third fret of the first (high E) string. What could be easier? But easy isn't the point. I had to learn something that was going to be very hard at first, in order to make a lot of other things much easier down the road!
- Steak Recipe - The Backyard Grill - An American Experience
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Hey folks, it's time to fire up that grill! One of the most common activities in American recreation is grilling that nice, big, juicy steak in the backyard. Here is my favorite steak recipe, along with a great grilled side to accompany it.
- The Blues Scale - How It Opened Up A Whole New World To Me
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] In my earlier years of playing guitar, I could never even begin to comprehend how guitar players could jam with other musicians and improvise, when it came their turn to take a break. I would listen and watch in amazement as a guitar player would (effortlessly, it seemed) play lick after lick of great sounding lead guitar. Then I read about "the blues scale."
- Flatpicking Tips for the Acoustic Guitar
[Arts-and-Entertainment:Music] You may have to "unlearn" some of your guitar playing habits, but the reward will be worth it. By applying these tips, you will be able to play crisp, clean, and fast licks with a flatpick on an acoustic guitar.
- Manhattan Clam Chowder Recipe
[Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Manhattan and the clam chowder named after it both have a very interesting history. Manhattan clam chowder tastes great too - and here is one of the best recipes ever!
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