New Ebook! Guitar Odyssey 2: Talkin’ Dirty

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I am happy to announce the release of my second ebook, “Guitar Odyssey 2: Talkin’ Dirty.” In this rocksolography (a practice-journal-but-so-much-more), I record my progress as I learn C.C. DeVille’s guitar solo on Poison’s “Talk Dirty To Me.” I also take several side-roads into music theory, rock trivia and, of course, poetry. GO2 sells for $2.99 […]

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New Poem! Ode to a Metronome

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Ode to a Metronome by Michael Rays Relentless and unfeeling come the clicks not caring if your wrist is sore today interrogating as you play each lick: ‘Is timing of the essence when you play?’ And though your own hand sets the tempo’s pace from that point on the little box is king and should you err, revealing […]

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New Word! Rocksolography

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Having recently self-published the ebook “Guitar Odyssey” and now working on “Guitar Odyssey 2: Talkin’ Dirty,” I have been faced with a marketing dilemma: What category best describes these books, in which I chronicle my day-to-day efforts to learn a rock solo on the guitar? Rock n Roll? Guitar? Music? Diary? All are sort of right; […]

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New Poem! Ode to Guitar Players

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Ode to Guitar Players by Michael Rays What meaneth one who says ‘I play guitar’? A batch of basic chords strummed ‘round the fire An introverted teen who’d be a star woodshedding endless blues licks on a Squier? A young gal voicing jazz chords warm and pure An old man finger-picking on the porch A […]

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New Ebook! GUITAR ODYSSEY – a journal of musical growth

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From the Missoula Independent: “Billings writer Michael Rays has crafted a literate, interesting, funny and, oddly, moving account of his six-string journey to learn the solo from Deep Purple’s ‘Highway Star,’ that is really about so much more.” (click here for full review) Greetings, fellow guitar lovers! I just released my first ebook. “Guitar Odyssey” […]

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