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The Dark Magic of the Dorian Mode in Rock: Why Your Favourite Riffs Sound So Powerful
"Only the wise man is content with what is his. All foolishness suffers the burden of dissatisfaction with itself".. Seneca Letter IX from ''Letters from a Stoic'' By Ivan Cardozo Category: Music Theory · Rock Guitar Level: Intermediate – Advanced Website: ivancardozo.com Have you ever wondered why "Smoke on the Water" sounds simultaneously dark and cool? Or why the main riff in Led Zeppelin's "Moby Dick" feels both heavy and almost hypnotic? The answer, more often than

Ivan Cardozo
Mar 2911 min read
Master Alternate Picking: Expert Guitar Instruction with Ivan Cardozo
"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." — Marcus Aurelius When my students first encounter the challenges of alternate picking, many feel overwhelmed by the seeming impossibility of coordinating their picking hand with speed and precision. Yet, as the Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius reminds us, obstacles aren't barriers to progress—they are the very path to mastery itself. Every moment of frustration with alternate picking is an o

Ivan Cardozo
Dec 31, 202511 min read
The Reality of Making a Living as a Guitarist: What Music Schools Don't Tell You
"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do." — Epictetus This Stoic principle perfectly captures the...

Ivan Cardozo
May 5, 20255 min read
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