10 Great Guitar Blogs: Guitarkadia

By: Dr. Matthew Warnock

There are thousands of sites out on the web that aim to teach people how to play chords, scales, arpeggios, licks and songs. There are just as many that break down the latest gear, or that are focused on the writer’s favorite piece of equipment such as amps, effects pedals or a brand of guitar. While these sites, which are often very well-written and designed, offer a technical view of the instrument, they often forget the human factor in their writing. One guitar blogger who has noticed this trend is Emon, who runs a great, story-based guitar websites titled Guitarkadia.

When we were putting together our list of 10 Great Guitar Blogs, Emon’s site was immediately on our radar as we often find ourselves drawn to his site for some of the best guitar stories on the web. We had a chance to sit down with Emon to discuss his site, how he got started in the blogging world and what his favorite moments have been as a writer.

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Matthew Warnock: How did you first become interested in running your own guitar website, leading you to launch Guitarkadia?

Emon: Sometime around July of 2008 I decided to start my own guitar blog, aspiring to be different from the ones already out there. I’d been frustrated with what was available that catered to my interests, I’ve always leaned towards stories, philosophy, and non-technical lessons on the guitar. So I just started my own site to fill that void. I had, by then, become comfortable blogging on the WordPress platform for my personal blog, so starting a new blog wasn’t particularly daunting.

The naming of the blog however, posed some difficulty. I’d registered a number of domains with the word “guitar” in them but they never seemed quite right. It was during a ride back home on the A train one night that I scribbled down, I don’t know why, Guitarkadia. That stuck, got registered, and the blog relaunched with the new title. I say re-launched because I’d already been trial-blogging on the free WordPress.com platform under a different title.

Matt: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as Guitarkadia has grown since its inception?

Emon: Finding a voice, a style. Do I go the recycle route where blogs simply take information from other sources and put it in a Digest form? Do I do news and reviews? Do I re-write news with a personal twist? All three, mind you, are a great way to build a blog, generate a lot of traffic, and expand a fan base, they’re just not my cup of tea. Over the past two years, I’ve tried a lot of things out on the blog and have only recently started to find my own voice.

What might that be? Turns out it has always been there. I’ve always leaned towards stories, philosophy, and non-technical lessons on the guitar. That re-realization, if I may, allowed me to focus on telling stories about the guitar, about people and about music.

Matt: What are some of the innovations in technology that you think have had the biggest impact on your site and how you reach your audience in today’s internet climate?

Emon: Hardware-wise, I’d say the Canon 5D Mark II camera. Most of my original stories nowadays tend to be video and I wouldn’t have been able to capture a lot of those moments without it. It’s a blessing that camera, for photographers and filmmakers. At least for me, it is.

Twitter and Facebook has had an impact on my site as far as how my content is delivered or how I connect with people who eventually become interview subjects. Switching to the Thesis theme for WordPress has been another. Prior to that, I’d struggled with creating a stripped down version of the blog without sacrificing control on admin options. Thesis allowed me to, in short, focus on content rather than agonize over SEO, coding, html, CSS etc., things I’ve grown to care about less and less.

And finally, the leaps and bounds video hosting and delivery platform sites have made over the past couple of years have been remarkable. When sites like Vimeo and YouTube duke it out over feature developments, content creators win.

Matt: Where do you see sites like yours moving in the future? Can the current paradigm work or are we in for a big change as far as how content is presented on the internet?

Emon: Not sure. Right now I’m focused on finding interesting stories to tell. How things will evolve is better left to time. As far as the presentation of content, one can only imagine what’s around the corner. But that shouldn’t change the core of what a blog like mine does. If the content is worthy, it doesn’t matter if it’s delivered on a stone tablet or the iPad.

Technology should improve the path a content creator is using to share with an audience, or preserve for a future audience. Shakespeare would totally tweet and invite people to come see his play. Guttenberg would totally dig WordPress. Bach would totally rock Pro Tools. Socrates would totally Skype.

Point I’m trying to make is, it shouldn’t matter how content is presented as long as what’s presented finds someone who’s looking for it.

Matt: Is there any topic that you love to write about, a certain genre of music maybe, or a certain artist, or are you drawn to the world of guitar rather than to a specific entity within that realm?

Emon: The latter. To put it simply, guitar is the key to discovering stories that occur with it, around it and for it. It’s a character not unlike the title “character” in the film The Red Violin. It’s a conversation starter. It’s a passport to people’s lives, places and eras.

Matt: What have been some of the biggest highlights you’ve experienced, as a writer and guitarist, since you started Guitarkadia?

Emon: Meeting musicians and learning firsthand about why they do what they do. Getting to capture moments as they unfold in front me. Seeing their faces when they talk about music and their instrument.

The times I’d spent documenting Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Natalia Paruz aka Saw Lady, Django Reinhardt 100th Anniversary jam stand out. So do the moments I’ve spent with jazz guitar legend, Jack Wilkins, Steely Dan guitarist, Jon Herington, artist and guitar maker Mark Nilsen, and a local Manhattan legend, Marjorie Eliot.

One thing I’ve found common in all of the musicians I’ve mentioned above is the childlike wonder they have about music and their instrument. I guess that’s why their playing is more meaningful to me as a guitarist than how they play. They’ve also taught me an important lesson: Say what you want to, and say it your own way.

Matt: What advice do you have for any up and coming guitar bloggers out there?

Emon: Blog with one person in mind. You. You are the audience you should satisfy. There are thousands of articles, blogs, books, seminars, etc. on how to be a better blogger. But they’ll all agree that there are no rules except write what you love to read about first and then build on it.

How do I stand out? How do I make money? How do I get traffic? How do I get my blog post to get me a job writing for a “legit” magazine? How do I monetize? How do I optimize? The above will mean nothing after you’ve agonized over them for a while. Stay true to yourself. Some things will come naturally to you and some won’t. It’s your pick.

Blogging shouldn’t be a chore. It should be rewarding beyond money and fame. And no, you don’t have to be an ace guitar player to blog about guitar. Imagine if we demanded that from movie critics or political writers.