Strum and Strumber

Strum and Strumber
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Strum and Strumber is a guitar show for players who want to get better — not just buy more pedals. Hosted by two Berklee-battered, tone-hardened veterans, the show blends guitar wisdom, gear sanity, and brutal honesty. Every episode we challenge each other to learn a new lick, work on it for a week, then return to play it together — one take, no edits. Download the challenge PDF and take it with us. In between, we play musical guitar games that make you a better musician, with penalties for the loser (because motivation matters). Full video episodes on YouTube every Tuesday.

  1. May 27

    Derek Trucks - How He Makes Impossible Playing Look Easy

    One take. No edits.Two guitarists. One week. One brutally exposed solo. 👍 Subscribe for new episodes every other Tuesday. Derek Trucks — Let Me Get ByStrum & Strumber — Episode 207 Derek Trucks sounds simple —until you try to play IN TUNE. 00:00 Cold Open00:30 Ear Pressure (Game)05:50 Knives Out (of tune) (Penalty)07:48 What We Learned10:00 Challenge Performance (One Take, No Edits)11:12 Next Episode’s Challenge Reveal11:59 Teaser This episode:No speed.No shred tricks.Just phrasing, intonation, touch, and control. 🎯 THE PROBLEM:You can memorize the movement.But if you can’t hear the pitch — you’re done. 🎮 GAME — Ear PressureOne player performs an interval.The other must identify it by ear only. ⚠️ PENALTY — Knives Out (of tune)Two strings detuned randomly.Now play a scale IN TUNE. 🧠 What we’re actually testing:• Ear vs muscle memory• Can you control pitch under pressure?• Are you hearing the phrase… or just playing shapes?• How exposed are you without visual reference? ⚖️ CHALLENGE PERFORMANCEOne take. No edits.This is the result. 🎸 THE STRUM & STRUMBER CHALLENGE PACKS Every challenge. Every game. Every penalty.Built to improve your playing through pressure, limitations, and real musical situations. No filler. No theory dumps.Just the material that survived the pressure test. 👉 https://strumandstrumber.com/ss-challenge-packs/ 📄 Free weekly challenge PDF:https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/207.pdf

    12 min

  2. May 13

    Trevor Rabin — Owner of a Lonely Heart

    Strum & Strumber is a guitar show where we challenge each other to learn a famous lick, live with it for a week — then come back and play it together one take, no edits.No excuses. No hiding behind pedals. 👇 Take the weekly challenge and play along:https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/206.pdf 👉 Want the full system?Every challenge. Every episode. No filler.https://strumandstrumber.com/ss-challenge-packs/ This week: Owner of a Lonely Heart — Trevor Rabin Not a shred solo.Not a scale run. A part. 🎯 The problem:You can’t fake this one. You either commit to the phrase —or it falls apart. 🎮 GAME — Broken ZipperPlay every other note.No hiding. No filler.Either you hear the line… or you don’t. ⚠️ PENALTY — Commit to the PhrasePick a phrase.Now improvise it.No escape. 🧠 What we’re actually testing: Can you hold a musical idea under pressure?Do you play phrases… or just notes?When it’s time to commit — do you? ⚖️ CHALLENGE PERFORMANCEOne take. No edits.This is the result. 📄 This week’s Challenge PDFhttps://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/206.pdf 📄 Next week’s Challenge PDF  https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/207.pdf

    9 min

  3. Apr 29

    We Found Out

    We Found Out.Strum & Strumber — Episode 205Strum & Strumber is a guitar show where we learn a new lick every week — then play it one take, no edits.No excuses. No hiding behind pedals.👇 Take the weekly challenge and play along:https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/205.pdf👉 Want the full system?Every challenge. Every episode. No filler.https://strumandstrumber.com/ss-challenge-packs/We lived with two solos for a week.One human. One AI.We made our calls.We were wrong.No machine can replace what you feel - but you better know what that is.This is the second solo —and the moment everything snapped into focus.No games.No penalties.Just the answer.🎧 What actually gave it away: • Where the phrasing breaks • How the time breathes (or doesn’t) • The difference between “mistakes”… and intentionNot theory.Not tone.Feel — but not the way people think.⚖️ FINAL TAKEOne take. No edits.Now that we know… listen again.📄 This week’s Challenge PDFhttps://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/205.pdf📄 Next week’s Challenge PDF https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/206.pdfWant to prove you’re human?Download the backing track:https://strumandstrumber.com/backing_tracks/StrumandStrumberAIvHum_Backing_Track.mp3Write your solo.Drop it in the YouTube comments or tag us — we’re listening.

    6 min

  4. Apr 22

    I Don’t Know If This Is Human

    Strum & Strumber is a guitar show where we challenge each other to learn a new lick every week — then play it together one take, no edits.  Games, penalties, brutally honest takes, and real improvement. New episodes Tuesday. 👇 Take the weekly challenge and play along with us:  https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/204.pdf 👉 Want the full system?  Every challenge. Every episode. No filler.  https://strumandstrumber.com/ss-challenge-packs/ We tested two solos over the same track.  One is human. One is AI.  This is one of them.  We lived with it for a week…  and still weren’t sure what we were hearing. At first, it feels obvious.  Then it doesn’t.  Then everything you thought mattered… starts to fall apart. This episode isn’t about speed, tone, or technique.  It’s about something harder to define: 👉 What actually makes something feel human? 🎧 The Setup  No edits. No corrections.  Just the raw solo — learned, internalized, and played back in one take. 🧠 Debate — Feel vs Logic  Does “human” mean imperfect?  Or just unpredictable in the right ways? And if AI can imitate mistakes…  what are we actually hearing? ⚖️ THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE PERFORMANCE  Unknown Solo — Source Hidden  One take. No edits. Judge Sam. Vote in the comments:  Human or AI? 🔥 PART 2  The other solo.  No context. No safety net.  👉 Then we reveal everything. 📄 This week’s Challenge PDF  https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/204.pdf 📄 Next week’s Challenge PDF  https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/205.pdf

    8 min

  5. Apr 8

    He Only Had 2 Fingers… So We Tried It

    00:00 Cold Open 00:17 Pocket Pinball (Game) 11:13 Three Tied (Penalty) 12:26 What We Learned 15:07 Limitation vs Freedom 15:57 Challenge Performance (One Take, No Edits) 18:05 Next Episode’s Challenge Reveal He Only Had 2 Fingers… So We Tried It Strum & Strumber — Episode 203 Strum & Strumber is a guitar show where we challenge each other to learn a new lick every week — then play it together one take, no edits.Games, penalties, brutally honest takes, and real improvement. New episodes Tuesday. 👇 Take the weekly challenge and play along with us:https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/203.html Most players want more freedom.More fingers. More options. More control. Django Reinhardt had less.And somehow… did more. In this episode, we take on I’ll See You In My Dreams — with a hard constraint:👉 Two fingers. That’s it. Turns out the problem isn’t just what you can’t play…It’s what you stop hearing. 🎸 Game — Pocket PinballTwo-note chords, Freddie Green style.Simple shapes. Relentless time. No hiding. ⚡ Penalty — Three TiedThree fingers taped together.Try playing anything. Now try making it musical. 🧠 Debate — Limitation vs FreedomDo constraints unlock creativity…or just expose your weaknesses faster? This episode isn’t about copying Django.It’s about what happens when your options disappear. If you’ve ever relied on “just one more finger” to get through a phrase…this one’s for you. 🔥 NEXT WEEK — A 2-PARTERAI vs Human. One episode: Human solo.One episode: AI solo. 👉 Can you actually tell the difference? ⚖️ THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE PERFORMANCEDjango Reinhardt — I’ll See You In My DreamsOne take. No edits. Judge Sam. Vote in the comments:Sam — Pass or Fail 📄 This week’s Challenge PDFhttps://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/203.pdf 📄 Next week’s Challenge PDFhttps://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/204.pdf

    19 min

  6. Mar 25

    Scott Henderson’s “Elvis at the Hop” Broke Our Timing

    00:00 Cold Open 00:29 Shift Happens (Game) 08:24 No Boomers (Penalty) 09:39 What We Learned 11:40 Feel vs The Click 15:52 Challenge Performance (One Take, No Edits) 16:30 Next Week’s Challenge Reveal 16:57 Teaser Scott Henderson’s “Elvis at the Hop” Broke Our Timing Strum & Strumber — Episode 202 Strum & Strumber is a guitar show where we challenge each other to learn a new lick every week — then play it together one take, no edits. Games, penalties, brutally honest takes, and real improvement. New episodes Tuesday. 👇 Take the weekly challenge and play along with us: https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/202.html Most players practice more… and still don’t get better. Fusion legend Scott Henderson has a way of bending blues, jazz, and attitude into something that feels effortless — but sits right on the edge of falling apart. In this episode, we dive into one of Henderson’s most slippery grooves and quickly realize the problem isn’t the notes.It’s the time. 🎸 Game — The Shift HappensA challenge built around rhythmic displacement, shifting accents, and keeping the groove from collapsing. ⚡ Penalty — No BoomersFour bars. No bends allowed. Turns out that takes away more than you think. 🧠 Debate — Feel vs The ClickShould great guitar playing lock to the grid… or dance around it? This episode isn’t about copying Scott Henderson. It’s about surviving the groove. If you’ve ever tried to make something sound relaxed while your brain is completely panicking — this one’s for you. 🔥 NEXT WEEK’S CHALLENGE Django Reinhardt — “I’ll See You In My Dreams”   One hand. No excuses. ⚖️ THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE PERFORMANCE Scott Henderson - Elvis at the Hop One take. No edits. Judge us. 📄 This week’s Challenge PDFhttps://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/202.html 📄 Next week’s Challenge PDFhttps://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/203.html

    17 min

  7. Mar 11

    We Tried Jeff Beck’s Most Emotional Song (And It Got Dangerous) — Episode 201

    We Tried Jeff Beck’s Most Emotional Song (And It Got Dangerous) Strum & Strumber — Episode 201 Strum & Strumber is a guitar show where we challenge each other to learn a new lick every week — then play it together one take, no edits. Games, penalties, brutally honest takes, and real improvement. New episodes every Tuesday. 👇 Take the weekly challenge and play along with us: https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/201.html Most players practice more… and still don’t get better. Jeff Beck’s “Where Were You” isn’t about speed.It’s about touch, restraint… and letting go. In this episode, we step into one of the most expressive guitar performances ever recorded — and quickly realize this isn’t something you learn.It’s something you risk. 🎸 Game — The BeckoningA challenge built around Beck’s phrasing, dynamics, and the space between notes. ⚡ Penalty — Crossed WiresWhen control slips, chaos takes over — and the results aren’t always pretty. 🧠 Debate — Playing vs Listening | Control vs ChaosIs great guitar playing about mastery… or surrender? This episode isn’t about copying Jeff Beck.It’s about confronting what makes his playing feel human. If you’ve ever chased tone, touch, or that moment where music feels like it’s playing you — this one’s for you. 🔥 NEXT WEEK’S CHALLENGE Scott Henderson — “Elvis at the Hop”   No edits. No polish. No mercy. ⚖️ THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE PERFORMANCE Jeff Beck - Where Were You One take. No edits. Judge us. 📄 This week’s Challenge PDFhttps://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/201.html 📄 Next week’s Challenge PDFhttps://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/202.html

    17 min

  8. Feb 18

    Paul Gilbert Joins the Challenge (Season Finale) — Episode 107

    This season finale is different — because the rules don’t change. In this episode of Strum & Strumber, Sam and Roger travel to meet Paul Gilbert in person to play his own lick with him — together, on camera, one take, no edits. No safety net.No studio tricks.Just three players in the room, facing the rules. Each week we challenge each other to learn a new lick and return to attempt it one take, no edits — with games, penalties, and brutally honest results.This time, the standard is set by the person who wrote the lick. 🎸 Play along with this week’s challenge: https://strumandstrumber.com/challenge/106.html 📺 Full video episodes available on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@strumandstrumber New episodes return next season in 3 weeks.

    18 min
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About

Strum and Strumber is a guitar show for players who want to get better — not just buy more pedals. Hosted by two Berklee-battered, tone-hardened veterans, the show blends guitar wisdom, gear sanity, and brutal honesty. Every episode we challenge each other to learn a new lick, work on it for a week, then return to play it together — one take, no edits. Download the challenge PDF and take it with us. In between, we play musical guitar games that make you a better musician, with penalties for the loser (because motivation matters). Full video episodes on YouTube every Tuesday.

Information

  • Creator
    Strum and Strumber
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Strum and Strumber
  • Show Website
    Strum and Strumber