About Musician Poster and Me

What if you don't need to take your eyes off your instrument to look up answers to your questions online when you're immersed into taking your playing skills to the next level?

Or what if nothing disrupts your creative flow when you're composing while being inspired?

Or what if songwriting concepts and techniques were visualized in a way that enabled you to write interesting, unique and expressive music?

What if there's the perfect reference right at your fingertips, that addresses all your popup questions?

How would that feel?

My name is Oleg Astakhov and I wholeheartedly welcome you here at Musician Poster.

I'm a Software Engineer with a passion for music. For over a decade, I've envisioned creating a web resource to share knowledge with like-minded people. Since 2021, I'm thrilled to finally have its doors open to you.

Before we continue, let's review some of the terms I may be using throughout the text, to get us all on the same page.

Facet. I like this term a lot and the idea it conveys. When I mention it, I refer to the different angles or aspects from which a musical concept can be understood and presented. When I provide multiple facets of a topic, I'm giving various perspectives that highlight different elements or ways of understanding that topic. By doing so, I'm aiming to create a holistic approach, as well as ensure that my references are versatile and valuable to a wide range of musicians.

Some creators make online courses, others create YouTube videos, some write books, some teach in person, some create software tools.

Musician Poster glues them all together. Via references.

I don't see the point in repeating what's already out there on the Internet. I'm creating something different—content that augments your learning experience. Content which complements what you're learning and when you're learning. Content that helps you see what you're learning. Content that helps you understand and apply what you're learning. Content that allows you to spend quality time practicing alone, when you make your most impactful progress. And most importantly, we'll be working towards unleashing your creative potential.

Even if I start developing online software tools, they will be different. They will have a purpose in helping you to express yourself musically.

While I don't mean you should literally pin it to a wall, you most certainly can if you want to :) . It's more about the format—just one page. Think about what you usually pin up: something meaningful you need to see often. So content I'm creating matches that idea.

Plus, the word "poster" does not directly state what's on it, unlike chart, diagram, guide, how-to, cheatsheet, summary and so on. Any of these can be on a poster.

Ever picked up a guitar for no reason because it just happened to be within reach and not in a case? I bet you think you took it because you wanted to. Or did you?

You might skim over the word "printable" in this digital era we live in. But let me reiterate its significance for you. You might not realize it, but when it's printed and sitting on your desk, the chances of you grabbing it just skyrocket. For a reason, or not. It’s always within reach, ready to be used. And that's exactly what will happen. You'll take it, observe it, gain insight, and then naturally take the next step of putting it into practice. And as you practice something, you become better at it.

So, if you want to learn something, keep it visible in front of you at all times, including your instrument. And that's a life hack in its own right.

Also, that's why we see so many posters with motivational words or core values on the walls of our offices and even at homes—they serve as constant reminders of important messages.

Same with these references. Print them out, put them on your desk, and see magic unfold.

When shopping for a physical product online, you typically see several images showcasing the product from various angles, which helps you decide whether to buy it. That's essentially what I'm doing when I create multiple perspectives of charts—I present the topic from different angles.

Let's say you want to learn the CAGED system for guitar. I realize you might not be a guitarist and don't know what CAGED is. In that case, just think of it as a system of scales specifically for guitar.

CAGED has many facets to it. You may have different intents when approaching this system. And there's no single reference that would satisfy all those needs. Even if one existed, it would be way too convoluted and overwhelming, because it would have everything slapped onto it, resulting in a mega chart, with a tiny font you wouldn't be able to read.

Besides, you might not even be aware that multiple facets exist. For example, some people believe that CAGED is for Major only, and get surprised that CAGED has a Minor version (facet) as well.

That's why I try to create variations of references per intent. Let me give you several concrete examples.

• Perhaps you prefer to see CAGED patterns that are clearly isolated from one another, especially if you're just starting out and want as few distractions as possible.
• You might prefer scale diagrams that show interval names, or scale degrees, or note names, or finger positions, or picking directions, or even blank circles.
• Maybe you want diagrams for the Minor version of the CAGED system.
• You might be wondering how CAGED can be applied to modes.
• Perhaps you're curious about why it's called CAGED in the first place and what C-A-G-E-D chords have to do with this system.
• Maybe you want to add emotion to your lead playing by strategically targeting different harmonic layers, such as chord tones, pentatonic tones, or more distant tones.
• Perhaps you want to see each CAGED shape interconnected with other shapes because you've mastered every pattern individually, and your current intent is practicing switching between them back and forth to break free from playing in a box-like manner.
• Maybe you want to see where CAGED patterns line up and where they overlap.

Each of those represents a different angle from which CAGED can be viewed. Either perspective can be helpful. And together, they collectively create a holistic understanding of the system. So I plan which ones make sense and produce them.

Imagine you start your day with a bottle filled with 100% of creative energy and focus. Every time you look up information or search for a chart online, you lose a bit of that focus, causing the amount of creative energy in the bottle to decrease.

I know you probably don't give it much thought, but that's a thing, and you experience it. You can even conduct your own research on the concept of "Creative Flow". You'll learn that it's a scarce resource that can easily be depleted. In fact, everything you do which does not directly contribute to your creative ideas disrupts your flow. Even when you simply switch the context, you harm the flow. That's why it's called "flow" in the first place, suggesting an uninterrupted movement of ideas. If something gets in the way, the flow is broken or interrupted.

Example #1. Imagine trying to come up with a riff or a solo while feeling inspired, but suddenly your string breaks. If you have a backup guitar, that's not a problem—you just switch and continue. But what if you don't have one? You'll need to switch your attention to restringing the guitar, which can definitely disrupt your creative flow. And what if you don't have backup strings? You'll have to go to the store or order them online. In either case, you're cooked and your creative flow will be interrupted for that day.

Example #2. If you're learning a new topic on music through self study, you probably watch numerous online videos. However, when it's time to pick up the guitar and put that knowledge into practice, recalling which exact video has the information you need can be challenging, and resource-draining. Plus, you'll certainly stumble upon a fancy thumbnail that will catch your eye, leading you to click on content unrelated to your original intention. Even if you do recall that exact video title, it's just not convenient to look it up, fast-forward, search for the moment, and click pause. Your creative flow gets affected. Moreover, it means being dependent on your phone, its charge level, Internet connection, and limited by screen size.

Example #3. Let's say you're producing music in your favorite DAW. If your DAW makes simple tasks difficult or inconvenient, or if it keeps you idle while processing, all of that drains your creative energy. You might think you're being productive since you're inside your DAW, clicking buttons, but in reality, you're often just fighting the software. Your creative flow is strongest when you don't even notice the software getting in the way. You're most productive when the software allows you to test your creative ideas almost instantaneously.

The bottom line is, the more you get distracted, the less creative you'll be. So essentially, what you want during your day is to preserve as much of your creative flow as possible.

The way I'm addressing this issue is by designing references that aim to keep you in the zone. Whether it's a separate chart that answers your popup question, or the answer is embedded right into the reference itself as extra info. And, of course, it's printable and within reach.

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." If you understand the meaning of this proverb then you understand the point of this objective.

We're being flooded with tools that automate and simplify things. It's always beneficial to think in extremes. Imagine I create a plugin for your DAW which automagically generates a chorus based on the verse you've created, or vice versa. Sounds amazing, right? Well, not to me. Or at least it depends on one's goals. If you're not aiming to become a musician, but need something quick, this plugin might be perfect for you. But if you want to be in control of your art, you need the tools to create what you intend.

I actually take inspiration from movie scores. Why? Did you know that a soundtrack and a score are two different things? The score is original music written specifically for a single film and won't work for another movie since it's synced to the visuals. In contrast, a soundtrack is a collection of pre-existing songs cherry-picked for a movie and can be used in other films as well.

The keywords here are "specific" to a movie and "synced" to the visuals. But how do you achieve that? Only by understanding how to control viewers' emotions through music. Film composers are masters of manipulation :) . But that's a good thing. It shows that when you know the rules, you can apply them to create the desired effect.

I'm integrating this philosophy into Musician Poster to give you the tools to understand and apply these rules.

Does Musician Poster have one?

Everybody does. Every mentor does.

The first bias is that I am primarily a guitarist, so most of the material will revolve around guitars. However, I do develop my piano skills as well not just for the sake of it but because it's an extremely important instrument when it comes to understanding music and its theory. A lot of concepts are just visible on a keyboard and can be explained much faster than on guitar.

The second bias is that I am targeting Western music and its trends.

The third bias is that I lean towards metal and absorb lots of heavy genres.

The fourth bias, which you've probably already figured out, is that I love big, huge cinematic sound, symphony and orchestration. That's what I am currently incorporating into my compositions. Here's a concept demo song that I've written at the end of 2022 if you're interested. This particular bias doesn't mean I'm exclusively creating content around this interest. Instead, I explore it and integrate some of its elements into Musician Poster.

But with that said, I don't intentionally restrict Musician Poster to these constraints. I select practical topics that can directly benefit your songwriting or playing skills.

One page. No scrolling, no fast-forwarding, no ads, no fluff. Content is 1-page long by design.

Practical stuff. I don't delve into the depths of music. Believe it or not, music can actually become like rocket science—a rabbit hole where you go deeper and deeper, thinking you're becoming more enlightened, when in fact, you'll just get lost in math and eventually lose passion. I avoid that. I focus on practical, grounded stuff that you can understand and apply to your advantage.

For example, I'm not aiming to cover thousands of existing scales. Instead, I'm focusing on fewer than 50 scales—enough to keep you engaged for a lifetime and provide total freedom in expressing yourself.

By browsing this website, you're already accessing filtered content that is likely to benefit your personal journey. This approach ensures you're not overwhelmed by an encyclopedia of information that may or may not be useful to you.

Remember, in music, there are many simple things that can have a massive effect. It's often more valuable to explore these than exploring advanced concepts that may be appreciated by less than 1% of the world population.

Focus. I'm not fond of mega charts, you know, those that try to fit everything there is to know onto one chart. They're counterproductive. It looks way too complicated when you try to take in everything at once.

Take the Circle of Fifths, for example. You can create a chart that looks like a spaceship, and you won't even know where the start button is. Instead, I create multiple simpler versions that focus on one facet at a time, without overwhelming you.

Design as a tool. I use color to convey meaning and enhance clarity, rather than just cramming in more colors for the sake of it. My goal is to ensure that the design supports your learning rather than distracting from it.

100% vector. References are scalable to any size without losing quality. Whether you print them on A4, or scale up to A3 or A2, the clarity remains intact. In simple words, no blurry hard-to-read charts or texts no matter how much you zoom in.

Simplicity. I value simplicity over sounding smart and convoluted.

No eyestrain. Text readability is more important than fancy design. All text is crafted to ensure effortless readability both on paper and device screen mediums (WCAG contrast compliant).

User-friendly. On my website, I've put a lot of effort into structuring and organizing data so that it's accessible as quickly as possible, within a few-clicks reach, without the need for any typing and with a clean UX design.

Additionally, the QR code on the poster exists for the same reason—you can instantly access its dedicated webpage just by scanning this code.

Creative control. I handcraft charts in vector graphics programs, which allows me to have total creative control over the final appearance. Any font, any curve, anything my imagination can think of. And each next reference can have a unique design, improved and enhanced.

No ads. I choose to keep my platform free from ads that I'm not affiliated with or don't endorse. That includes any affiliate content as well. My focus is on delivering valuable content to you, my audience, and building a community around that shared interest.

No matter how much I would like this place to be equally helpful to everybody and all levels, that is probably impossible, or at least impractical.

Therefore, if you're completely new to playing an instrument and learning music then you may find some material here to be confusing or incomplete. If that is the case, then it is because these materials are references which are intended to be used in addition to your primary information source to support your learning process and to have a visual reference to practice and explore a specific area of music.

They can also serve as tools for quick memory refreshers after you've studied a subject. However, they are not complete standalone educational resources. That's what makes my content different from other resources. I focus on bringing high-quality references to enhance, simplify and even augment your learning experience.

That being said, if you already have a grasp of the basics and have been playing your instrument for at least a year, this content will be valuable to you.

Above all, I'm making this place that is worthy of your visit and time and which brings as much value as humanly possible. I am positioning it as a musician's reference hub for many things related to learning guitar, music theory and other topics.

You can think of Musician Poster as an end-to-end reference hub (or resource) for music learners, performers, composers and producers. At least this is how I am planning on building it. My vision is to help you turn your ideas into finished products that others can listen to, react to and maybe even watch on such platforms as YouTube. I know, I've covered a lot, but that's my vector. The fact you are reading this right now means I've already walked thousands of miles, that's my journey and I would be very happy if you join me.

You are at the center of why I do all this. I will take an opportunity here to tell you that all of this won't be possible without your support and engagement. If you truly like my content and want to see what this place can grow into then the easiest way to support me is to share links to this website, recommend it to your friends, and spread the word. This simple act makes such a huge difference and is so powerful when all your contributions sum up.

Thank you for reading :) . I'm looking forward to helping you grow as a musician.
Oleg