It’s an ongoing struggle for lots of people at the “long-term beginner” stage. I wrote a few weeks back about the pesky F chord, which is the first barre chord most students learn. The B minor usually comes next, because there are “cheater” version of both. But what about B major? The “A-shape” B chord […]
The Perpetual Beginner: the Nashville Number System, practical theory, and your capo.
The Nashville Number System is a method of musical shorthand devised in the late 1950’s by Bill Matthews of the Jordanaires (most famous as the vocal quartet backing Elvis on his early recordings). It’s a great example of the practical use of music theory. With a little knowledge you can use the concepts behind the […]
The Perpetual Beginner: chord inventory and the horse with no name.
How many chords do you think you know? How many chords are there, anyway? The average basic strummer uses a vocabulary of about eleven chords, and has probably learned quite a few more that they don’t often use or might even avoid. (Barre chords, anyone?) If we go through the familiar open position […]
Droning or dynamic: be more compelling onstage!
When we refer to someone as a dynamic performer, we mean that person commands attention. They draw an audience in and make a lasting impression. You might see this as pure talent, and sometimes it is. But these dynamic performers all make use of an important musical tool, also called dynamics. “Dynamics” in music refer […]
Strum series 3: wrist, hand, and arm
Strum Secrets 3: wrist, hand, and arm In this series I’ve been exploring some different approaches to strumming, and how to create a variety of sounds and rhythms by varying your technique. Just like all other aspects of playing an instrument, there is an ideal of “perfect” technique balanced by the reality that there are […]
The Perpetual Beginner: confidence, competence, and self-limiting beliefs.
I’ve spent a lot of time over the past year talking with people about how they see themselves as players and musicians. I work with students with widely different levels of skill and musical goals, so of course everyone has their own story. But one thing I hear from a lot of people is that […]
