If you’ve ever taken a guitar lesson, you’ve probably heard about the importance of practicing scales. You might have some questions about, what, exactly, one gets out of the exercise. Lots of people will use the word “tedious” and it’s not an unfair judgment. But practicing scales doesn’t have to be mind-numbing. (In fact, your […]
The top 3 challenges for singers learning guitar, and how to conquer them
Living and working in Nashville, I meet a lot of singers who want to learn to accompany themselves. Even in a music town like this one, where competent guitarists are easy to find, there’s a lot of value in being able to play for yourself. First off all, it makes you independent – you can […]
Bass string “walks” on guitar
A “walk” is a single note line on the low strings that connects one chord to another. Essentially, it allows the guitar to take on the role of the bass player for a moment and lead the music forward into the next chord. Bass players refer to “walking” lines, which use notes from the chord […]
Why Does It Hurt When I Play?
Do your hands hurt during or after a practice session? It might be a sign that something needs to change, or even that you might be developing a problem. If you don’t experience pain or fatigue, these principles will still help you play with more fluidity and ease – because most pain comes from tension […]
5 Tips To Help You Stop Avoiding Barre Chords!
Lots of people do it, maybe you do too: avoid learning a song because it demands that you play barre chords. I’m not going to suggest that barre chords aren’t a challenge, for most people they are at least in the beginning. But here are some things you can do to make the learning process […]
Strum secrets 2: percussion and tonal quality
Guitars are percussion instruments that you strum. Like drums, we hit them to make a sound. Even a light touch has an “attack”: the way the finger or pick hits the string. The attack is the beginning of what we might call the “envelope” of the sound. If you’ve ever looked at audio waveforms on […]
