I believe that true guitar mastery can be directly judged by a player’s ability to improvise. You can learn all the technique you want, know all the theory, be able to play any song beautifully -no matter how technically difficult- with all its dynamic subtleties, and to me you’d be merely good. But to be … Read more
Many times I will have a certain musical idea in my head, for example, a phrase that just popped into my mind. Or perhaps it’s part of a solo that I heard on the radio earlier. I want to be able to play it on the guitar but I am having a hard time figuring … Read more
When I was a teenager I used to hang out with other kids in my school who also played an instrument. I remember one guy in particular, who was a guitar player, who I really looked up to. He had been taking lessons for a couple of years, and I had only just picked up … Read more
The guitar “method” book is a staple for guitar players going back decades. Before audio, video, and Internet guitar lessons, there were guitar method book. Click here to find the best beginner guitar Learn to Play Guitar — Left Handers Why Learn Guitar With Method Books? Some features of basic guitar method books include: First … Read more
If you are left handed, you have a decision to make. Should you learn to play like a righty? Or should you get a left-handed guitar? Here’s a suggestion from a left-handed guitar player. “Go into a guitar shop and pick up the best guitar. Sit down and without too much thought, put the guitar … Read more
A metronome is a mechanical device that provides a click sound at a selected tempo. The metronome lets you learn to control the timing of the music. Critics of metronome practice rightfully claim that real music is not played at a strict click-click metronome tempo. In live music, the tempo gets pushed or pulled back. … Read more
For guitarists, tuning your guitar is a necessity. A piano gets tuned by a professional once a year or so. Guitars need tuning every time you play your guitar. But, there’s good news. The guitar only has six strings (the piano has hundreds). Click here to find the best beginner guitar Learn to Play Guitar: … Read more
I believe that the best way to learn (and improve) guitar playing is to take private lessons with the right teacher. The key to success is finding the right teacher for you. There are lots of reasons why you might not be able to take private lessons. See Learning Guitar: Books, Videos & Software. But, if … Read more
What’s the Best Way to Learn How to Play Guitar? There are many excellent ways to learn and improve your guitar playing. The key is to find the methods that work best for you. This is a great time to be a guitar student. The following learning resources are available for beginners to virtuosos. Pick … Read more
These are some of the most essential, bread-and-butter, don’t-leave-home-without-them type acoustic guitar techniques. You’ve probably heard them on many recordings. Let’s start with what I call…Pluck & DampThis is a fingerstyle technique that I like a lot. The alternate plucking and damping creates a very nice percussive groove that is just perfect for mid-tempo songs. … Read more