Many guitar players have trouble attaching an acoustic guitar strap to their instrument, unlike the electric guitar most acoustics only come with one strap button located at the base of the instrument. Despite the fact that this problem is rather easy to solve, most acoustic players never actually get round to attaching a strap to … Read more
In my previous post I talked about the source of improvisation, your inner jukebox. Your inner jukebox fuels your ability to improvise, it is your inspiration, it is the tool by which you express yourself as an individual. If you can tune into your inner jukebox, tap into the musical ideas that it generates, and … Read more
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
Today I am going to talk some more about improvisation, specifically melodic improvisation: `soloing’ or `lead playing’ as some call it. Sorry jazz people, I am going to disappoint you and focus on songs that stay in a single key. In particular, I want to reach those people who have only recently started exploring improvisation. … 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
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