Tag: Tricks
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Practice, Practice, Practice
Everything you learn requires practice… A lot of practice. You’ve heard the infamous 10,000 hours to master something, right? Well, I’m sure there’s some scientific validity to all this. However, there are a few things to keep in mind to get scientific results. After all, if you walk 10,000 miles in the wrong direction, you
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You don’t need to be perfect!
Practice makes……………..”Perfect?” We’ve all heard this so many times: “Practice makes perfect.” However, to be perfect means it’s objectively supposed to be….. well, “perfect.” When in fact, our human view of perfection is actually pretty subjective and entirely based on each of our own individual point of view. Let’s take Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel
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90’s Chords for fun!
We’ve all heard “Wonderwall” by Oasis. This is a song that has stood the test of time. I’ve taught this song to so many different generations, from Boomers to Gen Alpha. It’s a great song by a great band. I am not trying to be a fan boy here! The reason I bring this up
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Don’t Hesitate To Make A Mistake
Does this sound familiar? When you are about to try something new, you get nervous and worry you might make a mistake, so you don’t even try. We’ve all been here. Learning guitar is only possible by making an exorbitant amount of mistakes. You will learn absolutely nothing from success. Whenever I practice the guitar
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The D Chord!!!!
The D chord is one of those chords that many of my students struggle with. It’s awkward, and small movements make a big difference in whether it sounds good or not. Here are a few things to help and some fun embellished chords to make it more interesting.
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Styles Of Music
Music is a diverse and exciting world. In my book “Guitar For Fun,” I explore two popular styles: pop and reggae. The main difference between these styles lies in the rhythm of the chords. Pop music is often a blend of various styles, as it’s short for “popular.” One such style is the tresillo rhythm,
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Travis Picking
In the book, I only gave a brief overview of Travis Picking. But let me tell you, I could write a whole book about it! Just getting the motion of your right hand alone takes so much time. So, while you wait for a deeper dive, you can still start practicing the basics. Here are
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Power Chords 🤘🏼😝🤘🏼
If you listen to any rock, metal, or punk song, you’ll definitely hear power chords. In the book ‘Guitar For Fun’, it talks about playing power chords. Here’s a more detailed look at what they look and sound like. Take your time and make sure you can hear both notes clearly.
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Counting & Playing Rhythm
Rhythm is so hard and requires a lot of control and patience. In the book, there is an exercise to learning how to count and play your rhythm. Here is a video showing how to play each pattern.
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TV Guitar!
Making the monotonous fun! There are so many guitar techniques that require hours and hours of repetition. This can feel overwhelming and sometimes impossible. TV Guitar is a great way to make it fun! Grab your guitar, put on a show, and practice, practice, practice!!! Techniques that are great for TV Guitar Fingerpicking Here’s an
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Jam With A Friend!
Or with these backing track! One of the best ways to get better at guitar is by playing with others. However, it can be hard to find someone to jam with. Luckily, there are a ton of backing tracks on YouTube. These all sound great with the Am Pentatonic Scale.
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Just A Little Further
Back in high school, my buddy and I went hiking. We were outside of Bellingham in an area called Oyster Dome. At least that’s what I remember. It was like 20+ years ago. 😅 Anyways, we were hiking with these heavy backpacks full of essential gear, and a few hours into the hike, it started
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Inch By Inch
How often do we tell ourselves that we don’t have enough time? ALL THE TIME! 🤪 We live in a constant state of not having enough time. We tell ourselves “Once I get this to that (magic) point I will have more time” But, at last, it never happens leaving us with a wave of
