Often when I improvise using arpeggios on guitar, I like to add more scale tones to the typical 3 note, CAGE shape arpeggios in any given key. There are many reasons why you might prefer to add these extra notes. Maybe you’d like to get a more focused tonal sound or just make arpeggio shapes that are more comfortable on the neck. What is An Arpeggio? If you need a refresher lesson, I did one …
5 Books Every Guitarist Should Own
Guitar Books for 2024! I’ve updated one of my most popular articles to include new info and changes for the best guitar books for 2024. For many guitarists, books are still the best way to learn the instrument whether you prefer eBooks on your tablet or computer or; old-fashioned physical guitar books. In the age of Youtube videos and learning Apps on our devices, the online community has created a sort of overload of information …
4 Tips for Expanding Your Musical Taste
Having the ability to deeply enjoy music is a gift that not everyone possesses. If you’re one of the lucky ones, it’s in your interest to nurture that gift by listening to as great a variety of music as possible. It’s nice to enjoy our old favorites, sure, but there’s magic in pushing ourselves to try new sounds. It’s part of your musical evolution — in any case, you won’t lose the ability to listen …
Three concepts to level up your guitar playing
As guitarists, we are notorious for learning just enough to get by and calling it a day, trusting that a few minor pentatonic boxes will be enough to carry us through anything that comes our way! This is mainly because learning guitar music theory methodically can be difficult, the way the fretboard is laid out is unintuitive when compared to the piano which makes working through these lessons tedious for many players who early on …
Tips For Becoming a Successful Music Photographer
Playing in a band isn’t the only way to make money if you’re passionate about music. There are all sorts of things you can do in and around the industry, so you’re still surrounded by music all of the time, even if you don’t play. Being a music photographer is a great option if you are interested in photography. You get to go to loads of amazing gigs for free and you might even meet …
How To Get Your Kids Enthusiastic About Learning The Guitar
Getting your little one to appreciate guitar playing means getting them to appreciate good music. Learning the guitar, just like any other musical instrument, holds so many health benefits. It helps boost confidence, enhances your creativity, and gives you a different avenue to express your emotions, among other numerous benefits. Learning to play the guitar can be a great and fun experience for your kids. It gives them something they can hold on to even …
Music, Its Good For You!
The power of music is, quite frankly, mind-blowing. It is amazing how we can play a song, and within 30 seconds, our mood can change. Whether it is a slow love song or an upbeat summer jam, it can transport us to a different place entirely, completely impacting our emotions. This is something that you can use to your advantage, giving you the all-important pick-me-up whenever you need it. Music can lift your spirits when …
Four Essential Tips For Learning An Instrument
Learning an instrument can be a very fulfilling skill to have, and depending on the instrument, it might open you up to a number of opportunities in life. When learning an instrument there are some essential tips that are worth learning in order to be successful. Here are four essential tips for learning an instrument. Invest In A Decent Instrument The first thing you want to do is to make sure the instrument you’re investing …
7 Day Guitar Practice Routine – #3 Arpeggios
Hey it’s Arpeggio day! This week we’re going to change it up by doing some Arpeggio sequences for guitar. If you missed the first 2 installments you can find them here: 7 Day Guitar Practice Routine: Day 1 – Warmups 7 Day Guitar Practice Routine: Day 2 – Modal Workout If you’re new to the routine, I highly recommend reading the first one that includes important instructions on how to practice the right way every …
August 6th Newsletter
How’s it going in the practice room this week? Website Updates First off this week, I’ve spent some time improving the navigation of the website. As the lessons and articles have grown over the past 2 years (thanks to readers like you), things were getting a little cluttered and harder to find. From the top menu on any page of Lifein12Keys.com, you can now navigate to the guitar lessons and topics of your choice. Under …