If you’re a beginning guitar player, you’ve probably heard the word “scales” before but may not be sure where to start. If you’ve tried a few, you may be wondering what the point is to this often tedious guitar playing chore. There are a few reasons why adding scales to your practice routine is super important: Scales build technique, strength and coordination in both hands on the guitar. Scales are the basis for all melody, …
Guitar Lesson – Pentatonic Scale Shapes, History and Use
Pentatonic Scales! These scales are simultaneously the most used and sometimes most purposely avoided of all scales on the guitar. In all of my years of teaching guitar lessons, I’ve found there are typically 2 kinds of guitarists: Those who avoid pentatonic scales because they believe they are overused or too simple. Those who use pentatonic scales because they are easy to get into and haven’t learned other scales yet. Many years ago at Lentines …
Guitar Goals 2019!
Happy New Year Guitarists! 🎸 Resolutions…. Yikes! I mean, I think the general population will roll their collective eyes .. I know I do. The fact remains, we make New Years Resolutions whether we admit it (publicly) or not right? Whether it’s a diet to take off some of that holiday weight or better Guitar Practice.. I mean myself personally.. I think I ate over 300 cookies bewteen Thanksgiving and Christmas! Who am I kidding? …
Guitar Practice – The Harmonic Minor Scale
I’ve been having a blast lately talking with so many guitarists about all of the things they practice and struggle with on a daily basis. When I built this website, I really wasn’t sure what it was I wanted to to do with it. I started with varying topics that inevitably would always come back around to guitar practice routines and practical, applicable music theory that seemed to be lacking in so many online lessons …
Guitar Practice – How To Create Your Own Chords
Creating Guitar Chords A few years back I had an adult student, far from a beginner mind you, but he was struggling with chords and some basic chord theory. He had this book called “10,000 chord shapes” (I swear that’s a real book!) and he was convinced that he had to learn all of those shapes to become the guitarist he wanted to be. Not only was the concept of a book containing 10,000 chord …
Guitar Practice – Melodic Minor Scale
Melodic Minor Scale & Harmony Oh scary isn’t it! The red-headed stepchild of minor scales.. unless you’re a Jazz or Classical player that is. If you’re a rock, metal, blues or country player you probably avoid this scale like the plague.. if you’ve ever even learned it at all. What is the big deal? Why is this scale so misunderstood (and avoided) outside of Jazz? I was warming up for my gig on a chilly …
Guitarist Bill Hall – Profile and Interview
The internet is a funny thing… there are times when I absolutely despise what social media has become and other times where I’m genuinely moved by reconnecting with an old friend or family member I haven’t seen in years. The latter happened recently when I was promoting my new book (The 7 Day Guitar Practice Routine) in some random guitar related Facebook groups. I came across a video of a guitarist just destroying a nylon …
The 2 String Guitar Workout
Every few months or so, I find myself in some type of a guitar playing slump, or rut or whatever you want to call it. If you’ve been playing guitar for longer than a few years, you probably know what I’m talking about right? Things I normally can play with ease become a little sloppy or my hands feel out of sync. After 30 years and thousands of gigs, it wears on you a bit. …
10 Tips For Playing Live In A Band
Performing live can be scary for new musicians – especially if it’s your first gig. I’ve been playing live now for a little over 27 years now. Thousands of gigs! (Thats me in the pic above playing live at The Gaylord Palms, Orlando in 2013) I’m still learning.. and like any good musician, you should be too! If you want your live performances to go smoothly, make sure to avoid some of these common mistakes. …
Guitar Practice Routines – An Interview with 5 Pro Guitarists
While on my ‘Virtual Book Tour’ promoting The 7 Day Practice Routine For Guitarists, it occurred to me to ’round-up’ some of my favorite players both Local and National to talk a bit about what they practice on a daily basis. As much as I love playing and teaching the guitar… I also really love talking and writing about it too. It was kinda funny though.. Getting REALLY good Guitarists and musicians to talk about …