7 Essential Jazz Chords and Scale Study – The Girl From Ipanema An analysis, lesson and study of a really classic Jazz / Pop tune, The Girl From Ipanema. In this Guitar lesson: Girl From Ipanema Chord Chart Chord Analysis Section A Chord Analysis Section B Soloing and Improvisation Ideas – The Essential Scales Practice Backing Track Every once in a while I need to write a lesson for myself as well as for my … Read More
Minor Pentatonic Shapes – Guitar Scale Overlapping
This week I’m going to revisit the Pentatonic Scale. Particularly the minor pentatonic scale and how it overlaps notes in it’s parent Major Key. In case you missed it, last week I did a lesson on guitar modal scales and how they overlap. One of my readers, Tim, sent me an email right after that lesson went live and asked about the same concept using minor Pentatonic scales.. so like I always say… I get … Read More
Guitar Modes – A Practical Guide To Modal Shapes
Guitar Modes Whenever I see guitar modes explained in lessons and other guitar blogs, there always seems to be one key point missing. How they overlap each other. When discussing how to use guitar modes, it’s really important to understand how they fall across the fretboard in any given key. To further illustrate this point, I received an email from Randal, an email subscriber who had just purchased my book The 7 Day Practice Routine … Read More
Lagrima – Complete Score and Classical Guitar Lesson
My first (online) Classical Guitar Lesson! I gotta say, I’m kinda stoked about it too. If you’ve read my 2019 Guitar Goals article, you know that classical guitar is a beloved hobby of mine and something I always strive to improve. In this Lesson: Intro Francisco Tarrega Intro to Classical Guitar Score Analysis Tips For Practicing Video Performance January for us working musicians in Florida can be the slowest time of year for live gigs. … Read More
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 … Read More
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 … Read More
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 … Read More
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 … Read More
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 … Read More
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. … Read More
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