Melody Writing, Ranting, How to Start Writing Music

This week was very interesting! I ranted a lot about a few thing I'm very passionate about. I hope it helps a few people.

Question 1 was from Wayne, who asked about Melody Writing which is great because I'm working on a course for that exact topic.

Question 2 from Richard REALLY got me going! He asked if it was important to know how to play all the major and minor scales without having to think about it. My answer was a big long "it depends" that hopefully resonates with everyone wondering what to do right now.

Question 3 from Daniel was an update about a gig last weekend and a question about how to start writing music. Step 1: accept that you're not starting by writing whole songs and 2: get involved with Community Challenges.

Question 4 antcav had a question about how to practice getting into 8th and 16th notes in solos. I mentioned a philosophical concept called "Logical Positivism" which I probably didn't describe accurately, but I think it worked in my analogy!

Question 5 Jeff asked if there is basic interval to maintain between the bass and guitar - a general range for each instrument in a tune

Question 6 I accidentally switched to iPad instead of computer screen while reading Phils question : Is it important to know every basic guitar shape in every position?

Question 7 b b asked my opinion on the best digital amps

Question 8 b b asked my preferred type of reverb - plate, room, hall, spring, other?

CAGED, Syncopation, Bending Noise, Performing, Vocal Range

Ray had questions about 1. wether I'm doing another CAGED series 2. syncopation and 3. Jimi hendrix timing and 4. the best place to do double stops

Wayne had a question about bending, specifically string noise when bending the high E string

Daniel asked for advise on performing this weekend

Mason had questions about using a capo to adjust the key of a song

Gary asked how to find our vocal range

Jeff asked how to harmonize a written melody

Playing With Other People, Writing Music to Lyrics, Sweep Picking, Playing Musically

Ray asked if it was important to play with other people and what to do if you can't find people to play with.

Jeff provided some lyrics and asked for tips on how to put music to lyrics

Ray says "please explain the mysteries of sweep picking"

Wayne asked about how to play more musically

Daniel was looking for tips on how to use the CAGED System to solo over the song "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac

Luke asked about bluegrass flatpicking - what is it and how does it work?

Aaron asked what "playing in the pocket" means

Daniel asked if I could break down Valerie by Amy Winehouse for a solo as well.

Office Hours, Q&A

Question 1 from Tristan boils down to this idea of mixing major and minor scales in a blues situation - I gave a basic blues lesson and explained a range of scales you might find in a blues situation, including the magical mixing of major and minor scales.

Question 2 from Jeff was about exporting (called Bouncing) a track out of Logic Pro X

Question 3 - Keith was asking about fretting hand technique to avoid unwanted string noise up by the 15th fret.

Question 4 - Mason wanted to know how I developed my thumb independence to learn songs like Windy and Warm 

There were a few other nice questions at the end - Continue the conversation on the community forum.

MY BAND has been putting out new music, and we'll continue putting out more and more this year - check it out!

Office Hors, Q&A

I'll do my best to answer your questions and give examples of how you can practice developing skills related to your question.

Keep in mind, you can always watch later if you can't make it live! Check back a few hours after the stream for a numbered list of each question and a timestamped link to each answer.

Office Hours, Q&A

Office Hours, Q&A

Here are the timestamped questions:

Question 1: Ray had questions about big hands and how to hold the guitar to maximize dexterity

Question 2: Wayne and Harsh had questions about warming up - best practices and why.

Question 3: Harsh had a question about how to practice using the D shape chord - I gave some ideas using SPJ Jam Tracks 

Question 4: Tristan had some questions about movable pentatonic shapes

Question 5: Stevie was wondering about the difference between a melody and a riff. I muddied the waters more here, but it ultimately comes down to context.

Question 6: Vicenco had questions about keeping the pulse while strumming anything other than the classic patterns. I recommended my strumming course.

Question 7: Harsh had questions about how to identify the key of a song so you can play along and solo - check out my Ear Training series and my Live Song Analysis series.

Question 8: Mathias had questions about how to keep the rhythm and pulse while soloing

Question 9: Omar was curious about how my camera guitar works - I can't say yet!

ASK ME ANYTHING! I'VE NEVER MET A QUESTION I DIDN'T LIKE!

How To Hold The Guitar, Alternate Tunings, Penta vs Full Scale, Ear Training

This was a great stream! Here are the timestamped questions:

Question 1: Ray had questions about which leg to hold the guitar and how to approach using a strap

Question 2: Tristan was wondering about alternate tunings

Question 3: Kenneth had some questions about pentatonic vs full scale

Question 4: Jeffrey was curious about the screws on the bridge of a guitar - what are they for?

Question 5: Matt had a question about learning songs by ear and how to figure out specific tricky parts.

Question 6: Tony wants to easily find every note on the fingerboard and asked if arpeggios are the right next step. We got INTO it

Question 7: Jeff had been working on bass and timing and asked if a metronome is the right place to do that. I recommended a different approach.

Question 8: Sam had a question about bending more cleanly

Alternate Tuning, How To Tell If You're Getting Better, Bad Habits

Here are the questions from this week, timestamped in order:

Question 1: Ray asked about how to get into alternate tunings and if they fit with the CAGED System

Question 2: Harsh asked how to tell if you're getting better. how to tell if you need outside help, and how to get back into it after a break.

Question 3: David showed a specific fingerpicking technique and asked if it was ok or bad. I voted "bad" and gave suggestions, including methods of muting.

Question 4: Jeffrey asked if bass and ukulele are similar to guitar. We went over similarities and differences.

Question 5: Vicenco has problems playing with a pick. I gave some tips for how to hold the thing, and some exercises to practice getting comfortable with the mechanics.

Question 6: Mateus talked about a new music nerd ability to listen to music with an ear for whats going on instead of just absorbing how it feels. We talked about ways to deliberately hang out in either camp.

Question 7: Jeff had a question about bass muting. I gave some tips

Writing While Fingerpicking

Here are the questions:

Question 1: Ahmed asked for helping figuring out how to write to fingerpicking.

Question 2: Ray asked about my iPad app - I used GoodNotes 

Question 3: Rich shared a cool chord progression and had some trouble figuring out what key it was in.

Question 4: Ray asked what the ideal practice session looks like

Question 5: Tristan asked how to spice up transitions between chords

Question 6: Jeff asked for tips on how to add bass practice into a routine

Question 7: Joe is struggling to aim well on Folsom Prison Blues strumming pattern

Question 8: Kenneth asked some specific questions around CAGED Basics - do you play other chords within the shape or switch pentatonic shapes?

Question 9: Graeme asked a similar question!

Question 10: Paul asked if I have lessons about arpeggios - Yes! CAGED Basics 

Question 11: James asked what software I use for recording - I use Logic Pro

The questions:

Harsh was wondering about these kinds of practice bands. Are they worth it? Useful? I gave some thoughts about these, but also about a general approach to practice that might answer these types of questions down the line.

Ray was hoping for a quick round up of guitar embellishments. This isn't the way I think about things, but I tried to give quite a few examples of the types of chord embellishments that translate to lead concepts using Music Theory Monday info.

Anthony was looking for some ways to practice timing. I gave a little talk about the sacred metronome. Happy Birthday to you and your daughter!

David asked me how I keep track of all the song ideas I've written. 

Ray F asked about loop pedals and buying pedals in general. I forgot to mention you need a power supply too. If you need info about that, ask about it in the comments or community forum.

Mateus asked about mixing major and minor scales in a Major Key song. I talked about the blues IV chord trick.

Jeff graciously helped me figure out my face-to-face chat system (still needs some work) with a question about how to handle two bends in quick succession. Right hand muting? Left hand muting? How to handle that.

Jason asked what the Rubiks Cube series is about. I gave a taste

Continue the discussion on the community forum.

EQ, Slide Guitar, Moveable Shapes, Chet Atkins

The questions:

Mark R asked if I could walk through how to EQ a track

Ray had questions about slide guitar and the fitting context for 11th and 13th chords. Here is a slide guitar lesson I made last year 

Ethan asked about something related to notifications: Basically, I try to send an alert that the stream is starting roughly an hour beforehand, but you can also subscribe to my little Patreon YouTube channel and click the bell for notifications, I think - has anyone tried this and does it work?

Harsh had a question about what to practice on the days when it's a drag to pick up the guitar.

Roscopico had a question about movable shapes, relative keys, and dominant chord.

Andy had a question about Chet Atkins style barrel rolls and another question about thin vs thick picks.

Harsh had another question about whether I have more beginner tracks for technique and stuff. I don't. I'm trying to fill a specific niche here on my Patreon, but maybe someday I'll have a beginner track. I gave some beginner picking advise.

David asked how I switch cameras

Bill Withers, Practice Tracks, Creativity, String Gauge

Great stream, as usual. Lots of great questions. Here they are:

Sirot had some questions about the chord progression for Bill Withers' Just the Two of Us 

D B had a question about wether I had more practice jam tracks than just C Major and A Minor

Harsh was wondering about a good approach to the creative sections of MTFG and CAGED Basics

Mateus was having issues with a guitar after switching from 10 gauge to 12 gauge strings.

Graeme wanted my take on the issue of hanging guitars. I just realized that I've only ever used "String Swing" brand guitar hangers and I've never had an issue, but I remembered there are some cheaper brands of floor stand that have caused issues for other people's guitars.

Stevie wanted advice on 1) recording guitar amps and 2) setting up a pedal board in the ideal arrangement.

D B was lookingfor good sheet music resources online. I like https://imslp.org for the classics and google image searching "*name of jazz standard* Real book" and seeing if I can find something printable.

Ahmed was feeling overwhelmed by the idea of having to learn all new riffs for each mode.

Jeffery wanted to know if it's alright to practice with a mixer, or do you need to hear the room?

Ray had some questions about fingerstyle technique - pinky plant or not?

Graeme and Ray had questions about more fingerpicking lessons AND using a THUMB PICK. 

D B asked about private lessons - do I do them anymore? 

Chord Substitution, Stronger Melodies, Switching Chords

Here were the questions, linked to the appropriate timestamp:

Sirot was wondering about two things: chord substitution and secondary dominants.

Mark was looking for tips on how to pick up the rhythm of a song AND how to create stronger melodies.

Ray was looking for practice advise about switching chords, especially the tricky ones. Ray, you had another question I missed about how much you should be looking at the neck when you play guitar. My answer: A LOT. ENOUGH TO HAVE A CLEAR CLEAR MENTAL PICTURE OF WHAT YOUR HANDS ARE DOING! Then, you can practice gradually looking away as long as you know that your hands are doing what you want them to do.

Jeff wanted to know how I craft my guitar tones

Graeme liked my recommendation of listening to Leo Kottke and asked for more music to listen to.

BazLightyear wanted to know what to move on to the next lesson in MTFG

Alo asked for some basic daily exercises

Got followup questions? Want to have a related discussion? Come hang out on the community forum.

7th vs add9 Chords, CAGED Chords, Backing Tracks

Graeme had a question about 7th vs add9 chords

Tony had a question about playing full six-string CAGED Shapes

Jeff was wondering what kinds of things to focus on while playing with a backing track

Harsh asked if it is necessary to know exactly what notes you're playing all the time.

Motivation, Practice Technique

This one was very nice and very short! Here are the questions:

Ray was looking for some ways to stay motivated.

Stevie had a concern about regressing back to simpler technique

Harsh had a question about when to move on from the Intervals section of MTFG

12 Strings, Motivation, Right Hand Technique, Finding Your Path, Used Guitars

I was a little under-slept and over-caffeinated for this one but it went pretty well and I was very excited to show off a new feature: I was finally able to offer an easy way to have Patrons ask questions via video live on stream! I'll do more of that in the future. I was only testing this feature for this stream. Thanks Jeff and Tyler for helping me out!

Question 1 was from Thijs looking for 12 string guitar tips

Question 2 - Brian was looking for tips on how to stay motivated while learning music theory.

Question 3 from Jeffery was about right hand relaxation while strumming (and fingerpicking, but I focused on the strumming part)

Question 4 - Jason was wondering how to find the clear path forward after the initial music theory lessons. My advise is always this: Make the most specific goals for yourself - what do you like? What excites you? What challenges sound fun and which ones make you want to quit guitar? Move toward the fun challenges and don't worry about the others. The more specific you get with goals, the easier it is to see the path forward.

Question 5 - Liam had questions about buying a new or used guitar. When to buy? What to buy? Red flags for used guitars? Liam was also looking for ergonomic tips when playing guitar standing up with a shoulder strap.

Question 6 - Joe had a question about looking at the neck while playing - are you supposed to practice without looking? Can you look? It is OK to look! It's also ok to memorize so you don't need the sheet music. It's also ok not to play it PERFECTLY before moving on.

Question 7 - Tyler (Surfdad83) was asking about the chord progression Fm Eb Bb - what key is it in? Is it modal? I concluded that it was in Dorian Mode, but if it was part of a bigger section, it might not be.

Question 8 - Kevin was wondering about the tonality of the song Killing an Arab by the Cure. Wow! There is a LOT going on here. We dove into it and considered some big music composition implications.

From there, I invited my Patrons to help me test out an easy video chat system that requires no downloading an app, no creating a login or password, easy peasy. You just type your name and join. I'm very excited.

Feel free to continue the discussion on the community forum or in the comments below.

Motivation, Playing Over Chords, Remembering Ideas, Strings

These were the questions:

Question 1: Jeffery was wondering how to practice when you lose motivation - I also recommend checking out Practice Thoughts 

Question 2: Richard had questions about soloing over specific chord progressions. I strongly recommend MTM lessons 17 18 19 for melody making and CAGED Soloing for applying that information specifically to the CAGED system.

Question 3: Jeffery was wondering how I write my ideas down when I don't have access to my recording equipment

Question 4: David was asking if there is an app for quickly tabbing ideas

Question 5: BB was asking about ear training advise. I recommend spotify roulette plus my course on Ear Training.

Got more questions? Come hang out on the community forum.

Percussive Guitar, Switching Guitars Mid-Show, Chord Identification, Tuning with Harmonics

Great questions this week. 

Question 1: Ray wanted my opinion of percussive guitar playing.

Question 2: Mateus was curious about how/why guitar players switch guitars in a show.

Question 3: Graeme wanted help identifying a specific chord.

Question 4: There are a variety of questions from chat at this point ranging from how to tune using harmonics, where my music will release, how to write a lot of ideas, and how to release music.

If you'd like to continue the conversation, do so in the comments or on the community forum.

Final Stream Before Seattle Studio!

This was my final stream in Southern California before moving back up to the Seattle area.

Question 1: Ray asked about the fundamentals of muting - see also Question 11 below

Question 2: Jeff was wondering about positions in the CAGED System. I cleared up some confusion about terms.

Question 3: Wayne wanted to work through the CAGED system in a particular way. I like it, BUT had a few key things to keep in mind.

Question 4: Ray was curious about how the 3NPS (3 notes per string) method compares to CAGED

Question 5: Mark was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to keep track of. I gave some advise on how to simplify and divide up practice time.

Question 6: Holly was wondering where to sell gear

Question 7: Tamara had questions about developing a personal style.

Question 8: Patrick was considering buying a loop pedal. I talked about workflow.

Question 9: Dede was wondering how capacitors affect your tone. I don't know!

Question 10: Stevie was asking wether to get into GarageBand or go straight to Logic Pro

Question 11: Patrick had a more specific question about muting that I didn't address in Question 1

Question 12: cblulu asked about making practice more fun and musical

Question 13: Patrick asked if it's best to buy the nicest or cheapest equipment AND asked if gear depreciates like computers do - NO. Also, check out JHS channel - always good advise

Question 14: David asked for advise transitioning from D to D7

Follow up on the community forum if you have more to say.

Silly Hat, Modes and I IV V, Mixer, Major Blues with Minor Penta

This week started with my ridiculous radish hat and a little talk about what kind of videos are coming out soon.

Question 1: Frank had some questions about Mixolydian mode and Dom7 chords

Question 2: Halo Hat was wondering about my mixer (Tascam Model 12)

Question 3: Nis-Momme also had a question about Dom7 chords, but this question was more about the blues.

Question 4: Halo Hat asked: do I see the fingerboard horizontal or veritcal?

Question 5: Halo Hat had a question about inversions

Logic Pro X, MIDI Controllers, Chord Tones

Question 1: Stevie was wondering if and when to upgrade from GarageBand to Logic Pro. My computer was ridiculous and messed up my audio for a minute or two, but I got it fixed by this point.

Question 2: Julian was wondering which MIDI controller keyboard to buy of the two I own: The Korg MicroKey 25 or the Akai LPK 25 - I weight the pros and cons. Also, it looks like there is an Akai LPK 25 MkII that looks really nice.

Question 3: Ray had a great question about chord tones and voice leading. I mentioned MTM 17 18 19 for melody making and CAGED Soloing.

Question 4: StratMan WannaBe was worried about learning to fast on paper without applying to the fingerboard. I went in depth on how to practice by setting goals and how to practice by focusing on one thing and letting other things fall apart.

Question 5: Dan was wondering where to start on the fingerboard when starting a solo

Question 6: Ahmed was wondering about the cons of playing with low action

Question 7: Kevin was curious about truss rod adjustment. I explain with the ipad

An intonation question was related, so I went into a bit of explanation about how intonation works.

I did challenge people (as per Stratman's question) to share their goals as specifically as possible on the community forum.

I also invited Tim to share how the jam session went!

Analysis, Bach, Logic Pro, Ear Training, Nerves, Gear

Question 1: Ahmed asked for an analysis of my melody in my latest Community Challenge

Question 2: Jeff was working on a cool piece by Bach and had questions about practice

Question 3: Tasha wants a comprehensive course on Logic Pro X.

Question 4: Ray wanted some tips on how to learn a song by ear - we took Ledbetter by Pearl Jam and spent a few minutes with it.

Question 5: Tim is meeting with a friend to record and jam - maybe write music together and maybe work on one of Tim's song. Tim is a bit nervous and wants tips on a) how to prepare/what to expect and b) how to deal with nerves.

Question 6: Halo Hat was looking for good drum software - I recommended something like Native Instruments Drums but I'm sure there are other good ones on the market. Halo Hat was also wondering how I like my M1 Ultra

Question 7: Kevin was looking for speakers for an FX unit. As a community, we discussed the pros and cons of switching to an audio interface, using an amp as a speaker, using a studio monitor as a speaker, or other options!

Got follow up questions? Want to rehash a topic? Come hang out on the community forum.

My Backstory, Reading Music, & More

Question 1: Ray wanted to know a little about my backstory

Question 2: Ray also wanted to know if you're playing in the key of A, can you play also in the key of the IV and V chord, which would be the Key of D and the key of E. The answer is basically no, but kind of, but because of the hierarchy of important considerations when soloing.

Question 3: Richard wanted to know how guitarists tune so quickly on stage. I mentioned this cool PolyTune pedal

Question 4: Noah asked if I recommend any good books for theory and playing. I don't usually think about books, but I learned how to read music from this Mel Bay book and I would recommend it to anyone learning to read music.

Question 5: Josh was wondering if it's ok to use Dsus4 shape instead of a D shape. I referred specifically to the D CHORD in this explanation, but it applies anywhere you're talking about the D shape as well. I would not recommend it, but art is art.

Question 6: David was wondering how long to spend on the first MTFG lesson - I'd say move on once you get it mostly playable. No need to do full speed. But even more importantly, check out Practice Thoughts on The Jump, Scott's Practice Method, and Doing vs Thinking.

Question 7: Julian wanted a bit of advise on creating interesting drum tracks. I forgot to answer your bass line question! Check out my bass line lesson here and see if you can use an octave effect on your guitar or buy an octave down pedal for your guitar to write basslines.

Soloing Over Chords & Finding Notes

This weeks questions were:

Question 1: Prahanien was wondering about soloing over the specific chords in a chord progression. I went into some detail, but mainly focused on concepts laid out in CAGED Soloing.

Question 2: Ahmed was wondering how to find the same note somewhere else on the fingerboard. I went into a few ideas and recommended checking out Unison Note Finder.

Question 3: William was also trying to get a feel for CAGED soloing. Not only do I recommend the same series from question 1 above, but I think it's important to really understand how melodies work, as in MTM 17 18 19. It's also important to switch between very deliberate careful soloing and just exploring without thinking too hard.

Question 4: Mateus was wondering if there is some kind of sheet to say every chord you can play as an alternative, like in a I vi ii V progression. I gave a really fun shortcut, but I'm planning on doing a slightly more formal version for MTM soon.

Song Structure & Soling Over Minor Keys

Question 1: Hal was curious about my Fender Musicmaster - why do I like it?

Question 2: Mark-R was wondering about song structure, specifically how to write a second part once you have a good first part. While each song is different and requires a different approach, I think my "descriptive" method is a nice tool.

Question 3: Jonathan was curious about how to solo over minor keys. I couldn't quite understand the specifics of the question, but I think CAGED Soloing and MTM 17, 18, and 19 will help you understand melodies,

Question 4: Fred asked what kind of progress to expect as an older learner, practicing every day. Always set goals.

Question 5: ConvexFX wanted to know how I learned guitar? Who were my idols? Did I start with CAGED?

Question 6: Mathias Horn had questions about thumb placement - Where is it supposed to be when you're playing?

Question 7: Tropf was wondering if I play in a band (I do, called Hot Bodies in Motion) and why I don't post more on YouTube!

Question 8: Ahmed was looking for tips on recording voice and guitar simultaneously.

Question 9: Kaj just finished MTFG Minor Scales and was trying to make sense of my CAGED labels for each scale. I gave some explanation, but CAGED Basics I and IIwill start making more sense.