Soloing Challenge

In this lesson I'll walk from the basics to more advanced ways of thinking about soloing. Of course we'll talk about scales, keys, how to play over chords, etc but we'll also talk about how to approach a solo from a human/emotion/non music theory perspective.

How Do Recording Studios Work?

Today I'm going live to talk about how recording studios work, specifically how all the gear hooks up together to make sure the whole experience is good for the artist and productive for the engineer. This is going to be a slightly nerdy lesson, but if you've been recording yourself at home at ALL, I'm sure you'll get some practical use out of it. Plus it's just kind of fun to learn how this weird complicated stuff works.

Modes Follow Up

Practical Application of Minor Modes

Practical Application of Major Modes

Practical Application of 7th and 9th Chords in Solos, Melodies, and Chord Progressions

How to Make Parts Feel More Organic and Less Rigid

This live lesson was about how to loosen up the rigid measure line chord switches we all gravitate toward by using push beats and varying when you change chords. We also talked about how you don't need to play JUST one chord even if everyone else is!

Music Theory From Zero to Intermediate

Songwriting Stuff

Hi Everyone,
I am feeling so much better and I'm ready for a live lesson at 4PM pacific time TODAY.

I'm doing a lesson about songwriting - feel free to fire off songwriting-related questions below! Save your other questions for the Live Q&A on Thursday!

Navigating Self-Doubt and Finding Fulfillment in Musicianship

Self-doubt and lack of motivation are common among musicians, and it's important not to dismiss oneself during these times. To reconnect with music, it helps to identify what aspects are meaningful, whether it's specific techniques, melodies, or listening experiences, and to focus on personal engagement rather than external validation.

Avoiding comparisons with other musicians and the pressure to constantly be productive is crucial to preventing self-doubt and fostering growth. Instead, focus on what brings joy and authenticity to the musical journey. Playing with others can be more engaging than playing alone, and developing intuitive skills alongside conscious thought can lead to more fulfilling performances. Musicianship is a personal path with no fixed route, and the most authentic music comes from expressing one's true self rather than following rigid rules.

Hammer-On & Pull-Off Technique

How To Navigate My Patreon (and have more fun learning)

In this stream I talked about how I want you to be a rebel and a "bad student."

I'm not grading your homework, I'm just trying to help you understand music theory and how it applies to guitar and to actually making music!

In this lesson I give you permission to skip ahead and learn about the broader context of music theory so that when you go back to the previous lessons they will actually make more sense. Do things out of order - search for the fun stuff to learn, then go back and learn the basics with more understanding.

CAGED Soloing General Concepts

In this lesson we discussed general concepts around CAGED Soloing with the following concepts:

• Why the pentatonic scale is the best starting point (referring to modes, etc)
• How soloing over chord tones works
• How CAGED System makes the Chords in a Key transposable
• How chord progressions are absolutely fundamental to soloing over chord tones

Join me for a live lesson every Tuesday at 4PM from now on! If you can’t make it, that’s ok! You can always watch later. If you click the “YouTube” logo on the video, you’ll be able to watch the livestream on YouTube and that’s where you’ll have access to the live chat. Feel free to ask questions in the comments below or in the live chat, but keep in mind I’ll typically save all the questions for the end of the lesson.

Making A Cover Song Interesting

What Counts as a Scale in my Melody Making Rules?

In this stream, I got to show you a weird test graphic I made. I didn't end up using it for the lesson I made it for, but I still thought it was cool!

The graphic was showing how I think about scales when it comes to writing melodies. If you've seen my Melody Making Course, you know my basic melody writing guidelines:

1. Always start on a chord tone
2. If you skip notes, only skip from a chord tone TO another chord tone
3. If moving through the scale, keep going until you get to another chord tone

The trick with this third rule is that you can use the chromatic scale, the full scale, or the pentatonic scale whenever you feel like it, as long as you follow a couple guidelines I talk about in this video. I also attached a little graph below for a nice visual representation.

What Is Counterpoint?