Office Hours, Q&A

This was a great Q&A!

Question 1 was from Mateus regarding soloing. Why do all these jam tracks start with the I chord? And in what key is the chord progression A Major to F Major?

Question 2: Escanor was curious about why chord charts don't include the low E string when showing an A Minor chord.

Question 3: Tasha was curious about guitar pedal essentials. What are the basic pedals to start with?

Question 4: Sev was curious about the advantages or disadvantages of learning guitar and bass simultaneously.

Question 5: Lounge Actor was curious about general guidelines for creating a chorus in a completely different key! I talk a little about ways to tinker with this concept, borrowing a little from classical and romantic. I wrote a little tune and played around with jumping into different keys. If you write something with a key change in it like this, post it in the community forum thread for this post!

Question 6: Rene, a new guitarist, was wondering when it will really feel like you're playing guitar. And some other good questions.

Question 7: Riccardo was curious about the shapes for soloing in harmonic minor using the CAGED system.

Question 8: Russ was curious about half diminished (aka m7b5) chords. Do they just take time or is there something to them?

Question 9: Rene wanted to know if it was too much to learn piano and guitar simultaneously.

Question 10: Gary asked if there are major and minor CAGED shapes. Yes, but the approach can be weird. I explain a little bit. Actually a lot.

Question 11: Sev was curious about my band, Hot Bodies in Motion. We're working on new music, coming out sometime this year!

Question 12: Sidinei was wondering - specifically - how many times through must we practice the exercises before we move on. In other words, when is the right time to move on? When we get the exercise perfectly? When we get it good "enough?" When?

Question 13: Are there any classes about reharmonization? Yes. Music Theory Monday has these lessons: MTM 24 | Reharmonization Basics, 25 | Reharmonization with 7th Chords, and Music Theory Monday 26 | More Reharmonization

Thanks for hanging out and I hope you can catch the next one! If you have any followup questions, come hang out on the community forum.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Question 1: Dennis had a few questions about volume and tone and amplifiers. I really got into it.

Question 2: Ben had some questions about creating strumming patterns. I recommend my Strumming Patterns Series.

Question 3: Tasha had a few questions regarding a mix of dry and wet signal in Logic Pro as well as some questions about guitar noise.

Question 4: Andy was wondering if there was a correct way to move through the CAGED System shapes.

Question 5: Vlad was curious about why the 1st interval exercise includes all the intervals in an octave and the 2nd exercise only includes 3rds and 6ths.

Question 6: Trevor had a question about making chord progressions!

Question 7: Greylight had some questions about teaching method and how to move toward teaching creativity.

Question 8: Ed was curious about some kind of left hand speedy practice.

Question 9: Velo Moose was wondering why live bands are so dang loud. I don't know! But I wear earplugs when I go to a show, usually.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Question 1: Dennis had a question about combining sus chords and 7th chords.

Question 2: Sean was curious about 440Hz - I deep dived (dove?) into the idea with EQ software

Question 3: Davin was feeling unclear on mastering, compression, and limiters. There is a LOT to it so I tried to first provide some context, then explain what mastering is. Then I talked about compressors a little more specifically.

Question 4: Robert was wondering if I had some scratch paper for intervals and scale degrees - i recommended making one! I've attached some scratch paper.

Question 5: Phil had a question about amp settings - since I don't have a lesson about that stuff yet, I did a quick tutorial about it.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Leo wanted to followup about his question last week.

Question 1: Martin got a loop pedal, and wanted some tips

Question 2: Mateus had questions about my recent Ear Training lesson, specifically about whole steps and wether or not they sound "bad" in a chord.

Question 3: Russ was wondering why people always say "learn your major scales and you'll understand everything" - I went on a little rant about how this stuff applies to music.

Question 4: Dennis was curious about how minor chords apply to the CAGED system

Question 5: Oliver first asked how to apply the info from the previous question, then asked a few questions related to how to practice soloing so you don't sound rigid and stiff. The attached Eighth note paper is for a specific rhythm practice I designed for Oliver at about the one hour mark.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Question 1: Leo was curious about how to minimize or get rid of feedback situations involving acoustic guitar and a bass player on stage.

Question 2: Tasha was curious about a) how to come up with new exciting fingerpicking patterns and b) wether I'm going to do some kind of in-person workshop at some point.

Question 3: Holly had a question about triad practice, specifically any tricks to think about when it comes to using them with a band or just ways to approach practice.

Question 4: Ken was wondering about my classical guitar experience and also submitted a lovely classical piece.

Question 5: Kevin broke yet another string! We did some speculating about whats going on while the guitar is in the shop.

Question 6: Mateus was curious about why there is a green screen behind me, so I showed a little video I made of Ernie.

After that, there were some fun questions from chat!

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Office Hours, Q&A

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Office Hours, Q&A

Question 1: Dennis had a question that was basically about the difference between relative pitch and perfect pitch related to my latest ear training lesson.

Question 2: Jason was looking for bar chord technique help.

Question 3: Mathias was curious about 1) some examples of spooky music and B) how to use something like intervals while soloing - fragments of chords and whatnot

Questoin 4: Kevin has been breaking a LOT of strings and is trying to figure out why. We went into detective mode.

Question 5: Bert was wondering how often to change strings.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Question 1: Sep made a comment about playing guitar for you instead of trying to live up to some impossible standard.

Question 2: Daniel was curious about some specific soloing techniques around soloing over chord changes.

Question 3: Davin was curious about artificial harmonics, mainly techniques

Question 4: Austin had a question about where to start when relearning guitar

Question 5: Leo had a question about song analysis and how to figure out what key a chord progression is

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Office Hours, Q&A

This was a great stream as usual.

Question 1: Sep was curious about numbering the notes in a scale, then applying those numbers to a melody.

Question 2: Jason was curious about how to navigate the more open-ended lessons in Music Theory Mondayafter finishing the more homework-oriented Music Theory for Guitar.

Question 3: Erin was curious about how I came up with my teaching method

Question 4: Mateus had some questions about how to come up with original music and how to deal with the fact that we sometimes accidentally copy the music we listen to

Question 5: Davin was curious about buying studio monitors or sticking with headphones?

Question 6: Mathias was curious about imposter syndrome (feeling like a fraud) and how to deal with those feelings as an artist and musician.

Question 7: Jason was curious about my "Sparrow Meat Market" shirt

Question 8: Kevin was wondering at what point to say "I play guitar?"

Question 9: Thea wanted to know which pedal to buy first!

Question 10: Jason asked about a good amp that plays nice with pedals.

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Office Hours, Q&A

These were the questions this week:

Q1: Kayne was curious about how pentatonic shapes move together.

Q2: Martin was curious about wether or not it's necessary to learn how to read music

Q3: Dennis had a question about writing music starting with lyrics instead of music

Q4: Mateus was wondering if big bands listen to their own music - we got into some philosophy around songwriting

Q5: Mateus was also curious about how to write chord progressions using NOT the I chord first

Q6: Tony had some questions about pentatonic scales. I mentioned watching CAGED Soloing.

Q7: Graylight was curious about how two guitars sounds so good together on songs from The Milk Carton Kids like "Michigan." I also recommended some recording equipment.

Q8: Kevin had a question about what part of my hand hits the strings when I do a kind of slap strum.

Q9: Tony had some clarifying questions about what order to watch things in. I mentioned following the Recommended Lesson Plan.

Q10: Jason was curious who did my website. Luke Dumke is THE man around here. He edits my videos, he redesigned my website, he built the lesson archive, he also films amazing music videos, he's a recording engineer, and he's just a really cool and really nice guy.

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Office Hours, Q&A

This week there were some great questions.

Question 1: Todd was curious about downloading lessons from my Patreon

Question 2: Dennis was curious about roman numerals and capo's. Specifically, what happens to chords when you move them up or down?

Question 3: Davin was curious about best practices for recording acoustic guitar with a dynamic mic. I also got into a little bit of EQ and compression for acoustic guitar.

Question 4: Gabriel also had a question about capos - I recommend checking out Dennis's question above, but also, once you're done with Music Theory for Guitar, the CAGED System Basics series will really help drive these concepts home.

Question 5: Mateus had a question about how to set the intonation on your guitar. I should have specified that I was referring specifically to electric guitar. Acoustic guitars generally require the saddle to be carved to achieve what can be done with a few turns of a screwdriver on an electric guitar.

Question 6: Kylir was curious about how to find arpeggios and use them in soloing. Among other things, I recommended CAGED System Basics and CAGED Soloing, to help find chord tones.

Question 7: Kylir was wondering what lessons I'm putting out next

Question 8: Davin had a question about how to teach guitar to kids

Question 9: Mateus was wondering how to finish a song

Question 10: Nathan was wondering if I have any series on learning specific genres.

Question 11: Kylir was wondering how/when to get started on community challenges

Question 12: Tim was curious about how to avoid back pain when practicing guitar

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Office Hours, Q&A

This was a great stream. Great questions all around

Intro and welcome

Question 1: Jack wanted some ideas for strengthening a sense of rhythm. I gave some practice ideas and some mindset ideas

Question 2: Dede/Mateus was curious about how to notate specific information onto roman numbers. We got into when and why you should/could/shouldn't do it.

Question 3: Tony had some questions about tuners and setting intonation - we dove deep into some of the complications around the guitar. Also, I mentioned the Buzz Feiten system for those who want their intonation to be that much better

Question 4: Mr K was wondering if there was a quick way to find the 7th of a particular chord. I talked about this quick trick: find a root and the note directly behind it is the maj7 - a whole step behind the root is the flat 7th for dom7, m7, and half dim. One more half step from there is the double flat 7th for fully dim chords. BUT also, check out the Rubik's Cube lessons to help solidify these concepts.

Question 5: Grow it all had a question about wether you can mix secondary dominants with modes

Question 6: Nathan was curious about how to add some triads or harmonies to solos inside of pentatonic scale

Question 7: Davin was curious about switching modes mid song in your guitar solo without changing keys. Whats going on here? Partly, it's a different way to think about modes that is often more common in jazz. I get into it. ALSO, I called a G Major chord a D Major chord for some reason. Ooops

Question 8: Mr K was curious about wether you must use the root note to slide from one shape to the next. No! You don't, but I went into more detail about it. Also, I talk about ways to practice that in my How to Solo Using the CAGED System video on YouTube.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Question 1: Jeff was curious about mixing major and minor scales when soloing. I talked a bit about how the blues approach and made a little jam track. I've attached a five minute version of the A A D E jam track I used. Just remember the A Minor pentatonic goes over the IV chord - the D Major chord.

Question 2: Mathais was curious about Ear Training. I'm working on a series, but in the meantime check out this thread, about Rapid Fire key guessing. Use the songs people have already figured out to see if it sounds right to you, then try your own songs. This post also has some links to ear training practice and songs. This is another interesting thread about ear training.

Question 3: Dennis had some questions about playing guitar with a strap, standing up. I had quite a few thoughts about it.

Question 4: Andy had some technique questions regarding pinky use. I also gave some general practice pointers to help with speed and comfort.

Question 5: Tim had a question about when and how to use sus and add chords. I spent some time on it but in the process I realized I would have to do a longer set of lessons about the subject. So Tim, look out for some detailed lessons about the subject.

Question 6: Davin had questions about the song "About a Girl" by Nirvana. Why do the chords work the way they do? I didn't give solid answers, but I did give some context and history and discussed a few ways to think about this song!

Question 7: MJ was curious about how singing and playing guitar works. I gave some specifics and some ways to start practicing using your voice with your guitar. We also touched on some common misconceptions about perfect pitch.

Question 8: Wayne was curious about loop pedals. I compare software vs loop pedal pros and cons, etc.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Very few questions this week! But good ones.

Question 1: Dennis was wondering about how different kinds of scales (like blues scales or #6 scales) affect a blues solo. I talked a bit about how the chords inform which notes to play a little more than what scale to play! I've attached the worksheet I wrote for this section.

Question 2: Kevin T was curious about how to improvise riffs in a chord progression. I gave a few ways to start practicing toward that goal.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Question 1: Mathias had some questions about how to mute strings when you're playing in the middle of the fingerboard.

Question 2: Hieu was curious about a few things - how to make solos feel less robotic, what are some good jazz, blues, and R&B guitarists, and how to navigate chord voicings in different parts of the neck. I recommend CAGED Basics for that last one.

Question 3: Taco asked if I have other videos like the "Phrases" video on my YouTube channel. Overall, there were a LOT of questions related to soloing this week that I think will be mega helpful if you watch: CAGED Soloing I - ii, I - iii and I - IV, MTM 17, 18, 19.

Question 4: Dennis was curious about why we don't just switch scales for soloing over chords. I went DEEP into it because this is, in my head, a crucial concept to understand when moving through the music world.

Question 5: Russ was curious about the word "diatonic"

Question 6: Chat question about the best way to learn a song

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Office Hours, Q&A

This was a great set of questions!

Question 1: Rohan had a set of questions regarding guitar technique and practice method when it comes to playing scales and other exercises.

Question 2: Hiep was curious about how to get the hang of knowing where other intervals are without counting up.

I went on a rant about how much I love Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method Grade 1. Also, fun bonus, Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel also learned from that book and wrote a silly song about it.

Question 3: Page was curious about an everyday finger exercise, so I gave one!

Question 4: Kylir had a question about notes with or without sharps or flats.

Question 5: Emil had some questions about how to make drum tracks that feel human and how to figure out a way to make them interesting.

Question 6: Matt was wondering when to move to the next Music Theory for Guitar.

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Office Hours, Q&A

This was a vacation stream with a simplified setup. Hope you enjoy.

Question 1: Rohan was curious about a practice method for learning intervals

Question 2: Page Lin was curious about Hertz numbers. Turns out it IS cycles per second, which I was hazy about. But. yeah, we got into how people think they have some healing powers - I'm not convinced.

Question 3: "Skinny Bones Jones" are curious about why even bother learning Music Theory - what is it good for?

Question 4: Kevin was curious about how scales, chords, riffs, all interact. I talked about heirarchy.

Question 5: Holly was wondering how to play with people without being in person

Question 6: "John Scott Paulson" was wondering what I would have done differently if I could go back and redo things and if I've got any new lessons coming out that I'd be willing to share.

Question 7: Jun Sen asked what I think of two different fingerstyle artists. I wasn't able to look them up until after the stream while writing this, but here they are:

Sungha Jung and Kent Nishimura

They are both excellent players! And yeah, I'd practice getting to know your theory so you can pull apart the elements of a song down to their essence. We'll have to dig in more! It would certainly be a lot of work to play like them, but not impossible by any means.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Here are the questions for this week. Click the link for the timestamped answers.

Question 1: Dennis had some questions around how to think about relative major and minor and I discussed this idea of the heirachy of tonality between chords and scales.

Question 2: Rohan had some technique questions which, to me, boiled down to some practice concepts. I'm working on a "Practice Thoughts" video about this practice method, so look out for it soon. Also, check out my other "practice thoughts."

Question 3: Oliver was wondering when to move on from the first Music Theory for Guitar lesson. My answer is nuanced

Question 4: Andreu asked a fun question: why isn't guitar tuned to all 4ths? I tried it out. There are fun things and weird things about it

Question 5: Mr Krinkle asked if I could touch on some slide guitar in G or in E. I wasn't prepared for this one and I couldn't find my slide! But I talked briefly about open G tuning. I've also got this lesson about open D tuning, I have a lesson coming soon about slide guitar techniques, AND, Mr. Krinkle, if you're having a hard time accessing the community forum, I suggest checking out this video, which can be found at the bottom of the "where to start" page.

Question 6: Jeremy was curious about how to arrange your own version of a cover song. I got into some meta territory, but I hope this thought combined with all the info available on my patreon will help you start thinking about breaking things down in the ways I've mentioned in this lesson.

Question 7: "Scott John Paulson" wants to know when I'm going to do an ear training series. What I didn't mention in my answer is that I'm planning out a series!

Question 8: Andreu was curious about where I learned guitar and music theory.

Question 9: Rohan was wondering if it was OK to move on from the intervals lesson based on my assessment of his earlier video.

Question 10: Davin was curious about buying a Shure SM58 or an SM57. In the end, I think they are so similar, you can't make a wrong choice. But if you get the SM57, consider getting a pop filter, and if you want to boost the signal, you could consider getting a cloud lifter, or just get a more sensitive condesner mic, like an AT202 if you want a different, more sensitive mic for acoustic instruments. There is so much to consider with microphones though and the SM58 or SM57 might be very comfortable

Question 11: Marcus was curious about where to post lesson recommendations, so I dug up this old post that I'd love for people to add to. I've been doing this Patreon for about a year and a half now and I still have plenty of ideas for more useful content, but I'm always interested in hearing ideas!

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Office Hours, Q&A

Ok, on to the questions:
Question 1: DeDé said I should write some music if no one asks any questions. People asked a lot of questions though!
Question 2: Page Lin was curious about how to pick picks
Question 3: Page also wondered about the 5 way switch and three knobs on a Fender Stratocaster
Question 4: Davin had questions about how to set your amp levels when playing live. I talked about three situations and how to deal with them
Question 5: Rohan had questions about wether or not to practice descending intervals
Question 6: Carlos had a question about how to organize two hours of practice time every day
Question 7: vlb asked about a song that is in the key of C and contains chords outside the key. VLB - would you mind posting a link to the song in the community forum so we can look a little closer?
Question 8: Matt has some questions about modes and how they related to the major scale
Question 9: Frederic had some questions about how to get starting writing music! My advise is basically to lower lower lower your expectations and write a LOT. Eventually you'll have a lot of fun. Possibly immediately.
Question 10: James had some questions about guitar FX software and Audio Interfaces, and DAWs
Question 11: Jeff was curious about loop pedals. This RC-20 is the one that I grew up with that solves your problem.
Question 12: Lorelai had a question about Hemiolas and how they relate to a strumming issue. My suggestion without hearing the exact issue is to practice to a drum beat!
Question 13: Lorelai had a further question about pick technique and how your wrist interacts with strumming technique.

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Office Hours, Q&A

Great questions this week!

Question 1: Rohan had a followup about right hand technique as well as a few questions about memorizing note names and intervals.

Question 2: Leo needed some clarification about how movable the caged really system is

Question 3: Russ was wondering about this tricky chuck berry riff - I'm hoping I got the riff right but I gave a few examples of how to build up the foundational skills around the riff.

Question 4: Mateus had a question about what key this Pearl Jam song is in. I forgot to listen to it beforehand (I'm not a perfect person) but I speculated and gave some suggestions.

Question 5: Frederic was wondering when the final video in my CAGED Basics Series was coming out! Soon! Also, Frederic reminded me to update the Recommended Lesson Plan

Question 6: Zapprio asked about how to practice fingering exercises without lifting your fingers off the fingerboard.

Question 7: Rohan was wondering whether it's worth it to practice specific ear training exercises. It always is.

Question 8: Mr K wanted some help differentiating between bass and guitar technique. I gave some tips, but also recommended watching my Bass Crash Course. If people need more bass help, let me know and I'll make more bass videos. Also, use my SPJ Jam Tracks for Bass practice.

Question 9: Andy asked if I sometimes jam with my girlfriend.

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