Office Hours, Q&A

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

If the above link isn’t working for you, here is a link to watch directly on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r7xRZTNwpx4

Here's how it works: bring your questions to the comments below, the community forum, or save them for the live chat.* Questions can be about anything you want - guitar technique, music theory, gear, songwriting - your choice! Also, feel free to link a video of you playing if you have a technique question!

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.

*Please note: you may need a youtube/gmail account to ask questions in the live stream, but you can watch without one.

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

This was a great stream!

Here is the interactive Note Name Scratch Paper that Graeme put together:

Note Name Scratch Paper

As for the questions this week, here is a timestamped list:

Question 1: Kachap was wondering how to decipher slash chords. I got into it!

Question 2: Cata was wondering if it's better spread out and learn all the CAGED Shapes simultaneously or focus in on one shape system at a time.

I demo Graeme's Interactive Note Name Scratch Paper here, but I used a color that didn't translate well into my livestream. You'll have to try it out yourself right here.

Question 3: Tasha was curious what key this progression is in: Dm C A7

Question 4: Stevie was wondering how to organize practice time. I launched into preacher mode.

Question 5: Mark wanted a nice warm up routine on top of practicing major scales

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

Here are the timestamped question from this week:

Question 1: Mark was curious about my take on the variety of fretwire available for refretting guitars (or fretting brand new ones).
Question 2: Mateus was curious about this situation: If you're soloing over triads and you play the 7th or 9th of that chord, are you altering the chord? Yes!
Question 3: Brett was wondering how to decide where to play a chord voicing or where to play a pentatonic scale on the fingerboard? Why bother with all the different places to play chords and scales if it's all kind of the same notes?
Question 4: Jerry was wondering about how to make up your own fingerpicking patters after watching my Fingerpicking Technique video. I gave a few pointers and recommended using some Eighth-note scratch paper, which I attached below.
Question 5: Stevie was wondering what key this set of chords belongs to: Fmaj7, C, G, Am, and Em. I discuss a few quick ways to figure out what key a set of chords comes from.
Question 6: Sean wanted some tips for how to hold and aim the pick a little better.
Question 7: Ian was having difficulting accessing the community forum. I suggested he delete his discourse account (NOT the patreon account) and try again, being sure to follow the rules laid out on my "Where to Start" page.
Question 8: Mark needed some help playing along with a metronome.

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

Question 1: Rohan was wondering what software to use to edit my PDFs. If you're looking to fill in answers and stuff on an iPad, I use GoodNotes. If you're looking to create your own PDFs the way I do, I use Adobe Illustrator. If you're looking for a free software that does similar stuff (though MORE similar to Adobe Photoshop) I've used GIMP in the past. If you're looking to just fill out the PDFs on your computer, I'm not sure what software I'd recommend, to be honest. Other folks recommended forScore and LibreOffice.
Question 2: Mr K was having issues accessing the chat, so I walked through a few ways to access it.
From there, this stream focused on mostly chat questions, and I did an example of the 3/4 and 6/8 beats for the community challenge that week.

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

This was a great stream! Here are the questions:

Rust and Stevie's Question was about songwriting - Specifically, what are some ways to get two sections to go together?

Graylight had a question about how to add something like delay to a track, but only in a certain section. This is called "automation" and I show how to use it in Logic Pro.

Mateus had a question about wether he should stick with our quick fix for his nut or if he should take his guitar in for a new nut.

Andrew was curious about when it's ok to move on from the Major Scales lesson in Music Theory for Guitar. The answer is: basically, when you're comfortable at a medium speed and/or you get the concept. It's always ok to skip ahead.

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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!

Read More

Office Hours, Q&A

Read More

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.

Read More

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

Read More

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.

Read More