Live Stream | 108
Live Stream | 108

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

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Live Stream ArchiveScott Johnsonlive streams 91-120
Practice Thoughts | 15
Practice Thoughts | 15

Music Theory Is Not Music

In this practice thought, I'm using some nerdy philosophy to draw out the difference between music theory and music. Sometimes they get confused for each other and it's important (and hopefully encouraging) to remember the difference between them.

Throughout your musical journey, you'll likely have bouts of insecurity (it happens!). Sometimes those bouts of insecurity will revolve around a thought like this "Oh no! What if I don't understand enough music theory? What if other musicians think my music is boring and simple?" 

This practice thought is a friendly reminder to ponder these ideas:

a) Music Theory is a tool to describe what you're doing, not a system of rules to dictate what you ought to do

b) Never confuse music theory for music

c) Never worry about how "simple" your music is (some of my favorite songs have only 2 chords, for example)

d) Make music for yourself and for fun, not for the musicians who have learned all the theory (unless thats actually fun for you!)

e) I like music that makes me feel, not music that makes me think

These are some of the mantras that I like to keep in mind while I'm writing music - do you have mantras you use when you're being creative?

If you feel like I got some philosophical terms wrong or you want to continue the discussion and share your personal writing mantras, feel free to hang out in the comments.

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Practice ThoughtsScott Johnson
Community Challenge | 59
Community Challenge | 59

Write something using G Am Em D

Check out the video for more details and to watch me give some examples.

If you get into the habit of writing a little something once a week or so, you'll start seeing guitar differently. You'll figure out songs quicker. You'll learn new things quicker. You'll have more ideas when you jam with people. You'll be a better band mate. There are only benefits to learning to write, even if you have no intention of becoming a songwriter!

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Community ChallengesScott JohnsonCommunity Challenges 31-60
Live Stream | 107
Live Stream | 107

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? 

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Live Stream ArchiveScott Johnsonlive streams 91-120
MTM | 34
MTM | 34

11th Chords

This lesson covers 11th chords. We start with how to make them using the every-other-note concept you're already familiar with, and then go into the reality of using these chords in the wild.

Check out the PDF and let me know how you feel about these chords in the comments. Do you like the rich, sometimes intense sound? Not everyone does. If you find some voicings of 11th chords that you like, post them on the community forum.

I didn't go into the most detail possible in this video. That felt too intense, but if you have more questions let me know in an Office Hours or something.

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Music Theory MondayScott JohnsonMTM 31-60
Live Stream | 106
Live Stream | 106

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.

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Live Stream ArchiveScott Johnsonlive streams 91-120
Community Challenge | 58
Community Challenge | 58

Write Something In A Minor

The goal of a community challenge is for YOU to write in a fun, low pressure environment. No need to write a whole song, no need to write multiple parts. You start from your comfort zone and write from there. Wether thats a single-note melody, a chord progression or a whole multitrack song. You can record what you write with your cell phone, your ipad, or your home studio. Post what you write to the community forum.

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Community ChallengesScott JohnsonCommunity Challenges 31-60
Practice Thoughts | 14
Practice Thoughts | 14

Don’t Move The Goal Post

In this Practice Thought, we'll discuss the idea of moving the goalpost. This is a common problem: we set a goal, and then if we reach it, we say "well that doesn't count because it was too easy" and then we set a goal farther away, and then if it's not too difficult it doesn't count again.

Sometimes this feedback loop can happen almost instantaneously to the point where someone can't even sit down to practice because it doesn't count unless it's the most intense, mind-blowing practice.

The way to counteract this is to enjoy and focus on small goals - maybe even keep a journal of small goals that you've set and reached.

I see people getting discouraged because they are not as good as they think they ought to be. Journaling practice is a good way to counteract that. Always set one small goal at a time and don't worry about how easy it ought to be or how long it ought to take you. Progress is progress and each small step adds up to quite a distance over time.

Always set your goals in a realistic, achievable place and don't move them once you get started.

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Practice ThoughtsScott Johnson
Song Analysis | 08
Song Analysis | 08

Hot Bodies in Motion's "All Night" | Pt. 3 - Bridge

This is the final installment of my little series about the song "All Night" written by me and my friend Ben Carson. Our band Hot Bodies in Motion is releasing the song this Friday the 13th on Spotify and everywhere else.

Here is a cool presave link to remind you when the song is available on Spotify. Feel free to share that link (if you feel like it.) The music video will be public on Friday as well.

In this video I'm talking about the bridge of this specific song as well as my general philosophy about bridges. We'll cover the parts (bass, guitar, vocal) and discuss the tonality of the bridge and why I chose a "dig into the groove" bridge over a "if, but, however" bridge.

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Song AnalysisScott Johnson
Community Challenge | 57
Community Challenge | 57

Write Something Difficult (For You)

You don't have to write something CRAZY difficult, just set out to write something that is hard for you to play. Watch the video for elaboration.

What is a Community Challenge? It's an invitation to all of my Patrons to create SOMETHING. When you're learning guitar, it's easy to lose track of what ALL your favorite musicians have in common. Creativity. It's easy to lose track of the fact that music isn't something to study, it's something to explore and experience.

The goal of a community challenge is for YOU to write in a fun, low pressure environment. No need to write a whole song, no need to write multiple parts. You start from your comfort zone and write from there. Wether thats a single-note melody, a chord progression or a whole multitrack song. You can record what you write with your cell phone, your ipad, or your home studio. Post what you write to the community forum.

The only rules are:

1. Write something new

2. Write something based on the prompt

These rules mean you're supposed to write something new, based on the writing prompt, rather than posting something you've previously written that might fit the prompt.

These challenges come out every other Thursday. This gives you about two weeks to write something for each prompt, but I recommend spending no more than an hour or two on each challenge.

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Community ChallengesScott JohnsonCommunity Challenges 31-60
Live Stream | 103
Live Stream | 103

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.

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Live Stream ArchiveScott Johnsonlive streams 91-120
Live Stream | 102
Live Stream | 102

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.

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Live Stream ArchiveScott Johnsonlive streams 91-120
Live Stream | 101
Live Stream | 101

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.

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Live Stream ArchiveScott Johnsonlive streams 91-120
Song Analysis | 07
Song Analysis | 07

Hot Bodies in Motion's "All Night" pt 2

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it took me so long to post this second installment! I just got internet set up in my new studio here in the Pacific Northwest. I'll get more lessons posted soon and another community challenge this week. I still have a lot of work to do getting this new studio set up, but I'm very excited about the potential for a wider variety of lessons, interviews, etc. It's very exciting.

Anyhow, this song analysis video breaks down the chorus section of my band's song "All Night." I broke down the bass line, guitar parts, and vocal melody, talking about my approach to writing these kinds of parts and how the tonality makes sense to be. Considering you now have access to almost 200 videos and 100 livestreams where I explain how I think about guitar, songwriting, and music theory, I hope you find this breakdown interesting! Let me know in the comments and in the community forum if you learn anything interesting from these breakdowns.

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Song AnalysisScott Johnson
Community Challenge | 56
Community Challenge | 56

Write Something with a Big Transition

Here are a couple ways to approach this challenge: 

1. You could think of it as a position transition. For example, this could be a jump from the 3rd fret to the 12th fret in either your melody or chord progression. For example, if you're playing a D Shape D Chord down in open position, you could write a progression where you zoom that shape up to frets 7&8 for that G chord. To be more general, write something that takes you up and down the fingerboard.

2. If you like writing lyrics, write about a big transition in your life.

3. If you want to be more etherial, think of the big transition as a transition from one section of a song to another section. Maybe the first section is playing low low bass notes, the chord progression is also using low voicings, and the melody is using lower notes. The second section could be an explosion into a higher register for each instrument, creating the effect of "woah that was a big transition from one section into the next."

Remember, keep it simple. Good music does not equal difficult music.

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Community ChallengesScott JohnsonCommunity Challenges 31-60
Song Analysis | 06
Song Analysis | 06

Hot Bodies In Motion, “All Night” | Pt. 1 - Verse

I thought it might be fun to do a little songwriting analysis on something I've written with my band, Hot Bodies in Motion.

We'll discuss the general arrangement and tonality of the song, and then dig into the melody, bass line, and guitar parts. Specifically, we'll focus on how they interact with the chord progression and each other. These lessons are designed to give you some insight into my approach to songwriting, and hopefully inspire you to take part in more community challengesand writing exercises.

You can listen to the song by watching the music video here but don't share it with anyone yet! The song (and video) will officially release on January 13th.

If you want to practice ear training, see if you can figure out all the parts yourself before watching the videos!

This song started out as a loose groove/idea I came up with sometime toward the end of 2017 or beginning of 2018. I gave it to my friend and bandmate, Ben. He started writing lyrics and we finished writing the song sometime in 2019. We filmed the music video around Christmas 2021.

Let me know if you enjoy this format! I've been thinking it's time to do some more song analysis

Song Analysis - Hot Bodies in Motion's "All Night":
• Part 1: Intro/Verse
• Part 2: Chorus (coming soon)
• Part 3: Bridge/final thoughts (coming soon)

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Song AnalysisScott Johnson
Live Stream | 100
Live Stream | 100

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.

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Live Stream ArchiveScott Johnsonlive streams 91-120
Community Challenge | 55
Community Challenge | 55

Write Two Quick Things in Under an Hour

The idea behind this challenge is to help you see what you create when you don't have a lot of time to stop and think. What are your go-tos? What are your hangups while you're writing? What slows you down?

In the video I talk about this as your baseline. It doesn't mean this is how you always write, it's just supposed to be a snapshot of your strengths and weaknesses at the present moment. It's a good opportunity to think about the kinds of things you might like to practice and improve and adjust.

You could set a timer for 30 minutes two times, or just a 1 hour timer.

You don't have to write the way I did in the video, thats just my comfort zone. Your comfort zone should be your starting point - wether thats just guitar and voice, just guitar, or a full DAW experience.

Have fun, don't overthink it and post what you come up with to the community forum. As an added bonus, I would love if you could share what you learned through this process about your own writing.

Check out the Lesson Archive for more Community Challenges - you’re welcome to participate on any past Challenge at any time!

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Community ChallengesScott JohnsonCommunity Challenges 31-60