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5 Top Tips To Mastering The Fretboard
Mastering the fretboard is a lifelong pursuit. From learning the names of each string to being able to play literally any chord or scale or lick anywhere on the fretboard, guitar players have to figure out a system of ‘mapping’ their fretboard. In this article I will briefly explain the process that most pros and many of my students go through to learn their fretboard. This should provide some... -
How Much Music Theory Do You Really Need?
How much music theory do you really need? At some point, all aspiring guitarists (myself included) ask this question. This question is natural as embarking on the journey to elucidate musical questions we’ve always had can be a long one, and many of us feel apprehensive toward the seemingly insurmountable task of uncovering the ‘secrets’ hidden away in the vast labyrinth of musical knowledge. If you had to ask... -
Songwriting – Food For Thought
Every song is different – different words, different chords and different melodies. If parts of a song sound similar to one another then lawyers step in. But when you think about songwriting and the way songs are constructed, you might say that they have more similarities than differences. Dig out the chord sheet and lyrics for the last song you wrote and play it through. Chances are, it’s in... -
Learning Theory Through Chord Melodies
What are chord melodies? Why learn chord melodies or learn to arrange chord melodies? And how can learning chord melodies help me understand theory better? These are 3 questions that you may ask when looking at the topic of this blog. Firstly, what are chord melodies? Chord melodies, as the name suggests, are exactly that: the melody of a song mixed with its chords. The melody of the song is what the... -
Is 432Hz the new 440Hz?
Scientists have proved that the 432Hz frequency has many advantages over its’ sibling 440Hz. Even in our own bodies, we are made up of energy vibrating at a wide range of different frequencies. Among these scientists to prove 432Hz is good for you, they also had an interest in music, like Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla. They asked the question: can sound frequencies affect us on a physiological level.... -
Blues Modal Harmony
The name blues modal harmony may confuse you at first but, have patience and let me explain a few things to help your guitar playing. You will have a greater appreciation for guitar music in general after reading this. When discussing which chords go together in which keys with students, I often have questions about why there are chords in some of their favourite songs (such as Major bVII... -
10 Jazz Musicians To Help Mold Your Playing
Here is a list of 10 Jazz musicians to help mold your playing and your overall jazz guitar. 1. Charlie Parker One of the most important Jazz musicians to study to shape your playing would be saxophonist Charlie Parker one of the founding fathers of the bebop era of jazz. Many musicians transcribe and learn to play his solo’s to delve into the style of Parker, his rhythmic language,...