How Do You Prepare for an Online Guitar Lesson?

I frequently teach online guitar lessons.

An online lesson is simple.

Just have a video call with your teacher .

That’s it!

But to get more out of your online lesson, here are some tips:

1. It’s ...

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Why is Guitar Playing So HARD?

There are many reasons.

But the easiest to solve is often overlooked.

Many players find guitar playing harder than it needs to be because their position with the guitar is uncomfortable.

If your bo...

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How Do You Practice Arpeggios on Classical Guitar?

One of my favorite arpeggio studies is Carcassi’s Etude in A major, op. 60, No. 3.

This piece sounds good and also challenges both hands, helping the guitarist to grow in technique.

Here are four pr...

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Why Play Guitar Instead of Piano?

When I was 12, my parents wanted me to take piano lessons.

They took me down to the local music school.

But the piano teacher’s schedule was full.

The guitar teacher, however, had openings immediat...

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How Does a Royal Conservatory Guitar Exam Work?

One of my students recently completed a Guitar Exam through the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM).

If you’re not familiar with it, RCM is a music school in Toronto, Canada.

RCM offers a highly struc...

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How Do You Tune a Guitar by Ear?

While electronic tuners are easy to use, you may sometimes want to tune without one.

A common approach is to tune each string to the 5th fret on the adjacent string.

The problem here is compounding ...

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How Do You Find Time to Practice Guitar?

Making music brings so much joy.

It reduces stress and improves your mental health.

But it’s so hard to fit guitar practice into your busy schedule.

Here are three strategies that help:

1. Tempt Y...

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Three Reasons You’re Learning Music Wrong

Picture this.

You’re excited about learning a new piece of music.

You begin playing it.

But the mistakes start coming.

And they don’t stop.

You put more time into practicing the piece.

But it do...

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Why Does the Minor Scale Have Three Forms?

When you first learn about the minor scale, it seems simple.

But then someone says there are three forms of minor scales.

These are natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor.

What?

Let me e...

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Improve Left-Hand Flexibility for Guitar Playing

Your left-hand fingers can’t reach the notes of some chords you want to play.

Notes buzz or are muffled because your fingers seem too short.

How do you fix this?

First, check whether your guitar is...

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How Do Guitarists Learn the Fretboard?

The fretboard can seem like a mystery.

You try memorizing scale and chord patterns.

But you’re not sure what notes you’re playing.

While knowing fingering patterns is useful, it’s important to go f...

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How 4 Pennies Can Make Your Guitar Playing Better

It’s hard to play the right notes and rhythms consistently.

You keep playing through a piece from the beginning.

Sometimes you get it right.

Sometimes you get it wrong.

How do you get it right eve...

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