Curing the Proverbial "Tin Ear"

Do you insist that you're tone deaf?

We hear it all the time. I can't carry a tune in a bucket, I'm tone deaf, believe me, you don't want to hear me sing. Here's some good news for you: your ear can be trained! The fact is, very few people are truly tone deaf, most of them have just never been trained. If your environment growing up didn't involve music, if no one in your family is "musical", then it can feel like you are tone deaf.

OK, how do I cure it you ask?

If you don't have an electronic tuner for your guitar, go get one now! The last thing you want to do is get used to your out of tune guitar sounding good to you. Practice tuning until the tuner agrees that your guitar is in tune. Now, pick out a song that you know by heart and try to pick it out on the guitar. Keep in mind that it has to be one you're completely familiar with. Happy Birthday, Jingle Bells, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, something like that. Work on it until you're sure it's right, then play it for someone just to be sure. When you can do that, try to figure out a song that's a little more complex. Again, do it until you're sure it's right, then play it for someone.

Keep at it and try tuning by ear.

Now that you can pick out a melody, tune one string to the tuner, put the rest of the strings out of tune, then try to tune it by ear. Check it with the electronic tuner and then repeat. Do this a few minutes a day and before you know it, you'll have a much better ear for music.

When Should I Start Learning Barre Chords?

What is a barre chord?

A lot of times you'll see an advanced guitar player placing one finger across five or six strings and forming a chord with the rest of the fingers. That's a barre chord. When you remove open strings, (strings that have no fingers on them), everything on the guitar can be moved. This enables you to play the same notes, chords or songs in different sections of the fingerboard.


When do I start learning them?

Many students try to learn too many things too fast, leading to frustration and confusion. I try to get my beginning guitar students to wait until they've learned the basic chords, can change smoothly and can make them sound nice and clear. Learning guitar is difficult enough in the beginning without making it even harder by trying to play things you're just not ready for.

What's the difference between barre chords and power chords?

The main difference is that power chords are really not chords at all, but rather what we call intervals. A chord needs to be made up of 3 or more different notes.  Power chords are what you hear in the background of many popular rock songs.

So the take away from today's post is to remember that learning guitar is going to take time. You definitely don't want to have to try learning something only to find out that you weren't ready for it.

Getting Acquainted With Your Guitar

The Body.

The body of the guitar has some straight forward names. The top, the back and the sides. An acoustic guitar has a wooden bridge, a bridge saddle, the piece of bone or plastic that the strings rest on, and either bridge pins or a tailpiece. Bridge pins hold the strings in, the tailpiece is metal and the strings run through it and then over the bridge. The soundhole, as its name implies, is where the sound comes from. Most steel string guitars also have a pickguard. It's there to protect the top of the guitar from pick scratches from overly active strumming.

The Neck.

No, it's not the handle! The neck is the long, skinny piece of wood that attaches to the body. There are usually either little dots, big dots or fancy inlays on it. These are not just decorative, they're position markers and you use them to find your way around. On most guitars they're at the 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th fret, and many guitars have others as well. The frets are the little metal bars that look like lines. You press the strings down between them to make notes.

The Peghead.

That's the place at the top where the strings attach to the tuning pegs. A lot of guitars also have little plastic cover that houses the truss rod. The truss rod is a metal bar that runs the length of the fingerboard, inside of it, to keep the neck straight. Even though your new guitar will come with an allen wrench and a little instruction sheet, leave the adjustments to a professional. The tuning keys or tuning pegs, are the knobs or buttons that you use to tune the guitar. That little plastic piece that the strings pass through is called the nut.

Not all guitars will have all of the parts, but they'll have most of them.

Music Theory, Part 2, The Circle of Fifths and Scales

The circle of fifths. What is it, why would I use it.

As you travel on your musical journey you'll certainly read or hear about the circle of fifths. It's a learning tool that helps you remember several important concepts. There are many examples on the internet, just Google circle of fifths. The circle teaches you key signatures, how many sharps or flats are in each key, which chords go together, and the relative minor chords. Going clockwise around the circle you learn the sharp  # keys,  going counterclockwise you learn the flat b keys. This helps you learn how to play in different scales. The letters around the top can also help you remember what the 3 main chords are in each scale. Pick a letter, then go clockwise 1 and counterclockwise 1 to get the 3 chords that are most common.

Relative Minors.

No, they're not your young children. Every scale has 2 letters that use the name number of sharps or flats. So C Major and A Minor have the same number, in this case zero, of sharps or flats. To play either one you just start on the first letter and then go through the 7 letters we use in music until it comes back around. For example: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C is the C Major Scale while A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A is the relative minor.

How is this useful?

By knowing which chords go with which scales you can learn songs more quickly. The other advantage is that it will help you follow along when practicing or jamming with other musicians. This is just a brief explanation, so if you'd like to explore the circle further, do some research or have your guitar teacher go over it with you. It can definitely make figuring songs out a lot easier.

I Hate to Practice!

What's causing you to dislike practice?

Practice makes perfect, you need to practice every day, not until you practice, we've all heard it before. So, what does make you not want to practice? A lot of my adult students tell me they don't have time or  they didn't realize how hard it would be to find time. If this describes you, maybe you should question why you've decided to learn guitar in the first place. Sit down in a nice, quiet spot and examine what motivated you to start. Write down a list of your favorite songs, artists, or type of music that you really want to play. Now, realistically decide if you're that serious. It sounds harsh, but like the old saying goes, if it was easy, everyone would do it.

With younger students, it's more about nagging or lack of it, feeling it's too much like school or feeling like it's cutting into play time. A younger guitar student needs to be encouraged and handled with care. The worst case is when a parent is living through his or her child and expects an 8 year old to dedicate unreasonable amounts of practice time. Yes, you and I know what it takes, but if you kill the fun, you kill the interest. My goal as a teacher is to make the experience as enjoyable and upbeat as  possible. Do you honestly think a young student is going to dedicate 30 minutes a day? Getting them to get the guitar out at all is a big accomplishment!

The songs don't sound good slow.

There's one we hear all the time. I'm well aware of that, but guess what? If you can't play it slow you can't play it fast. Muscle memory is what it's all about and if you learn wrong it's much harder to re-learn a song.

I hate that song, that song's boring.

Usually that can be translated as meaning the song's too hard. I'm the first to admit that the songs in most guitar method books leave a lot to be desired. The problem is that the songs in almost every book 1 are the same thing. It's like the authors spy on each other and think "if Amazing Grace is in their book then it better be in mine too." The solution is to ask your guitar teacher if there is another song that's more fun that teaches the same thing.

I want to play real songs by people I like.

We want to have you play those songs too, but you need some basic skills. A couple years ago I had a 10 year old boy, no prior experience, who after a month declared he wanted to learn Crazy Train. When I told him he wasn't ready, he told me how hard he'd practice every day and that he was sure he could play it. While I would love to have had that work out I think we all know how the story ends. No, he wasn't able to play it since he had no skills.

What's the answer then?

Decide to commit yourself to guitar. Make the time to practice even if you're not in the mood. Don't be afraid of new songs, just be realistic. Ask your guitar teacher if you're ready for a particular song or artist, then let him or her decide. Learning to play the guitar or any other instrument is a time art. You just can't speed the process up a whole lot, believe me, I tried.

How to Practice More Efficiently

Do you have trouble learning a complete piece of music?

When learning a new song do you always start at the beginning? If you make a mistake do you go back to the beginning? You may be spinning your wheels! Once you've got a good start at playing a song, the next step is to isolate trouble spots. It seems like every song has one. Playing the whole song over and over will make that spot better, the problem is it will never catch up to the rest of the song. Practicing the passage that gives you trouble in a methodical way is how to overcome the problem. Go slow, watch your fingering, and practice with a metronome or a program to slow the piece down if you're working with a recording. In my studio I use RiffMaster Pro  (affiliate link) to work with my students. With that program or a metronome, the idea is to go very slowly at first. Beginning guitar students tend to play too fast and if they have a trouble spot, tend to ignore it. When learning guitar you want to remember if you can't play it slow, you can't play it fast.  Slowing down is the way to go because you don't want to practice mistakes. Whether you're playing the correct notes or the wrong ones, your fingers will remember and go there again.

Listen to yourself play.

I know it sounds funny, but beginning guitar students sometimes get so caught up in their playing that they actually don't hear their playing. The mind wanders, they get distracted, and so they think they're practicing efficiently but they really aren't.

Set goals and make note of your progress.

When practicing, don't just go through the motions. Know what you're trying to accomplish and write down what you've achieved when you get there. Have a difficult passage you've now mastered? Write it down. That pesky C chord finally sounds good? Write it down. You get the idea. Instead of just going through every song you know without thinking about it, zero in on what still needs work and then make a conscious effort to improve it. You and your guitar teacher will both be much happier come lesson time.

Where Do You Practice?

Do you have a space set aside to practice in?

So, do you have a specific room or area where you practice? Please don't tell me it's in your unfinished, cold, damp basement! You do woodworking, you have a workshop, you do crafts, there's usually a room or area set aside, but you play guitar and you practice anywhere you can find room? If that describe you, it's time to reconsider your practice space. While it may not be practical to have a music room, it's certainly possible to set aside an area where you play your guitar.

Do you have a "musician's toolbox?"

I'm always amazed at how people will spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on other hobbies, but when it comes to music they want to spend as little as possible. They practice wherever they can, don't have simple basics like a music stand, metronome or electronic tuner, and then wonder why they don't make more progress. There are so many resources available that it's never been easier to access the tools necessary to learn guitar. You can find online lessons, metronomes, practice aids, and information concerning playing, practicing and improving.

It's time to set aside a dedicated space to work on your music.

Here are the essential tools plus a lot of others that can help you progress at a reasonable rate. I've had students that spend minimal amounts of time, effort or money and then can't understand why they're not learning guitar as fast as they think they should. So here's the checklist with a brief explanation of each item:

• A quiet place to practice. Self explanatory. You need a space where you can concentrate on building your skills. I cringe when I hear someone tell me that they practice while there's a TV, or worse yet, music playing in the background. How in the world are you going to concentrate with that going on around you?
• A computer connected to the internet. While it's not absolutely necessary, there is so much good information out there, I can't imagine not having a way to gather it. Just Google what you're interested in and it's out there somewhere.
• Electronic tuner, metronome and music stand. Even if you buy the orchestra style stand, a wooden metronome with a clock movement and a strobe tuner you're not looking at more than $150-200. Buy an electronic, compact tuner and metronome and a wire music stand, we're talking under $100. 
• Instruction books, CDs and DVDs. There are thousands of resources out there for every imaginable style. No matter what type of music you like, whether you play acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string guitar, any combination, there's a wealth of material. If you have a guitar teacher he or she will be happy to incorporate these materials into your lessons.

• A way to record yourself. Almost any computer is capable of letting you record yourself playing. This is such a valuable tool I can't over emphasize it. Make a recording and be prepared to be shocked! Remember, the recording is exactly what you sound like, it doesn't lie. You'll hear string squeaks, timing errors, a slightly muffled note, a lot of things you don't notice while practicing.

So the next time you get ready to practice, think about setting up a practice room, even if it's only a small section of a bigger room. Give yourself the advantage of having a quiet, comfortable place to practice. You'll be glad you did!

Taking Care of Your Guitar (or Other Wooden Instrument)

What should I do to take care of my guitar?

The first and most important thing to be aware of is subjecting it to severe weather. If it's at all avoidable, DO NOT LEAVE IT IN THE TRUNK OF YOUR CAR! Extremely hot weather can cause stress on the glue joints, and cracks in the body while cold can cause finish cracking and both can cause severe structural damage. Should it be necessary to leave the guitar in the trunk, leave it in the case when you get inside until the temperature is stable. Heat, cold and humidity are the worst enemies of your guitar.

What do I clean my guitar with?

Most guitar manufacturers as well as other companies make guitar polish. The main thing here is to not use regular furniture polish that will eventually build up on the finish. Interestingly, even though the Martin Guitar Company, in business since 1833, makes a guitar polish, they also say in their owners' manual that you can clean the guitar with a very slightly damp cloth.


Should I do anything to the fingerboard?

I usually use Gibson fingerboard conditioner about twice year on my guitars and banjos. It lubricates and cleans the fingerboard. In the winter this helps to prevent cracking from very low humidity levels.


Do I need to wipe off the strings?

Wiping off the strings after you play helps to resist corrosion and makes the strings last longer. This is a good idea if you play outside or if your hands tend to sweat.


How often should I change strings?

As mentioned in a previous post, if the strings sound dead, look nasty or won't stay in tune, it's time to change them. If you play a lot, it will be something you'll want to do more often. Some professional players change them at least once a week, some before every performance.


Beware of the guitar strap with a vinyl backing.

When you buy a strap for your guitar, check to see whether it has a vinyl backing. If it does, be sure that the backing doesn't come into contact with the finish on your guitar. Vinyl is a petroleum based product and it can eat through the finish. The same is true if you put your guitar on a stand. The parts that support the neck and the body can also damage the finish.

How Often Should You Change Strings?

When do you need to change strings?

A fresh set of strings will make your guitar look, sound and feel better. (Kind of like the old barber poles used to say!) While there are no absolute rules, here are some tell tale signs that they need to be replaced:

• Do your strings look corroded or black?
• Has it been 6 months to a year, or worse yet, you can't remember?
• Does your electric guitar just sound kind of dull?
• Has your guitar become harder to tune?
• Do you have trouble keeping the guitar in tune?

If you answered yes to any of those questions there's a good chance that it's time to replace your strings.

Why are there so many different kinds of strings and which ones should you use?

The choices are downright mind boggling, but here are the major differences. If you have an acoustic guitar, most people use bronze, phosphor bronze, nickel or silk and steel strings. The bronze and phosphor bronze have a brighter sound, the nickel are a bit duller, and the silk and steel are light and easier to push down. As a result, silk and steel tend to go dead quicker and don't have as a bright a sound. For electric guitar, nickel is the most popular and it's more about thickness than the kind of string.

What gauge strings should I use?

There are lots of different gauges, and the thickness is really a matter of what you like and what kind of music you play. For example, bluegrass guitar players usually use a fairly heavy set of strings to get that nice, booming bass and to cut through the other instruments. If you do fingerpicking, a lot of players use lighter strings to move around a little quicker. The best thing to do is to experiment and see what sounds good on your guitar. Keep in mind that the lighter the strings are, the trade-off is less volume and tone. With electric guitars, the type of music again is a important part. If you do a lot of string bending you'll want to play lighter strings, if you play jazz you'll want to use heavier strings and so on. Again, guitar strings are not real expensive so the best thing is to try different brands and gauges and see what works best. Your guitar teacher or a more experienced friend can help you decide although the final decision depends on what sound you're looking for.

Decide to Conquer Bad Habits and Build Technique

When you first begin playing guitar, it's easy to develop bad habits.

Posture. To help develop good posture, sit in a chair that has no arms, position the music at eye level, and use a music stand. Too many of my guitar students tell me they practice sitting on the bed, on the couch or on the floor. The music is either on a coffee table, on the floor or on the side of the bed. This really puts you at a disadvantage.

Left Hand and Arm. To get the most length out of your fingers, be sure you're not doing any of these things. Don't rest your left arm on your leg. You'll restrict the movement of your left hand and this will slow you down. The thumb should be in the middle of the neck, and the fingers should be bent at both joints. Arch the hand so that the fingers don't bump into adjacent strings. You'll notice improvement in your chords as well as your notes.

Holding the Guitar Correctly. The important thing to remember here is that your left hand should not be holding the guitar up. Position the guitar so that your left hand and are can move freely. You can find lots of pictures in guitar books and on internet sites that show you the way to hold the guitar.

Pushing the Strings Down. A comment I get from my students is that it doesn't look like I'm pressing that hard, and the fact is, I'm not. Once your left hand fingers toughen up you won't have to push as hard as you did when you first started. Pressing too hard causes fatigue in the hand and arm muscles and also contributes to not being able to play clear sounding chords.

The Picking Hand.  If you use a pick, most people hold it between the thumb and the index finger. Be sure the point is between the strings. You hold it tight enough so that it doesn't wiggle around, but not so tight that you feel like you're squeezing it.

Learning the Fingerboard......Where to Start?

Ah yes, the guitar fingerboard. All those notes, all those frets, I'm confused!

Yes, the fingerboard can be very confusing. As a beginning guitar student it's even more daunting. When I first started playing guitar, it just didn't make sense. Unlike the piano or a keyboard, you can play the same notes in several different places. On the piano, there's only one middle C for example. Even though there are other notes with that name, that's the only one with that sound. On the guitar you can play the same note with the same pitch in as many as 6 different places. It's no wonder you're confused. Most guitar teachers, if they're teaching notes at all, start with what we call the 1st position. These are the notes in the first 4 frets and you make the C major scale from those. In addition, there are other scales you can also play using that same position. The best way to learn and understand all of this is to not try to learn too many concepts at once. The whole idea of position playing on guitar is using one finger per fret and not going out of position by more than one fret in either direction.

Position markers. Dots, snowflakes or other designs.

The way to learn to find your way around the fingerboard is to learn what the dots, aka position markers are for. Basically it's to keep you from having to count the frets and to help you jump right to the correct or fret or position. Plain or fancy, they serve the same purpose. Most guitars have them inlaid in the fingerboard as well as having dots on the side of the neck.

When does it all start to make sense, or does it?

It starts to make sense after you've been playing for a while and learn about how logical the fingerboard really is. The key is to learn to visualize the fingerboard and what notes reside there. Once you start to see patterns it becomes a lot easier. There are many good websites that go into great detail, but I recommend sticking to the basics at first and trusting your guitar teacher. A common problem that a beginning guitar student has is trying to figure out too much at once. This is especially true when you're trying to teach yourself. Don't worry about barre chords, pentatonic scales or other scale forms until you've built a good foundation of knowledge.

Are You Worrying Too Much About Your Progress?

Does everyone experience the same thing when they start guitar?


If you've gotten off of the total beginner stage and you're starting to be able to play along with recordings, there are a few points to remember about your progress.

• Some chords are more difficult than others. Many times my students will agonize over their inability to play C, F, Bminor, B7 or some other chord that has awkward fingering. It can be discouraging when you can play all but that one chord and it makes you feel like you're not getting anywhere. The advice I give everyone is to just keep going and force your chord hand to catch up.
• "It doesn't sound like the song." The art of rhythm guitar is something that comes from practicing, listening and trying to make it sound like the song. The problem is you only have one guitar, you most likely don't have thousands of dollars' worth of equipment, and you're still in the early stages of learning guitar. Again, don't agonize over the fact that you can't make it sound exactly like the recording. You may be listening to someone who's been playing for years and you can't expect to duplicate that sound at this point.
• Multi-tasking is overrated. Trying to do too much is a sure way to slow your progress. The more I teach, the slower I try to get my students to play. When we learn a new song, my first goal is to get the guitar student to simply strum a chord once when it changes. This develops your ear and helps you anticipate when the chords will change. The next step is to strum a couple of times, but give yourself ample time to get ready for the next chord. 
• Keeping your strumming hand moving will make the chord hand go faster. Whenever you practice chords, try to keep strumming so that you don't lose time. You don't want to get in the habit of stopping between chords.

• Invest in something to slow songs down. At our teaching studio I use RiffMaster Pro (affiliate link), which is an excellent program to slow songs down without changing the pitch. This way you can practice at a slower speed but you're still learning the correct rhythm.

Everybody Needs Somebody That They Can Talk To (and Pick With)

Do you want to speed up your progress?

I was always interested in learning to play guitar, in fact I had my first guitar lesson when I was 5 years old. Unfortunately, that was my last one until I was in high school. I didn't have a guitar and remember sitting on the floor, guitar book next to me, pretending I was strumming. I'm sure my parents and the music school were just humoring me since I never got to go back. When I did start to play guitar, it kind of happened by accident. A friend and I were at a high school basketball game and started up a conversation with a guy we thought we knew. As it turned out, we didn't know him, but we became friends. He had a guitar, an old Kay archtop he was learning on, and I would play it when I went to his house. Soon after that, another friend at school told me his dad had a guitar he wanted to sell. We went and looked at it and since he didn't want much for it, I was the proud owner of a new guitar.

Practice + A little friendly competition = PROGRESS!

Since my friend Rich and I both knew people who played guitar, it was fun to learn something new and then show it off the next time we got together. However, you'd only be able to be better for one day since the person that you were showing off to would immediately go home and learn what you'd played! In addition, I found a guitar teacher so it helped both of us learn more quickly.

Finding someone to practice with can really help.

There are several advantages to having a practice partner. It's a lot less frustrating to know that you're not alone in the beginning stages and that there are other people struggling to improve. If you find someone with similar taste in music you can have fun trying to learn new songs. Things tend to go faster when you have a little friendly competition. It tends to make you practice more.

How to find someone.

Not knowing someone can be a deterrent, but there are lots of ways to solve the problem. The first resource would be your guitar teacher or the place where you take lessons. We offer controlled jam sessions and have had several friendships develop in the classes. Not taking lessons? Try going to an open mic or a jam session. In our area there are several open jams and open mics. You don't have to play at first, maybe just listen and see if there's someone at your level. While it's ideal to have someone that plays better than you, if they're too advanced they may not be interested. Good luck and I hope you find someone to pick with. It really does make an enjoyable hobby even better.

Are You Ready to get Serious About Learning Guitar?

Have you decided you're ready to learn guitar?

If you're ready to start learning guitar and if you're serious, there are some important decisions to make. Do you own a guitar yet? One of the first considerations is your budget. Most beginning students try to spend as little as possible when purchasing a guitar because "if I lose interest I won't have spent a bunch of money." The problem with that thinking is the negativity that's already started. Do you really want to play guitar? Is investing a reasonable amount a good thing? There are a couple of solutions. One way to avoid the problem is to rent a guitar before purchasing. At our studio we highly recommend renting to parents of students as well as to adults who know little or nothing about the differences between guitars. The other solution is to do as much research as possible, ask any friends or relatives who play guitar, figure out how much you want to spend and then make your purchase.

Don't be the Lone Ranger, get help

Is it possible to teach yourself? Yes it is, but keep in mind that a good teacher can answer questions, keep you on track, and help you set goals. There are many good free lessons online, there are lots of good books, CDs and Videos, but the big drawback is that you can't ask them questions. You also need lots of self discipline to teach yourself because you'll have no one to answer to.


Buy the essentials to give yourself the best path to success

Don't save a few bucks by not buying a metronome, electronic tuner, or the other accessories I talked about in an earlier post. While some of these don't need to be added right now, the more tools you have the better off you'll be.

How long is this going to take?

I used to always avoid that question. I'd hem and haw and talk about how long you can practice, natural ability, your previous music experience and what you want to play. After years of teaching I've finally gotten some rough guidelines down. Here they are:

• 6 to 8 Months to get off of the complete beginner stage. After that time you should be able to play some common chords, play a couple songs and move around on the guitar.

•  1 to 2 Years to reach an advanced beginner to lower intermediate player. After that amount of time you should be able to make the transition from one chord to another, play some scales and maybe be starting on barre chords. Lots of students try to learn too fast and end up having to go back and re-learn techniques they haven't given enough attention to.

• 3 Years to be an intermediate player. After this amount of time you should be honing your skills, playing fairly difficult songs, and be learning some of the more advanced concepts. 

Keep in mind that these are estimates, not exact timetables. The nice thing about the guitar is its versatility. While it may take 2 or 3 years to be an intermediate player it doesn't mean it can't be rewarding or fun. So whatever level you're on, enjoy the journey. There are great songs to play at all levels.

Simple theory questions answered........or not.

Answers to frequently asked theory questions

Q. What is a key?

A. Simply put, a key is writing a song using the notes of a particular scale. For example, if the song is in the key of G Major, the notes used are from the G Major scale. This means that certain chords will be present and there will be one sharp note, F#. The theory definition of a key is simply notes taken from a scale and made into a song.

Q. What is a chord progression?
A. A chord progression is a term used to describe chords that follow each other in a certain order. Sometimes you'll hear someone refer to a 1, 4, 5 or something similar. This is the number system used to describe the chords in a scale. Each scale note has a chord that goes with it and the number tells you the chord's place in the scale. For example, the C Major scale notes are: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, so a 1, 4, 5 in C would be the C, F and G chords. That's not all that's involved, but it's the basic idea.

Q. What's the melody?
A. The melody is the tune that you sing. If you were to sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, that's the melody. I was explaining to a banjo student how he had to pick a little harder to bring out the melody and he looked at me and said "what the heck's the melody?" I was sure I was making things as plain as can be!

Q. What does transpose mean?
A. Transpose means to change a song from one key to a different key. So using the example above, if the song was in the Key of G Major and you wanted to transpose to C Major, you'd substitute the C scale notes for the G scale notes.

Those are some of the common theory questions I get when I teach. If you have any others you'd like answered, leave a post in the comment section or send an email to: blguitars@sbcglobal.net. 

Review: RiffMaster Pro Software

     For years I've used and recommended "The Amazing Slow Downer". The software is easy to use, very much like the tape recorders we used before there was all this digital recording equipment. While it's still a good program, I recently bought and became an affiliate of RiffMaster Pro.

The Review

   What it Does

• Slows down songs and phrases
• You can load in your own song files
• Saves your loops
• Has the ability to record slowed down versions of songs or loops

I've only had the program for about a week, but the capabilities it has are really good. If you want to learn a song and it's way too fast for you, it's very easy to slow it down. Their website has short, easy to understand tutorials if you have any questions or problems. You can remove or at least partially remove vocals, make a loop so the same phrase can repeat as often as you'd like, and you can raise or lower the pitch. This is helpful if the artist or band tunes down. All in all, it's a very useful program for any level of guitar player, beginner, intermediate or advanced. Priced at only $49.00, with a 10 day free trial and added bonuses. I was very impressed with the RiffMaster Pro and I think you'll like it too!

Are You Putting Too Much Pressure on Yourself?

The race to be an awesome guitarist

Are you trying too hard to play guitar in the shortest time possible? Have you read too much beginner guitar player hype about how you can learn the guitar in a weekend, 7 days, play every song with little or no practice? Let me pop the bubble for you. Anyone that tells you that is being totally dishonest. Ask any accomplished guitar player or guitar teacher and you'll be told the same thing. Learn in a weekend? Sure, I can teach to play in a weekend as long as you're trying to play the first few notes of Smoke on the Water.

It's all about muscle memory, practice and passion

Believe me, when I first started playing guitar I was sure, (or at least hopeful), that if I practiced enough I'd get good really quickly. I practiced guitar several hours a day, tried to play music with my best friend Rich, hung around other guitarists who were better than me, and studied out of lots of books. My conclusion? You can't speed the process up too much. Yes, you may be able to play a song in a relatively short amount of time, but your fingers and your brain have to be trained to remember all of it. If you put in the time you'll get there, but you can't do it without a commitment to practice. Ask yourself how much you want to be able to play the guitar. Do you have a real passion for music or does it seem like this quaint idea.

Get help, get motivated and get involved

If you don't have a guitar teacher or mentor, get one! A good teacher can help you figure out what you want to play, what you're capable of playing at each stage, and be a guide for your musical journey. To get motivated you need to listen to lots of music, challenge yourself when you practice, and have your teacher give you feedback and pay attention to it. I love when I suggest something to a student and he or she replies "that might be a good idea." No, it IS a good idea. I've devoted my entire adult like to teaching and I can guarantee you that what I'm telling you works. Getting involved means supporting live music, participating in jam sessions, and finding out what the music scene is like in your area.

Remember: It's not how many years you've been playing, it's how many hours you've put in.