I was doing some Googling the other day about how to workout at the gym more efficiently. I came across the term "compound exercises" where, for example, you do squats while holding dumbbells and as you complete the squat motion you raise the dumbbells for a shoulder press.

Immediately I...

The bossa nova is one of the most captivating and sensuous rhythms to play on nylon string guitar. And the chords that typically are played in a bossa nova are tasty, beautiful jazz, voicings that really make things sound smooth. You've heard classic tunes from Antônio Carlos Jobim, Luiz,...

Flamenco isn't easy! There are rhythmic elements to flamenco that can be quite complex and challenging for even the most accomplished guitarist. (The form Bulerías for example consists of 12 beats with unevenly distributed accents!) That's why the first flamenco forms that I teach for the...

What sets fingerstyle guitar apart from other types of guitar playing is,of course, playing with the fingers of the right hand (rather than with a pick). Over the years. I've noticed that if you're likely to make a mistake with your fingers it's going to be that your thumb is in the way of your...

Having taught thousands of guitar students over the decades and used just about every book there is, I keep coming back to only a few rumbas when I teach how to play this fun Spanish guitar style. 

The Rumba Basics

Rumbas can be counted in 4/4 or 2/4 time (I'm partial to counting in 4/4) and...

Choro is a type of music that originated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It's an upbeat style which typically features a small ensemble with instruments like the guitar, flute, cavaquinho, clarinet and mandolin among others. While some songs are played fast, others can be very slow and melodic. Some...

Introduction

Fingernails are an important part of your hands as a classical and nylon string guitarist. Not only do they help you to grip the guitar strings and provide volume and tone, but they also serve as a protective barrier between your skin and the strings. The fingernails are an integral...

The rumba is one of the most exciting rhythms to play on acoustic guitar. It's a rhythm that is pretty familiar to the "western ear" as opposed to many flamenco forms that follow a much more complicated rhythmic structure. In my decades of teaching guitar, I have composed many studies for...

When you listen to classical guitar music, you're likely to see works adapted for guitar from composers like Bach, Beethoven and others who weren't writing for the guitar, but the pieces have been adapted to the instrument. However, you seldom hear the works from Russian composer Pyotr...

The Argentine tango is a musical genre and dance style that originated in the late 19th century in the working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina, evolving from a mixture of European and indigenous musical styles. 

The tango is characterized by its syncopated rhythm and intense,...

Take a quick tour of five of the best and most iconic gypsy jazz songs. In this video I briefly explain what gypsy jazz is and some of the vital elements of this style, pioneered by Django Reinhardt in 1930’s Paris with violinist Stephane Grapelli. If you’re into Latin guitar or...

"Blue Bossa" is a jazz standard composed by the late American saxophonist and flutist Kenny Dorham. It was first recorded on his 1962 album "Afro-Cuban" and since then it has become a staple in jazz repertoire, often played by jazz musicians in live performances and jams.

"Blue Bossa" is...

Malagueña is a Spanish song that has become one of the most well-known and beloved traditional folk melodies in the world. The origins of the song are somewhat unclear, but it is thought to have originated in the region of Málaga, Spain (hence the name) in the late 19th or early...

Let's look into the history of the nylon string guitar...

The nylon string guitar (most simply call it the classical guitar) has a long and storied history, with roots dating back to the Renaissance period in Europe.

The modern classical guitar can trace its origins back to the lute, which was a...