A Flamenco Technique Study 

Let's use the introduction to "Punta y Tacon" - a flamenco composition using the form farruca by the great Sabicas - to work on some fundamental flamenco guitar techniques like arpeggio and rasgueo.

The Master Sabicas

Sabicas was a renowned Spanish flamenco guitarist w...

As a musician, it's not uncommon to feel unmotivated to practice. As a guitarist, finding ways to trick yourself into practicing more can be a game-changer. In this blog post, I will explore four effective ways to do so that I use myself.

1. Play guitar riffs

   Playing guitar riffs is a great way t

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Few things sound as instantly recognizable as the "phrygian sound" that we can get by playing two major chords a half step (one fret) apart. Even the Andalusian Cadence – which ends with this two chord sequence – is less potent than just playing these two chords back to back. This is the essence of ...

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 thought of...

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, Bonfá, Joã...

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 uninitiate...

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 inde...

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 typic...

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 peop...

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 pa...

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 students t...

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 Ilyich Tchaik...

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 acoustic guitar of a...

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, dramati...