We most often play guitar in 4/4 or 3/4 time - and that can give us enough trouble! However, I think practicing guitar in odd time signatures can heighten our rhythmic awareness and make us better guitarists overall. In this guitar tutorial, I show you how we can play a great little drill in 11/8...
The bossa nova is one of the most popular Latin styles and one of the most fun things we can play on guitar. This is a style that is more often than not played on nylon string and offers a great "crossover" opportunity for classical and Spanish-style guitarists.
In this tutorial, we will...
One of the most-fun-to play styles of music for the nylon string guitar is the sub-genre of Bolero. You may have heard of Ravel's Bolero (which is in 3/4 time), but the Bolero we're talking about is actually a staight ahead 4/4 time beat that is the backbone and basis for...
The right hand guitar techniques for nylon string (Spanish guitar, classical, flamenco) are hard enough, but once we learn them it's very easy to accidentally get lopsided and not be rhythmically or dynamically consistent. The simple practice idea in this lesson can help us even out our right...
Unlock the secrets of speed metal sweeping, a guitar technique that combines agility and precision to master arpeggios with speed and fluency. Ideal for both classical and metal guitarists, this guide will take you through the essential steps to elevate your play.
How to Understand Speed Metal...
Strumming for Spanish Guitar
If you're just starting with Spanish guitar, understanding the symbols and notations can be confusing. From chord grids to tablature, it's essential to interpret these symbols correctly and learn how to count properly. In this guide, we will delve into the...
The Importance of Riffs for Guitar Technique
A riif is simply a term for a memorable short musical theme, and as guitarists we have hundreds if not thousands of famous guitar riffs we can learn and play for fun but also for technique development. One of the most famous and recognizable...
Did you know that the song Roxanne from the Police is a tango? The Police were known for their reggae influences, and when we hear those opening chords of Roxanne we might think reggae is the groove we're hearing. However, those Roxanne chord "stabs" fall on the downbeat, and the hallmark of...
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...
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.
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Play guitar riffs
Playing guitar riffs is a great...
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,...
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...
