Category Archives: Article

Learning Guitar If You’re Left Handed?

If you are left-handed, should you learn left handed (upside down and backwards), or just stick with the way a right-handed person plays? And the answer is…it depends. It depends on whether you are brand new and have never picked up the guitar or you have been working at it for a while. Here’s the ...…

How to Learn to Play Guitar

Learning to play guitar is not complicated. It comes down to 3 basic things: 1. Find a good teacher with a good teaching system2. Start practicing3. Don’t stop until you get it OK, I realize that may sound like an over simplification. I’ll after many years of struggling myself, then teaching others what I’ve learn ...…

Birth of a Guitar Teaching System

When my oldest daughter Melanie turned 9, she asked me to teach her to play guitar. I was happy to hear this and I suggested that it would be best if she took lessons from one of the instructors in my employ. My thinking was that she would benefit from a less personal relationship. To ...…

The 1 – 6 – 4 – 5 (I – vi – IV – V) Song List

 The I – iv – IV – V chord progression (turnaround) is common in Western popular music. Played with a triplet feel it becomes a Rock Ballad It’s the basis for the verses of The Bangles 1989 hit “Eternal Flame” as well as Radiohead’s “No Surprises”. Recent  examples include  Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls” and Justin ...…

The Metronome That Slowed Down and Sped Up

I’ll never forget the time I was working on timing with a student. I put the metronome on at a slow speed and asked him to play along. After a few minutes of struggling to synchronize with the beat he declared, ―I think the metronome is broken.‖ I thought he was joking, but to my ...…

Private Guitar Teacher vs Online Lessons

                  What is better? Taking lessons from a private guitar teacher or learning online?   Like many things in life the answer is…it depends.   When I read reviews of something I’m interested in purchasing I like to get to the part where they list the pros ...…

Roman Numeral System Explained (finally!)

  OK, are you ready for some serious music theory?    Well – not that serious. Get that sour look off your face.   I’m going to explain the roman numeral system that is often used to describe chord progressions or patterns. It’s actually not that complicated. I’ll start with the basics and go into ...…

Turnaround Pattern – Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers

A second example of a Common Chord Pattern or chord progression is what is commonly called the “Turnaround” Pattern. Again, this pattern can be found in most popular styles of music. This pattern can be described using the roman numeral system I’ve mentioned earlier. In this case it would be: I – vi – IV ...…

Example of 12 Bar Blues Chord Pattern – Johnny Be Good by Chuck Berry

  The first example I’d like to share with you is a pattern that has been used in many styles of music. It’s called the 12 Bar Blues. So you might be thinking about now that Blues might not be a high priority for music that you want to play. Well I’ve got news for ...…

Stairway to Heaven

This song, written and performed by the band Led Zeppelin, is often rated as one of the greatest rock songs of all times. You owe it to yourself to at least become familiar with it by reading about it and watching a video here. Read more here…