Blog
Quick lessons on modes, improvisation, and fretboard mastery. Each post breaks down one concept you can practice today.
Beyond Rhythm and Lead: Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm
The distinction between "rhythm guitar" and "lead guitar" is **not very useful**
Building a Rhythmic Foundation for Improvisation
Guitarists often **overemphasize harmony** at the expense of rhythm
How to Practice Improvising Without a Backing Track
Use **stock progressions** (common chord progressions) as a launching point
Developing Outside Sounds in Your Improvisation
Practice **inside-outside-inside** over a drone
Playing the Changes: What It Means and How to Do It
means outlining chords as they happen in your solo
Is the Blues Scale a Real Thing?
The "blues scale" with chromatic notes doesn't always sound bluesy in practice
Playing Scales on One String: A New Perspective
Playing scales on **one string** reveals the interval pattern visually
Tips for Practicing Scales on Guitar
Play everything in one position
Expanding Your Playing with Pentatonic Scales
Instead of E minor or E major pentatonic over E, try **B minor pentatonic**
Applied Arpeggios: Minor Chords Part 1
Build different arpeggios on top of a **minor chord drone** for varied sounds
How to Improve Flow and Speed with Arpeggios
for fluid arpeggio playing
Arpeggios: The Key to Better Guitar Lines
Find **arpeggio shapes that align with chord voicings** you already know
How to Play a 7sus4 Arpeggio
The **7sus4 arpeggio** is a standard 7th arpeggio with the 4th added
Using Half-Diminished Chords in Your Playing
have an upper voice that sounds like a dominant 7
Adding Color to Dominant Chords
Add color to **dominant 7th chords** by playing related arpeggios
Harmony and Chord Voicing on Guitar
Each note in a chord is called a **voice**
Using Low String Voicings for Common Chord Progressions
Use **low string voicings** for a deeper, richer sound
Chord Voicing Concepts Every Guitarist Should Know
Limit yourself to **3 adjacent strings** to discover new voicings
Chord Inversions 101: The Basics
An **inversion** rearranges the notes of a chord (same notes, different order)
Hearing Diatonic Chords: A Theory Exercise
Play the major scale on one string, then add a third above each note
Finding the 1, 4, and 5 Chords in Any Key
Finding the **1, 4, 5** chords helps you play along with music by ear
Playing in a Key: Music Theory Basics
Build chords from the major scale to get the chords "in a key"
All About Relative Minor: A Complete Guide
Every major key has a corresponding **relative minor** key
Understanding the Mixolydian Scale
is a color variation of the major scale
You Don't Need Barre Chords: Alternatives That Work
You can play full progressions **without barre chords**
Guitar Finger Stretches for Better Flexibility
Build stretches into your playing rather than doing separate hand exercises
Tips for Building Speed and Dexterity on Guitar
Here's a lesson on building speed and dexterity with the guitar. There's one thing I want you to take away: **speed is only as good as your sense of r...
3 Steps to Better Barre Chords: Listen and Adjust
Step 1: Line up your second finger and thumb on the fretboard
3 Steps to Better Barre Chords: The First Finger Barre
Use the **side of your finger**, not the fleshy part, for barre chords
Using Legato for Smooth Articulation and Speed
reduces picking work while maintaining speed and articulation
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