The circle of fifths is a divisive subject for guitar players, particularly those who haven’t studied jazz or classical music. Depending on who you ask, it's either an indispensable tool for learning music or complete waste of time. I first learned about the circle of fifths when I took a music theory class in high … Continue reading How Do You Practice Guitar With the Circle of Fifths?
Extended harmony takes all the fun of music and ruins it with a bunch of numbers. It's also very important because it reveals the hidden link between chords and scales. But all those numbers don't have to be confusing. Chords are built in thirds (playing every other note in the scale). The most basic chord … Continue reading What Are the Four Chord Extensions?
There are so many boutique Fender-style guitars and basses around, it can be a little overwhelming trying to figure out what each brand has to offer. Compared with production-line Fender guitars, boutique guitar builders like Anderson Guitarworks, Suhr, Friedman, and James Tyler all offer superior build quality and attention to detail. That's assuming you've already … Continue reading Are G&L Guitars Good?
We've all been there. Using the same chord progressions over and over. I mean, you can only write a song with G, C, and D so many times before people start to notice. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with the tried-and-true progressions. Actually, there is a good reason why they're tried and true: … Continue reading How Do You Invent Chord Progressions?
In a lot of ways, it's easier to learn guitar now than it ever has been. The Internet has leveled the playing field for anyone without access to a good teacher or the financial means to pay for regular lessons. The guitar is really a marvel of engineering. It's configured so anyone with a little … Continue reading Can You Teach Yourself to Play Guitar?
Mike Eiman 