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?
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?
When I first started playing guitar in the late '90s there weren't a lot of options for guitar instruction. If I wanted to learn something, these were my options: Figure it out myselfFind someone to teach meBuy a disorganized, hard-to-read book with confusing diagramsBuy a video that looked like it was shot in someone's basement … Continue reading Are TrueFire Courses Worth It?
Guitar players have a natural attraction to the bass. Why wouldn't we? At a glance it looks like a big guitar with four strings instead of six. Cool! The bass can be particularly appealing to composers and songwriters who want to lay down a bass part for a demo. Maybe you want to expand your … Continue reading Can a Guitarist Play Bass Guitar?
Mike Eiman 