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?
The chromatic scale is kind of strange. We call it a "scale" but anyone who uses it like a typical scale is going to be labeled "avant garde." The chromatic scale is essentially the musical alphabet. It's no more muscial than the regular alphabet is literary. Chromaticism can be used to connect notes within a … Continue reading Should You Practice the Chromatic Scale?
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?
Learning to play guitar can be really hard. Books and courses promising "guitar mastery in 30 days" tend to gloss over the part about sore fingertips, fatigued muscles, and the sheer mental effort required to play any musical instrument. What really makes guitar hard to learn is the physical aspect. Suddenly your fingertips get sore. … Continue reading Why is Learning Guitar So Hard?
Mike Eiman 