Practice the ending of the piece first, that way, in performance you are heading towards the part you know the best. when you slide to a particular fret, look at the fret you want to land on. Your finger will automatically stop at the right fret. To increase the volume of your bass notes, point […]
As a teacher and player, I am always looking at technique from different viewpoints. From one perspective it seems obvious that we should all be trying to improve our technique. Better technique means fewer mistakes, and an easier, more masterful performance. But improving technique is not as easy as it seems. In truth, our technique […]
Mauro Giuliani(1781-1829) was a leading guitar figure of the Classical period. He was a prolific composer and virtuoso guitarist and teacher. His music forms an important part of the classical guitar repertoire and his studies are an essential repertoire for students. Unfortunately, Andres Segovia, who helped revive interest in the classical guitar in the early […]
The chromatic scale is a great scale to practice on guitar. In this article I will explore different ways to practice the chromatic scale and why it is good scale to practice. The chromatic scale is made up of every note on the guitar (or any instrument) as it moves along by semitone, in the […]
Welcome back to the LGM podcast! Today we’ll chat with Adam Del Monte about the Solea. I will also be updating you on my latest offerings on the blog and YouTube channel. Adam: The Solea is a very fundamental form that informs many other styles. Both technique and rhythmic understanding and the way of the […]
Welcome to the first episode of the Latin Guitar Mastery Podcast. This podcast will feature short episodes on Latin Guitar styles, techniques, players and more. I had a chat with guitarist Doug De Vries about what Brasilian choro music is. Here’s an excerpt from our interview: Doug: Choro is a bit like jazz, it’s all-encompassing. […]
To create more focus and mimic some of the pressure you will feel when performing I suggest trying the 4-Times Rule. It’s a simple process: 1. repeat the passage 4 times without making a mistake 2. If you make a mistake, restart the process 3. If you get stumped and can’t get 4 times in […]
Spain is a Jazz Latin piece written by Chick Corea inspired by the second movement Rodrigo’s Concerto Concerto De Aranjuez. It features a syncopated melody that is played in unison and also includes a flamenco-inspired circle of fifths: the chord progress Gmaj7 – F#7 (b9) – Em – A7 (b9) – Dmaj7- Gmaj7 […]
Here are some practice patterns for the first three strings in the first position. Many guitarists are not great readers. The guitar is an instrument you can learn by ear and through playing with others, reading music generally happens when you have formal guitar lessons or classical guitar lessons. So why work on your reading? Well, […]
I recently did an interview with Adam Del Monte. Adam is a grammy award-winning flamenco and classical guitarist. He teaches at USC Thornton School of Music and alongside his busy touring schedule has written a flamenco guitar concerto, collaborated with artists such as the LA Guitar Quartet and written and recorded for numerous films. In […]