Guitar Advice & Inspiration
Are you in need of guitar advice, inspiration, or just a good kick in the pants? Here you’ll find topics that address the kinds of things we guitarists think (and worry) about.
5 Reasons to Pick Up a Guitar
Many people wish they could play a musical instrument, but just never seem to get around to it. Some of you may even think you’re too old to start learning. Of all the instruments out there, the guitar has got to be one of the most accessible. It’s also relatively easy to get started with. It […]
Community Discussion: What One Piece of Music Gear Would You Love to Have?
The comments at the bottom of this post contain affiliate links, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. Learn more. I’d like to do something a little different and fun this week: a community discussion topic. In the comments at […]
6 Ways Guitarists Can Reduce Hand and Finger Pain
This post contains affiliate links, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Last Updated: Dec 11, 2017 In another blog post I talked about switching to ultra-light guitar strings to help alleviate finger and hand pain. That sparked […]
Fingers Sore From Playing Guitar? Don’t Give Up. Lighten Up!
This post contains affiliate links, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Last Updated: May 10, 2019 Got sore fingers from playing guitar? You’re not alone. For new guitar players, sore fingertips can be pretty demotivating. In fact, […]
Guitar Neglect: If You’re Not Gonna Play It…
This post contains affiliate links, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Recently, we decided to escape the summer heat for awhile by heading north to Flagstaff, AZ with the dog for the weekend. It’s much cooler up there, […]
How I Backpacked With a Guitar and Made Money
I’ve always been a guitar lover, but until a year ago, I never would have thought I could travel around the world with my guitar and make money. For the past five years, I had been a corporate robot and decided that I wasn’t getting any younger. I wanted to see the world and have […]
7 Simple Mistakes That Self-Taught Guitarists Make – And How to Fix Them
Being a guitar instructor means I often get to witness novice players doing some pretty weird things. I don’t mean pig’s blood and a chicken foot type weird–I mean “where on earth did you get that” kind of weird. Many of these errors in a guitarist’s technique or conceptual understanding come about by a simple […]
Do It Different: Playing Guitar Despite Physical Limitations
Last Updated: November 22, 2019 I’m probably the least-qualified person to be writing this post. When I was born I popped out with 2 arms, 2 legs, 10 fingers, and 10 toes. Everything was where it’s supposed to be and it all seemed to work okay. So, it was no problem for me to pick up […]
11 Things My First Year Playing Guitar Taught Me
After celebrating my first year anniversary with my guitar it’s time to look back on some awesome adventures and lessons learned. Lesson 1: it’s ok to suck after playing guitar for one year Yes. That’s right. Sure looks fun and easy whenever [insert name of your favourite guitarist here] does it, huh? No worries. There’s […]
Guitar String Labels Demystified
You’ve had your new guitar a few months now, and the time has come for a fresh set of strings. You head to your local guitar store without much of an idea of what you like, want, or need–because you’ve decided you’ll just look around and figure it out once you get there. You walk into […]
What’s the Best Beginner Electric Guitar?
This post contains affiliate links, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Andrea asks: “What’s the best electric guitar you’d recommend for a beginner?” Hi Andrea: Since you specified that you want an electric guitar, I can jump […]
