First off, I would like to thank DeftDigits.com for this great blogging opportunity. Let’s immediately jump in: scales, what are they and which one should you learn? This short article will spend more time on the latter than on the …
400 Popular Songs to Learn on Guitar, With Lesson Links
Part of my job as a guitar teacher is curating songs that my students might like to play. While some students know exactly what they want to learn and enthusiastically pursue every item on their ever-growing “to-learn” list, others just …
The 5 Major Scale Positions
This article serves as a reference for navigating major scales all over the guitar fretboard. (Recommended prerequisite knowledge: The CAGED System, Scale Degrees vs. Intervals.) Scale Definition The major scale uses scale degrees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. …
Diagonal Pentatonics
I’ve encountered countless intermediate guitar players who find themselves stuck inside the pentatonic box. They’ve learned some of the standard “box” shapes, derived from the CAGED System, for the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales, but now they find they …
The 5 Major Pentatonic Positions
This article serves as a reference for navigating major pentatonic scales all over the guitar fretboard. See also The 5 Minor Pentatonic Positions. (Recommended prerequisite knowledge: Intro to the Minor Pentatonic Scale, The CAGED System, Scale Degrees vs. Intervals.) Scale …
The 5 Minor Pentatonic Positions
This article serves as a reference for navigating minor pentatonic scales all over the guitar fretboard. See also The 5 Major Pentatonic Positions. (Recommended prerequisite knowledge: Intro to the Minor Pentatonic Scale, The CAGED System, Scale Degrees vs. Intervals.) Scale …
Understanding Chord Symbols
Ever been baffled by a complex chord symbol? D#m11b5 got you scratching your head? Fear not; your problems are about to be history!
Scale Degrees vs. Intervals
Intervals are a great way to get started in music theory. They describe the distance between any two notes, and they allow you to think and communicate about music in a more sensible manner. Scale degrees, while often not distinguished …
Intervals on the Guitar: The Key to Fretboard Music Theory
One of the first steps in understanding any kind of music theory is understanding intervals. An interval is a distance between two notes. Not a physical distance, but a distance in pitch. Guitars (and pianos) make visualizing this distance easy; …
3 Easy (But Powerful) Alternate Picking Exercises
Alternate picking between strings is tricky. On a single string, even a beginner can economize picking motion and nail tunes like “Miserlou” and “Thunderstruck” after just a few weeks of intensive practice. Pumping the pick at that speed through different …