Thursday Tips
Guitar Preparedness ~ What’s in Your Guitar Case?
Being prepared for your guitar necessities and those pesky guitar emergencies is vital. During our current stay-at-home downtime, it’s the perfect time to assess your preparedness. Here’s a list of the 6 items* I recommend you have in your case ~ just in case!
1. Set of Strings
2. Guitar tuner
3. Capo
4. Flat picks
5. Nail trimmers
6. Cleaning cloth
Play on…
Marlene
*To learn more about these 6 essential items and 3 bonus items, listen to my newest podcast ~ episode 19!
Understanding Rhythm and Tempo
A song has two parts, a musical sound and a beat. The latter includes rhythm, the count of a song, like 4/4 time, and tempo, how fast or slow you play a song. Understanding rhythm and tempo* can help you choose your song’s strumming or picking patterns and stylings ~ so you can keep the beat!
Play on…
Marlene
*To learn more about rhythm, time signatures and various tempo examples , listen to my newest podcast ~ episode 18!
Relieve Stress & Boost Brain Power by Playing Guitar!
Would you like to feel less stressed and boost your brain power at the same time? Well good news, you can. Scientists have proven* that playing an instrument is like a ‘full body workout for the brain’. So for less stress and stronger gray matter ~ play guitar as often as possible!
Play on…
Marlene
*To learn more about the science behind how playing guitar affects the brain, listen to my newest podcast ~ episode 17!
Learn, Play & Master Chord Progressions
Chord progressions are used to build songs, and there are many chord progression patterns, but learning a few basic ones will help you to understand songs AND your playing abilities will improve. Here are a few common chord progressions* to learn, play and master!
3 Chords:
A D E – C F G – D G A – G C D
4 Chords:
A D E D – C F G C – D G A D – E A B E
Play on…
Marlene
*To learn more about chord progressions and to play them with me, listen to my podcast ~ episode 16!
Effective Skill Improvement Ideas
There are effective ways to improve your playing skills*, like these 7 suggestions:
1. Play new material
2. Revisit older songs
3. Play in front of a mirror
4. Record yourself playing
5. Memorize 1 entire song
6. Play outdoors
7. Play for someone else
Play on…
Marlene
*To learn more about these 7 ideas for improving your skills, listen to my podcast ~ episode 15!
5 Basic Chords All Guitarists Should Know
There are 5 basic chords you should know how to play; A, E, D, C & G. These chords are commonly found in many songs and in combinations like A, D & E and G, C & D. Once you have the basics down you can expand your chord repertoire with 7ths, minors, etc. The basic 5, helps you to thrive!
Play on…
Marlene
*To learn more about playing these 5 basic chords, listen to my podcast ~ episode 14!
How To Sing Along While Playing Your Guitar
Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced guitarist, adding the lyrics and tune to a new song can be a challenge. Try these 5 steps to help you successfully sing along!
1. Listen to the song when not playing your guitar (i.e. while cooking, driving, etc.)
2. Gain your song playing skills. Play just the music (no singing) frequently.
3. Hum the tune while playing the song, and even picture the lyrics as you’re humming.
4. Add in the lyrics, try 1 line at a time (note: if this step is a little wonky, go to step 5)
5. ‘Jam’ along with the original artist, let them do the singing, then repeat step 4.
Play on…
Marlene
*To learn more about singing along with your songs, listen to my podcast ~ episode 13!
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