Category Lessons

Lesson: Thirds in G Major by Giuliani

Thirds in G Major, No. 5, Op. 1 by Mauro GiulianiFrom my PDF eBook: Ten Classical Etudes (Werner Guitar Editions)Includes fingering, notation only & notation + TAB edition.YouTube Video Performance and Lesson Link (4K) Thirds in G Major No. 5, Op. 1…

Articulation in Music

The other day I posted a video regarding articulation and phrasing with Graham Fitch and received a number of questions as to the exact meaning of articulation in music. The previous post covered: Phrasing in music. So in this post I want to discuss…

Phrasing in music: what is a musical phrase?

Let’s start with a definition from the Oxford’s Music Dictionary: phrase. Short section of music of a musical composition into which the music, whether vocal or instrumental, seems naturally to fall. Sometimes this is 4 measures, but shorter and longer…

Lesson: Performance Anxiety in Music

As guitarist Scott Tennant states in his technique book “there’s no substitute for preparation.” That is true, you certainly don’t want to perform something you haven’t practiced well. The more you prepare the better the performance will go. However, there’s more…

Ten Classical Etudes Lesson: Study No. 10, Op. 60 by Carcassi

Ten Classical Etudes Lesson: Study No. 10, Op. 60 by Matteo Carcassi. From my PDF eBook: Ten Classical Etudes (Werner Guitar Editions). Includes fingering, notation only & notation + TAB edition. YouTube Performance and Lesson Link. This is a wonderful study for…

Lesson: Study No. 24, Op. 60 by Fernando Sor

This post is for my new PDF eBook: Ten Classical EtudesLesson: Study No. 24, Op. 60 by Fernando Sor (1778–1839)Includes fingering, notation & notation + TAB edition.YouTube Video Performance and Lesson Link (4K) Allegro Moderato, Study No. 24, Op. 60 by…

On Practicing - A Manual for Students of Guitar by Ricardo Iznaola

Quality Practice Sessions

Ideas on practicing music with a focus on quality. This not a ‘how to practice’ post but really just a reminder to students about the importance of quality in your practice sessions. Quality vs Quantity As I’ve said in other…

Scott Morris Lesson on Sitting Position & Posture

Another great video by Scott Morris via Guitar Salon International. In this video Morris talks about posture, sitting position, guitar supports and more. Here’s the blurb via their YouTube: “In this lesson Scott addresses the topic of the proper way to…

Ten Classical Etudes Lesson: Study No. 6, Op. 60 by Carcassi

Ten Classical Etudes Lesson: Study No. 6, Op. 60 by Matteo Carcassi – From my PDF Book: Ten Classical Etudes which includes fingering, notation & notation + TAB edition. YouTube Video Performance and Lesson Link Moderato, Study No. 6, Op. 60…

Practicing Well: Positive Success Ratios

Problem: Even when students practice efficiently there is still the possibility that they are not practicing well. Here’s an example: Brad practices the most difficult sections of his music during his daily practice session (this is good). He practices the difficult…

Scott Morris Lesson on String Dampening

A lesson on String Dampening for classical guitar by the excellent Scott Morris. This lesson is via Guitar Salon International. Don’t worry if you don’t fully understand all the theory or harmonic language, the main idea is that some sounds…

On Practicing - A Manual for Students of Guitar by Ricardo Iznaola

Emotional Detachment During Practice

As a follow up to last week’s review of Ricardo Iznaola’s On Practicing: A manual for students of guitar performance, I came across a checklist including a statement called “Emotional Detachment”. Here is what Iznaola states: a. Emotional Detachment from the material being…