GuitarTeachingTips.com is a new website designed to help guitar teachers. Each month they provide a teacher with a new video tip covering topics like student retention, useful exercises, how to use technology (payment, scheduling, organizing materials, etc). The idea is to make your job easier. New teachers may learn about setting up a curriculum, expanding client size, and other helpful ideas for becoming a guitar teacher. Experienced teachers may be able to work on consistent problem areas either with student’s learning or on the business side of things. Hopefully, the site will one day become an area where teachers can both learn and share what works best.
The most recent tip is on using the Amazing Slow Downer software with your students so that you can loop audio, change pitch, and adjust the speed of practice tracks or actual recordings.
Two recent studies have shown that just holding a guitar makes men more attractive to women. Of course, if you’re an astronaut, you probably don’t need the help. But it never hurts to up the stakes by cranking out a Space Oddity cover from the international space station. But what if you’re the world’s most awkward and annoying boss? Let David Brent (Ricky Gervais) from The Office teach you the absolute essentials. “I’m not going to start be telling you all the chords, you won’t use half of them”
Seymour Duncan has just published a handy guide on soldering guitar parts. It’ll walk you through using a soldering iron, how to protect your guitar during the process, and other useful tips. Learning how to solder is a cost saving way to upgrade your guitar (new pickups) or fixing it (loose wires). Check out the article for complete instruction and video tutorials.
TonePedia summoned their Facebook fans to comment with their favorite tips on how to improve your guitar playing and more. You can go to the article for the full list. Below I will post my favorite ones and provide links to lessons we have on the subject.
- Warm up properly before you play. 5 minutes going scales or chordal patterns will help gain finger strength. The one thing I’ve noticed as I’ve got older is that I need to warm up more and more. (Warm Ups & Drills)
- Remember to practice your timing, set aside some time to sit with metronome or a beat, pick a few chords or a riff you’re comfortable and familiar with and play. Its all very well being able shred like Marty Friedman but if you can’t do it in time, its all for nothing.
- Play along with backing tracks. Do it over and over again even if you dont sound grate at the beginning your improvisation will get better and better the more you practice this way, listen to your favorite players to get inspired before you start.
- Put the pick down once in awhile. There are nuances you can only get with your thumb and fingers. (Beginning hybrid picking lick)
- right angle (at the guitar) instrument cables last 20 times longer than the straight plugs…
- If something can fail, it will one day. Have spares, backup or at least a plan that will keep the show going if you have an equipment fail.
If you were to search on eBay or a lot of guitarist’s basements and closets you’d find they are littered with guitars in the $100 range. It’s usually a starter guitar that’s been traded in for a better model. Occasionally it’s a guitar that’s fallen victim to wear and tear and father time. But can they still sound good? Guitar Muse has a story about the $100 Guitar Project.
Two guitarists began the crazy story by purchasing an unusual looking $100 guitar from eBay. The goal was to write and record a song using the guitar, sign it, and then pass it on to someone else to repeat the process. Yada, Yada, Yada, now Alex Skolnick, Nels Cline, and Fred Frith have played the guitar that’s now been identified as a 1960′s Fujigen Gakki EJ-2. Head over to Guitar Muse or 100DollarGuitar.com for more of the story.
