It’s never been a better time to teach guitar. With a wide variety of apps and music software available today, guitar lessons can be more engaging than ever. Here are three apps and/or software I use for every private lesson and group class I teach. Anytune Slow-it-down, speed-it-up, loop it, and so much more! Anytune […]
Author: Rock Dojo
Guitar for Kids: Five Tips to Help Your Child Succeed at Playing Guitar
Learning to play the guitar is a daunting task for a 6-year old. At first, frets buzz, fingers hurt, and the fretboard can be more confusing than a jigsaw puzzle with a few missing pieces. Indeed, each string has a note name and a number, each fret has a note name and a number, and […]
Music Theory for Beginners: The Musical Alphabet
What is Music Theory? Music theory is the study of harmony, melody, and rhythm and how they interact with one another to make the music you love. A thorough understanding of music theory can help you write better riffs, improvise with greater confidence, and deepen your appreciation for the music you listen to every […]
Easy Buying Guide for Your Child’s First Guitar
Electric vs. Acoustic Nylon string acoustic guitars are an excellent choice for starters. They’re durable, cheap, and easy to play. However, if you signed your child up for rock guitar lessons, chances are they want to rock! In my experience, students quickly make the jump from acoustic to electric guitar in a matter of months. […]
Classroom Management for Guitar Teachers: Expected vs. Unexpected Behaviors
Classroom Management for Group Guitar Instructors What do you think separates a great group guitar teacher from an average one? Technical ability on the guitar? No. A lifetime of music theory? Nope. Two-handed tapping? Wrong. The number one skill needed to be a rock star guitar instructor for kids is the ability to manage a class full […]
Three Great Groove Guitarists: Playing in the Pocket
The Pocket The pocket is the rhythmic glue that binds a band or a song together. Playing in the pocket happens when a musician finds his/her space in the music while simultaneously leaving space for the other bandmates to occupy. How to Play in the Pocket While the ability to play in the pocket is […]
Finger Exercises for Beginning Guitarists
Have you ever seen a great guitarist like Jimi Hendrix, Joe Satriani, or Steve Vai play the guitar with one finger? Absolutely not, but that’s precisely how many young guitarists spend their first couple of years learning to play the guitar. I call it the “one-finger of doom syndrome” because it’s guaranteed to self-destruct […]
3 Practice Tips for a Guitarless and Recovering Guitar Hero
While most die-hard guitarists have little problem establishing efficient and daily practice routines, they often struggle with “not practicing.” Busy schedules, outside distractions, and repetitive stress injuries can impose a quick halt to their best intentions. For many musicians, imposed time off from their instrument can cause frustration, anxiety, and depression. However, the truth is time […]
5 Songs Using Power Chords
Power Chords in Rock Music Power chords are a key element of many styles of rock music. Power chords are built from the root and fifth of any major scale, and its simple shape is easy to rock. As one 11-year-old Rock Dojo student stated, “Without power chords, rock ‘n’ roll would be rock […]
Basic Rhythms: It’s All About that Groove
“There is music wherever there is rhythm, as there is life whereever there beats a pulse.” -Igor Stravinsky Rhythm is the fundamental glue binding music together. Without rhythm, music would be reduced to noise. So if you want to rock on the guitar, you should spend some time each practice session building your rhythmic vocabulary. In […]