Want a career in music? Now is the time. We all know the sound parental advice of get a steady job preferably with a reputable company doing routine work and you will do just fine. If you choose the arts you are probably headed for a life of poverty. Well I am happy to say…

In the book Flash foresight written by American futurist Daniel Burrus he advises that to succeed you should try looking in the opposite direction. When you look in the same direction as everyone else you see the same thing.  Going in a different direction often leads to new discoveries and sometimes amazing breakthroughs. Google are…

I can’t remember the number of times I read or heard interviews with great musicians being asked the question about what advice they would give young music students and they almost always mention answer listening.  Becoming a great musician begins with listening to music. If you or your child are not inspired to pick up…

Do you really believe you can be a great guitarist? Neuroscience researchers are building a growing body of evidence that our minds play a very powerful role in our physical and mental health and perhaps life outcomes. In fact in some cases the evidence is so strong that it’s surprising how little media attention these…

Learning guitar could be compared to taking a long difficult yet rewarding journey. Knowing exactly where you are going and then having a plan will help you to reduce time going around in circles or ending up lost and frustrated. As with any difficult journey there are constant challenges both physically and mentally. The drop…

When we set out to learn music we rarely consider the psychology involved. Our main considerations tend to be connection to the physical aspects such as how to hold the guitar, where to put our fingers and perhaps the theoretical aspects like string names, general music theory and so on. Dealing with the monotony of…

As guitarists we basically have two choices when it comes to reading music and both are important. Music Notation – As displayed is a system of reading music that dates back hundreds of years and once understood will allow you to sight read (read & play) much like reading a book out aloud. Music notation…

I recently received an inquiry from a guy in his 40’s asking if he was too old to learn guitar and if he was kidding himself. I am sure we all know the answer is you are never too old but I think it is a valid question. Ageing is a process we all go…

Forming a band is like getting into a new relationship except with 3 or more people at once. Its very complicated and balancing a group of sensitive musicians is never an easy task. Many well known bands have fought court battles over songs rights just like a divorce couple fighting over custody of a child….

When I read the Jimi Hendrix biography I realised that his success was largely due to the people he met. When Jimi was young he would take his guitar to concerts and literally go back stage to pick the brain of the guitarist. Some probably even thought he was a little mad I am sure…