Uncovered in several recent studies is the fact that eating blueberries is good for motor skill development. Fine motor skills are what you need for playing guitar so any advantage you can get is worth paying attention to. Some scientific evidence even suggests that blueberries can slow down and perhaps reverse age-related memory which is…

Surrounding yourself with guitar has a subtle yet powerful effect on your motivation. The best way to stay motivated about guitar is to immerse yourself in it so here are some tips; Stick guitar posters on your wall. Choose posters that inspire you. Make up playlists on your ipod of inspiring guitar songs. Go to your…

I recently read an article based on the book ‘The Zen of Running’ and I can see how many of these principles would apply to guitar. Here are just a few: Concentration. You may have heard the term ‘Deliberate practice’ which refers to a style of practice that ensures you are not just going through the…

Many guitarists avoid music theory for various reasons. Maybe because its rare to see great guitarists thanking their knowledge of music theory as the reason they became successful but perhaps they should. Music theory can save you a lot of time in the long run. Operating without music theory while possible offers no real advantages….

How does the Pareto Principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) apply to learning guitar? The principle applies extremely well and is about learning to focus your time in the right areas to for maximum results. Let me clarify. Playing guitar and learning guitar are not to be confused. When you play guitar you are performing. A performance…

When I was a teen learning to play drums and guitar I saw students as either naturals or un-naturals. The naturals were those who seemed to be able to learn their instrument with ease and apparent joy whereas the un-naturals were those of us who lacked this natural ability and spent much of the time…

1. Fill in your practice Log. FACT: Students who fill in their practice logs almost always progress at a faster rate and are more likely to stick with guitar long term. The practice log shows your commitment to the guitar. It keeps a track of your investment therefore giving you a way to compare your results compared…

Scientific research on the effects of music on children is always a common subject among educators and parents. Compared to the long history of research on language, our scientific understanding of music is relatively new. What they do know is unborn babies respond to music in the womb from around 17 to 19 weeks. Research…

As a child I couldn’t wait to get to my guitar lesson each week. It was the highlight of my week. I would hang out with other musicians at my local music center and by age 14 years was regularly jamming and even gigging. By 17 years old I had a network of musicians who…

I would have to say that around 4 out 5 people who stop guitar lessons stop guitar completely despite the fact that most intend to continue playing and practicing. In a recent study on dieting in the USA they reported that people who are on a program with a coach are far more likely to…

For children repetition is key to developing skills especially in music but this can sometimes be challenging for those who have to listen. As adults it can become a little aurally challenging to hear the same song again and again. Children on the other hand like repetition for several reasons. This is a topic that…