Whenever a guitar teacher says to me their student quit and gave a reason I say “Let me guess. They have no time or couldn’t afford the lessons.” There are only 2 real reasons most students give but these reasons are rarely true and here is why. Reason 1. No time. This is by far the…
Tag: school
The qualities of a successful guitarist
Statistically most people who buy a guitar only last a few months. I have been researching this problem for close to 30 years and what I have found was people who succeeded on guitar tended to share a few similar qualities. I realised that for my students to succeed they needed to adopt these qualities….
Will you succeed or fail at guitar?
New students will often wonder whether or not they have the so called musical bone in their bodies. Are some of us born more musical? After 30 years working with guitar students and much research I have come to the conclusion that it doesn’t really matter. It may or may not be the case but…
The power of musical memory
Musical memory is the ability to remember musical passages whether it be a melody, a chord progression, a rhythm pattern or a song arrangement. According to research our musical memory is encoded in a different part of our brain to language so needs to be developed. They also found that both sides (left and right…
How to teach your 3 year old to play guitar.
3 year old Mia’s guitar lesson The number question I receive from parents is usually one of starting age. Many parents assume that their child can’t start learning guitar until 6 or 7 years. The reality is children can start learning as soon as they are able to physically sit and hold a guitar. I…
The Shortcut to Learning Guitar
This is a short article about a very important topic for those who wish to learn guitar but can also be applied to really learning just about anything. I’m often asked the question “What does it take to learn guitar?” It is the burning question that anyone who sets out to learn guitar would give…
Finding the TIME to Practice Guitar
Finding the time to practice for most guitar students is their biggest challenge but this is especially true for the beginner. We know any new routine takes time to establish but we often overlook the fact power of habit. Think about the many things you now take for granted such as taking a shower, brushing…
A common misconception about child prodigies
When we see or hear of young children playing a musical instrument at a level far above those two or three times their age we image a dominating parent and a child begrudgingly going through the motions. While there are definitely cases of extreme parents most are a far cry from any form of child…
3 reasons people quit guitar
1. No time. Time is the one thing we all get equally yet some manage their 24 hours a day far better than others. When we claim we have no time we are usually lying to ourselves. What we actually have is a lack of organisation in our lives. The solution is to write down your…
How Children Learn Guitar
Children learn music very differently to adults. I have been teaching guitar and studying teaching for close to 30 years. What I have found is children learn primarily by association. That is they associate some kind of meaning to learning music. If that association is positive they will most likely continue to pursue music their…
How do I get my child started learning music?
Many parents ask the question of when should their child begin to learn music. The short answer is ‘As soon as possible’. Even before we are born we are able hear sounds. Researchers found that music played to babies after 20 weeks from conception caused a response in the womb and even recall after birth….
The Flintstones Theme
One of those tunes everyone seems to know and is good for learning syncopation. Enjoy.….. The G4 Guitar Method The G4 Guitar Method is a structured method of learning how to play guitar. Its a unique system built on 27 years of research and experience based on a proven strategies. To view a video and…
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