Videos
Warming up your stiff fingers (beginners to intermediate).
This video will give you exercises to be done in order to improve strength, independence, and dexterity of your fretting hand fingers. These are not probably the most exciting exercises in the world to be done on the guitar. But done seriously on a regular basis, they will guarantee to unlock your fingers and make everything that you attempt to play on the guitar much easier!
Suggestions of Practice:
- Practicing them all will take about 20 min, depending on how many repeats you do for each exercise.
- Practice them every single day or every second day, over a period of 4 to 5 weeks, and admire the results!
- You can choose just a couple of them that you like, and practice them as warm-ups for your everyday practice
- Good for all aspects of the playing, chords, lead guitar, etc…
For more info on this topic, please email me directly on: patrice@guitarlessonsdublin.net and I’ll be happy to help!
9 Reasons why your solos are not great! (intermediate to advanced).
This video has been made upon request to some of my students who were frustrated with the poor quality of their solos. I would like to share with you and make you aware of 9 essential points that are crucial to be able to create awsome solos.
It’s a rather long lecture with several topics involved, you can jump directly to one of the topics discussed,
Check out the menu below:
1:45 / You don’t know your scales enough.
8:30 / Having just one way of practicing scales.
20:12 / Your phrasing sucks!
31:49 / You’re not targeting notes.
46:29 / Not using arpeggios or triads
53:23 / You should learn new licks, create yours…
57:03 / Overplaying
58:55 / Not improvising enough!
1:02:21 / Not working enough on integrating skills together.
General useful articles:
How to practice guitar in an effective way
How to choose a good guitar to buy?
How to become good at guitar: the 10 commandments of a great guitar player
I sometimes hear this very general question from excited students, doing well but a bit impatient to get there…the very general answer is to PRACTICE of course, but there is a bit more than that…
- Be passionate about guitar AND music from all styles, your level of passion will determine your level of commitment in the instrument. At first you may think this is something you can’t develop, but you can…
- Don’t believe in things such as natural gift or talent, as you will automatically assume that you don’t have any, everyone has some, and the rest is hard work. Talented guitar players practiced hard.
- Practice every day, with a clear practice plan in order to reach challenging, but manageable goals. Diversify your practice time, you have to have several items/techniques/songs to work on.
- Practice even more, push the limits, get rid of excuses, make the time for it, think about all the time you’re wasting doing stuff like watching commercials on TV, for example…
- Jamming or playing with what you know, is always good, and you need to do that, but it’s not pure practice.
- Work out simple songs by ear instead of looking for internet assistance all the time, you will see you will become a real musician!
- Play with others, and learn from others, all the time!! Music is a community.
- Perseverance and patience! If one day you can’t get that riff, you’ll get the next day!
- Go and see gigs, particularly the local ones, that’ll give you inspiration.
- If you need help, seek for help! You have to get tips from friends, find a good teacher, the quality of your training is very important, if you have the time to spare then, don’t wait and act now!
Check out our facebook page, as we post guitar tips regularly: https://www.facebook.com/guitarlessonsdublin/