How To Sweep Pick One of the most common requests of guitarists is to learn how to sweep pick. Sweep picking is a variety of methods that allow fluid and expressive motions across the guitar fretboard without picking each string individually. The pick only touches a string one time in the way ‘down’ and one time on the way ‘up.’ But, the devil is in the details. We’ve had students who’ve been trying to master the technique for years by watching YouTube but still not being able to master the basics. The keys to sweep picking are timing, integration, and biomechanics. You can watch all the vide ..read more

How Long Does it Take to Get Good at Guitar? This is a question we get all the time. And we know you don’t like the answer, but it depends. Read on to learn seven steps that will get you to good as fast as possible! Learning guitar can be so rewarding for a beginner. You pick it up and sound good in a few weeks, playing a simple line melody or a couple of chords—with a lot of work. But playing it well, knowing how to use it musically and being able to do that competently is a much longer journey. It requires you to make decisions. For example, do you want to be a classical guitarist? f so, sp ..read more

Performance anxiety, also known as stage fright, is common among singers, and for some, it can prevent them from performing. If you have performance anxiety, working on relaxing the body, changing negative thought patterns, and reframing the anxiety is a good place to start.   The first step is awareness – become aware of tension in your body when you’re going to perform or just thinking about performing. Sing and imagine you are in front of 500 people. See them. Feel the heat of the lights. Really visualize the details of the scene. Now notice where you are tightening up.   Once y ..read more

The real secret to how to improve your singing or guitar playing isn’t a new video or technique or lengthy practice routine. If you do this ONE thing, you will improve your singing or guitar playing. The one thing is….drum roll please…   BE CONSISTENT.   Not very sexy, huh? Let me explain. Being consistent is building a daily practice habit. And that habit doesn’t mean you need to practice an hour a day or even a half hour a day. What I’m saying is that daily, consistent practice of 10-15 minutes a day will get you farther than setting aside an hour on two days a week for practice a ..read more

The ability to match pitch or sing a certain desired pitch correctly is the most important skill a vocalist can cultivate and learn. Pitch, simply defined, is the frequency of a sound. Lower tones (think the keys on the left half of the piano as compared to the right) and higher tones (keys to the right half of the piano) vibrate at different speeds, and each note either played or sung has a distinct frequency. Singers need to be able to re-create a given musical note by comparing it to a reference note. This is called relative pitch which is different than perfect pitch (the rare ability of ..read more

In order to describe a singer’s range, you’ve got to understand octaves. So what is an octave? Why should I care?   The octave relationship between two notes is a natural occurrence in music and has been referred to as the basic miracle of music. Simply put, an octave is the distance between one note (for example, C) and the next note bearing its same name that’s either higher or lower in pitch.   Put in scientific terms, an octave is the distance between one note and another note that’s double its frequency. Again using C as an example, middle C has a frequency of 440 Hz. The next ..read more

The ultimate secret to tuning a guitar is of MOST benefit to beginners, but all guitarists can benefit.    The secret?  Tune your guitar every day.   I know this is a pain, but if you do this there are several benefits: Your guitar always sounds good You learn how to handle your guitar faster than those who ‘just want to sit down and play’ You train your ear to know where each string sits in pitch–this is a critical skillset–much more important than learning frets at the beginning. It may take you 20 minutes to tune your guitar at the beginning, it will be frustra ..read more

Have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach before you sing in front of audience? Started sweating? Worried that someone will judge your singing like Simon Cowell judges singing contestants? You’re not alone. Depending on the study you read, between 17% and a whopping 60% of musicians experience stage fright which is also called performance anxiety. No two people experience the same cluster of performance anxiety symptoms – everyone is unique. But there are some symptoms people have in common.   Let’s break it down. The symptoms of performance anxiety fall into four broad categories ..read more

Hopefully you’re convinced that success as a vocalist or guitarist begins with consistency in practice or working out your voice. You’ve made the decision to be consistent with your efforts to improve your playing or singing. Congratulations! Now make it easy to keep up that consistency.   Do you have a space to practice or sing for your 10-15 minute dedicated music time? The easier you make it on yourself to dive into practice, the more likely you will do it daily.   If you are guitarist, having your guitar out of the case, in a stand, and near your music stand or computer (if that ..read more

We often get calls and emails from parents inquiring about singing lessons for kids: How old does my child need to be to start singing lessons? What is involved in kids’ singing lessons? How do I know if singing lessons are right for my child?   The first question, how old does my child need to be start singing lessons, really depends on the child. The youngest child in our singing program was 6 years old, and he was one of our most dedicated students we’ve ever had! The answer to this question depends on the child’s ability to pay attention and be engaged with the lesson materials for a ..read more