Edmonton Guitar Music School

Music: all the family participates!

Clap along with a metronome, but clap on the upbeats: one AND two AND three AND four AND. It's a simple exercise, but you should internalize it and be able to do it at a moment's notice without thinking.

One of the thing that your teacher can do for you is to recommend you some great artists and albums in the style of music you like. So don't forget to ask them!

Adult guitar students have some advantages over children: they are more motivated, they can focus for a longer time, and they can understand complex concepts like music theory. Don't let your age hold you back from learning!

If you play elctric guitar and your neighbors are complaining about the noise, consider getting an headphone amp. You can even practice through the night this way! ;)

Whenever you sit with your guitar, make sure that your back is straight: do not 'lean' on the guitar. A correct position of your back will make it easier for you to play and it will avoid any back pain.

Dont rush through the exercise you are practicing: quality counts more than quantity. Practice well before you practice fast or practice a lot.

Its a good idea when practicing guitar to rotate the exercises that you are doing every 5 minutes or so. This will keep you focused.

If your guitar strap is set too low, your hands will struggle to play and your tendons may suffer. Start practicing with your strap set higher, and once yoiu get use to it lower it by one inch every 1-2 weeks until you get to the height you want.

To stay motivated in practicing guitar, surround yourself with a positive community of guitar players and students.

When you practice guitar, make sure to eliminate any distractions. Turn off your cell phone, close your laptop, make sure nobody will disturb you. Focus is important!

Kids who start music lessons before the age of 7 have better motor skills and coordination than kids who dont play, even on non-musical movements and tasks (Early Musical Training and White-Matter Plasticity in the Corpus Callosum: Evidence for a Sensitive Period by C.J. Steele et al, Journal of Neuroscience, 33(3): 1282-1290)

A goal without a deadline is just a dream.

Writing music is a skill like many others - it can be taught, learned, and practiced.

Lead players: do not neglect your rhythm and chords, they are important! Rhythm players: knowing the basics of lead playing is very useful to you.

A harder (heavy) guitar pick makes it easier to play fast and to give the right expression to the notes you play. A soft (thin) or medium guitar pick gives a nice sound to strummed chords.

Acoustic guitar players: a simple yet effective trick that you need to learn is to play a song with differnt dynamic levels. That is: try playing a song by strumming quitely during the verse, and strumming loudly during the chorus. This difference in loudness will make the song pop up.

When learning an instrument, consistency is key: practice every day (even if you have a little time) and you will see the results you want.

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Adolescents with music training have better cognitive skills and school grades and are more conscientious, open and ambitious, regardless of socio-economic status. (How Learning a Musical Instrument Affects the Development of Skills, A. Hille and J. Schupp, SOEPpaper No. 591. September 2013)

When practicing gutiar you cant learn anything if you are bored. Either make that exercise more interesting or take a rest.

Electric guitar rig troubleshooting: whenever you do not hear any sound coming from your amp, check in this order: That you connected the guitar to the amp, that the volume on the guitar is up, that the amp is plugged in, that the amp is not on standby. Failing all this, change the cable that connects the guitar to the amp (and check any othe cable you are using to connect pedals). This list resolves 99% of the problems ;)

A tuner is an indispensable piece of equipment for all guitar players. You dont have to buy one as there are many free apps available for your phone!

Challening improvisation exercise: improvise without EVER using your index finger on your fretting hand. Make the most of the other three fingers!

Learn some new strumming patterns and rhythms. You can never have enough and they will inspire you to play in a different way. Lead players: this is especially true for you!

The less time you have to practice, the more important it is to be organize: have everythign you need at hand, leave the guitar on a stand (not in its case) and have a practice schedule to follow. This way you will sue every second of every minute you have to practice.

What is your dream guitar?

Its easier to learn good technique the first time than learning ok technique and then later have to correct it. This is why you want to work with a teacher that can make sure you do not learn bad habits.

Do you have a signature/hand made/custom guitar? Share it here!

Performing in front of others will keep you motivated and it will force you to grow as a musician.

Having a few guitar buddies that are learning with you and can encourage you when you are struggling is invaluable. Learning by yourself is hard - learning in a community is more fun!

The names of the strings on your guitar are (from thin to thick): E B G D A E. To remember it you can use the acronym Every Body Goes Down An Elevator. Do you have another acronym for the names of the strings?

High-performing students who take music classes have consistently higher grades compared to those who do not (Music and academic performance, A. Cabanac et al, ScienceDirect Volume 256, 1 November 2013, Pages 257260)

Create for yourself a guitar practice diary where you write every day what you practice, for how long, and any other notes you need (mistakes made, things to pay attention to, tricks, etc). This will help you to stay on track with your practice and will make you progress faster. If you need help, we are here for you.

Keeping time is one of the most vital skills you can learn for guitar playing. Use a metronome while you practice, and tap your foot to it.

If you are choosing a new guitar to buy, make sure to check that the guitars neck is straight. See here how to do it: http://edmontonguitar.com/how-choose-good-beginner-guitar-b

Do not get too humg up in sounding exactly like your favorite player sounds in his/her album. CDs are edited perfection and the sound of the guitars is heavily edited to soudn better - there is no way you can get that level of tone or perfection by playing live. Instead, forget about perfection, get in the groove, and have fun!

The guitar is one of the best instruments that you can learn to socialize with other people. If you are at a party ro around the campfire, you will not always have a piano or a violin available... but a guitar its easy to find or to bring with you.

If you find that you have no motivation to practice... this is precisely the moment to take up the guitar and practice. Rise up to the challenge, it will build your willpower.

When you play in front of an audience, do not pick a piece that strains your ability to the limit. Find instead something that you are comfortable playing, and focus on your performance rather than trying to wing it.

Practicing guitar 8 hours a day will not help you progress unless you know WHAT to practice and HOW to practice it.

What is the best concert youve ever been to?

The secret to learn to play guitar is consistency. A little each day, EVERY day, does wonders.

At an art school where I once studied, the students wanted most of all to develop a personal style. But if you just try to make good things, youll inevitably do it in a distinctive way, just as each person walks in a distinctive way. Michelangelo was not trying to paint like Michelangelo, he was just trying to paint well; he couldnt help painting like Michelangelo... The only style worth having is the one you cant help. (Paul Graham)