Mauro Giuliani’s Arpeggio Studies
Mauro Giuliani’s Arpeggio Studies are designed to build right hand strength, independence and dexterity through a series of progressive exercises.
Music at Windrush Estate Winery
Not only does Windrush produce some delightful VQA wines, they also regularly host world-class concerts in their purpose built Concert Hall.
Making A Guitar Arrangement of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
Every Christmas, I make festive sheet music for my students and myself. One of the pieces I made this year is a guitar arrangement for O Little Town of Bethlehem.
What I Did This Summer
It’s hard to believe that it’s already mid August, yet here we more than half-way through the summer of ‘24.
Fretboard Diagrams
The guitar is an amazing instrument, and may be the most versatile instrument in common use today. Its versatility derives in large part from its tuning and and the layout of the fretboard.
Understanding Guitar Notation Book
I’m developing a book to help guitar students master the fundamentals of reading musical notation for the guitar.
Major and Minor Scales
Music is patterns of sound, and two fundamentals in music are rhythm patterns (how combinations of long and short notes relate to a steady beat or pulse) and pitch patterns (what notes are played).
The specific pitches used in a piece of music are usually derived from a scale. This post explores major and minor scales for piano and guitar.
Why I Make My Own Sheet Music
I became proficient at making high quality, individualized sheet music during the pandemic, and the benefit to students was apparent immediately. I was able to present them with exactly what they needed so they could learn what they wanted.
Larghetto and Étude, Op. 35 – by Fernando Sor
Larghetto No 3. and Étude No. 4 introduce some more challenging techniques for the classical guitar, like partial barre chords and ornaments. While still considered “easy” pieces, there will be measures that require extra attention.
One Octave Scales in Three Positions in 12 Keys
The most common one octave scale positions in all 12 keys. These are a great way to begin to see the different shapes a major can take on the classical guitar and the electric guitar and will prepare you for 2 octave scales.