The CLAPS forumla is a term I came up with so students can remember some very important aspects of learning. For example, physically playing the guitar is only about 20% of what you need to know, the other 80% is what is known as musicianship and part of that musicianship is having a good mindset. This article will help create a great mindset so you can go on to be the best guitar player you can be. So dive into the The CLAPS Formula here.

Many guitarists get sucked into learning scales, chords, and other technical things that they miss one important part part – repertoire. When you get together with other musicians it is songs they want to play with you. How many songs do you know, or need to know? To find the answer, read this article Often Forgotten Need for Repertoire.

Many guitarists get stuck in a rut at some point of their careers and it can be very frustrating to the point that many players give up what was their favourite pastime. If you think you are stuck in a rut then here are a few great ways you can overcome it immediately. Click on the Stuck In A Rut article here and never feel in a rut again.

There are many mistakes that guitar players make, not only when starting out but at more advanced levels too. Make sure you know these ones and you will save yourself a lot of frustration and wasted time. Click this link to find out the Popular Learning Mistakes & How to Avoid Them article.

In all my years of playing and teaching music I have never come across a piece of equipment that is as good as “Transcribe”. Transcribe is a software application for your computer that slows your music down so you can learn quicker. It is not only in the slowing down that it is useful but has many other uses as well.

For more in depth info about this amazing software and download information: Click the link Transcribe info and make your musical journey much easier and more fun.

Practicing the art of actively listening to music is something many guitar players miss. In fact almost all musicians miss this point. This skill is necessary if you want to be a good musician no matter what level you aspire to play at. Click the link to read The Forgotten Art of Listening and change your practice habits today.

Most people make New Year’s resolutions of some sort, but never seem to achieve what they set out to do. I am not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions, but I am a big fan of setting out what you want to do and sticking with it all year round no matter what the date is. Click the link to see the article on New Year’s Resolutions.

Playing live is definitely a different skill to learn than practicing in your practice room. There are many different things going on when playing live which take a bit of getting used to, and you can practice these areas to get used it before you go to the next gig, jam, or studio session. Click here to start Practicing For Playing Live.

In June 2018 I was in Los Angeles and caught up with the amazing guitarist Carl Verheyen (pronounced Ver-high-in) at Village Recorders where he was working on and producing an album for Chilean singer and guitarist Felipe Tarantino.  Carl, has been the number one session guitarist in Los Angeles for a long time, is also a member of the band Supertramp, and runs his own band, the Carl Verheyen Band, which he is spending more time with now.

To see the full interview click on this link:Carl Verheyen Interview

Have you ever wondered why you can’t perform under certain types of pressure? Then you get all stressed over it? There are many different levels of pressure and stress you will encounter over your music career. Proper preparation is the key that helps with confidence, and certainly lowers the pressure and stress levels. To see more on Coping with Pressure & Stress.

Does it mean you have to play fast and flashy to have technique? No way. That is what it means to many guitar players, but it means much more really. Much more than many players realise. To find out click the Technique – Have You Got It? article to find out.

I get many students come into my studio who saying they want to be great players, but have no idea how to be great, or how to even get there. If you are one of them, then you need to read this article Escaping Mediocrity.

Many guitarists think that physically playing the instrument is all that really matters, but that view is seriously wrong. Physically playing the guitar is only around twenty per cent of what you really need to know.  The other eighty per cent is what I call the “head stuff”, which is the most important to know.
Click here to read the full article Are You A Multi Skilled Guitarist?

Many people have asked me how do you get out of a “rut” situation? If are not sure what a “rut” is, it is when you think you are not making any progress and are completely stalled in your efforts of getting better. You might even practice and play every day and still not get anywhere. Sometimes you might even hate everything you do on guitar, it really can get that bad. Does that sound like you?

If it does sound like you suffer from being in a rut, then read the Are You In A Rut article here, and cure yourself forever of this deadly disease.

Many guitarists will at some time want to play guitar and sing at the same time, and if you are like many others you will have a lot of difficulty with it. Although it seems really easy when you see one of your favourite artists performing, it is not all that easy to begin with. Click here to see the
Playing Guitar & Singing article, and make playing guitar and singing much easier for yourself immediately.

Many guitar students I teach say that they have a lot of trouble making practising fun while getting good results at the same time. If practising is not fun or you are not seeing positive results, then you need to rethink and find where you are going wrong. So click here for 13 Tips to Get Better Practising Results

A question that pops up a lot relates to effect pedals (also called stomp boxes) and what order you should have them in. Many top players seem to have a differing opinion on what order they need to go in to get a great sound, but there is an order that seems to work for most players. Download the Effect Pedal Chains article here to find out the order and learn a few more tips.

There are many myths around learning guitar. This article exposes some of the myths that are commonly heard, followed by what really happens in practice. In most cases what really happens in practice is the exact opposite of what you hear. Click the link to read the full Common Guitar Learning Myths article.

A lot of people don’t know how to go about buying a new guitar, or even their second or third guitars. This FREE report will clear up a lot of confusions you may have, steer you in the right direction, and save you a lot of frustration and money. Click the link to see 11 Things You Need to Know Before You Buy A New Guitar.

Many guitar lesson students ask me questions about what type of pedals, multi-effect, or rack mount effects units to buy. First of all we should look at what the professionals use and then you can make up your mind, as this will give you a good place to begin. I will assume that you want to use them for jamming or live performing. If you want to use them for recording it will be slightly different. Click the link to see the rest of the article Effect Pedals and Racks