In my early middle school years, I wanted to be a cheerleader, thinking that was the quick route to popularity.  I even tried out for cheerleading, auditioning in front of the entire student body (that’s the way it was done in those days).  I remember slight applause and feeling that I did a terrible job.  Of course I was not chosen and was devastated when my name was not announced on the school intercoms later that day.  But soon thereafter, at around the age of 13 or 14, my fellow classmates began to take notice that I could play the piano and play quite well.  And they were talking about it in a very favorable way, which boosted my self-esteem.  During mid-day recess time, we were allowed to have free time in the gym.  An old piano stood on the stage and I would play it.  An appreciative audience would gather around and others who might be playing basketball also noticed.  It had never occurred to me before then that others might be interested in hearing me play piano.  By around the age of 15, I was feeling accepted by my peers.

As I progressed into high school, suddenly I was in demand for playing the piano for various choral groups.  And I was good at it.  All the while I was taking piano lessons, I was also heavily involved in taking lessons at school on drums and percussion.  And so I became a very rhythmic person, brought out in my piano playing as well as my percussion playing.  Eventually I played the piano for small singing groups, solo singers, and solo instrumentalists.  I began to play in church occasionally, usually doubling on piano and playing with my mother, who played the organ.  I loved the sound of the pipe organ, and begged to be able to go to the church when no one else was there so that I could practice alone on that grand organ.  I loved those practice sessions.  Playing the organ seemed easy, something I continue to do to this day.

I took to it right away.  It was easy and I loved it.  I learned to read notes and to understand and to feel rhythms, which seemed to be inherent in my body.  I became accurate on the keyboard and practiced continuously, never having to be coerced into practicing.  In fact, my family at times wished me to be away from the keyboard. 

I stayed with it, continuing to take lessons and progressing through book after book, and then when I was 14 years old, my piano teacher explained that she could take me no further and recommended another teacher who could carry me forward.  And so I transferred to a teacher who indeed took me to advanced levels, all through high school.  Then off to college I went, majoring in piano performance.  I toyed with the idea of becoming a concert pianist, but did not pursue it, primarily because I felt it would be a very lonely existence, just the piano and me.  I have never regretted that decision.

Eventually, I went on to graduate school to pursue a master’s degree.  I majored in music education with a concentration in piano performance, complete with a graduating recital of major proportions.  I studied piano with a fantastic advanced teacher and coach.  During this time, I can say that I developed the most intimate relationship I had ever had with the piano.  It truly became an extension of me as I began to understand this instrument on which I had played for so long.  During this time, on my own I perfected a piano concerto and went on to win a spot in playing in the university concerto night.  What a fantastic night it was!  Playing the piano concerto with the university orchestra was one of the most beautiful moments in my life! 

The years have gone on.  I used my piano skills effortlessly through many years of teaching music in schools, and continue to use these skills in my college teaching today.  I have found a niche in music theatre by directing music and playing the piano alone or with orchestras for countless productions.  There have been many solo piano gigs, including performing in restaurants, private parties, receptions, weddings, and church services.  I was selected to perform on the grand opening day of a local multi-million dollar performing arts center when it opened.  How wonderful it was to play the concert grand piano that day for hundreds of people who entered the building!

And so now I both reminisce and look ahead.  I want to tell others, especially those who love to hear piano music, how wonderful the instrument is.  How anyone who wants to try, can learn to play and to make beautiful sounds, for their own pleasure and for others.  In my future publications, I will put forth my thoughts and feelings into every aspect of playing the piano. 

The aim of this lesson is to help you to be able to figure out chords by yourself without always having to depend on the chord chart.

Let's start by using the C major scales and giving them numbers accordingly.

Note: There isn't really such a thing as an eighth (8) note. It's just the first (1) note repeated in the next higher octave.

4 main triads (3 notes chord)

So looking at the table above, you can tell a C chord is actually made up of 3 notes, that is C, E, G. So when we play on any instrument, as long as only this 3 note is present, it is a C chord. With C as the root note, that is in the bass note. Of course there is causes when C is not the root note, we call this inversion. We will discuss this on another topic.

Note: The chord C+ can be written as Caug too, and the chord C- can be written as Cdim or Cº too.

The triads form the basis of the rest of the other chords to come.

Chords with Major triad base

Chords with Minor triad base

As seen above, all this chords are actually build upon the triad. Now can you see what does the number mean? It actually show you what note to put in looking at the C major scales.

For eg, the sixth note of the C major scale is (A), so a C6 will simply be the C major triad (C, E, G) plus the sixth note (A).

Of course this is only for the C major scale, with your knowledge of major scale, just number them accordingly starting from the root note.

D major scale is shown below

Example: D6 = 1, 3, 5, 6 of D major scale (because it is a D6, so use D major scale, not rocket science huh?)
So D, F#, A, B will be the notes forming the D6 chord.

Below is a exercise for you to do before we continue

Now that you have completed the above exercise. You should if you did not do it. If not done, do it now. Just do it. Come on, do it.

To make things easier, we will give you all the scales in the major key below.

Suspended

Note: A suspended chord means taking out the 3rd and replacing it with either a 2nd or 4th.

Note: Csus = Csus4

Chords above 7th

Note: Once you go above 7th, For chords like 9, 11 and 13. You are suppose to play all the notes from 7th and up in that chord.

Half Diminish

Diminish 7th / Full Diminish

Note: Although there are four different chords below, yet actually all of them are the same. However, the root note is change.

Below is another exercise for you to do

Note: A chord with “add” means that you add the number shown only, ignoring the rules for chords above 7th.

Now that you have knowledge of how chords work, we will continue on "Chord Construction Theory (2)" on how to apply this knowledge onto the guitar fretboard.

In this article, we focus on applying our newfound knowledge on chords construction theory with reference to the guitar fretboard.

The notes of the open strings of a guitar in standard tuning.

Below are some example of the common chords we use being applied in the guitar chords, so that you can see how chords constrution theory applied itself on the guitar fretboard.

Note: It doesn't really matter how many times the same note in different octave appear, as long as all the notes of the chord is present, it's that chord.

Note: It doesn't have to be in the correct order also, the only thing to observe is that the root note must always be at the most bass.

In order to create new chords on your guitar, the best method is really to find the most similar chord that you know and convert it to the chord you want.

Below is an example:
1)Write down the numerical position for both the chord you want to find and the chord that is the most similar. In this case I will take the chord "D" to convert to "D6".
2)Write down the actual notes of the 2 chords.
3)Change whichever necessary to obtain the new chord.

You can see in the example that the "D" chord is made out of (D, F#, A). In order to get the chord "D6", you will need an additional 6 (B) which form (D, F#, A, B). Remember you'd need to keep (D, F#, A). You see that in the diagram that there are two (D). You can then take out the one that is not part of the bass note and convert it to a (B) as shown. (You need to keep the D in the bass for that is the root note)

Another example:

We want to get the chord A9 now. Closest similar chord is A7.

Above 2 chords are both A7 chord.

As you can see, it's quite impossible to form "A9" from the 1st "A7" chord we have. Since we only one of all the notes except "E", we can only move that note. But we will have a very difficult time stretching our fingers if we move that note on the first string all the way to the seven fret just to get a "B". So we look for an alternate A7 chord we are familiar with. "A" is repeated. Therefor take the non-root "A" and move down to a "B". We are done!

Below are some exercises for you to try.

Find out how to play the chords below:-
G2, Dsus, E6, Am6, B9, Em7add11

Note: For 13th chords, the 11th note can be leave out, or 5th note can be leave out too. (Anyway 7th strings doesn't exist on most guitar) You don't have to play the actual original theoretically correct chords all the time. :p

Beginners should start on acoustic guitar.

The standard "guitar teacher" thing to tell students or their parents (who, although with the best intentions, often make really stupid purchases). The reasoning behind this thinking is sensible enough; namely that acoustics can be bought cheaply, no expensive amplifier is needed, the guitars are easier to maintain with no special tools, and they aren't so loud that they'll drive the family crazy. There are some real faults, here, though, and in my experience I've learned to suggest the opposite. Let's examine why.

First, beginning guitar players must practice - a LOT. During the hours of work spent learning the instrument, a novice's hands will get extremely sore. The fingertips are among the most sensitive areas of the body - so sensitive, that blind people can read Braille impressions on paper with them. Incidentally, these super-sensitive, soft fingertips are also the part of the hand used to fret steel strings onto the wooden and metal fingerboard of the guitar. The repeated pressure of fretting strings, sliding up and down the neck, and keeping strings depressed for chords will cause the fingertips of a motivated beginner to turn red, swell, ache, and even bleed. Acoustic guitars generally have a "stiffer" action than on electric guitars; the strings are more difficult to fret properly due to the higher tension of standard acoustic strings and very often the height of the strings from the fretboard is much higher than at the ultra-low settings possible on the electric guitars. Therefore, with an electric guitar, a student is much more likely to spend longer periods of time playing and learning prior to feeling physical pain. More practice time equates to faster progression in learning, and in general produces more self-confidence.

Purchasing an expensive amplifier isn't necessary, either. It used to be, so once again, the myth is partially true. Until recently, there weren't a host of options in the realm of true practice amplifiers. New guitarists had to spend significant amounts of money on amplifiers designed more for club gigs and large stages than apartments, bedrooms, or garage practice. In today's world, however, this is no longer the case. There are dozens of small, very-affordable practice amplifiers available made my numerous manufacturers. Many offer outputs for headphones to offer sound that only the player can hear, and many also run on 9V batteries so that they may be transported to and from home quite easily. Unlike the high price tags of professional-quality, high wattage amplifiers used for the concert stage, these little pocket-sized amps can be purchased for less than the price of one guitar lesson.

Here's food for thought: no amp is needed, at all (at least starting out). The electric guitar has enough volume played acoustically (unplugged) to be heard quite easily if played in a quiet setting. Granted, the guitar sounds will not match distorted or chorused tones, but this can be beneficial to a novice, as well. Hearing nothing but the clear, clean-played notes of an unplugged electric guitar will get the player used to hearing unprocessed notes and focus on the tone of the instrument itself. It's better that a new guitarist get used to the natural feel and sound of the guitar prior to plugging into an amp. Amplifiers add "color" to the tone, and notes sustain for longer periods of time. They can also add burning distortion (gain), delay (echo), and a host of other components of sound that comprise a player's tone. It will be much easier for the musician to select the proper amplification, and truly understand what amps/speakers do to guitar tone, if they've experienced the natural sound and resonance of the guitar, first. Not having an amplifier can be a motivational tool, as well - an amp can be considered a reward for learning those first ten songs or memorizing all the major and minor scales. Learn the material first, get the really nice amp as a cookie.

You should just get a really cheap guitar to "learn on".

Absolutely NOT! A guitarist of any level should purchase the best quality instrument they can reasonably afford. A poorly-made instrument will not hold tune well or maintain proper setup. When a beginner plays on an instrument like this, they may believe that they are fingering a chord improperly or playing a passage incorrectly and become frustrated. In reality, however, the instrument is sub-par and just doesn't sound good no matter how well the player is doing.

 A deeper trouble with the thinking behind this myth is the lack of commitment it shows - "just to learn on." This suggests that just banging around on the instrument is good enough, that no real effort has to be made, and that successful learning can be shelved in favor of other interests. It suggests that there will be a point at which learning will cease. It does not! Even the most accomplished players are constantly learning, searching, re-inventing. Learning is indeed a journey - not a destination.

The most expensive guitar is the best quality.

Not true at all. Sales personnel at music stores are trained to really exploit this thinking, for one reason - it's very effective! I cringe whenever I see a kid at a guitar shop about to buy a really nice guitar, that he's selected after trying numerous others, only to see a salesperson intercept the guy on the way to the register with a statement like this one: "Like that new (insert brand name) model, huh? Well, did you see the (way more expensive model) over here? It's SO much better!" You should choose a guitar that fits your needs, feels comfortable, sounds good, and is something you can afford. Look at the features of an instrument - it's entirely possible that Guitar "A" has better features than Guitar "B", even though the latter may cost hundreds more.

Guitars that aren't American-made are junk.

You've seen him. We've all seen him. He runs a small, "Mom' n' Pop" music store across town from the huge, corporate-owned music beast. He's the forty-ish guy with the gray ponytail, Grateful Dead tee, and the Indian-coin ring. He thinks Les Pauls are the only guitars ever made...that Mexican Stratocasters are toys...and "Jap-a-neeze, made gee-tars?!!!" He is likely to be one of the nicest, friendliest people you've ever met. He's honest, easy-going, and means well. Do NOT listen to this man. Befriend him, of course, but his opinions on guitar are wrong! I like to call this line of thinking "instrument racism." A great instrument is a great instrument, regardless of where it's made.

"If I just get the same guitar my hero plays, I'll sound just like him/her."

You won't. Period. In fact, you can get the same guitar, amplification, effects, picks - hell, you can even wear the same underwear - it will not be the same. Individual, ground-breaking style transcends mere physical equipment. Inflection and phrasing are translated from the player's heart and mind, through the guitar he or she plays, and out to the listener. A beginning guitarist can avoid a lot of frustration and wasted money by avoiding this all-too-common mistake.

Hopefully, the information here will help anyone buying their first guitar to avoid falling for horrible advice, money-grabbing sales tactics, and the other myriad stumbling blocks that abound along the way.

1. Strumming- it's a basic skill, you do this by brushing your fingers or pick in the guitar.
2. Tuning - a guitarist can't be great when he/she doesn't know how to tune their guitars. So you better practice your ears and tune that guitar in no time.
3. Palm Muting - a guitar skill that makes the sound of the guitar strong and powerful, this adds tension to the song and makes it more explosive.
4. Picking - This is an all time favorite guitar skill, the pick and your picking skills will make you look a cooler guitarist.
5. Bending - refers to stretching them with the left hand to increase their pitch, gradually or instanly.
6. Sliding - a guitar technique to make the sound of each fret, soft
7. Hammers and Pulloffs - These two things refer to techniques employed by the left hand to sound notes without the direct aid of the right hand. A "hammer on" is when a note is sounded, and while it is still ringing, a left hand finger is used to quickly press down a fret that is on the same string, and close to the original fret. A "pull off" is basically the same thing, but backwards. We can use a finger to fret a note, and then sound that note. While the note is still sounding, a finger can be placed directly behind the first finger, and then the first finger can be "pulled off". In doing this, it is in effect the same as plucking the string with a finger, it creates vibrations.
8. Legato - A combination of sliding and hammering, this technique is used to play the notes smoothly.
9. Plucking - One plucks a stringed instrument with the finger to make a sound distinct from strumming.
10. The Chords - Of course, how can you play the guitar if you don't know what exact chord are playing? So every guitarist needs to master this.

I am only sharing these stuff with you, so you will be able to improve. Maybe we could play in the same band one day! Always work on your picking before playing.

Finger Independence:

This is as important as small picking, this allows you to play a bunch of notes at lightning speed. You need to have good finger independence in order to play scales or just to be able to switch positions when playing guitar chords. But what is Finger Independence?

Finger Independence is the ability to move one finger without affecting any of the other ones. Once you have Small Picking and Finger Independence than you will start improving dramatically. It take time and dedication to master these techniques, but they are the foundation of all things to come.

John Petrucci, Yngwie, Eric Clapton and all the other Guitar Heroes have it. that’s the only reason why they are so fast and accurate. I have being working on these things for years now, I still cant play as them but at least I discover their tools and techniques. Maybe I die before I become a Lead Guitar Master but at least I’ll die with pride, 'cause right now I can play many of the popular songs that are being played on the Radio.

I am happy of sharing with you these Guitar Secrets. Now is up to you to learn! Practice make perfect! Some people learn faster than other ones. Some people have a natural talent, you could be one of them.

1. UltimateGuitar

   An excellent site that specializes in guitar tabs, but also features news, reviews, interviews, articles, lessons, videos, contests, and in-depth forums for users.

2. Guitar Shred Show

   This advanced site takes you on interactive journeys learning new guitar licks and techniques with fun, adventurous games.

3. TrueFire TV

   An extensive amount of video based lessons filled in channels of different guitar playing styles.

4. Cyberfret

   This has wide-ranging lessons from where to start with basic lessons to advanced instruction in composition and ear training.

5. AccessRock

   Specific lessons in a more advanced level with very descriptive ways on rock techniques and structure.

6. Guitar-Lessons: With a Master Lead Guitarist

   A homemade site with some of the most detailed lessons “with the absolute beginner in mind.” Everyone can learn something a little something from this site as it tackles basic playing and theory.

7. All-Guitar-Chords

   A great chord website with lots of other playing features, such as: scales, a tuner, and arpeggios. But the most useful is the excellent jam machine, where you play along to chords in a selected key.

8. Guitar Lesson World

   Important lessons on becoming an intelligent guitarist with professional qualities.

9. Black Belt Guitar Academy

   This site will take you through the different color "belts" of guitar playing with lessons and suggestions for song and instructional guitar books.

10. YouTube

    One of the most visited website is being constantly updated by users submitting home video guitar lessons on songs, licks, techniques, and anything else guitar.

Well the true is that many people has this ability and they don’t even know it. If you can tap your foot to the beat of a song, then you probably has this ability. If you don’t since to have it then I recommend you to listen to a lot of music and try to follow the beat while tapping your foot to the floor. Make sure you are in time.

Timing is usually determine by the drum or by the snare. Other instruments can mark the timing too. When practicing your timing exercises determine what instrument is marking the time. Then follow that beat, tap, tap and tap. While relaxing and enjoin this tap.

Once you get this timing ability, try to use it when playing guitar. First star taping and think about that tap, imagine that the tap is the drum beat, then try to play your guitar to the beat of these taps. Practice one note per tap, then switch to two notes per tap, three, fourth, and so on until you get to six.

Once you get the ability of taping and playing notes per taps, you will have a good cense of timing, and you will be able to play in time with music.

Is very important to learn these things because in order to become a good guitarist you need to practice exercises that requires the use of this ability. Then you can use this timing to determine your ability on the instrument; How fast you are and how precise.

Even though I know my limitations on the instrument, I know that I play on time, thanks to timing. In order to find out at what speed are you able to play certain amount of notes per beat, you need to buy a metronome. A metronome can be found at any of your local music store, there are several kinds. A cheap one will do the job too.

If you visit here, you will find several videos that I have being posting with the purpose of learning from them. When I record this videos I pay close attention to my mistakes or weak points, then I develop exercises to overcome those weaknesses, but at the same time I share with the world my little knowledge on the guitar, is all about having fun anyways!

Any click is very welcome!

Here is the trick! If you like to learn how to play guitar with freedom you need to be able to have complete control of the right and left hands. You need to have a good cense of timing, recognize pitch, tones and speed. You must be able to play with your eyes close, letting your fingers do the job.

Mistakes? don’t worry about it! They always get in your way, but developing techniques to overcome them is very important.

I remember the first time I try to play my guitar, it was so frustrating, I was scare of crossing strings, or just placing my fingers on the frets, it was painful, uncomfortable and it sounded terrible. I couldn’t play a note clearly and never even dream about playing a song. But due to my interest on the instrument I got better as the time past by. If you are just beginning to play guitar I understand how you feel. But don’t worry, because if I learned it, so you surely can also.

In this lesson I wont teach you all the things that I being learning but I can tell you that I will be posting more lessons and if you fallow them I promise you that you will become a master, maybe even better than me, cause its being hard for me to learn. Maybe there is a big talent hidden inside you, and you don’t even know!

Search for all the basic chords first than all, learn them by heart: C, D, E, F, G, A, B strum your guitar don’t matter if it sounds bad, cause the purpose is to free your hands. Break the barrier that wont let you play. I will be glad to help with the little that I know about guitar. Search for my lessons, and if you know less than me learn from them.

Become a Lead Guitar Master!

Jim teaches a wide variety of styles including finger style, jazz, blues, neo-classical and Latin rhythm. He's planning a rock lead course as well as a Christian Praise Music program. He's a very versatile guitarist and teaches people how to develop their own style in a very organized fashion. Jim has a number of tracks to learn from including his Moving Towards Great Guitar Playing Course (Pre-theory), the Theory Course and his Modal Playing and Solo Composition Course. He issues a certificate for the Theory Course and the Solo Composition course, both of which are graded. He also has a Jazz lead series.

Aside from the courses and pre-packaged booklets and recordings (tapes or CD's), Jim also offers transcriptions and personalized studies (charts and recordings of the music by Jim himself) and selected study of any topic by Jim all for a cost effective $50 per song or study. Jim is the only one who does anything like this for so low a price. Most competitors charge $60 an hour and they don't include a recorded performance; some include a digital slowdown of the music only.

The reason why this article about Jim's Institute is so timely is that in this day of music the lack of technical playing has caused a dearth of really good music being written. The music industry is in a slump and Jim's Institute has the tools to take the music industry out of the doldrums. Readers of Guitar World, who are interested in becoming the next Guitar God, can achieve their goals with Jim's Institute if they have the facility or “chops” to do so. Jim can teach them the nuts and bolts of great guitar work. One way a musician can stay current is to reinvent himself and Jim can teach a person how to do that, too.

This author graduated both the Theory Course and the Modal Playing and Solo Composition Course and I heartily recommend these courses for anyone looking to excel in music, no matter what style it is. I did extremely well in the 2 courses and it helped out my playing immensely.

Jim is a very busy man. In addition to his Institute, he's a studio musician too. He gets quite a bit of work sent his way.

Here's the transcript of the interview:

1. How long have you been teaching guitar lessons and when did you start the international school with the correspondence lessons?

I started teaching guitar when I was a teenager. I think I was 17 or 18 or somewhere in that pocket. Old enough to drive over to the music studio. There was a guy who had a little shop made out of an old dentist office and he was nice enough to let me teach there. Before that, I was teaching the players in whatever band I was in at the time for as long as I can remember. Usually, the bass players needed the most help.

2. What's your unique selling point? (USP in marketing terms)

It's got to be the way material is presented with the goal being able to see a whole picture rather than just bits and pieces. A great deal of attention is put into making sure that every step is clear and spelled out. In other words, we don't assume anything about a student's knowledge. We spell out everything in a step-by-step manner. We also started with a master plan so that the studies all fit together and interrelate into something cohesive. I think that the design and the personal attention that we give to each student are unique. The fact is that we are not just selling a product but rather an opportunity for an education is a bit plus.

3. What's the school's motto?

We don't have a motto but we did work up a mission statement years ago. It's quite a mouthful. It states that we provide instructor supported distance learning of acoustic and electric guitar via courses and customized supplementary studies, which are graded in difficulty from beginning through professional levels.

4. What overseas markets have you penetrated?

We have students and have had students from all around the world. We're in Italy, Lithuania, Grenadines, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Japan, South Africa and so on. The main problem with these is that the wealth of America is so far beyond most other countries that it is difficult for students from other countries to afford much. For example, a doctor in Vietnam might only make $450 a month. A teacher might make only $100 a month. Just our shipping rates to those countries is $25, which is a chunk of change to those guys. Even so, we usually have 5 to 10 active foreign students.

5. About how many students do you have at any given time?

We have between 350 to 450 active correspondence students yearly. Some are involved in course studies and many are involved in independent studies, which target their specific interests.

6. How many theory course grads do you have and what's the average grade?

On the average two gradate every month, or between 20 and 25 grads per year. Average grade is an 85%.

7. How many Comp course grads and grade?

Each year there is a handful of students that pursue that course. It is a tough course and particularly thorough and challenging. Student grades average between 80% and 90%.

8. What's the ratio of starts to finishes on the courses.

The ratio is very good. Even for those who that it becomes obvious that they have bit off more than they can chew. In that case, we just backtrack, reevaluate, and then work our way back up to the level where the student is ready to take on the challenge. If a student is having trouble, we really work hard to make sure that they get over the hump and understand what's going on. Our goal is to make it make sense to them and we will do whatever we can to make that happen.

9. Did you ever get coaching on how to open the school from the SBA or similar organization?

I did not get any coaching from any organizations but I have been fortunate to meet a lot of successful individuals. I have a natural curiosity of wanting to know what people do and how they got started doing what they do. It fascinates me to follow the history that leads up to where they are now. How they got there and why they got there. Through conversation, I have learned from these people about management, advertising, money management and things like that.

10. What are the current, most popular styles of music that you teach?

I teach a wide variety of styles. We cover everything from rock to pop, to metal, to country, to blues, to jazz, or whatever. I would say that the majority of my students are interested in Blues and Jazz so that's most of what I do.

11. You do the most comprehensive transcriptions at a relatively low cost. What's the secret of your success in writing out neat, well-done, work?

I think a lot of it is from doing a great deal of one on one teaching and observing how students learn. For example, there's a direct correlation between how neatly something is written out and how quickly a student learns. Things are as simple as having a consistent number of measures on each stanza makes a huge difference in a person's ability to absorb the information. I try to incorporate onto a chart anything that I think will make the information more accessible.

12. How long have you been playing the guitar?

I started playing when I was very young, about 6 or 7 years old. I was playing occasional gigs by the 5th grade. I just turned 50 so that's a lot of years and a lot of notes.

13. What attracted you to the guitar as opposed to another instrument? We all know that being a guitarist is a high-risk career path.

My father played guitar. When we were children, he would come in and play his guitar and sing us to sleep. He loved it and you can tell that the instrument brought him joy. That was the catalyst that started my desire to play. Once I had a guitar, I could sit for hours and play the 6th string and just get lost in that sound of that one string ringing. Now I play a few more notes, but the truth of the matter is that I can still just play the 6th string open and be mesmerized by that one tone.

There was never any question that I was going to play the guitar for a living. The fact that it is a financially risky business is something that you have to accept if that's the road you choose.

14. My facility on the guitar doesn't allow me to become the next Van Halen or Malmsteen but from what I learned from you, I could easily compose for them. How can I find bands and guitarists to write for?

You are going to find that most rock-n-rollers write their own music. That's just the way it is. Even so, it doesn't hurt to contact their production company or manager and ask. You might be pleasantly surprised.

You can do an Internet search for managers and producers looking for a specific style of music.

You might consider writing songs for vocalists. They are the ones that would be more likely to be shopping around for good material.

15. You stress being a well-rounded guitarist. How realistic is this? You seem to be comfortable in several genres including jazz, blues, heavy metal etc. How did you get this way?

Being well rounded is realistic. You may have a preference to play in one particular style most of the time, but being able to appreciate and play other styles is a big plus. There are heavy metal players out there who smoke, but there are also country pickers out there who smoke. Excellent guitar work from both, and both styles are a gas to play when it's quality material.

I had the opportunity to play what I call in the trenches type of work. In other words, a lot of club dates where you had to be more of this style one night and more of another style the next. It wasn't unusual to play a jazz gig one night, a 50's gig the next night and a blues rock gig the next, and so on. That kind of experience coupled with teaching, transcribing and recording on a regular basis has kept me well rounded.

16. Did you take lessons when you started? Did you learn from correspondence lessons or from a live teacher?

I had quite a few years of private instruction from several instructors when I was growing up. The most influential was Bob Brown. He is a master Jazz guitarist based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Going to his lessons was like getting a weekly booster shot. I would always leave the lesson pumped up and ready to play.

I then studied music at the University of Arizona, then at the Berkley College of Music, and I also took a correspondence course. A little bit of everything.

17. I know you're planning a rock lead course. How do you plan on niching yourself against the other competitors? The competition is stiff in rock lead and rhythm.

You are right. There is a lot of competition. There are also a lot of students, and different styles of teaching are going to appeal to different individuals. It's a matter of finding the right match.

Our goal is to give a complete and thorough education. We are not here just to teach a quick song and be through with it. We want to help the student understand the timing, the scale structure, the harmony, the rhythms, and music in general. That kind of education is going to appeal to some and not to others. It is a practical approach rather than just a hopped up latest hot lick concept.

18. As a side note, I plan on eventually owning your whole catalog. I probably own more of it than anyone else now, I'd imagine.

You do have quite a collection, but there are many students that have you beat. Because the studies are designed so that you can stabilize at one level, or continue to progress to a more challenging level, it is an appealing method of study. Some students have been with us from the conception of the correspondence school.

We also get quite a number of instructors who solidify their own knowledge and use the material to teach. They usually end up with a stack of studies. We have professionals taking studies just to tighten up their own skills and look for different approaches. On occasion, we have had individuals purchase our entire catalog. So, you have a way to go.

We have a way to go to as well since music is a never-ending study. There is always something new to discover about it and that's wonderful.

19. I think you've found me helpful because some of the stuff in the current catalog was actually done for me personally first. Did other lessons start out this way?

Yes, absolutely. When I get a personalized study request, there is a good bit of time invested in developing that study. My attitude is, why waste a good lesson that others could benefit from?

20. What's going on with the Christian Praise series you wanted to do? Also, what's the status of the rock lead series?

I have tons of material to draw upon in that genre. For the past 8 years I've been working and arranging the praise band at the church I attend. Very interesting and lots of fun. The popish style is different from what I've played for years in other venues. The eclectic group of musicians and characters makes it even more fascinating.

I'd love to put together a Christian Praise Series, and it is something that will be done in the future. It has been put on the back burner right now because it is something that I want to do rather than being a study request from a student.

Personalized Transcriptions and Studies have become one of the featured favorites that the correspondence school offers. For example, on my desk right now, I have 3 songs to transcribe, 2 videos, 2 personalized requests, and 4 books that need to be marked and recorded with instructional information. These need to be done within a reasonable amount of time and returned to each student. I am teaching, keeping up on practice, and recording lessons all at the same time. There is not a lot of wiggle room available to take on pet projects. Now, if a student put in a Personalized Request for a Christian Praise Style Study, if would be put in the pile and get done as it rolled up in sequence.

21. You seem to be mostly self-published. Would you like to have some of your transcriptions selling in magazines or for Hal Leonard, etc.?

That's a different concept from what we're trying to achieve. Once again, we are a school and our main function is to give and education through a cohesive and linear set of studies. Transcriptions or learning songs is just one part of that. I am interested in how a student develops over a period of time. In other words, what is the next thing we can do to get you further down the road? Doing transcriptions just for the sake of doing a transcription is not something I am interested in.

22. How much did you practice per day when you were cutting your teeth on the guitar?

Practicing eight to ten hours a day was not uncommon. I'll tell you something that's interesting. Every good guitarist who I have come across has had the same opportunity. At some point in their life, they practiced long hours for months or even years.

23. How much do you play per day now?

Because my occupation involved teaching, recording, transcribing, playing, writing and arranging, I have a guitar in hand quite often. It's not the same as that focused type of practice I was talking about earlier which is the kind of practice where you are drilling dexterity skills and learning new chops. I only get about an hour of that in every day now. I wish it could be more.

24. What advice would you give someone like Malmsteen or EVH to help re-kick start his or her careers?

That would be pretentious. Both of those gentlemen are way too accomplished and too successful for me to give them advice. I think they both have a strong grasp on where they are and what they want to do.

25. How much studio work do you do vs. the Institute?

Those are the same since recording is ingrained in the process of what I do. I spend a great deal of time recording lessons and studies. Recording for the Institute is what I enjoy doing so that is where most of my studio work is involved.

26. What would you like to add to this correspondence? Say anything you want to get out. What vision do you have for the future of the music industry and the field of guitar playing?

The versatility of the guitar as an instrument is matchless in my opinion. It is an instrument that won't grow tired with time. We will see some players stay with the traditional styles and other players that will move into some new areas. Each generation learning from the previous and building upon that. It's all good and valuable.

Some players will embrace guitars with built-in electronics. For example, guitars that enable altered tunings at a flick of a switch. That kind of control is going to have an effect on what players compose. I think that is going to lead into the use of semi tones. I think that semi tones are going to work their way into a possibly new style of music that may be way over the top. We will be more and more influenced by music from other countries.

We are going to see more Internet clearinghouses for independent musicians. This is a very good thing. There are thousands and thousands of phenomenal musicians that in the past have not been heard. They are not in the right place at the right time, they don't know the right people, they don't have the right experience or knowledge, or they don't have enough money.

Internet clearing houses will give these musicians a and bands place to market themselves. The clearinghouse will take a little bit of money from both sides. From the musicians to post and rate their recordings and from the listener who purchases the recordings. It's a win for the musicians, a win for the clearinghouse, and a win for the listener. The clearinghouses that will do the best are those that not only have a good system for rating the songs submitted to them, but are also honest. In other words, if they are taking extra money to promote substandard music, it will be obvious. People will go to their competitors who have a proven and reliable system for rating songs.

We will continue to see new and inventive ways to beam performances into our TV's, phones, and minds. Even so, live music is here to stay.