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Articles from Simon Candy | Selfgrowth.com
- Avoid The Embarrassment Of Sucking At Blues Rhythm Guitar And Absolutely Kill It At Your Next Jam Session - by Submitted on May 05, 2016 from Simon CandyIf you have been playing guitar for a little while, I’m sure you've found yourself in the situation where you are required to jam a spontaneous 12 bar blues. With the blues being such a universal language amongst musicians, this is often what happens when you first meet up with someone for a ...
Views: 998(1 vote) - 3 Awesome Techniques That Will Totally Reignite Your Creativity on The Acoustic Guitar, And Pull You Out Of The Rut You Find Yourself In - Part 2 - by Submitted on Feb 14, 2015 from Simon CandyPart 1 of this article presented to you two unique ways you can play your acoustic guitar to inspire and reignite your creativity using octave harmonics and alternate/open tunings. Today in part 2, I am going to show you an additional three approaches you can take with your acoustic guitar so ...
Views: 787 - 5 Things That Will Reignite Your Creativity On The Acoustic Guitar, Fast! - Part 1 - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2014 from Simon CandyIt’s not much fun when you reach that point in your guitar playing life where things start to become a little stale and perhaps even boring to you. Your progress slows down and may even stop altogether. I’m sure if you asked anybody who has been playing guitar for a while, they would tell you ...
Views: 1029 - Become A More Creative And Inventive Acoustic Guitar Player By Studying Other Instruments - by Submitted on Mar 17, 2016 from Simon CandyTranscribing and arranging songs that other instruments play onto your acoustic guitar, is a great way to become more creative and inventive with your own playing. While we all have the same notes to choose from when creating music, each instrument is unique in how it executes or sounds ...
Views: 677 - Boost Your Musical Creativity By Learning How To Play Slide Guitar - by Submitted on Aug 14, 2017 from Simon CandyWhile most of you no doubt will know of slide guitar playing, and the cool, unique sound a slide produces, many of you have probably never considered adopting this technique as part of your own guitar playing. For those of you who don’t know, a slide is an object, often made from glass, ...
Views: 658 - Create Your Own Unplugged Acoustic Version Of A Song That Sounds Better Than The Original - by Submitted on Jan 20, 2016 from Simon CandyWhen learning how to create your own cool unplugged acoustic versions of songs, it pays to see how others have gone about this before you. By carefully watching, observing and analysing existing acoustic arrangements, there is much insight you will gain that you can then apply to creating your ...
Views: 1013 - Develop Great Rhythm And Timing Skills Now And Watch Your Guitar Playing Sore To Amazing New Heights! - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2014 from Simon CandyA simple, but very effective way to improve your guitar playing in a big way is to isolate and work on your rhythm and timing skills. Playing your guitar in time is one of the most important skills you MUST have as a musician. Here is a common situation I’m sure most, if not all of us, can ...
Views: 701 - Discover 5 Areas Of Your Acoustic Guitar Playing You Can Improve Big Time Through Jazz - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2017 from Simon CandyMany styles of music, other than the one you are into and play most, have much to offer your acoustic guitar playing if you take the time to check them out. In fact, you really need to step out of your musical comfort zone in order to become a great player. Jazz is one style that will improve ...
Views: 677 - Discover 5 Cool Things About Open Tunings For Your Acoustic Guitar Playing And How To Be Up And Running With These Instantly! - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2016 from Simon CandyWhile most things you play on guitar are in standard tuning, there is a lot to be said for alternate tunings in regard to expanding the scope of your sound, as well as increasing your creative ability on the instrument. There are many things you can do in alternate tunings that just can’t be ...
Views: 747 - Easy To Play, Advanced Sounding Chords For Your Acoustic Guitar - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2016 from Simon CandyMany guitar players excel in soloing yet suck at playing rhythm guitar, never really venturing beyond your everyday open and bar chords. Considering that most the time you play guitar, you are playing rhythm guitar, this will cause all sorts of problems and limitations. To balance things up a ...
Views: 1396 - Guitar Thumb Pick - Should You Use One When Fingerpicking? - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2021 from Simon CandyA lot of fingerpickers shy away from using a thumb pick on guitar, citing it to feel uncomfortable. Well, yes, of course it will feel uncomfortable if you are use to using your thumb. This is no reason to not use one, however. In this video tutorial, I show you the ins and outs of the ...
Views: 327 - Here’s A Great Way To Make Sure You Get Bang For Your Buck With The Fingerpicking Patterns You Learn On Guitar - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2021 from Simon CandyTechnique verse creativity. You need both to be a great guitar player. Too much of one highlights the lack of the other leaving you out of balance. Too much technique and not enough creativity will have you sounding more like a machine than a musician. Too much creativity and not ...
Views: 323 - How To Create Great Sounding Music Using Chords In An Open G Tuning On Your Guitar - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2018 from Simon CandyA great way to develop your creativity as a musician is to explore open tunings on your guitar. Don’t be discouraged when considering playing in something other than standard tuning, thinking it might be like learning the instrument all over again. It doesn't take too long to become familiar ...
Views: 597 - How To DADGAD Blues On Guitar - by Submitted on Aug 31, 2021 from Simon CandyDADGAD tuning is a beautiful, lush tuning for your guitar playing. In this video, I show you how to play blues licks in DADGAD tuning. You first learn the DADGAD blues scale which is quite possibly the easiest scale you will ever learn on guitar. From here, I show you a number of very ...
Views: 519 - How To Imply Chords In A Progression Using 6th Harmony On Guitar - by Submitted on Oct 06, 2021 from Simon CandyIn this lesson, I show you how to use the 6th harmony when fingerpicking guitar. I show you this by applying 6th harmony to a typical chord progression. In doing so, you won’t actually play a single chord. Instead you will imply the chords through the use of 6th harmony. What you ...
Views: 236 - How To Learn And Master The Travis Picking Pattern - Part 2 - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2021 from Simon CandyLearning and mastering something are two completely different things. Learning something is not mastering it. For example, the travis picking pattern. You could learn an example of this pattern, but all you will have done is mastered that example of the pattern, not the pattern in ...
Views: 286 - How To Make Your Fingerpicking On Guitar Sound Like Real Music You Would Listen To - by Submitted on Nov 15, 2017 from Simon CandyWhether you realise it or not, many fingerpicking songs are based around one pattern known as the clawhammer technique. I created a lesson on the basics of this common fingerpicking pattern for guitar that I highly recommend you check out first, before dealing with what we will cover in today’s ...
Views: 857 - How To Mix Strumming With Picking When Playing Chord Progressions On Guitar - by Submitted on Oct 12, 2021 from Simon CandyIn this video, I show you how to mix the techniques of strumming and picking when playing chord progressions on your guitar. You hear this kind of thing happening in songs all the time. It makes your playing sound more musical and dynamic. At times you will strum more than pick, at ...
Views: 350 - How To Sound Great Playing Scales On Guitar - by Submitted on Sep 13, 2021 from Simon CandyIn this video, I show you a way that is not only fun to play scales on guitar but also results in a very unique sound. From these scales you can create incredible sounding music. What you are about to learn can be used in a number of styles of music including blues, rock, jazz, pop, and ...
Views: 278 - Learn Exactly How To Play Both The Chords And Melody Of A Tune At The Same Time, On One Guitar, By Avoiding These Common Mistakes - Part 1 - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2018 from Simon CandyWhat is the difference between a pianist and a guitarist? A pianist can play an instrumental arrangement of a song, sounding full and complete without needing anyone else to play along with them. Most guitar players can’t. At least those who cannot play chord/melody style, that ...
Views: 629 - Learn How To Create Your Own Unplugged Acoustic Versions Out Of Songs And Become A Much Better Guitar Player At The Same Time! - by Submitted on Jan 20, 2015 from Simon CandyCreating unplugged acoustic versions of songs has become the norm for musicians to do over the past 20 or so years. People love to hear these versions, and when they are done well, they sound fantastic, but when they are done poorly, they sound very average. The trick is how you go about ...
Views: 4664 - Learn How To Play Harp Harmonics On Your Guitar And Be Prepared To Amaze All Who Hear You Play! - by Submitted on Sep 26, 2016 from Simon CandyIf you want to add a little bit of a “wow” factor to your guitar playing, then harp harmonics are definitely what you need. This technique is one of the more impressive things you can do on a guitar, producing an amazing sound, very much like a harp, hence the name “harp” harmonics. However, ...
Views: 1163 - Learn The Awe Inspiring Style Of Percussive Guitar And Become An Elite Acoustic Player! - by Submitted on Jan 07, 2018 from Simon CandySome time ago, it was quite rare and a unique thing to see someone play their acoustic guitar percussively. These days it is becoming increasingly popular to do. However, as great and impressive as this style of guitar playing sounds, it can also feel near on impossible to do. It is a ...
Views: 634 - Learn The Fingerpicking Pattern Of All Fingerpicking Patterns For Your Guitar Playing - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2017 from Simon CandyIf you are at all serious about becoming a great fingerpicking guitar player, there is one pattern in particular you MUST know. This pattern will give you the ability to play literally thousands of songs. In today’s lesson I am going to reveal this fingerpicking pattern to you, and how to get ...
Views: 1110 - Learn The Travis Picking Pattern And Gain Access To Thousands Of Fingerpicking Songs - Part 1 - by Submitted on Aug 04, 2021 from Simon CandyHow do musicians know and remember so many songs? Answer: They don’t get fixated on the detail and rather, learn the concepts behind the song so they can play it even if they cannot remember every last detail. This is the difference between a pro and an amateur. In this video, I show ...
Views: 261 - Learn This Awesome Fingerpicking Blues Technique For Your Guitar Playing - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2017 from Simon CandyBlues Fingerpicking Youtube Video I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, fingerpicking is a must for any acoustic guitar player out there. The possibilities are endless when you have even just basic fingerpicking skills. Today, I am going to show you how to fingerpick through a 12 bar ...
Views: 700 - Learn This Easy Strategy For Arranging Songs In A Fingerpicking Style On Your Guitar - Part 1 - by Submitted on Aug 16, 2018 from Simon CandyToday I am going to share with you part of a strategy I use to create fingerpicking arrangements of songs on my guitar. I am talking about the kind of arrangements where you play the bass, harmony, and melody parts all at one time, on one guitar. This style of playing is more in line with how ...
Views: 574 - Mistakes You MUST Avoid When Playing The Melody And Chords Of A Song, At The Same Time, On One Guitar - Part 2 - by Submitted on May 07, 2018 from Simon CandyPlaying the chords and melody to a song at the same time, on one guitar, can seem like a very difficult thing to do, much more difficult than it actually is. This was the focus of part 1 of this article, where I laid out for you 3 mistakes players make when creating and playing guitar ...
Views: 592 - Only Using Single Notes For Your Acoustic Guitar Soloing Is Hurting Your Playing Big Time! Learn The Power Of Chords - by Submitted on Apr 03, 2015 from Simon CandyEverybody who has played guitar for even just a short amount of time knows what chords are. We all use them in our guitar playing, however, not everybody uses them as a tool for soloing. In fact not everybody is even aware that you can use chords for soloing as well as rhythm playing. There ...
Views: 1462 - Percussive Guitar Techniques That Don’t Take Years To Learn - by Submitted on Aug 19, 2021 from Simon CandyThe style of percussive guitar playing can look very difficult to do. As great as it sounds, seeing someone play guitar this way can leave you very envious and full of doubt as to whether you are capable of doing the same with your own guitar playing. Good news is, armed with the basics ...
Views: 283 - Right Verses Easy. How To Avoid The Frustration Of Learning How To Fingerpick Your Guitar - by Submitted on May 03, 2017 from Simon CandyDeveloping Great Fingerpicking Technique Video Stepping into the world of fingerpicking can be a game changer for your guitar playing. I say “can be” because it depends on how you go about it. As is the case with a lot of things, many players tend to go with what feels “easy” over what is ...
Views: 745 - Tasty Chord Rhythm Fills For Your Guitar Playing - by Submitted on Sep 07, 2021 from Simon CandyIn this video, I show you how to play riffs between the chords you play on guitar. These type of riffs are known as chord rhythm fills and can be heard in the playing of players such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and John Mayer. Chord rhythm fills are a great way to spruce up your ...
Views: 290 - The Chet Atkins Guitar Playing Method And How This Will Make You A More Desirable (Acoustic) Guitar Player - by Submitted on May 10, 2015 from Simon CandyWant to become a better, more motivated, and creative guitar player? Then closely study the styles and techniques of the players you love. You can be sure they did the same with players that came before them. It’s an ongoing evolution and today we are going to take a look at some of the key ...
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