After 20 years of teaching and over 1,000 students, I’ve mapped out the 5 stages every adult guitar player goes through. If you ever feel like: - You're stuck playing the same bunch of chords - You freeze when someone asks you to play - You’re drowning in YouTube Then this framework is going to change everything. Just comment “MAP” and I’ll send you the breakdown. It’s helped older, overwhelmed adults finally play guitar with confidence - and actually enjoy it. Miss a step? You stay stuck. Get all 5 right? You become that person who picks up a guitar and plays. Simple yet Powerful. Yours free — just comment “MAP” below. Dave 🎶 p.s. I built this for players who want a clear path. If that’s you, say “MAP” and I’ll send it your way today.

I was working with a student today in a private lesson and their singing and playing weren't syncing up... So we broke it down as follows: 1. Drill the line of chords: D A Bm A | G G A A 2. Eliminate any gaps in the chord changes e.g. the A to Bm could be tricky 3. Keep focusing on the chords & strum while briefing only "thinking" about the lyrics 4. Then do a "dance remix" type thing where you only sing the first 2-3 lyrics of the line and keep your full focus on the chord playing! ..this means we are training our brains to prioritise the chords/strum. 5. Continue to add on more lyrics bit by bit, each time you get something working, repeat it a couple of times, so you are continuously expanding out the line with solid singing and playing. Hope this helps, if you would like to me demo this on a video comment DEMO below this post and I'll do one up!

A strum pattern is like building with LEGO: you put it together one piece at a time. 🧱🧩👌 👉 If you’re stuck, here’s what to do: ​1. Find the rhythm count (you can often find this on websites like Ultimate Guitar). 2. Count it out loud in a steady beat, like "1, 2&, 3e&a, 4e&." 3. Tap your guitar body on each count. 4. Repeat this until it feels natural in your strumming hand. 5. Then, start adding in the strum directions one step at a time. This works because your strumming is the sound you create from the beat you’re counting in your head. If you don’t count, it’s hard to match your strumming to the beat. ​ Comment on this post with a song you're stuck on and I'll count out the strum pattern for it 👇👇👇

Hey everyone! I was teaching this today to a group and figured it may make a cool share for any of you looking to learn how to play with drums. The outline: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (seasonal I know) with a 120 BPM shuffle beat! 🎶Here's how to practice step by step: 1️⃣ Step 1: Tap in Time with the Drums - Play the drum track and tap on your guitar in time. - If your tapping isn’t steady, the rhythm won’t work! 2️⃣ Step 2: Strum with Your Thumb - Start by strumming gently with your thumb (not a pick). - Listen for the beats on 2 and 4 in the drum track—they’ll guide you! 3️⃣ Step 3: Focus on the Drums - This is a focus exercise, not just playing. - Don’t let your mind wander! Stay locked in with the drum beat. 4️⃣ Step 4: Add Chord Changes - Practice switching between chords (like G and D). - When you change chords, quickly refocus on the drum beat. 5️⃣ Step 5: Sing While Strumming - Sing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer while keeping time with the drums. - If your strumming goes off beat, stop singing and get back on track with the drums first. 🎁 Bonus Tip: Start Slow! If 120 BPM feels too fast, try: - 100 BPM → 105 → 110 → 115 → 120. Let me know how you’re doing! Share your progress in the comments. 👇🎸 ..and here's the drum track I was using

If you are learning an open chord song and struggle with: - specific chord changes - counting the rhythm - putting it all together ..then there may be a little something in this roughly cut vid.. I was finishing up a lesson this evening at the house & recorded this quick recap for the student, but figured I'd share it here if there's even one little nugget in it. 📝 Main Points: 🏃‍♂️ Tempo is everything: pause before you start to play. Think of the hardest chord change. Visualise your hand making the move, and then from that feeling, decide on what tempo you'll begin at. 🎶Always drill in this order: - get the chord change working well first (D7->G) - then play one bar of a chord going into the chord change (D7 - - - | G) - then when you feel ready, give the entire line a go..but be sure to be alert coming into the chord change ..and by drill I mean, focus on that ONE thing for 2-3 minutes at a time, until it starts to come together.. 🚀 Poetry vs Reading If you're not at the stage yet to read and play through the 2 lines without stopping or losing time..then if you try to learn it by reading and playing through, you'll more than likely get more of the same. Instead, if you treat it like poetry..where you break the 2 lines apart, and treat them like verses of a poem... Making: G.- - - | G.- - - | G.- - - | D7 - - - | Into: G.- - - | G.- - - | G.- - - | D7 - - - | Making sure you've: - got the chord changes flowing smoothly.. - an awareness of how much of each chord to play (4 down-strums) ..then, you start piecing the bars together.. Anyhoo, some thoughts, but I give it more context in the vid! 🚀 Theres a few guest passes going for TSG+, if you are wanting to come inside for 7 days, try everything completely free, and meet our amazing community, then drop me a DM! This isn't open to everyone. 📩 DM me INVITE to see if you qualify.