At the start of the pandemic I did 10 weeks of free guitar and ukulele classes for kids (and grown ups) for which many had signed up. However I’ve heard from some parents that they have a hard time supporting their child(ren). What to practice, when, how long, and tackling unwillingness to practice. Now I …
A new kind of music class is coming, but I need your help! Read More »
Today, at 12:30pm I picked up the Nelson Star after my friend/student asked me if I had seen it yet. I knew there’d be an article in there as I had already seen the online article about my guitar studio, written by Bill Metcalf. Still, nothing had prepared me for what I saw. Driving up …
Guitar Studio in Nelson BC: How My Failures Led To Success Read More »
For more than 25 years I have been teaching and coaching my students of all ages to achieve their goals. It has never been the academics but the connection between my student and I, that has driven me all these years. I get to know my students in such are personal way. We experience and …
Coaching your child in music is a delicate but beautiful thing! Read More »
A few weeks ago I had the honour and privilege to do an interview with the incredible Nick Johnston. He was doing clinics and a concert at Selkirk Music College here in Nelson BC. A great day, filled with music and laughs. In a packed schedule Nick managed to free up 30m to do this interview …
Jamming with Nick Johnston & Interview in Nelson BC! Read More »
Most students I’ve seen don’t really have a strategy for tackling a new tune or a complex tune. That’s too bad because your approach greatly determines the outcome in things. Just being aware of the complexity of a tune, or technical requirements, helps create that patience needed to go through the process of it. Patience, …
How to practice a complicated tune on the guitar? Here’s how I do it! Read More »
Summer has reached Nelson BC and we all have our own ways to spend this great time in the Kootenays. (Actually, in reality, we don’t have any bad seasons here really.) So what to do during those long summer nights… Well, I like a challenge so I thought I’d figure out how to play Classical …
Epic Guitar Piece: Classical Gas by Tommy Emmanuel! Read More »
The minor pentatonic scale is possibly the most used, maybe even OVERused, scale on the guitar. But this is with good reason. The first scale shape is easy to memorize and sounds awesome over just about anything! It is used in practically all pop, rock, and blues solos so if your goal is to learn …
Minor Pentatonic Scale, First Steps To Improvising Guitar Solos Read More »
As some of you may know, next to local guitar (& ukulele) lessons and classes, I also teach online. Lots of those lessons are posted on Your Guitar Workshop. Usually these are classic guitar songs from the 60’s-90’s with some more recent tunes here and there. Today I wanted to share some of my recent …
A new ukulele class has been in the works for some time and on the second Thursday of April we’ll start. It’ll be a fun introductory class to playing this wonderful instrument. The tuition for 6 classes will be CAD 90,- and classes will take place between 7pm and 8pm at Taghum Hall. For more …
Ukulele Class At Taghum Hall Starting April 12th, 2018 Read More »
Since 2015 I’ve been working as a guitar instructor at Selkirk College in Nelson BC, Canada. It’s one of those jobs that just combines all I love into one neat package: music, teaching, and talent! Over the past few years I’ve seen talented singers, drummers, guitarists etc. More and more I’ve been desiring to share …