Dan Thorpe (Guitar)

🎸 Did you know you can play beautiful guitar music using just ONE finger? Here's my special arrangement of Amazing Grace. I even taped up all but one finger to prove it! Perfect if you're a beginner or struggle with stiff fingers or arthritis. 🎁 FREE video lesson + guitar TAB: fingerstyle101.com/amazing/

Here’s a simple "rule" I give all my guitar students. For more help, go to fingerstyle101.com/dynamite-… #guitar #learnguitar #danthorpeguitar

Recently, I was busy arranging a new song for November for my Six String Life Academy members. (It's a Christmas tune). Anyway, I looked at a few arrangements, and they were all in the key of C. That's a common key on the guitar, and I'd arranged this very song in C many years ago, so I used that as my starting point. The problem was... There were some awkward passages I wasn't happy with. You see, in the key of C, your three main chords are C, F and G. C and F in particular can be awkward for a lot of guitarists. I wanted something classy, elegant and beautiful for my students, but no harder to play than it needed to be. So I spent some time late last night trying different ideas, but something still wasn't quite right. Eventually, I put the guitar down. Then it dawned on me... Why don't I just change the damn key?! It's advice I've shared many times, yet for some reason I'd convinced myself this arrangement had to be in C. So I changed it to D. Right away it was better. The piece sounded more elegant and was easier to play. The D chord in particular just shimmers throughout the arrangement. I'd found the right key! There are a couple of lessons here. Firstly, if something isn't working, sometimes it's best to put the guitar down, take a break and come back with fresh ears. Secondly, you don't always have to do what everyone else does. Just because something has always been played or taught a certain way doesn't mean it's the best way. There are always new possibilities to explore, and sometimes a simple key change can transform a piece of music. That's one of the things I love about the guitar. #guitar #fingerstyle

Here’s a quick trick how to get good at embellishing chords #guitar #learnguitar

Bad advice (or good advice... but for who?) I saw an interview with Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (from Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers) recently where he talked about two things he teaches guitar students. Use a metronome. Sing while you play. Good advice. ...But good advice for who? This is something that annoys me about a lot of guitar teaching. So much advice seems to be aimed at people who can already play pretty well. I'm not having a go at Mr Baxter. (I doubt he teaches full-time). ...But my point is this: How are you supposed to comfortably play with a metronome when your fingers won't cooperate yet? How are you supposed to sing while you play when you're struggling to play a chord change or remember what your fingers are supposed to be doing? I sometimes wonder why so many people who teach guitar seem blind to the struggles ordinary guitarists have. Do they care? Probably. I think the bigger problem is that many great players are so far beyond the beginner and struggling stages that they've forgotten what those stages actually feel like. Maybe that sort of teaching simply doesn't interest some of them either. That's why you'll find a tonne of lessons on YouTube and in courses giving advice that might be perfectly good... Once you're ready for it. Personally, I love working with what I think of as the “silent majority”. The people who are struggling. The people who've been told, "Don't worry, you'll figure it out." I'd rather actually show them how to figure it out. Give them specific things to work on, in the right order, so they don't have to spend months or years trying to piece it all together themselves. I love doing that.

Just two fingers! That's all you need to create some beautiful music on guitar. In this short video, I'll show you two simple shapes (one major, one minor) that you can move around the fretboard. It's a fun way to experiment, jam and create your own music, rather than just memorising chords and copying TAB. Watch the video and give it a try: fingerstyle101.com/easy-two-…

Which type of guitar styles do you enjoy playing the most?

Set a mini goal each week. Give yourself a super small and very achievable goal. Tell yourself that on a certain day of the week, you will nail this goal. The key thing is you make the goal small, realistic, and achievable.

“I don't think the Beatles were that good. I think they're fine, you know. Ringo's got the best backbeat I've ever heard... Paul is a fine bass player... but he's a bit overpowering at times.”– George Harrison #georgeharrison #thebeatles #music #guitar #legend

Learning guitar should be a focused, unrushed process. The good news is progress can speed up. It often starts slow, speeds up, slows down a little & speeds up again. It’s an ebb & flow. Keep doing the right things & progress will speed up possibly sooner than you might think.

I once accidentally played a jazz chord. Then my dog ignored me for the rest of the day. He was more of a blues fan. 🎷🐾 #JazzDog

A long time ago I decided to serenade my plants with a beautiful melody. They responded by wilting. Where did it go wrong?! 🌱🎶 #MusicalGardener"

My guitar and I have a love-hate relationship. It loves to stay out of tune, and I hate to tune it. 😅🎵 #TuningNightmare

When someone asks how long I've been playing guitar. My reply, 'Well, I picked it up about five snack breaks ago.' 🍕🎸 #GuitarSnacks

Here are three things to keep in mind for your guitar playing:

What advice would you give this guy? Click here to read about a recent comment a struggling student left: guitardomination.net/guitar-…

A quick tip for playing barre chords #barrechords #guitar #learnguitar #guitartips

Today we’re hearing from John and Tweed about the benefits of circling back and the public needing to hear your skills. Click here to read about what helped them on their guitar journey: guitardomination.net/circlin…

Here are 5 major issues guitarists struggle with #learnguitar #guitar #beginnerguitar #guitartips