Your guitar is all tuned up. You know about good posture. And playing notes with your fretting hand is starting to feel less like a game of fretboard finger twister.

You’re ready to play.

You put on your favorite song and try to pick a few notes. Your hand can’t find the right strings consistently.

You ask yourself, how can this possibly be more difficult than fretting a note?

It doesn’t have to be.

This video will show you how to:

• train your hand to pick consistently by anchoring your pinky in the same spot every time, and then shifting only slightly to reach all six strings
• achieve that much-sought-after picking speed by focusing on coordinating your left and right hands first, then speeding up over time
• maximize picking efficiency and speed by practicing alternate picking

As always, use a metronome to help build your skills and measure your progress over time.

Guitar Lesson: Easy 1-2-3 Formula For Picking Like a Pro is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play

“First you accomplish, paint the fence…” ~ Mr. Kesuke Miyagi, The Karate Kid (1984)

Remember this famous scene?

Mr. Miyagi has just taken Daniel Larusso under his wing. Before learning any karate technique, Daniel-San must first paint Mr. Myagi’s entire backyard fence.

Mr. Miyagi prescribes precise movements to a reluctant Daniel-San. He tells him:

“It’s all in the wrist…up, down, up, down…don’t forget to breathe”

These three tips are also the secret to strumming your guitar like a master.

Let’s break down the Miyagi way.

It’s all in the wrist

When it comes to strumming, it’s mostly in the wrist. You’ll need to use some elbow, but mostly your wrist.

Sweep your pick across the strings just as Daniel-San’s brush painted the fence.

If you’re having problems with control, you may need to work on how you’re holding the pick.

Up, down, up, down

This is the fun part.

It’s pretty straightforward, but keep in mind:

• Strum over the sound hole to get the most sound out of your guitar
• When learning new songs, find the rhythm quicker by muting the strings with your fretting hand and strumming with a pick
• At some level, rhythm is more important than notes or chords; understand the feel of a song first and figure out the strumming pattern (the up-down-up-down), then incorporate chords
• Use a metronome to help build your skills over time and measure your progress

Don’t forget to breathe

As with any physical activity, focus on breathing while you’re playing guitar to help minimize tension.

While you practice, pause every so often to breathe, relax your body, and check your posture.

Pay close attention to tension buildup and be sure to take a break if you feel any pain.

Check out the video for a demonstration of the Miyagi method.

Guitar Lesson: Mr. Miyagi’s 3 Step Guide to Master Strumming is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play

Think carefully about the following questions.

Did you choose your weapon guitar pick, or did you inherit one that was old and worn and hope for the best?

If you did select your pick, do you know how to use it?

If you know what you’re doing, you’ll sound better, have more fun and dazzle your spectators in the process. If not, you’ll look and sound kind of funny. Now who wants that?

You owe it to yourself to spend a little time selecting the right guitar pick and learning how to use it.

This video will set you up for success

Watch as we explore how:

• pick thickness and material* can make or break your guitar playing
• making the OK sign is a good starting point when learning how to hold a pick
• you’ll achieve control and consistency by holding a pick securely between your thumb and index finger, but leaving the rest of your hand and wrist relaxed (no white-knuckle death grip)
• the guitar pick acts as an extension of your hand when strumming or picking

* P.S.

I recommend the Dunlop Tortex .73mm (medium) or the Dunlop Delrin .96mm (heavy) picks. Medium-heavy picks will give you more control and are a good place to start for beginners. By no means are they the only good picks out there, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options, these are a good start.

Guitar Lesson: Pick Your Weapon Wisely is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play

After a few silent weeks, we’re excited to unveil the upgraded intunestudios.com.

We’re proud of the new design and have our friends at StudioPress to thank for that. Also a huge thanks to Go Media for helping us get it done so quickly.

We chose the Prose Theme and couldn’t be happier. Our original theme looked ok, but it lacked the security, support, and functionality of StudioPress and Prose.

Here are some reasons behind the change:

• All StudioPress themes run on the Genesis Framework, which is widely accepted as the foundation of any smart WordPress design, and most major bloggers and tech leaders endorse and use Genesis
• StudioPress provides unlimited access to its dedicated support team, as well as unlimited theme updates
• The Prose Theme is mobile responsive, meaning it looks great on a 20″ screen or your 3″ smartphone, all without having to maintain a separate “mobile” site
• Prose provides effortless design control and endless options (color, font, layout, etc.)

If you are looking to upgrade your site or to design a new one that will look great, be easy to use, be heavily supported, and will fit in your budget, look no further than StudioPress.

Disclosure: Some of the above links were affiliate links.

The Reasons Behind The InTune Studios Redesign: Genesis, StudioPress & Prose is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play

I was compelled to read this book when I learned that Dr. Lane is a Cleveland resident and essentially founded the Music Therapy department at University Hospitals. She is also a professionally trained singer, a loving mother and wife, a strong woman of faith, a tenacious cancer survivor, and much, much more.

What this book will do for you:

• Dr. Lane’s story will inspire and challenge you to follow your heart, fight for what you believe in, and serve others selflessly
• The miraculous stories will give you an appreciation for the healing of power of music
• You’ll likely wonder what music can do for those of us without extreme illness or disability

What can music do for those of us without extreme illness or disability?

Dr. Lane explains that music has been shown to:

• be more effective than relaxation or biofeedback techniques for migraine sufferers;
• reduce blood pressure and heart and respiration rates;
• decrease pain perception, levels of fear, stress and anxiety;
• increase feelings of self-worth and reduce depression; and
• reduce the number of neurotransmitters in the brain that are available to transmit pain messages

She writes:

“music has the unique power to do what often seems impossible: to open us precisely where we had shut down….music is a window where once was only a solid wall”

I hope to meet Dr. Lane someday, but after reading this book, I feel like I’ve known her for a long time. I have the utmost respect for her as a person and for her work.

I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Music as Medicine. Dr. Lane’s personal and professional journeys are heroic and inspirational (although she’d probably humbly disagree), and so are the many stories of her patients.

** The featured image for this post is courtesy of istockphoto.com/Aydinmutlu

Music, Medicine & More is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play

One of the secrets of great guitar playing is keeping your fretting hand relaxed and in a natural position.

This will enable you to play guitar more smoothly, consistently and safely.

Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for several years, this video will reveal the basic building blocks for fretting hand technique.

In this video you’ll discover:

• Finding your optimal fretting hand position is as easy as hanging your arm by your side
• You don’t need to manhandle the guitar neck when fretting notes
• How to instantly improve tone quality and consistency by using your fingertip to fret notes and chords
• You can avoid nasty string buzz or dead sounds by placing your fingertip just behind the fret wire
• A simple exercise to help you achieve consistent fretting hand technique
• Your wrist needs to turn only slightly to reach all six strings on your guitar and avoid overextension
• Your thumb should shift from the side of the neck to the back as you move from strings 1-6

I also recommend you experiment with how much effort it takes to fret a note. You’ll be surprised at how little pressure you really need.

Minimal effort = less tension = smooth, consistent, safe

** The featured image for this post is courtesy of istockphoto.com/Viorika

Guitar Lesson: 8 Fretting Hand Tips You Can’t Miss is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play

Step one is starting with a guitar that’s in tune and this short video will show you how to do it.

Make it easy on yourself and use an electronic tuner

The easiest way to tune a guitar is with an electronic tuner. You’ll often hear them referred to as chromatic tuners, which just means that they can tune to any of the 12 notes in the chromatic scale.

I personally use and recommend the Boss TU-80 (amazon affiliate link) but the Korg TM-40 also works well.

Both include a built-in metronome, which is why I prefer them. You’ll need a metronome to work on tempo and rhythm anyway, so why not have one device for both?

For standard tuning the six string notes when played open (not pressing down on any frets) are E A D G B E. This is starting with the low E string (the fattest one), which is also known as string number six.

If you don’t have an electronic tuner you could use a piano, a tuning fork or someone else’s guitar. An electronic tuner is just easier to use.

No tuner available? Answer…

Relative tuning

If you find yourself in a situation without a tuning device (i.e. you’re sitting around a campfire in the woods), you’ll still need to tune your guitar relative to itself.

One way to do this is by fretting notes on the 5th fret (mostly) of one string and listening to see if it’s in tune with the next string.

For example, starting with the low E string (#6, the fattest one):

1. Fret the low E string (#6) on fret #5 and play the note; it should match string #5 (A) exactly when played open
2. Fret the A string (#5) on fret #5 and play the note; it should match string #4 (D) exactly when played open
3. Fret the D string (#4) on fret #5 and play the note; it should match string #3 (G) exactly when played open
4. The Exception: Fret the G string (#3) on fret #4 and play; it should match string #2 (B) exactly when played open
5. Fret the B string (#2) on fret #5 and play the note; it should match string #1 (E) exactly when played open

Three final tips to remember when tuning

• If a string is out of tune lower than the desired pitch, slowly turn the tuning knob up to the pitch. Turn the knob too quickly and you’ll likely break more stings, especially for strings #1-3.
• If a string is out of tune higher than the desired pitch, first tune to a note below the desired pitch, then back up slowly. This will help the string stay in tune longer. Tuning down often leaves slack in the string that later releases and changes the pitch.
• Even if you’ve tuned your guitar with an electronic tuner, it’s still a good habit to check the relative tuning.

One method of relative tuning I didn’t mention in this video is tuning with harmonics. This is a more advanced tuning technique that I’ll save for a later post, but I found two good examples here and here.

Tuning your guitar is the first step toward making your guitar sound better. If you don’t have one, I recommend you pick one up and it will make your life a lot easier.

** The featured image for this post is from freedigitalphotos.net / Pixomar

How To Tune Your Guitar is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play

Yup.

This is the most important place to start if you’re a beginner guitar player. Even if you’ve played for a while it’s important to review the basics.

If you’re holding the guitar or standing or sitting improperly, chances are your playing isn’t what it could be.

Why this is important

When playing guitar, you want to be comfortable.

When you’re comfortable, your body is relaxed and free from tension.

When you can minimize tension, your playing will be smoother, quicker and more musical.

Too much tension, improper playing, standing or sitting incorrectly can cause serious physical injuries.

The secret to great guitar playing is to focus on playing consistently, smoothly and safely

Playing while sitting

Sit in a chair with no arms so the guitar body and your arms have a full range of motion.

If you play right-handed (strumming or picking hand) then place the guitar over your right leg.

Keep your back straight, but not too stiff. Don’t slouch.

Hold the guitar body up against your body so it is straight. Don’t tilt the guitar back to see the frets or strings. You’ll likely end up putting undue strain on your wrist or some other joint(s).

Align the sound hole with your belly button (roughly). Shift your right leg in if you need to.

Hold the guitar so the neck is parallel to the ground. To far right or left and you’ll be forced into an uncomfortable position.

Playing while standing

The major difference between sitting and standing is that your guitar is being held up by a strap.

• Hold the guitar against your body, straight up, not tilted back
• When standing, raise the neck a little higher than the body so you can access all frets easily
• Adjust the strap so sound hole lines up with your belly button

There are plenty of examples of some amazing players hanging their guitars way lower than they should.

You can also look at some others like Hendrix, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Harrison, Derek Trucks, and Eric Clapton. The list goes on…

They’re all holding their guitars just about belly button height.

I’d rather stick with those guys as my examples.

** The featured image for this post is from freedigitalphotos.net / imagerymajestic

Guitar Lesson: You’ve Got to Know How to Hold’em is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play

It happened this morning and it was a disaster.

I was so frustrated that I wanted to smash my guitar against the wall.

Thankfully I didn’t do it (and don’t think I ever would), but it helped me remember how important it is to push through these moments.

Check out this video to find out how to handle frustration during guitar practice.

1. Put down the guitar and walk away

When I feel this defeated I just need to stop for a moment.

When I’m irritated I get tense.

Tension is the enemy of playing an instrument so there’s no way I’m going to play well if my frustration is escalating.

2. Go do something else for a little while

Try to find something that energizes you. Do something that puts you in a good mood.

Go outside if it’s a nice day. Take the dog for a walk. Go for a run.

If you’re spiritual at all, go pray or meditate. Play with your kids.

Do anything else that will get you out of the funk you’re temporarily in.

3. Acknowledge that not every day will be your best day

Sometimes my expectations for myself are so high that they’re unreasonable.

We’re imperfect human beings. We all have tough moments but we can’t let them halt progress altogether.

Tell yourself that you’re just in a rough spot. This is supposed to be fun.

If you played it really well once, you can certainly do it again.

4. Try it again later

After step #1, I think this is most important.

If possible, try again later the same day. This is especially true when it comes to guitar.

Since muscle memory plays such a huge role in developing technique, it’s important to go back and correct your mistakes as soon as possible.

This time, take it slower.

Whenever I’m struggling to play a song well, it’s usually because I’m hurrying or not focusing.

I want to play at full speed the first time, but it usually doesn’t work this way.

Try to play again slower than you know you can.

Play it perfectly.

Then, if you’re feeling good, raise the tempo gradually.

Question: How do you handle those moments when you’re frustrated with your instrument?

** The featured image for this post is from freedigitalphotos.net / Arvind Balaraman

Ever Feel Like Smashing Your Guitar To Pieces? is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play

This is serious.

And I almost didn’t believe it when I first read it.

A few years back, Yamaha and Applied Biosystems sponsored a study on the health benefits of playing an instrument. The conclusion is startling:

playing a musical instrument can reverse multiple components of the human stress response

Yes, this literally means that playing guitar or singing can fight the harmful effects of stress.

And it’s no secret that stress can be linked to chronic health problems ranging from heart disease to cancer, and from diabetes to inflammatory diseases.

This was a legitimate scientific experiment

In Phase 1 of the study, subjects were asked to do a frustrating puzzle exercise. In Phase 2, they were randomly broken into three groups and did one of the following:

• continued the puzzle exercise,
• relaxed by reading newspapers or magazines of their choice, or
• participated in a recreational music making session

Some important details of the study you must know:

• none of the subjects considered themselves “musical”
• recreational music making was 3x more effective than just relaxing and reading
• recreational music can reverse the body’s response to stress at the genomic level

This blows my mind.

Music is so powerful that it can reverse our natural, human response to stress. It can alter genetic switches in our bodies to help fight off chronic health issues.

Health problems that could kill us.

Recreation is key

It’s important to emphasize that the study used recreational music making sessions.

Improve your life by learning in an environment focused on encouragement and fulfillment. Fixate on mastery and performance and you could end up more stressed out.

Neither I nor the study suggest dropping exercise and a healthy diet in favor of an instrument. But the data make a compelling case for picking up an instrument to blow of some steam.

Give it a try. Your life may depend on it.

Question: What’s your experience with recreational music making? How does playing an instrument improve your life?

** The featured image for this post is courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net / Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot

Playing an Instrument May Save Your Life is a post from InTune Studios - Where aspiring musicians learn to play