Tips & Tricks For Improving On Guitar
Our Tips & Tricks videos are an ongoing series of videos highlighting one particular aspect of technique or musicianship and going into it in detail.
If you have any suggestions or requests for videos in this series please put them in a comment at the bottom of the screen.
Take a look at our Tips & Tricks videos below. Scroll down to see the videos:
- The Magic Half Bar
- Beginning Lead Guitar Soloing – Soloing on Two Strings Part 1
- Beginning Lead Guitar Soloing – Soloing on Two Strings Part 2
- How To Use an Electronic Tuner – Part 1 (tuning the guitar) – Beginner’s Guitar Lesson
- How To Use an Electronic Tuner – Part 2 (downtune by a half step) – Beginner’s Guitar Lesson
- The Boogie Pattern Part 1 – A Beginner’s Guitar Lesson
- Barre Chord Tips
- Travis Picking – A Beginner’s Fingerpicking Guitar Lesson
- Using a Capo – A Beginner’s Guitar Lesson
- Changing Chord Quickly – A Beginners’ Guitar Lesson
- The Expanding A7
- Two Movable 7th Chord Shapes
- Travis Picking in Drop D
- The Melody Notes Around the G Chord
- How To Play Every Major & Minor Chord
- Movable Chord Fragments
- Movable Minor Chord Fragments
- Movable Minor7th Chord Fragments
- Movable Major 7th and Dominant 7th Chord Fragments
- How To Strum and Sing at the Same Time
- How to Fingerpick and Sing at the Same Time
The Magic Half Bar
Ever wondered why experienced electric guitarists often seem to be simply moving one simple shape around the neck? This short video might give you a little insight.
Beginning Lead Guitar Soloing – Soloing on Two Strings Part 1
Starting to play rock solos doesn’t need to be a black art. If you know the basic ‘blues box’ A minor pentatonic scale, you can start to turn it into a solo very easily.
Beginning Lead Guitar Soloing – Soloing on Two Strings Part 2
Here are some additional ideas if you’ve absorbed part 1 of this lesson.
How To Use an Electronic Tuner – Part 1 (tuning the guitar) – Beginner’s Guitar Lesson
For absolute beginners. If you’re having trouble tuning your guitar, get yourself an electronic tuner and follow this video to get your instrument perfectly in tune.
How To Use an Electronic Tuner – Part 2 (downtune by a half step) – Beginner’s Guitar Lesson
A lot of songs require you to tune down by a half step. Don’t let it put you off. It’s easy and this video shows you how.
The Boogie Pattern Part 1 – A Beginner’s Guitar Lesson
There’s one blues and rock and roll rhythm that’s heard in literally hundreds, possibly thousands of songs. Learn it here.
Barre Chord Tips
Having trouble playing clean barre chords? This short video gives some pointers that might help.
Travis Picking – A Beginner’s Fingerpicking Guitar Lesson
Once you start fingerpicking it won’t be long before you want to try your hand at the holy grail of the style which is the thumb and finger independence. The thumb is your bass player and drummer and the fingers are your melody instruments. That style is called Travis picking and you can get a head start with it here.
Using a Capo – A Beginner’s Guitar Lesson
For absolute beginners. What is a capo and when and how should you use one?
Changing Chord Quickly – A Beginners’ Guitar Lesson
For absolute beginners. Having trouble changing chords without interrupting the music to move your hand? See if this short video can help.
The Expanding A7
It’s a quirk of musical theory that the standard A7 shape (x02020) can be moved around the neck to create all kinds of extra interesting sounds for almost no additional effort!
Two Movable 7th Chord Shapes
One of the cool things about the guitar is that there are shapes that, once we’ve learned them, we can move to different places on the neck and play a different chord each time. I call them “11 for the price of 1” chord shapes.
Travis Picking in Drop D
Drop D is a great tuning because it gives us all the bass we need on the open bottom three strings. The whole left hand can then be used to make melodic shapes without having to worry about fretting the bass.
The Melody Notes Around the G Chord
When is a G chord more than a G chord? When you know what additional melody notes you can add to it in your playing.
How To Play Every Major & Minor Chord
There was an episode of Friends where Phoebe asked Stephanie “How many chords do you know?” “All of them” was the answer. This video is the starting point to understanding how a guitarist can claim to know every chord.
Movable Chord Fragments
This is the first video of a series that shows you how to add a second guitar part when playing with another player. It’s not just about soloing. It’s about playing tasteful little phrases that complement the music, and we can use partial chords, or fragments, to do it. This video covers major chords
Movable Minor Chord Fragments
This is the second video of a series that shows you how to add a second guitar part when playing with another player. It’s not just about soloing. It’s about playing tasteful little phrases that complement the music, and we can use partial chords, or fragments, to do it. This video covers minor chords
Movable Minor7th Chord Fragments
This is the third video of a series that shows you how to add a second guitar part when playing with another player. It’s not just about soloing. It’s about playing tasteful little phrases that complement the music, and we can use partial chords, or fragments, to do it. This video covers minor 7th chords
Movable Major 7th and Dominant 7th Chord Fragments
This is the final video of a series that shows you how to add a second guitar part when playing with another player. It’s not just about soloing. It’s about playing tasteful little phrases that complement the music, and we can use partial chords, or fragments, to do it. This video covers major 7th and dominant 7th chords
How To Strum and Sing at the Same Time
The most requests I had for a tips and tricks video were for a video on how to strum and sing at the same time. You asked, I did it.
How to Fingerpick and Sing at the Same Time
Once you can strum and sing at the same time, the next challenge is to fingerpick and sing.
Tedslist says
Super thorough and authentic guide on the guitar Jerry. Having a clear tutorial video for every tip you gave must have taken a lot of effort, So I appreciate the time you invested to post this. Have you ever considered talking about your recommendations on playing the guitar whilst standing or moving around? I am certain that would be extremely helpful for your readers. Especially as it could prevent potential wrist issues in the future.
Lisa says
I’d be really interested in this too!
I wondered if you might r able to do some tutorials about different common strum patterns? I’ve always really wanted to play a rhythm for Hopelessly Devoted To You from Grease so I can sign to it, and some Eva Cassidy rhythms – would this be a possibility to do?
Thank you for your amazing site Jerry – I’ve only recently discovered it an it fantastic 😊
Douglas Owens says
I have been following your individual songs for a while and have just come across your ‘Tips and Tricks’ videos (quite by accident). They are a wonderful resource and I shall be following with great interest. My understanding of how to approach learning new tunes and techniques has just leapt into the stratosphere. ‘Light bulb moments’ would probably sum it up best. Many thanks Jerry.
Adam says
I have loads of your lesson Jerry… I love the fact that with a bit of practice I can play EXACTLY what Paul Simon, James Taylor & John Martyn sound like.
Saved me many hours of wasted time getting it wrong!
Thank you.
Jerry says
Thanks Adam.
That’s what we’re all about. It’s great to hear that it’s working for you.
Martin says
Hi Jerry
I enjoy your lessons and I’m working on your lead guitar series. I would also enjoy a video on melody notes on a c chord like your G lesson. Are you planning any more ‘patterns’ lessons?
Any chance of you working out the tabs for Joan Baez “Love song to a stranger”? It has some nice arpeggios and melody runs.
many thanks Martin
Jerry says
I’d like to expand the ‘Melody Notes’ videos.
A chord, C chord, D chord, E chord and all the principle minor chords would all be useful probably.
I’ll add Love Song To a Stranger to the mighty to-do list.
Mark In New York USA says
Jerry: Using your site a lot now. Learning so much. I wish your song lessons came with the chord diagrams. Either way, Happy Holidays.
Allen M. says
Finding this site may have saved me from failure as a guitar player. I tend to overthink everything and desperately want to play (and sing) far beyond my current skill set. Finding songs I love, explained with accuracy and precision has given me hope! Now I just need to (temporarily) stop buying songs and learn to play the ones I’ve purchased! Would love to also see John Prine’s Paradise (perhaps it’s too easy?) Thank you for a great resource!
Jerry says
That’s great to hear Allen.
Paradise is on the to do list so it will appear in the future.
Joseph Dresser says
Hi Jerry,
I love your James Taylor lessons (and all of your fingerstyle lessons for that matter). Any chance you could do a September Grass lesson? Some of these JT songs are tough to learn outside from you.
Keep up the great work!
Joe
Steve says
Hi Jerry,
I’m spending a little more time lately practicing the lessons I purchased and downloaded free from your website – thanks. I also find watching (& rewatching) your instructional videos helpful and oddly comforting these days. With respect to your choice of guitars played during the video lessons I find myself trying to guess what they are. Perhaps a needless distraction but it piques my interest. I don’t recall hearing you specifically mentioning what guitar you’re using in any lessons or Tips & Tricks. Fair enough and it probably makes sense as a teacher to a wide audience but can you tell me what you’re playing in Mrs. Robinson and Hello in There?
Keep up the great work.
Jerry says
Hi Steve
Hello In There was a Gibson SJ200 that I don’t have any more. Mrs Robinson is a Santa Cruz Model F.
Terry says
This is maybe a little different request? There are favorites of mine that I know you’ll never want to cover; they are oldies or unpopular, and no matter how the new ‘voting’ system goes I can’t reasonably expect them to ever appear someday on your “next 20.” So if I’m going to learn to play these songs I’ll have to transcribe them myself. And frankly, doing that sounds really interesting to me anyway! I’m sure you’re far to busy to offer a course in efficient ways to transcribe music… but could you suggest a course, or website, or any tips about how one begins to learn how to transcribe? Probably just listening to a tune a thousand times and trying to match it one note at a time might work, but surely there’s a better way to learn these days?
Stay healthy, we need you–
Jerry says
Hi Terry
I’d like to do something like that if I can ever get a window to do it :)
I use The Amazing Slowdowner which does what it says on the tin. Others use transcribe which can both slow down the music and give you suggestions for what the chord / note might be.
The key is, if you’ll forgive the pun, finding the key of the song. Once you know the key, you can figure out the chord shapes. Capos can mess with that but pretty soon you can recognise when they must be using a capo to get ‘that sound’.
Open tunings are a whole different kettle of fish!
Tom says
Hi Jerry,
your teaching style is perfect for me. I am mostly self taught and have tried a couple of one to one teachers. The first teacher 20 years ago said at 40 I was too old to learn guitar, how wrong was he. The second teacher I actually was more advanced than him, so that was a waste of time.
I mostly pay for online lessons these days. Anyway I am rambling now, I just wanted to say your videos on chord fragments are really gold standard. They have added an extra dimension to my lead playing. The fact that the backing tracks have the chords appearing is very useful when you can’t watch the guitarist playing. If someone wants to learn how to play a second guitar part, they should look no further.
Your song lessons are really well explained and put together. I really like the fact you count out the bars. Long may you continue this great website.
Jerry says
Many thanks Tom.
I’m particularly glad that you found the chord fragments videos helpful. What you say about them is exactly what I hoped people would get from them.
Alan Mc Lean says
Hi Jerry,
Just bought my first set of Al Stewart songs and I’m really impressed with the quality of the lessons and the teaching of them.
I mainly fingerpick acoustic guitar so I can see loads of potential on your site for myself to learn more.
I use nail varnish hardener on my picking fingernails but use my thumb soft tissue for the bass as I have always found it uncomfortable to use a thumb pick with my nails.
Can you recommend a suitable method of using a thumb pick with my own fingernails rather than having to use fingerpicks as well as a thumb pick?
Jerry says
Hi Alan
I use my own nails like you, plus a thumbpick. There’s nothing wrong with using thumb without thumbpick of course – it’s just preference. If you want to give it a go, I use a Fred Kelly Delrin Speedpick.
Kawika says
Wondering about “nail varnish hardener”. Is that something you can purchase and apply on you own, or does it have to done professionally?
Jerry says
Nail hardener can be bought from drug stores / chemists over the counter.
Harry says
Hi I’ve looked at several of your songs and noticed a lot are with a capo. Having studied classical I have never used one always just bar the fret board. So my ?? Is can you take the arrangement and just bar where necessary
Thanks
Harry
Jerry says
Hi Harry
For the lessons I tend to capo where the original artist capo’d but that’s just for authenticity. The primary reason to capo is to suit the range of your voice. So the answer to your question is yes – capo anywhere on the neck (although beyond fret 8 starts to get impractical), and then play as if the capo is the start of the neck (fret zero).
JD says
Jerry , can you please comment on the following?
Your guitar always sounds so crisp regardless of the how far down the string is tuned.
When down tuning more than a step (e.g. open C – CGCGCE where the E goes down 2 steps to C) how do I keep the guitar string from sounding “limp”?
Thank you for an excellent service!
Jerry says
Hi JD
Two options. First, use heavier strings. To tune down to low C you’ll need at least 12’s and preferable 13’s. That should be enough on its own, but if it isn’t, and if you want to down tune regularly, get your guitar set up by a tech for the reduced tension of drop C.
But try the heavier strings first.
dale Magnin says
wow…your paid lessons and free lessons are extraordinary THANKS again!!!!!!
I get tons of confidence and great perspective and direction out of your lessons.
Reno Nevada
Jerry says
Thanks Dale!
dale Magnin says
wow…your paid lessons and free lessons are extraordinary THANKS again!!!!!!
Reno Nevada
Randall says
Absolutely love your lessons. I was a fairly accomplished guitarist years ago, but laid it down for over a decade and I mean I practically didn’t touch a guitar. I’m pleased to discover that how I learned to play a song is precisely how you teach it. After knocking the rust off my fingers I’m getting back into it and learning things I never really paid attention to in my earlier life – or maybe just forgot. Guitar has always called to me, healed my spirit and comforted me. I’m ever so please to have found your website and lessons. My general rule has always been: “if you’re going to play someone else’s song, play it the way they wrote it”. You teach it that way. Please keep it up.