Guitar Mastery Talk - Live Stream

Previous Episodes

Episode 45:

The Top 3 Ways To Learn & Master Hybrid Picking

Quick Start guide to hybrid picking for guitar players. On this special live stream with fingerpick king, coach Simon Candy, you learn how to get started (then master) hybrid picking.

Episode 44:

How To Transform Ordinary Rhythms Into Super Cool Rhythm Guitar Parts

In this special live stream, I sit down with rhythm guitar specialist, Mark Turko and we dive deep into transforming any ordinary rhythm guitar part into a super cool rhythm part – in a variety of styles.

Episode 43:

The Top 5 Music Theory Concepts You MUST Know To Play Guitar Well

No matter what kind of guitar player you want to be, there are 5 crucial music theory concepts you must know. In this live stream with music theory for guitar expert Dr. Tommaso Zillio, you will learn what they all are, and how to learn them.

Episode 42:

How To Make Training Your Ear Fun

Ear training is a crucial skill you need to become the guitar player you want to be. But it shouldn’t be boring! I’ve invited ear training expert Dylan Andrews to discuss how to make training your ear fun. We’ll show you 5 fun ways to train your ear... improve your aural skills, play by ear and how to become a better overall musician.

Episode 41:

The Top 5 Most Fun Ways To Practice Guitar For Lazy Guitarists

We all have days when we don’t feel like practicing guitar. But we also understand how crucial it is to do some practicing every day. In this Guitar Mastery Talk episode, I interview guitar practice expert, Mike Philippov who will reveal his top 5 most fun ways to practice guitar when you’re tired, or feeling lazy.

Episode 40:

Why Most People Struggle To Build Guitar Speed And How To Make It Easier

This special livestream with master guitar speed trainer Johan Tillgren reveals why most people struggle to play guitar fast and what you can do instead to make improving your guitar skills faster, build more speed and make that speed feel easier.

Episode 39:

How To Make Complete Rhythms On Guitar Easy To Learn And Play

I’ve invited master rhythm teacher, Brian Fish to teach you how to learn to play complex rhythms in an easy and fun way. If you’ve ever struggled to play certain rhythmic patterns, this special live video lesson will show you how to break down hard rhythms into easy to learn and easy to play parts.

Episode 38:

How Composers & Songwriters Use Counterpoint To Write Better Music

I invited music theory expert Dr. Tommaso Zillio to discuss how to use counterpoint to transform ordinary (boring) songs and chord progressions into awesome music you can play and create. We’ll show you what counterpoint is, why it sounds so great, how to use it when writing your own music and why composers & songwriters relied on it for centuries to create awesome music.

Episode 37:

Unusual Secrets To Practicing Guitar Effectively

I interview guitar practice expert, Mike Philippov who will reveal a way of practicing that he does, but that the average player probably shouldn’t follow (because they have different goals, objectives, challenges). Then, Mike will show you what you should be practicing for different situations so that no matter what you’re trying to accomplish on the guitar, you have a clearer path to getting where you want to go.

Episode 36:

How To Get Started Writing Lyrics

Maybe you’ve been playing music for a long time and tried writing your own songs, but writing lyrics always seems frustrating and hard. I’ve invited lyric writing coach Diana De Cabarrus to show you how to get started writing your own lyrics.

Episode 35:

Fingerpicking Guitar For Dummies

Check out this livestream video to learn the basics of fingerpicking on the guitar. Maybe you’ve been playing with a guitar pick for years but don’t really know how to fingerpick, this live video session with master fingerpicking instructor Simon Candy will show you how to get started the right way.

Episode 34:

An Introduction To Odd Meter

I interview rhythm guitar teaching expert Mark Turko. We’ll show you how playing in odd time signatures such as 5/4, 7/8 and other cool odd meters is much easier than most people think it is (and lots of fun too!)

Episode 33:

How To Use Music Theory To Create Any Emotion You Want In Music

In this live stream, I interview Dr. Tommaso Zillio – the premier expert in the world on music theory for guitar. In this interview, you will learn how knowing more music theory allows you to become a more expressive guitar player, how to create specific emotions when playing, composing or improvising on the guitar, impress more people, and have a lot more fun playing guitar!

Episode 32:

How To “Actually” Play By Ear – It’s Not What Most People Think It Is

Most people who say they play by ear are not actually playing by ear. I’ve invited ear training expert Dylan Andrews to discuss how to really play by ear and not use the “trial and error” method that most guitar players mistakenly believe is “playing guitar by ear”. We’ll show you how to learn to play by ear for real... and how to avoid the common mistakes that most guitar players make when trying to learn this crucial guitar playing skill.

Episode 31:

What It Takes To Become A Great Guitar Player

In this video, I interview guitar practice trainer Mike Philippov on how to predict with a high degree of certainty if you will become a great player. We’ll cover topics such as how to improve your guitar applying more quickly, how avoid common mistakes guitarist make when learning to play guitar and the key difference in thinking and habits between great players and people who struggle. The best part is, everything you’ll learn are actions steps anyone can choose to do!

Episode 30:

How To Learn And Master Rhythm On Guitar

Learn how to master rhythms (from simple to very challenging) with ease using a few key tricks to improve your rhythm, timing and ways of counting challenging rhythms.

Episode 29:

7 Secrets Of Blistering Guitar Speed

I’m interviewing Fast AF guitarist Johan Tillgren to share with you the insights he’s learned over the years to reach the virtuoso levels of guitar speed that he has.

Episode 28:

What Is Negative Harmony In Music Theory?

I interview Dr. Tommaso Zillio, the leading authority on music theory for guitar, about negative harmony, what it is, how to learn it and how to use it to make some really cool music.

Episode 27:

20 Of The Most Beautiful Guitar Chords Ever

Master guitarist and elite guitar teacher Simon Candy will share 20 of the most amazingly beautiful guitar chords ever! Plus, we’ll discuss some really cool ways to play them and use them in your own music.

Episode 26:

How To Make Playing Guitar By Ear Easier

If you think 'aural skills' is only about guessing intervals and scales... then, chances are you're struggling to really play what's in your head without a lot of trial and error. And if you want to change this, this live stream with elite guitar teacher (and aural skills coach) Dylan Andrews will open many doors (and your ears) to learning to play by ear.

Episode 25:

10 Rules To Ensure You NEVER Become A Great Guitar Player

There are 10 key ways you can ensure you will always struggle to learn to play guitar. 10 ways to ensure you remain stuck and never become a great guitarist. I interview elite guitar trainer Mike Philippov who shares his insights and wisdom on what keeps guitar players stuck forever – even when they COULD be great players.

Episode 24:

Writing Music To Lyrics Vs. Writing Lyrics To Music

I interview songwriting coach Diana De Cabarrus who will share her insights about the difference between writing music to lyrics and writing lyrics to music. We explore tips to make the songwriting process easier and fun!

Episode 23:

A Songwriter’s Guide To Harmony

Want to learn great ways to write better songs using music theory concepts that make writing music faster and easier? Music theory expert Dr. Tommaso Zillio shares things you can use immediately to create more interesting and sophisticated songs that you’ll love hearing over and over again... and so will others!

Episode 22:

Rhythm Guitar Techniques, Tricks And Hacks

I’ve invited master rhythm guitar teacher and professional musician Mark Turko to teach you his favorite rhythm guitar techniques, tricks, and hacks to make rhythm playing more fun, and sound great!

Episode 21:

15 Cool Ways To Modify The 12-Bar Blues

Ever wonder how great blues guitar players modify the standard 12-bar blues to create more interesting blues songs (and solos)? 

I interview master blues guitar teacher, Antony Reynaert and we show you 15 cool ways to modify the 12-bar blues to create your own unique blues guitar playing sounds!

Episode 20:

How To REALLY Play Guitar By Ear

Many guitar players claim they just "play by ear" (when they play or improvise guitar solos).

But when you really look at what they are 'actually' doing, most can't and don't play by ear. (If they truly played by ear, their solos would sound better. A lot better.)

Ear training coach Dylan Andrews and I discuss and explore how to ACTUALLY develop a musical ear that pros have.

Anyone who watches will have a clearer understanding of how to develop their musical ear and use it to make guitar playing more fun!

Episode 19:

How To Use The Music Theory You Already Know In New Ways

Music theory expert Dr. Tommaso Zillio and I discuss and explore how to use the music theory you already know in new, different and exciting ways. Instead of always searching for other music theory concepts to learn (which is a good thing to do of course), invest time into exploring how to use what you already know in different ways. You’ll have a lot of unique and alternative ideas you can use in your guitar playing, improvisation or songwriting. So, whether your music theory knowledge is minimal or advanced, the good doctor (Tommaso) will share innovative ways to apply it to your music / guitar playing that are actually fun and useful.

Episode 18:

The Top 5 Ways To Write Great Lyrics

I'm interviewing master songwriting and lyric writing coach Diana De Cabarrus to share with you her top 5 tips to write great lyrics. You can use her top 5 tips to begin writing your own songs & lyrics immediately!

Episode 17:

How To Stay Motivated To Practice Guitar

I interview master guitar practice trainer Mike Philippov to share his insights on how to stay motivated to practice guitar. We discuss the reasons why a lot of guitar players have periods where they don’t feel very motivated to practice guitar, how Mike Philippov trains guitarists to stay motivated and the action steps anyone can take when they struggle with motivation or focus while practicing guitar.

Episode 16:

5 Easy Ways To Improvise Better Guitar Solos

I bring in special guest James Maxwell to teach you 5 easy ways to improvise better guitar solos. You'll learn simple things you can do to have more fun with improvisation and create better guitar licks, solos, and lead parts. These 5 things apply to every musical style (from rock to blues, to metal, etc.), and they are easy enough for anyone to use but make your improvising sound more sophisticated (and cooler).

Episode 15:

The Coolest Fingerpicking Techniques Ever

Acoustic guitar expert Simon Candy and I discuss the coolest fingerpicking techniques ever (at least in our opinion). We talk about what they are, what makes them sound so great and how to use them for acoustic guitar, or electric guitar. Plus, we demonstrate how to play these incredible fingerpicking techniques!

Episode 14:

The Coolest Music Theory Concepts Ever

Music theory for guitar expert Dr. Tommaso Zillio and I sit down to discuss and explore the coolest music theory concepts ever (at least in our opinion):

Episode 13:

5 Easy Ways To Instantly Make Your Blues Guitar Playing Sound Better

I sit down with blues guitar expert Antony Reynaert to discuss 5 easy ways to instantly make your blues guitar playing sound better:

Episode 12:

How To Master Rhythm Guitar Playing

Rhythm guitar expert Mark Turko and I discuss why many guitar students tend to focus most of their time and effort on lead guitar playing and as a result, lack good rhythm guitar skills – and the action steps you can take immediately to master your rhythm guitar playing:

Episode 11:

How Learning Music Theory Can Hurt You

I sit down with music theory for guitar expert Dr. Tommaso Zillio to discuss why music theory helps some musicians and seems to hurt others:

Episode 10:

Rhythm Guitar Lessons Interview With Mark Turko

I interview rhythm guitar teacher Mark Turko who specializes in teaching rhythm guitar lessons to people around the world. We discuss what things typically hold guitar players back from developing great rhythm guitar playing and what you can do about it:

Episode 9:

How To Make Guitar Practice More Fun

Guitar practice coach Mike Philippov shares his (deep) insights on why some people get bored when they practice, the real root causes behind why (hint: it's probably not what you think) and what you can do any time you feel bored practicing guitar.

Episode 8:

Common Mistakes In Teaching Guitar To Beginners

Teaching guitar to beginners seems easy to most guitar teachers. The truth is, teaching beginners is the hardest to do WELL. Many inexperienced guitar teachers think they are "probably good enough to teach beginners". But the reality is, inexperienced teachers are better off starting to teach intermediate players instead - because it's much easier to do this well. Here we discuss the common mistakes guitar teachers make when teaching beginners and how to avoid them:

Episode 7:

What Happened To Music Theory? What Happened To Music?

Music theory expert Dr. Tommaso Zillio and I discuss how music (and music theory) evolved throughout history. We talk about how music theory began and evolved over the centuries, how it got to the state it is in today and what's next for music theory.

Episode 6:

How To Immediately Improvise Better Guitar Solos

If your guitar solo improvisations sound lame, it may be because you're "winging" it all the time. Here's how to instantly make your improvised guitar solos sound better ... And not like your winging it.

Episode 5:

What To Do When You Lose Motivation To Practice Guitar

Here's what you can do right now to boost your motivation to practice & play guitar more. We all lose our motivation from time to time or feel uninspired to play. So I've brought in guitar practice motivation expert, Derk Stiepelmann from Germany to discuss his secrets on what you can do today to feel more motivated to play and practice your guitar.

Episode 4:

The Top 3 Things You Can Do Today To Play Better Blues Solos

Learn the top 3 things you can do right now to play better blues solos. Blues guitar master teacher Antony Reynaert from Belgium shares his best tips on what you can do immediately to improve the sound of your blues soloing. These little tricks will help you play with more feeling and expression. His way to thinking about blues licks and solos is useful for anyone wanting to create better solos in the blues style.

Episode 3:

Acoustic Fingerpicking For Electric Guitar Players Who Play With A Pick

Acoustic guitar teacher extraordinaire, Simon Candy from Australia and I talk about how electric guitar players with little or no fingerpicking skills on the acoustic guitar can learn the right ways to fingerpick.

We talk about what you can do to learn the right way to fingerpick from the beginning.

Episode 2:

Why Music Theory For Guitar Is (Not) Hard To Learn 

Music Theory Expert Dr. Tommaso Zillio and I talk about why music theory is not hard to learn on guitar (many guitarists think that it is).

We talk about what you can do to make learning and applying music theory to your guitar playing a lot easier, faster and more useful.

If you've ever felt frustrated when trying to learn or apply music theory on guitar, this talk will help you to make learning and mastering music theory easier.

Episode 1:

How To Practice Guitar For Massive Gains - Focus Rotation

Guitar practice expert Mike Philippov and I talk about how you can make massive gains in your guitar playing through a concept called Focus Rotation, a unique way to practice guitar that works wonders for guitar players who use it.