School of Rock (and everything else you can learn on guitar!) There is no better way to learn to play guitar than with an experienced guitar teacher. It can be mundane to learn about something you have no interest in. It can also be mundane to learn about something you are passionate about if you […]
What to Expect at Your First Guitar Lesson You are probably super excited to begin your guitar lessons. Your teacher is also excited to meet you and learn more about you so that he can adapt to your learning style and help you reach your goals. At your first lesson, your teacher will take inventory […]
Guitar is good for the brain Guitar players’ brains are especially intuitive, according to science. Playing the guitar requires hand-eye coordination, creativity, memory, intuition, improvisation, and countless other functions of the brain. Anyone who has ever tried learning the guitar knows just how difficult it can be, and even professional players struggle sometimes. It just […]
All about the guitar The guitar, a plucked stringed musical instrument, probably originated in Spain early in the 16th century. The early guitar was narrower and deeper than the modern guitar, with a less pronounced waist. The guitar originally had four courses of strings, three double, the top course single, which ran from a violin-like […]
What do you want? I want rock and roll! If you are a beginner guitarist, there are many things you are feeling as well as things you need to know. If you are reading this article then you are probably on the road to beginning your musical journey. Learning guitar can be tricky and it’s […]
Life lessons you will learn while playing the guitar What we choose to do in our spare time determines the lessons that inform our lives and values. Those who choose to invest their time in sports are bound to learn about teamwork while those who choose to explore music expose themselves to a different subset […]
Mastering the guitar: Why finding the right instructor is the key to mastering the guitar The guitar is one of the most common instruments for beginner musicians. It’s fun to play, and with practice and dedication, most students can learn to play several easy songs rather quickly. David Joel teaches both acoustic guitar lessons and […]
The little things no one tells you about learning to play guitar There are many little things, intangible things, that many guitarists won’t tell you about. Maybe they don’t know about them or aren’t sure they are even things to tell you when you start taking guitar lessons in Philadelphia. Some things may be obvious […]
Do you hear what I hear? If you are easing into the holidays and just now thinking about what to get people, think about any musical family or friends you have and give them the gift of music. So many people are crazy about music and want to learn to play an instrument. However, so […]
How to decide if you need guitar lessons A general rule of thumb for anyone wanting to pick up the guitar, whether for the very first time or to brush up is that guitar lessons in Philadelphia are always a good idea. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t educate yourself through books, video and online. But […]
Revisiting music theory We’ve written several articles on music theory in the past but we always think that revisiting something worthwhile is, well, worth revisiting. Music theory is the area of music in which one learns and applies the key ideas and concepts that show a musician why music works the way it does. It […]
Learn what you know, the rest will follow When you are learning how to play the guitar, you don’t know what you don’t know. As a result, most guitarists do not know what they need to practice and in what order to reach their goals. This often leads them to try to teach themselves how […]
Are You Learning to Play Songs or Learning to Play Guitar? There is a constant battle over how you learn to play the guitar. Technique versus music (songs). There are many people who play guitar for the purpose of learning songs by other artists and then there are people who focus on technique and theory-based […]
What to Expect at Your First Guitar Lesson You are probably very excited to begin your guitar lessons. Your teacher is also excited to meet you and learn more about you so that they can adapt to your learning style and help you reach your goals. At your first lesson, your teacher will most likely […]
Why traditional lessons are more popular than ever In America today, some 20 million people play the guitar and many more want to learn. This rate of desire is highest among young people and those aged 18 to 34 are most excited to pick up the guitar. Despite the fact that the instrument is somewhat […]
Beginning Guitar Lessons in Philadelphia? Whether you are beginning the guitar for the first time, someone who hasn’t picked up an instrument since senior year of high school or a parent looking to give their child an advantage in life, learning to play the guitar is a fun and rewarding journey that anyone at any […]
Guitar lessons: Yes you can afford them! What are your musical goals? What is it you want to achieve with music? Everyone who studies with a teacher is inspired to create. For some, the drive is to learn hard rock or blues. For others, it’s to play acoustic music, classical guitar or write songs. There […]
What are your musical goals? Perhaps you’ve never played an instrument before and want to learn for fun. Maybe you have been playing the guitar for years and have run into obstacles and barriers to understanding music theory, which has prevented you from putting the pieces together and making the improvements that you have been […]
Get Ready For World Guitar Day The guitar is one of the most played instruments in the world. It is cohesive to every genre of music. Legends are built from this single instrument. So why wouldn’t there be a day designated just for it to celebrate its awesomeness? World Guitar Day is a massive event. […]
How to find the best acoustic guitar Most learners seem to start with an acoustic guitar and most likely what you are learning on when you take guitar lessons in Philadelphia. It’s a better guitar to learn with. Many times your instructor will provide you with a guitar but you will want to have your […]
Powerful reasons to learn the guitar from Philadelphia guitar instructor David Joel Research shows that guitar players’ brains work a bit differently than everyone else. The art of learning to play the chords and read sheet music opens up new pathways. Essentially a guitarist does rewire their brain in a positive way, which leads to […]
Piano vs. Guitar: What is the best instrument to learn first? There are many people who will ask what is the best instrument for a beginner (usually their child) to learn on? It often comes down to the piano versus the guitar. There are many pros and cons to learning each instrument first but what […]
Do you want to be a solo guitarist or ensemble guitar player? When you begin learning to play the guitar, you have to think about what kind of guitar player you want to be. As you progress through the learning process, you will start to consider narrowing your focus in order to deepen your results. […]
Practice Distractions…Insights from David Joel, a NE Philly Guitar Teacher One of the most important goals we set for our guitar playing is to practice every day. This is important because the number of hours you practice is one of the best indicators of playing ability. When you take guitar lessons in Philadelphia, your instructor […]
Should you play guitar left or right-handed? Guitars come in right-handed and left-handed varieties. If you are left handed, you should think carefully about which guitar is right for you to learn. Unfortunately, most people who pick up a guitar don’t immediately show a strong tendency for either right-handed or left-handed playing. That’s because playing […]
Why your guitar needs a setup What exactly is a “setup?” It’s a tune-up for your musical instrument to make sure it’s operating properly and functioning at its best. You should take your guitar to get set up if any of the following conditions is true. It’s been more than a year since you last […]
Why you need guitar lessons If you ask enough people the best way to learn guitar, most of them would suggest taking lessons. Most people have experience with some form of taking lessons whether it’s music, cooking, art, etc. So they know that it can be more helpful than trying to learn on your own. […]
What are some pitfalls beginner guitarists should avoid? It’s so great that you want to learn to play the guitar! Find a great guitar teacher in Philadelphia and get started! But, before you do, be advised that there is some ill-fated advice you will be given by potential teachers or people in general. You may […]
How long does it take to learn guitar? Everybody who picks up the guitar wants to know one thing: how long will this take? What can be accomplished in a month? In a year? The answers may vary but there is one factor you can count on to measure your progress: total lifetime hours spent […]
What styles of music are more represented? The guitar is an instrument that is so versatile that it shows up in all forms of music. It is perhaps the most iconic musical instrument in American music since the 1950’s which includes many genres such as blues, rock and roll and contemporary pop music. It also […]