Scott Paul Johnson posts
Posts: 662
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Office Hours Q&A 216 | Fingerpicking and Song Dynamics, CAGED vs Box numbers, speaker cables
Ask me anything! Music, guitar, gearNew here? Wondering where to start? Click herefor my Patreon start page, or herefor my recommended lesson plan.Hi Everyone,You missed this one, buy you can always catch the next one - every Thursday at 10AM.Here are the questions for this week:Question one: Ray asked about having multiple fingerpicking patters in a songQuestion two: Ray was asking about the difference between the pentatonic boxes with numbers and the CAGED pentatonic scalesQuestion three: Davin was wondering about how speaker cables are diffe...
Community Challenge 110 | Write something with a key change
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This Community Challenge is inspired by yesterday's Ear Training and Song Analysis: write something with a key change.I go through a variety of ways to approach changing keys in a song and give examples, but I could say a lot more! Let me know if you like this topic or you're curious about more songs with cool key changes.Try some of these ideas yourself and let me know how it goes.Post your key change doodles to the community forum.
Ear Training & Song Analysis | "A Night to Remember" by Shalamar
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This series is about going in blind on a song I've never heard and working through the steps to figure out the key, the chord progression, and sometimes the melody and other parts. My goal is to help you see how music theory and ear training go hand in hand, and give you some ideas and mindsets for how to start figuring out songs by ear on your own.This song was a lot of fun! I feel like I'm still developing a method for how to film this kin...
Office Hours Q&A 215 | How long to practice, learning triads, memorizing fingerboard, and drum beat tutorial
New here? Wondering where to start? Click herefor my Patreon start page, or herefor my recommended lesson plan.Hi Everyone,You missed this one, but you can always catch the next one every Thursday at 10AM Pacific Time.The questions this week were:Question 1: Ray asked how long we should practice every dayQuestion 2: Ray asked "what areas of the fingerboard are the best for double stops"Question 3: Ray asked "what is the best way to learn triads?"Question 4: David asked about the most effective way to memorize the notes on the fi...
Community Challenge 109 | Write something sad
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This week, the Community Challenge is "Write something sad"What is a Community Challenge?It's a weekly reminder that music is meant to be created, played, explored, and tinkered with. Learning music isn't just a brain thing. It isn't just about memorization. It's about learning to express yourself. It's about learning how to make your guitar sing - becoming one with your instrument through exploration and creativity.So ma...
Practice Thought | Limitations are a good thing!
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Today we're talking about limitations. A lot of people start learning guitar and assume they have to learn a long list of techniques and concepts in order to be prepared for any musical situation. They imagine that if they practice enough they'll be able to play anything they want with ease. This may not be the right mindset. I start by comparing Superman and Batman and ask you to question some assumptions you have about the process of becom...
Office Hours Q&A 214 | Silent Acoustic Guitar?
New here? Wondering where to start? Click herefor my Patreon start page, or herefor my recommended lesson plan.Hi Everyone,You missed this one! Catch the next one every Thursday at 10AM Pacific TimeThere was only one question this week and it was about silent guitar practice and wether that means electric guitar only.Here's how it works: bring your questions to the comments below, the Office Hours community forum thread, or save them for the live chat! Questions can be about anything you want - guitar technique, music theory, gear, songwrit...
Community Challenge 108 | Write something using I vi IV V
Hi Everyone,Surprise! This one is related to yesterdays Cool Chord Progressions lesson: Write something using a I vi IV V progression.What is a community challenge? It's a weekly reminder that regular writing sessions are one of the best ways to really get to know how music theory works and how it connects to the guitar. It's a writing prompt for you to practice writing something. It doesn't have to be good. It doesn't have to be a complete song. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece. It's just about practicing writing.Thi...
Cool Chord Progression | I - vi - IV - V
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,In this lesson, we're diving into the classic I vi IV V chord progression and talking a little about the progression that often gets lumped in with it: I vi ii V.This is a great progression to get really familiar with since its got the four most common chords in popular music. It also covers every note of the major scale, making it a really fun progression to practice targeting chord tones for melodies and soloing.
Office Hours Q&A 213 | Getting your tone into your recording, taking care of strings, creative inspiration
New here? Wondering where to start? Click herefor my Patreon start page, or herefor my recommended lesson plan.Hi Everyone,You missed this one! Catch the next one every Thursday at 10AM Pacific TimeQuestion 1: Lauren was wondering how to get the tone of their guitar into their recording software.Question 2: Matthew asked if there is anything you should do to keep your strings playing their best?Question 3: Ray asked where I find my creative inspirationHere's how it works: bring your questions to the comments below the latest Office Hours po...
Community Challenge 107 | Impeccable Timing
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Your goal for this Community Challenge is to write something with impeccable timing.What does impeccable mean?Merriam-Webster says it means "free from fault or blame"dictionary.cambridge.org says it means "perfect, with no problems or bad parts"The idea here is to write something where you're paying the most attention to your timing. This doesn't mean you have to write something really complex - it might mean the opposite! If...
How learning bass helped my guitar skills (pt1?)
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Bass players tend to think much more specifically about timing than guitar players. You might think bass players are just guitar players with fewer strings and fewer notes to worry about, but playing bass requires a completely different mindset and a much more meditative, concentrated approach. In this lesson I explore one specific concept I learned from the pro bass players in my life and how it changed the way I think about guitar.If you like this...
Office Hours Q&A 212 | Buzzing guitar, effects pedals, kick drum pedal
New here? Wondering where to start? Click herefor my Patreon start page, or herefor my recommended lesson plan.Hi Everyone,You missed this one, but you can always catch the next one every Thursday at 10AM Pacific Time.Here are the timestamps for this one:Question 1: Tasha was trying to figure out a buzzing guitar situation. I went through the troubleshooting steps, and talked about how to use a noise gate effectivelyQuestion 2: Lauren was looking for a 10,000ft view of effects pedalsQuestion 3: Davin was curious about these things - a stop box ...
Community Challenge 106 | Write a Bass/Rhythm Combo
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Each week I post a community challenge and if you've been around for a while, you might have noticed I'm trying to match them to the Monday lesson.This challenge - "write a bass/rhythm combo" - is inspired by yesterdays Ear Training & Song Analysis lesson about Elliott Smiths "Between the Bars."But what is a Community Challenge? It's a weekly reminder to practice doing the single most important thing for your music educat...
Ear Training & Song Analysis | Elliott Smith - Between the Bars
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson PlanHi Everyone,In this Ear Training & Song Analysis, I'm diving into Elliott Smith's "Between the Bars."This is becoming a regular series, and my goal with it is to show the process of figuring out a song by ear using a combination of ear training and music theory. As you watch me figure out the song, I explain what I'm doing and how I narrow in on the key, the chord progression, and the specific voicings on the guitar. From there, we end up with a Roman Numeral analysi...
Office Hours Q&A 211 | Sweep picking? How long will it take to feel "good"
New here? Wondering where to start? Click herefor my Patreon start page, or herefor my recommended lesson plan.Hi Everyone,You missed this one, but you can catch Office Hours every Thursday at 10AM Pacific.Question 1: Matthew was wondering about sweep pickingQuestion 2: Erin was wondering when it will feel effortless to play guitar - how long did it take? Question 3: Ray was wondering about the best use for triadsQuestion 4: Ray was wondering about patterns that involve fingerpicking AND strummingQuestion 5: Jeff asked how to solo over a funky ...
Community Challenge 105 | Write something EASY
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson PlanHi Everyone,The goal of this challenge is to find your comfort zone and write something from there. Keep it simple. Have fun. Focus on LETTING it be easy - if you try something that ends up being difficult, dumb it down for yourself. See what happens. Technique-wise, focus on playing within your wheelhouse.Post what you write to the community forum.What is a Community Challenge? It's a low-bar, low-pressure excuse for you to try writing some music. These are supposed to be the napki...
Practice Thought | Learn what easy feels like
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson PlanHi Everyone,I gave this one two different titles because I couldn't decide which question would be more interesting for you:These are important and weird questions:"How should it feel to perform?""What does it feel like for something to be easy to play?"They are also really difficult questions to answer!!!!I'm trying to answer them anyway in this video because I want you to consider how YOU feel when you're playing music and you think you OUGHT to feel while ...
I'm going live on my main youtube channel right now!
Hi Everyone - I'm doing a little live lesson on my main youtube channel. A Music Theory Crash Course. Come hang out in the chat, say hi, ask questions, let people know you like it here. Or if you can't make it right now, feel free to drop a like or a comment if you feel like it.Alright! I need to start this stream ASAP! See you there
Office Hours Q&A 210 | Thursday, July 17th, 10AM Pacific Time
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,You missed this one, but you can always catch the next one, every Thursday at 10AM Pacific TimeQuestion 1: Fintan had a comment about how focusing on chord tones made solos feel robotic, but focusing on feel and intuition made it easier to find those chord tones anyway. I talked about the idea of bouncing between intuitive practice and mindful, thoughtful "study" practice.Question 2: Wessel wanted me to work through the homework section of M...
Community Challenge 104 | Based on the 12 Bar Blues
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This community challenge is "write something based on the 12 bar blues"You don't have to write a 12 bar blues. You can if you want, or you can take an element of the blues and write from there. In this challenge I wrote something based on the call and response you typically hear between the vocals and the musicians. Watch yesterday's lesson on the 12 Bar Blues if you need a refresher on how the blues works.Post your creations to the ...
Cool Chord Progressions | Major 12 Bar Blues
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This lesson is covering some cool concepts around the 12 bar blues:• The weirdness of soloing in a blues "key" and ways to navigate it• How the blues turnaround works and how to make your own• How the form generally looks• A few interesting variations on the 12 bar formI didn't add homework in the video, but if you want some specific homework, here is an idea:Try using a jam track to practice getting comfortable with the form, so...
Office Hours Q&A 209 | Chord switching technique, songs that move into different keys
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,You missed this one, but you can always catch the next one - usually on Thursdays at 10AM Pacific Time. If you have a question, drop it below, or ask on the Community Forum Office Hours thread.Here are the timestamps for this week:Question 1: Ray asked for the best way to improve chord changes. I gave a few helpful practice tips.Question 2: Ray asked about songs that don't stick to a particular key. Are there rules? Standards?Here's how it w...
Community Challenge 103 | Start with a Melody
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This one might really be a challenge, but I want you to try it!As you get comfortable writing music, you start to notice that some approaches work better for you than others. Some people like to write lyrics before they even start writing music. Some people like to write a chord progression first, then melody, then lyrics. It all depends on your workflow and preferences. Some people write a groove with intricate parts before even considering a melod...
Sick Day! Office Hours cancelled
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,I am in bed, feeling like garbage. I'm sure I'll be ok in a few days - there is something going around right now.Usually I do a live Q&A on Thursdays. Since I'm cancelling this one, ask me any questions you have in the comments below and I'll get to them first in next weeks Office Hours.Happy Practicing
Community Challenge 102 | Work on a previous challenge pt2
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHey Everyone,Now that we're into the 100s with Community Challenges, I'm going to do more "work on a previous thing" type challenges. Learning how to morph and edit and improve an idea is important. Giving yourself time to dig into an old idea and see what you can do with it takes a different mindset than creating an initial idea.I'm sharing my video here to show you how I work through this kind of thing. I'm also considering making a le...
Private Lessons | Why bother?
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Today I'm talking about why private lessons are useful, and letting you know that I offer private lessons, too.If you're interested in taking lessons with me, check out this BOOKING LINK that i'll be adding to every post on my Patreon. This link is just for my patrons, with the option of a 55 minute lesson or 25 minute check-in lesson.If you take at least one lesson in a month, I'll refund your SPJ Patreon membership for that month.W...
Office Hours Q&A 208 | Thursday, June 26th, 10AM Pacific Time
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,There are the questions for this week, timestamped:Question 1: Graeme heard that I don't know what key I'm in sometimes! Is this true? Is it ok?Question 2: Bill asked about "lead-ins" and how to craft ways to play a lead line/lead-in between chords. I explained that these kinds of guitar parts are essentially playing a bass line on your way to another chord.This is essentially a combination of learning about Melody Making and learnin...
Community Challenge 101 | C Major (new Patrons welcome!)
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,For Community Challenge 101, I thought I'd hit the refresh button and welcome new patrons.Have you joined recently? Have you been a member for a while, but ignoring the weekly Community Challenge? Are you feeling intimidated by these things?Let me tell you something:Writing music is the single best way I know of to get all the things you're learning here deep into your brain and into your muscle memory. Music isn't about knowledge. It is...
Intro to Reading Music
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This is a casual walk-through of a handful of pages of Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method Grade 1. It's the book that taught me how to read music. It's also the book I started with when I first learned guitar back in 1997.This lesson is an overview of the basic concepts of reading music. We go through a few pages, showing the overall flow of the book, working through music notation vocabulary and demonstrations of a few songs. I also show ho...
