This exercise will continue to feature Spread Voicings but in a pop/rock context where we are strumming them. This is a very chordy passage that will require us to not only learn all of the changes, but also learn the rhythm (by ear!) and focus on muting unwanted open strings. Alongside the full Spread shapes, we will also go over the "power chord" version of these shapes/inversions which can b...
2025-09-23 14:00:19 +0000 UTC
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In a somewhat pop/rock style, we will go through a strumming-focused-spread-voicing Power Up that will not only be pretty fun, but also valuable when it comes to strategically muting strings when playing these shapes.
2025-09-22 16:00:23 +0000 UTC
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Next Power Up will continue the Spread Voicing topic with a more lead approach. We will be arpeggiating these shapes over a simple triad pair-based progression of mostly A - Bm, with a little melody connecting each chord. Will be a good exercise for playing these shapes as leads, as well as a general alternate picking work out due to the string skipping involve...
2025-09-12 14:00:16 +0000 UTC
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This one will focus on triad pairs (maj-min), and playing them like leads. Should be fun especially if you're looking to practice alternate picking!
2025-09-11 14:12:31 +0000 UTC
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We begin a couple of Power Ups (exercises) targeting Spread Voicings and some of the strategies we have used recently. Today will focus on the Chord Embellishments that we went over in the previous video in a very simple way. We'll take two inversions, along with their embellishments, and run them over a very simple progression. Take note of the melodies that naturally happen w...
2025-09-05 14:00:00 +0000 UTC
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A brief overview of a power-up we will do tomorrow. This will be the first of four different power-ups that all feature spread voicings in one way or another.
2025-09-04 14:30:04 +0000 UTC
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Stream is now fully chaptered out for your viewing convenience, hope you get something out of it!
Come hang out! I'll be answering any questions you have to the best of my ability.
Video will be fully re-watchable via the same link above if you can't make it.
To interact with me in the live chat, view the stream through YouTube by clicking the "Youtub...
2025-08-30 13:49:06 +0000 UTC
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Hey Everyone,
I'll be doing my monthly stream this Saturday, August 30th, at 10 am EST.
Come hang out and ask me any questions you may have about guitar/music. Any cool new things you are practicing? Anything you are working on that seems tricky or frustrating? I'm here to help!
As usual, If you can't make it leave your questions in the comment section of t...
2025-08-28 13:00:12 +0000 UTC
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Finishing up this two part discussion of Suspended Spread Voicings, we start resolving these Suspended chords into other triads in the traditional way. However we will also start using Suspended chords as a way to create chord embellishments or chord "moves" that we can always associate with specific shapes/inversions. These moves can add so much color to basic...
2025-08-22 14:00:30 +0000 UTC
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Finishing up the Suspended Spreads with part 2, where we will resolve the shapes in the typical ways but also discover some fun ways to enhance your normal chord playing.
2025-08-21 14:00:15 +0000 UTC
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Today we wrap up the spread triad types with Suspended. We go over the basic shapes and fingerings (especially one very popular sus2 shape) and how these shapes sound as standalone chords. I'll demonstrate some fun uses for these sounds that you have definitely heard before, and will hopefully enjoy.
This was originally a longer video that I decided to <...
2025-08-15 14:00:21 +0000 UTC
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Tomorrow's topic will be Suspended Triads, but the Spread versions. Should be a great time as these are some great sounds in my opinion.
2025-08-14 21:03:44 +0000 UTC
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Moving forward with Spread Voicings, we cover the Diminished and Augmented versions with a focus on using them in their natural habitat, as transitional sounds into other chords. We'll go over the shapes, how to practice them, running all of the chords in the key, as well as injecting Hotel California and Little Wing with these sounds.
Navigate the video with the YouTube Chapters:
2025-08-03 14:00:12 +0000 UTC
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We'll be continuing with spread voicings, with a focus on diminished and augmented. We'll use them as transitional sounds into all of the chords in the key, as well as some simple examples of them over Hotel California and Little Wing.
2025-08-02 14:00:12 +0000 UTC
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The stream is now fully chaptered out for your viewing convenience!
Come hang out! I'll be answering any questions you have to the best of my ability. Working out some audio issues so I'll be just a few mins late.
Video will be fully re-watchable via the same link above if you can't make it.
To interact with me in the live chat, view the stream...
2025-07-26 14:01:49 +0000 UTC
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Hey Everyone,
Just letting you know I'll be doing my monthly stream this Saturday, July 26th, at 10 am EST.
Come hang out and ask me any questions you may have about guitar/music. Maybe you're working on a tricky concept and you need some guidance, or maybe you just stumbled across some cool new sound that you want to talk about? Or you just want to check in and s...
2025-07-23 21:08:24 +0000 UTC
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Continuing with Spread Voicings, we go over the Minor shapes as well as using these voicings in basic progressions. We'll go through triad pairs, 5 of's, basic moves like 1-4-5 or 6-2-3, adding little melodies to these moves, and how inversions can add some variety to an otherwise normal sounding progression.
Navigate the video with the YouTube Chapters:
1 - Major...
2025-07-20 14:30:03 +0000 UTC
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We finally dive into the world of Spread Voicings which will give use one more tool to easily create whatever sound we want, wherever we want. These shapes are absolutely vital to have in your hands if you are wanting to create larger chords, chord melodies, more "pianistic" sounds, jumpy sounding lines, or just have a better visual layout of the fretboard.
I've been ho...
2025-07-11 15:00:15 +0000 UTC
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Hey All,
I'm writing a short tune to showcase and summarize everything we have been discussing recently in the Building Chords series, specifically all of the lead triads (1-3-5) plus any other notes we want. However as writing usually goes, it's taking longer than I expected.
So instead I'm going to continue to work on this tune in the background and move on to the next (and last...
2025-07-07 14:21:52 +0000 UTC
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This song was requested by a Full Access Plus patron recently and I'm going to put it out to the general community here, as it allows me to talk about some really cool song-structure type things that I don't usually talk about. This song is a great example of taking a few ideas and constantly iterating and evolving those ideas to keep the song interesting, even when the song is essentially 7 mi...
2025-06-27 14:00:11 +0000 UTC
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The stream is now fully chaptered out for your viewing convenience!
Come hang out! I'll be answering any questions you have to the best of my ability. I'll also be taking simple progressions (blues, 1564, etc.) and showcasing how I find interesting things that make those sounds more fun.
Video will be fully re-watchable via the same link above if you can't make it.
2025-06-21 14:45:01 +0000 UTC
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Hey Everyone,
I'll be doing my monthly YouTube stream this Saturday, June 21st, 11:00 am, EST. A little early this month as I'll be busy the last weekend of June. Come hang out and ask me whatever questions you may have about anything guitar/music related, and I'll do my best to answer. If you can't make it, leave your questions in ...
2025-06-18 15:00:13 +0000 UTC
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This is a long video that is not meant to be watched start to finish (although you could do that if you wanted). It is instead meant to be a display of how I work out ideas. Feel free to skip around using the YouTube chapters to the sounds that interest you.
Same as the previous video, except now we are adding in the 4's and 6's to various triad types. I'll be d...
2025-06-16 14:30:03 +0000 UTC
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This is a long video that is not meant to be watched start to finish (although you could do that if you wanted). It is instead meant to be a display of how I work out ideas. Feel free to skip around using the YouTube chapters to the sounds that interest you
We take one step closer to the end of Building Chords. Using our lead approach to triads, we simply start adding in...
2025-06-08 15:00:11 +0000 UTC
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Overview of what we're doing tomorrow. Basically taking all of the triads we know, anywhere on the neck, and adding 7 or b7, and 2 or b2. I'll demonstrate how I go about practicing like this and finding cool sh*t. Fun sounds abound.
2025-06-07 21:00:08 +0000 UTC
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*Stream is now fully chaptered out for your convenience. Hope you like it!*
Come hang out! I'll be answering any questions you have to the best of my ability.
Video will be fully re-watchable via the same link above if you can't make it.
To interact with me in the live chat, view the stream through YouTube by clicking the "Youtube" button towards the bottom lef...
2025-05-31 14:45:01 +0000 UTC
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Hey Everyone,
It's time for the monthly livestream, which will be this Saturday, May 31st, 11:00 am, EST. Come hang out and ask me whatever questions you may have about anything guitar/music related, and I'll do my best to answer. If you can't make it, leave your questions in the comment section of this post. This particular stream will be available to free ...
2025-05-28 14:00:15 +0000 UTC
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In the final video of this brief Creating Exercises miniseries, I go over my process of finding something inherently valuable in a topic I'm practicing and how I develop that thing into some exercises that can also double as cool musical tools. The valuable thing I'll be discussing in this video will be Outer String shapes and the new options I have to play the...
2025-05-24 15:00:12 +0000 UTC
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One of 4 power ups from the final "Creating Exercises" video. The focus will be creating exercises that can easily be repurposed into actual musical ideas that you can use in your own playing/writing.
2025-05-22 14:00:12 +0000 UTC
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In the second part of this mini series, we create some exercises or practice routines focusing on using the 3 lead triads when playing over changes. We'll revisit Little Wing and force ourselves to use as few reference notes as possible, create some simple ways to play every chord in the key in order, but also in 3rds and in 4ths. We'll also do some fun
2025-05-16 14:00:14 +0000 UTC
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