Guitar advice

Guitar & Amp Tech Spotlight: Dave Barlow of Dave Barlow Guitar

2026-07-16T15:54:01+01:00

We’re honoured to shine a light on Dave Barlow Guitar, a Surrey-based workshop known for its practical expertise, honest advice and dedicated support for guitarists and musicians. Behind the name is Dave Barlow, a guitarist, guitar tech and amp repair specialist whose life has been deeply connected to music for more than three decades. Based in Long Ditton, Surbiton, Dave works with guitarists across Surrey and South London, helping them keep their instruments and amplifiers playing, sounding and performing at their best. From guitar set-ups, repairs, upgrades and wiring work to amplifier repair and practical guidance for players, Dave brings [...]

Guitar & Amp Tech Spotlight: Dave Barlow of Dave Barlow Guitar2026-07-16T15:54:01+01:00

Luthier Spotlight: Angus of Minorfret Guitar Repairs

2026-07-15T16:18:28+01:00

We are delighted to shine a light on Minorfret Guitar Repairs, a North London workshop dedicated to the care, repair and maintenance of guitars with precision, experience and musical understanding. Behind Minorfret Guitar Repairs is Angus, a skilled luthier and guitar technician whose journey brings together playing experience, work with bands and sound systems, formal lutherie training, guitar building, and years of hands-on repair work. His background gives him a thoughtful understanding not only of how guitars are made, but also of how musicians use them, depend on them and connect with them. For guitarists, students, collectors and anyone interested [...]

Luthier Spotlight: Angus of Minorfret Guitar Repairs2026-07-15T16:18:28+01:00

Is It Worth It to Pay for Guitar Lessons?

2023-11-15T12:59:59+00:00

Why should I pay for guitar lessons when I can get them online for free? Is it worth it to pay for guitar lessons? The short answer is YES, it is most definitely worth it, and there are many reasons why that you may not have yet considered YouTube lessons can only take you so far A way that many of us start learning the guitar is through sites such as YouTube (or even TikTok nowadays!), and although this can be a great way to get started, this method can only take you so far. Once you’ve learned a bit [...]

Is It Worth It to Pay for Guitar Lessons?2023-11-15T12:59:59+00:00

Should I Complete Grades On Guitar?

2023-05-08T13:45:47+01:00

Preface A question that I often get asked by students and parents of school aged students is should I/my child complete grades on the guitar? It’s a great question with no clear answer; this will very much depend on the student and what their goals on the guitar will be. If you are not familiar, many different companies will have a series of books designed to teach students the fundamentals of playing an instrument, requiring them to play several pieces as well as also scales and technical exercises. These come in different grades, usually starting at a Debut or Initial grade [...]

Should I Complete Grades On Guitar?2023-05-08T13:45:47+01:00

The Role Of Funk Guitar

2023-04-05T12:21:30+01:00

Less Is More When we’re talking about funk guitar or just funk in general, less is more is the mindset that we need to approach it with. Funk is all about the space between the notes, rather than the notes themselves. In fact, what usually makes up a funk song is rather simple. Unlike other musical styles, funk is often centred around one or two chords, usually one chord per section of a song, meaning it is much more rhythmically driven rather than harmonically. When we think of funk we often think of one artist in particular, that artist of course [...]

The Role Of Funk Guitar2023-04-05T12:21:30+01:00

The Importance of Rhythm Guitar

2023-03-16T08:47:15+00:00

Rhythm Guitar is The Glue! So we all love a good bit of lead guitar. Slash’s “Sweet Child ‘O Mine” guitar solos, Angus Young’s iconic solos during “Back In Black”, and Kirk Hammett’s shredding in “Enter Sandman”. But one thing that all these great songs and guitar solos have in common is that they all possess a great rhythm guitarist keeping the whole thing together. Guns ’N Roses have Izzy Stradlin playing a mix of arpeggiated open chords and thick distorted powerchords throughout Slash’s guitar solos, AC/DC have Malcom Young rocking away on those classic rock open chords, and Metallica [...]

The Importance of Rhythm Guitar2023-03-16T08:47:15+00:00

How To Play Major and Minor Triads Horizontally Across The Guitar Neck!

2023-02-03T13:30:35+00:00

What Are Triads? So before we start jumping into playing triads across the guitar neck, let’s have a recap of what  triads are to start with. The triad is the simplest form of a chord that we have in music, comprised of  three notes stacked on top of each other, hence the name. The triad comes from the major or natural  minor scale, and is formed when you play the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees together at the same time.  These three notes can go on to form the core of many other different types of chords. Whether you know [...]

How To Play Major and Minor Triads Horizontally Across The Guitar Neck!2023-02-03T13:30:35+00:00

How To Get Started With Strumming On The Guitar

2022-12-06T15:22:57+00:00

How do I strum properly on the guitar? How do I hold the pick? Which way do I strum? All are valid questions when learning how to get started with strumming on the guitar, and are important to think about when learning the basics. Strum Some Simple Open Chords With A Plectrum Strumming can be a strange concept to a beginner guitarist who has perhaps played more simple riffs and single note melodies on the guitar. Many beginners will start off by learning a few simple open chords (such as C, G, Am, D, Em ect.) and may be strumming [...]

How To Get Started With Strumming On The Guitar2022-12-06T15:22:57+00:00

What Is The First Thing To Learn As A Beginner On The Guitar?

2022-10-31T13:08:51+00:00

The Basics! So I suppose the most logical place to start your guitar journey would be at the beginning (duh!) with the basics! You would think that this would be fairly obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people skip over the core fundamentals of playing the guitar because they are in a rush to learn their favourite songs! I always start every first guitar lesson with: the body parts of the guitar, the open string names, basic fretting technique and basic strumming technique. These fundamentals are extremely important to get right in the beginning to then build upon later down [...]

What Is The First Thing To Learn As A Beginner On The Guitar?2022-10-31T13:08:51+00:00

II V I Tricks and Tips for Jazz Guitar Playing

2022-09-06T21:05:31+01:00

Play In One Position One thing that will prevent you from playing smooth lines through ii V I’s is having to jump all around to different positions on the neck because you’re only comfortable in certain positions for different arpeggios. Before you start trying anything too crazy with your ii V I’s, spend the time to get super familiar with playing all arpeggios in one position on the neck both for if you have the root note on the low E string or the A string. Once you have learned the minor 7th, dominant 7th, and major 7th arpeggios in this [...]

II V I Tricks and Tips for Jazz Guitar Playing2022-09-06T21:05:31+01:00
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