The Acoustic Asylum

Today, I want to share a fascinating story from the 1960s that can help you change your guitar playing forever. It’s a simple and sneaky study that shows doing this one thing can blow up your progress massively – meaning you’ll have so much more fun on the guitar. Plus, we are breaking some annoying myths that people believe in when it comes to learning guitar as an adult or if you feel you have no “natural talent”. Listen today and enjoy, because if you apply what you learn here, you will be more likely to make better progress from this day forth! If you enjoyed this, don’t forget you can get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at - https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Today, let’s talk about the devil on your guitar-playing shoulder. It’s dangerous, most of us are plagued by it, and if you put too much pressure on yourself, it’s likely this devil is screaming down your ear. The good news is, with one simple shift, you can change all that and you can turn the negativity into something much more positive. That will ensure you truly enjoy your guitar playing forever – and you beat the Gatekeeper of the Acoustic Asylum and his devilish henchman… for good! If you enjoyed this, you can get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at –https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Trying to be creative on the guitar is one of the most daunting and scary thoughts for many guitarists. …But if you want to be more creative, then listen today because I’m teaching you a super simple and incredibly fun step-by-step method to be more creative today. I’m playing these examples on the acoustic guitar but they work perfectly for electric guitar too. The great thing is, being creative is fun, it’s great for the brain and it’s great for the fingers – I aim to get all my students to do something creative on the guitar every lesson! So give it a go. If you enjoyed this, don’t forget you can get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at – https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

If you ever want to jam, but don’t know how to begin, today’s episode will help. We’re talking about the sliding scale of creativity versus structure and how to get the right blend. The truth is, when jamming on the guitar, we need to have both of the above. On the one hand, if you are only trying to be creative without any structure, it can be hard to make music that sounds good. On the other hand, if you just have structure, it can be hard to jam and explore new things. So, listen to today’s episode for more on how to get the ideal blend between both being creative and having structure within your jams. I’ll take you through an example of how to do this and some tips on getting the most out of your playing – especially when you want to jam! Don’t forget you can now get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at - https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

During my many years of teaching, I’ve taught two specific types of guitarists. One type is the student who is full of positivity, resilience, and open-minded thinking. The other is the type who is struggling and looking for a way out. It’s a hard truth and some people don’t like to hear it, but that’s what I’ve found. So, today, I want to explain why this is the case, why it’s probably not your fault if you’re the latter type, and why “natural talent” very rarely has anything to do with it. Most of all though, I want to share with you a few tips to help you become the type of guitarist who finds solutions, enjoys the journey, and loves playing the guitar so much… you literally never want to stop. These tips are especially useful if you’re an adult learning guitar. I hope you enjoy this episode and thanks for listening! Don’t forget you can now get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at - https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Today, I want to give you some simple tips on jamming one chord on the guitar. Yes, just one chord. Many students want to be able to jam and create beautiful music on the fly… but the problem is they do not know where to begin. This often leads to them getting frustrated, giving up on jamming, and then missing out on all the benefits that being creative has! For some tips on this, listen to this quick episode today for how to jam, fingerpick, strum, and Travis pick, why you should pick one single chord to begin with, and exactly what to do for some jamming fun. This works great on both electric and acoustic guitar, and it will help you play sus chords, Major 7th chords, dominant chords, and more… but the key point is, this will give you more fun when learning guitar as an adult! Don’t forget you can now get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at –https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Motivation is one of the biggest factors that will decide if you stick with the guitar or quit. Therefore, you must do what it takes to keep your motivation up at all costs… but of course, you don’t want to get too excited because when the inevitable pitfalls get in the way it can be like a sugar crash and your motivation may plummet… Today’s episode is all about a proven study on increasing motivation from the University of Pennsylvania… and it’s all about the power of Double Think! Follow the simple tip inside today’s episode and you can’t fail to be a more motivated guitarist! Don’t forget you can now get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes the Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at –https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

I love being creative on the guitar. Many guitar students out there also want to be creative, but often have no idea where to begin. Well, in this little episode, I share with you a very simple tip on creativity. It involves one chord, one strumming pattern, and one simple concept. With just a little bit of practice, anyone can do it… And the great thing is, according to various studios, being creative is proven to help reduce your brain age. Inside, you’ll hear me talk about a super interesting study from the BBC on identical twins and how the study proved that being creative can help reduce your brain age. …Plus, I play a very cool ‘50s chord progression based around the chords of C Am Fmaj7 and G and show you how to bring them to life! Don’t forget you can now get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at – https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

In this episode, we’re talking boxing and how elite-level sports and learning guitar have more in common than you might think. I use the fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to explain some key concepts for learning guitar as an adult. Some of the highlights include how it’s crucial to think outside the box, why most people teach guitar the way they were taught, and the big problem with that. It’s a short episode, but it’s like a Rocky montage – short, sweet, and right to the point. Don’t forget you can now get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes the Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at – https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

It’s May, and it’s spring. Yeah, I know, it has been spring for a while… but if you want to make more guitar-playing progress at this time of the year, this episode will help. In today’s episode of the Acoustic Asylum, I’m giving you two tried and tested ways to have a “spring clean”. One involves something in the physical world and the other in your mental space – but both are effective for getting clarity and making progress. Plus, you get to find out about my lack of DIY skills, hear me jamming a little acoustic piece, and discover the reason why strumming just a few simple chords on your guitar can help you to recharge at the end of a busy day. …Not only that, I’m also sharing with you a weird bonus tip that can breathe more life into your practice space! Don’t forget you can now get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at –https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Do you practise with absolute focus? Or do you practise guitar in a “wishy-washy” way? Well, today, I’m sharing some interesting little insights into how to practise your guitar in a more optimal way… This includes exactly what I did back when I was learning guitar and I only had 10 minutes per day… How I would “practise” on the bus (even though I didn’t have my guitar with me)… ...And one thing you can put in your practice room that will make you a more creative musician and guitarist today. Enjoy! You can now get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at - https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Let’s talk about autobiographies. In today’s podcast, I’m sharing some little gems of inspiration I have read from a variety of guitarists in their autobiographies. You’ll hear stories from Neil Young, Eric Clapton, and bizarrely, even Andrew Ridgeley (from Wham!). I find that when guitarists and musicians talk in interviews about their experiences on the guitar, they rarely go into much detail… BUT when it’s in their autobiographies, we hear so much more. It’s super interesting to read about their struggles, successes, and highs and lows. Not only are these interesting for us guitarists, but these stories can be massively inspiring too! You can now get my two exclusive and free eBooks today... Includes The Guitar Doctor (which will help you fix 35 terrible habits) and The Super Mini Songbook (teaching you stunning songs in unique ways). Get them both for free at - https://fingerstyle101.com/free/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Distractions are everywhere – especially in the guitar world! Today’s episode is dedicated to avoiding all these crazy distractions when improving our guitar playing! There’s one really big tip I want to share today. …And it’s been working like a charm for my students – especially for Ryan, who is a super busy father, coach of the kids’ soccer team, and is very busy with his career. Listen to Ryan’s experience and how he is now on the path to achieving his guitar goals simply because we have been doing one simple and specific thing each week. Use the simple tips in the podcast and you too will get some clarity in your playing! You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Let’s talk about chord progressions. …And specifically, two super popular chord progressions that I love and that get used in a tonne of songs! When I started off learning guitar, I never used to think about chord progressions. That was a huge mistake because learning just a few chord progressions could have saved me a tonne of time… It would have given me a better understanding of how music works, improved my aural skills, and given me more confidence. Listen today and discover how to put this simple knowledge into practice and have lots of fun with these two chord progressions! The funny thing is both of these chord progressions use the exact same four chords… yet when you change up the order of the chords, the whole tone of the song changes. It’s simple, but it’s powerful stuff! You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Today, I want to talk a little bit about connecting the dots in music. One of the key things about music and being a musician is being able to know where the notes are that you hear in your head. This ability is what separates a beginner guitarist from an intermediate guitarist. In today’s episode, I give you a little way of testing your aural skills. I play a little riff and set you the challenge of trying to work it out by ear. It’s as simple as starting out by finding the first note. I’ll also give you some advice on how to work stuff out without just randomly trying to guess the notes. This episode will help you learn how to work stuff out by ear and improve your aural skills, which will help you enjoy your playing more! You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Have you ever learnt something on the guitar, enjoyed it, but then later on… forgotten all about it? …You’ve spent all that time learning it, only to not play it again, and then, of course, you have to spend time re-learning it. That’s the sort of madness that would make the malevolent Gatekeeper of the Acoustic Asylum proud. Well, today I want to show you a simple plan to help you so you never forget to practise the things you love. As well as that, I’m sharing a story about Led Zeppelin getting lost in Iceland, why some folk should not try to be too organised, and how I started learning guitar with a dusty old book in pre-internet times (and how that was a good thing in some ways). It’s a fun episode with my tips as well as me talking about various guitar styles such as acoustic, blues, rock, classical, Travis picking, fingerpicking, and even flamenco guitar! You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

This week’s episode is all about a guitar hero of mine, Kurt Cobain, who passed away thirty years ago, on April 5th. I have many guitar heroes, people like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, Chet Atkins, and so many more, but Kurt Cobain was one of my favourites. He was in the band Nirvana and he was only 27 years old when he died. In this episode, I talk about my own discovery of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain, and I also talk about the album Nevermind. Nirvana did some really cool stuff, including some amazing covers, and you could see the direction they were heading in before Kurt died. Kurt Cobain was a really underrated guitar player. A lot of people have tried to teach or recreate his solos, but unsuccessfully. He was a student of classic music, which showed in his playing. Whether or not you’re a Nirvana fan, I think there is a lot to appreciate listening to Kurt’s music. Sometimes it’s good to look back at your early guitar heroes who made you passionate about music. This episode is all about guitar heroes and the journey of discovering music. You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Let’s talk fingerstyle arrangements. There’s a secret to playing fingerstyle arrangements… Especially ones that sound great, but aren’t painstaking to learn. In this episode, I’m sharing with you these secrets all broken down into three simple steps. You’ll discover some key advice the great guitarist, George Benson, once shared on a TV show called Guitar Star. Plus, I talk about what you can do today to start making more progress on the guitar, why listening to very experienced guitarists may not be such a good thing… …And you’ll get to hear my brand new and exciting Travis picking arrangement of “You’ve Got to Walk That Lonesome Valley”, which I hope will bring a smile to your face today. This episode will help you learn how to play fingerstyle arrangements and have more fun on the guitar. You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful free eBook called 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Today, I want to talk about licks and the importance of having just ONE powerful lick in your tool belt. So many people want to teach you dozens of licks, sometimes more... but the problem is, many licks don't work... at least not in a practical setting. That's why having one lick you can use, jam, and mould into different forms is super powerful. In this episode, I take one of my favourite simple licks and give you multiple examples of how to jam it. Plus, I share with you a secret of why treating lead guitar like rhythm guitar is super important and some words of wisdom from the great Tommy Emmanuel… And stick around till the end where I tell you all about some tips from my brand new spiral-bound book, The Six String Lifer's Handbook. This episode will help you learn how to have one lick you can jam with and develop. You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

This week’s episode is all about a little tone test I’m doing on three different acoustic guitars. It’s really important to find a guitar that suits you and inspires you to pick up the guitar every day. One of the best ways to choose a guitar is to try out several guitars and do a little tone test on them. In today’s episode, I’m showing you how to do this by doing a little tone test of three of my acoustic guitars so that you can hear the difference. We look at the importance of trying out different styles of playing on the guitar to get a feel for the tone and to be able to see how it fits your style of playing and what you are looking for. I do a quick bit of strumming and play some blues on each of the guitars, which highlights the differences in tone of the three acoustic guitars. I also give some tips and advice on what type of pieces and how many to play when trying out a guitar. This episode will help you learn how to do a tone test when trying out different guitars. You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the email list here – https://acousticasylum.com/ Like this episode? Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!