The Acoustic Asylum

In today’s episode, I talk about the benefits of technology and the importance of not letting it take over. I think AI can be a great tool, but it’s never going to play the guitar for us. I chat about one of my favourite films, Terminator 2, and the interesting message we can take from it.   One of the main reasons that some of these technologies and apps don’t stick is that they are trying to tak...

Today’s episode is a special one. It’s an interview with Jamie Andreas who has a unique way of talking about technique and has been a huge influence on my own teaching. In the episode, Jamie talks about how she started playing guitar, discovering classical guitar, and her own experience of teaching guitar. She discusses how she developed her teaching approach and how important it was for her to be...

In today’s episode, I dive into six fretboard breakthroughs that changed everything for me. If you struggle with learning the fretboard, then this will help you change that. Learning the fretboard can be fun, and it can open up so many doors in your playing. Over the years, I’ve developed six specific techniques for teaching students the fretboard. In this episode, I discuss some of these, includi...

In today’s episode, I talk about a new rule of the Asylum, which is being the King or Queen of the Jungle. This is inspired by The Lion King musical, which has a classic hero story. In terms of guitar playing, every guitarist goes through this journey.   In the episode, I talk about how guitar playing can take us to a different dimension, the transformation we undergo as guitarists, and how benefi...

In today’s episode, I talk about a really inspiring quote. On guitar, we only have twelve notes, but we have limitless options of what we can create with them. We can play about and create beautiful melodies and sad melodies. In pop music, people tend to stick to familiar and comfortable chords and patterns, but music allows you to branch out and discover something unique. In the episode, I also p...

In today’s episode, I talk about chemistry, specifically your chemistry with music, your guitar, and your love of learning. Chemistry is key to good playing, iconic bands, relationships, and it’s all about passion.   The buzz, the enjoyment, is what you want to have when you pick up the guitar. To make sure you have this, play the songs you love, the songs that mean the world to you. You have a re...

In today’s podcast episode, I want to talk about an aggressive comment I got recently. If I didn’t have thick skin, I would have been hurt by it, but as it is, I’m not really fussed about it. The comment was about arthritis, and I know arthritis is brutal, I have had family members suffer from it.   I know there is no cure for arthritis, but guitar playing, when done mindfully, can help maintain m...

Today we have a short episode that is all about exercises on the guitar – what to avoid and how to see progress. Often, guitar exercises are far too complicated. Simple, technical exercises that you can do every day will help you to see a lot more progress.   I talk about how you can create your own exercises that cover the basics, allowing you to work on your technique. These exercises don’t have...

Today’s episode is all about a new rule of the Asylum – being a daydream believer. Yes, this is inspired by The Monkees’ song, and it’s all about believing in yourself. Visualising is an excellent way of improving your self-belief, so today, I talk about two forms of visualisation. One is visualising yourself as an excellent guitarist, and the other form is visualising the mechanics of playing, wh...

Today’s episode is all about one of Eric Clapton’s proudest moments. It all happened when he was asked to play on an album with one of the greatest musicians of all time. The thing that makes the story stand out is that it shows even the greats of guitar get nervous. In the episode, I share Clapton’s story and what he had to say about his incredible and unique experience. But all of us have been t...

Today we’re going to talk about a new rule of the Acoustic Asylum. There are many rules to escape the Asylum and beat The Gatekeeper. Today’s rule is face up to your Michael Myers. On the guitar, we all have our Michael Myers, things that we fear. He’s very much like the fear of failure. So how do you overcome that? In today’s episode, I discuss the steps you can take to face your fears and overco...

Today’s episode is about a new rule of the Acoustic Asylum that’s all about embracing the Game of Tones (yes, that’s a pun on the TV show Game of Thrones). This rule is about tone. Make a game of improving your tone. The best players out there spend a lot of time working on their technique because it helps their tone improve so much more. Tone comes from the fingers. I’m going to play you some exa...

In today’s episode, we’ll talk about music, cinema, and blues. Movies were probably one of my main introductions to music. I fell in love with movie soundtracks and, as a result, with music. Inspired by movies and doubleheaders in cinema, for the March lessons in the Dan Thorpe Acoustic Academy, I have a doubleheader of blues coming up. I’ve created two blues lessons, both very different. In the e...

In today’s episode, I talk about the horrors of guitar playing, kind of. I was reminded by the movie The Exorcist that often people put on bravado about how scary something is, whether it’s a movie or their struggles with the guitar. People often downplay how much they practise, how hard they find it.   It’s important to be honest if you’re struggling and it’s hard. That honesty goes a long way. I...

In the latest episode, I discuss a new rule of the asylum, which is to top up your inspiration jar. It’s an imaginary jar filled with your inspiration, dreams, and reasons why you want to play. Often when you first start out playing the guitar, this jar will be full, which makes you motivated to pick up and learn the guitar.   But with time, and the challenges most guitarists face when starting ou...

Today I talk about the power of community. It’s such an important thing in the world of music. Learning an instrument like the guitar can be a lonely experience. In the episode, I suggest a number of ways you can connect with other guitar players and musicians.   Some of the suggestions I discuss include jamming with others, performing in front of others, and more. Community is really important, a...

Today’s episode is about a new rule of the Asylum. It covers every single thing you ever do when you play guitar. The rule is – be at one with your guitar. It’s about having the guitar connected to you, rather than battling it. The goal is to have the guitar be an extension of you.   If you’re battling the guitar, you might tense up and hold your breath, which shouldn’t be the case. It shouldn’t f...

In today’s episode, I want to talk about a new rule of the Asylum. It’s called Find Your Treasure. There are going to be certain things that are like gold to you, things that you love to play, little riffs or styles that you enjoy. It’s key to find these early on in your playing.   In the podcast, I’ll show you some examples of things you might enjoy, things that could become your treasure, and I...

Today we’re celebrating a really big milestone of the Acoustic Asylum podcast – Episode 100! I started this podcast two years ago on a bit of a whim. In these one hundred episodes, I’ve covered some really cool topics. I’d like to thank everyone for listening and coming along on this journey!   I want to give you something to celebrate – I’m giving away a physical copy of my book 13 Ways to Escape...

Today’s podcast is all about dyads. In case you aren’t familiar with them, dyads are just two-string chords. In the episode, I discuss a number of ways you can use dyads, such as bass & treble string dyads, and in particular, I’ll talk about twisted dyads.   Playing dyads is a fantastic way of unlocking the fretboard. Dyads free you up to play mini chords up and down the fretboard. In the epis...

In today’s episode, I talk about a new rule of the asylum that can help guitarists let go of the brake they’re holding on their playing. One common issue is that players let themselves get frustrated. In the episode, I offer some advice on how to overcome frustration.   A lot of guitarists make life harder for themselves by comparing themselves to others. So in today’s podcast, I offer some advice...

In today’s episode, I talk about a legendary musician who once struggled on the guitar. Even brilliant guitarists experience challenges. They make it look easy, but when you get to the root of it, they all struggle. I offer some perspective and advice on the shared challenges faced by every guitarist.   Most guitarists struggle in the early years. One great piece of advice is to not worry about wh...

Today’s episode is about a powerful little thing that will help you learn faster and enjoy your playing more. The magic number 7 is very simple, it’s about memory. A lot of people struggle to learn seven things at once and remember them. To beat the barrier of this magic no. 7, you want to break things up.   When it comes to guitar playing, people often just try to learn a song and remember it in...

In today’s episode, I want to share some things I’ve noticed over the years about the difference between adults and kids learning to play the guitar and why sometimes it is harder learning the guitar as an adult. A big thing I’ve noticed is that kids are often more patient than adults. They don’t mind playing the same piece again and again, whereas as adults, we often rush into wanting to learn as...

In today’s episode, I share another rule of the Acoustic Asylum. The rule is all about growing the bamboo. Bamboo is a plant that takes a long time to grow underground before you can see it flourishing above ground, and guitar playing is very similar to this. A lot of the time in the early days, it is about getting the solid foundations of guitar playing, so you can reap the benefits later on.   I...