Can you already play and sing but want to expand your creative possibilities? Do you want to add more power and sophistication to your skills? Do you feel you could contribute more to your band if you knew more?

After the first years of music making, we musicians often find ourselves stuck on a plateau of ability. We’ve gone as far as our strengths can carry us and need to develop more depth of understanding. Weak areas in our playing begin holding us back. Writers may find lacking a variety of knowledge is starting to make their songs sound all the same.

Many serious musicians benefit from a well designed, focused practice routine that maximizes time use.

Some Intermediate to Advanced Skills

Soloing

• Devices and strategies
• Scales, modes and patterns
• What to play with what chord
• Arpeggios
• Improving speed

Chords

• Chord voicings, choices, and substitutions
• Playing bass, chords, and melody at the same time
• Jazz accompaniment

Time and rhythm work

• Play steadier and more dynamically
• Expanding your vocabulary of and flexibility with rhythms
• Get the most out of a phrase
• Jazz and world rhythms

Developing a melody

Left hand development (or right hand for lefties)

• Fingerpicking
• Hybrid picking
• Flatpicking studies

Ear training

Learn to recognize what you hear more quickly and with greater accuracy. Helps you solo better, sing in tune, and be more sensitive to melody.

Practical Theory

Intervals, triads. tetrachords, closed and open voiced chords, turnarounds, scales and modes

Lifts

Develop the skill to replicate melodies, solos and rhythms accurately from tracks you like.

Alternate tunings, slide tunings

Note reading