The Acoustic Asylum

Ep11 - The Rules of The Asylum: Rule #3 – Why You Must Reward Yourself (Ignore at Your Peril)

Today, we’re talking about rule #3 of the Acoustic Asylum. It’s a super simple little rule that most guitarists sadly ignore. Yet, if you follow this rule, you’ll be more motivated, inspired, and resilient with your playing.
 
Little rewards on the guitar go a long way. Of course, when you achieve bigger goals, give yourself a bigger reward. Either way, rewarding your success is key. No one else will do it for you. Enjoy each moment and savour each victory! In fact, this is such an important thing to do that I’ve created the “5 Song Club”. Listen to today’s episode to find out more about it and the power of rewards!
 
You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

Ep10 – 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum (And Ensure the Guitar Never Drives You Mad Again)

In Today’s episode, I have some exciting news. I’m unveiling a brand-new guide to go along with this podcast. It’s called 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum (And Ensure the Guitar Never Drives You Mad Again). Inside, you’ll discover 13 powerful ways to improve your playing, have more fun, and play real songs (as well as some original pieces of music). Plus, I’ll share tips to help you make all the songs you already know how to play sound even better.
 
Have a listen for more, and to get the guide, simply leave this podcast a review on Apple Podcasts (you can always ask a family member to review it on your behalf if you don’t have an iPhone but they do have one). Then get in touch (email us at hq@acousticasylum.com or contact me any way you like) and then, either myself or a member of my team will email the guide to you at first chance.
 
Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!
 

Ep9 – 3 Simple Tips to Improve Your Rhythm, Groove, and Creativity

Today I want to share with you some simple tips to help you improve three key aspects of your playing. We’re starting off by talking about songwriting, creating melodies on your guitar, and how being creative can even help you improve your brain age!
 
Then we move on to why foot tapping is essential for beginners and possibly even more important as you develop your guitar playing. Finally, we’re talking about barre chords, and one key benefit of learning them (which is something most people never really mention). Plus, I have a little surprise for you at the end of the podcast, so do listen to the end!
 
 
You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!
 

Ep8 - The Rules Of The Asylum: Rule #2 - The Power of Breathing

In the latest episode, we are talking about the power of the breath and how it can benefit your playing. This also happens to be Rule #2 of the Acoustic Asylum to help you escape bad guitar-playing habits.
People often forget to breathe and relax when they play. Instead, they end up hunched over and tense. Focusing on your breath can help improve your practice and overall playing. I talk about a number of breathing tips, including diaphragmatic breathing. These exercises will help you relax and let go of any tension.
You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

Ep7 – Getting Started With Songwriting and Killer Chord Progressions

In this episode we are talking songwriting and specifically chord progressions. In case you don’t know, in the Fingerstyle 101 Facebook Group we are doing a songwriting challenge which is going to be lots of fun.
The key of our song is G Major, but “where do you begin with writing songs?” you might wonder. Well, I often like to begin with a solid chord progression. So in today’s episode, I'm sharing with you the chords in the key of G, and a whole bunch of chord progressions for you to try, plus some tips on jamming them. Remember, creativity is good for the brain, soul, and fingers, so let’s get to it! I hope you enjoy it.
You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

Ep6 - The Rules Of The Asylum: Rule #1 - Do This Every Single Day

Welcome to a new feature I’ve created for the podcast. It's the "Rules of the Asylum”. 
On the guitar, there are many lessons, principles, and “rules” that I recommend students follow. I find the most successful students are the ones who follow these rules as closely as possible. Today we're talking about the #1 rule I tell everyone and I give some examples of the rule in the context of speeding up your chord changes, ear training, and some simple fingerpicking.
You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

Ep5 - The Magic Of Pull-Offs (And A Simple 2-Step Process For Using Them)

'Pull-offs' are a powerful technique that every guitarist should learn... Yet, many beginners struggle with them. In this episode of the Acoustic Asylum I share with you the biggest mistake I see guitarists make when it comes to pull-offs (which can drive us mad) and exactly how to fix this mistake.
I also share a simple 2-step process for mastering pull-offs and using them in your playing. Get good at pull-offs and you'll have a powerful technique you can use in your playing forever!
You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

Ep4 - A Fun 10 Question Ear Training Test To Keep The ’Gatekeeper’ Away!

Training your ears and improving your aural skills is one of the most underrated things you can do as a guitarist. Not enough teachers test their students on it and it's hard to test yourself. Therefore, here's a fun 10 question ear training test inspired by the quizzes inside the Dan Thorpe Acoustic Academy. The test is suitable for all guitarists no matter if you've played for a week, a year, or a decade. Give the test a go, enjoy the podcast and if you do, don't forget to subscribe and leave it a review!

Ep3 - The Power of a Positive Mindset (and fixing mistakes like shooting zombies in the head)

Today, we're talking about the power of mindset, and why you need to be careful of the ‘voice inside your head’ when you practice guitar.
Not only that, but I share some specific tips on fixing mistakes (which will help with your self-belief and mindset). This includes a rather over the top analogy of treating mistakes like a zombie and blasting them in the head with a shotgun! It's fun stuff, don't miss it!
You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

Ep2 - Five practice tips to keep you out of the Acoustic Asylum

Today we are talking five very powerful practice tips that I get all my students to follow.
If you want to stay out of the 'Acoustic Asylum' and avoid the wrath of the "Gatekeeper", make sure you use these tips - they'll make you a better guitarist).
You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!