The Acoustic Asylum
If learning guitar leaves you feeling mad, frustrated, or like you want to tear your hair out, this podcast is for you. Dan Thorpe specialises in teaching beginner guitar lessons to older adults. If you want to discover Dan’s methods for the best way to learn guitar, to play easy guitar songs while having more fun, and to do so without feeling like you have a one-way ticket to the Acoustic Asylum, then listen closely and... Join us as Dan shares the best tips, tricks, and motivating stories from his 10,000+ hours of teaching beginner guitar songs and techniques... All of which will help you on your guitar-playing journey immediately. Get two free and exclusive eBooks and more unique lessons from fingerstyle101.com/free
Listen on:
Episodes
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
I’ve spoken before about the Gatekeeper of the Acoustic Asylum. The Gatekeeper represents a lot of what’s out there in the guitar world. So today’s episode is all about beating the Gatekeeper as he tries to take your dreams and crush them.
The best way to defeat the Gatekeeper is to become the best guitarist you can be. One way you can do this is by working out melodies as a way of honing your skills. In the episode, I offer you some tips and tricks on working out melodies and honing your skills to develop your guitar superpowers. Take a listen and unlock your superpower!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course, which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!
Friday Oct 31, 2025
Friday Oct 31, 2025
If you’ve followed my lessons and podcast for a while, you’ll know about my T.E.S.T. method. Today we’re going to talk about one of the key elements of the method – Time Management. So many people struggle with it, often they don’t have a practice routine.
In the episode, I give you some advice on how to tackle this common issue. You can create a “to-do” list, which will really help you organise what you need to focus on. This will help your practice be more structured and productive. Take a listen for detailed advice!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course, which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!
Friday Oct 24, 2025
Friday Oct 24, 2025
Today, I'm bringing you a fantastic interview with Tomas Michaud. Tomas is a flamenco guitarist who has some great advice to offer on all things guitar. In the episode, we talk about Tomas’ continued journey of learning as an established and incredible tutor and guitarist.
Tomas offers some excellent tips on how to avoid getting too fixated, but still stay motivated. We also chat about fun topics such as the reality of touring, the beginning of the guitar journey, going off on tangents, favourite chords, and more! Take a listen and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course, which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!
Friday Oct 17, 2025
Friday Oct 17, 2025
In today’s episode, we’re talking about a rule of the asylum, which is using the magnifying glass. A lot of people learn songs by practising the whole song. However, if you’re struggling with a song, it’s a really good idea to break it down.
I talk about how to break down a song, giving you several examples of how to simplify learning a song. It’s all about working on the individual parts that make up the whole of the piece. This will highlight any underlying issues, so you can fix them. Take a listen and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course, which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!
Friday Sep 19, 2025
Friday Sep 19, 2025
In today’s episode, I’m going to talk about David Gilmour and a very interesting quote of his. A lot of people think they might have anything in common with David Gilmour, but there's a reason it's worth learning about your guitar heroes.
You don't need to be as famous as David Gilmour to express yourself on the guitar. There's so much you can do! I'll show you a couple of examples of what you can jam. It's a great way to have fun and express yourself. Take a listen and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course, which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!
Friday Sep 12, 2025
Friday Sep 12, 2025
Today, I want to talk about your guitar. It’s all about making sure the guitar you play is comfortable for you. Ideally, the best way to find the best guitar for you is to go to a physical guitar shop and try several guitars.
It’s important to remember that it’s all about your fingers, your body, and what you like the feel and sound of, without thinking about brand names or what others think. Take a listen to the episode to find out the tips and advice I have for finding the best guitar for you!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course, which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!
Monday Sep 01, 2025
Monday Sep 01, 2025
In today’s episode, I talk about the worst way to practise or learn a song and how to avoid this. Time is limited, and you don’t want to end up feeling like you’re wasting it, struggling to learn a song. When you’re learning a new song, you really want to break things up into smaller sections to learn.
This is where the 10x Method really helps. In the episode, I talk about how to use and apply the method to streamline the process of learning a song, so you don’t forget what you are learning. Take a listen and improve your process!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course, which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!
Friday Aug 22, 2025
Friday Aug 22, 2025
Today, I'm bringing you a super fun interview with Robert Lunn. In the episode, we had a great chat on some really important topics, including why playing gig-ready, simple yet stunning arrangements of songs is so important, how to keep the passion when learning songs, and how Robert created a wonderful piece which started off as an exercise to just learn some new software!
Robert is a great chap, so I hope you enjoy (and listen to the end for a funny story from Robert). Take a listen and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!
Wednesday Aug 20, 2025
Wednesday Aug 20, 2025
Today’s episode is all about my recent trip, discovering music when you travel, and taking breaks from the guitar. When you travel, music is everywhere. It’s really fun discovering different street musicians and even taking trips down memory lane when you hear your favourite songs.
Travelling for me often means stepping away from the guitar, but this can also be beneficial. There are even studies that show that spreading out your practice can help you learn better. On the other hand, new environments and experiences can also help fuel your motivation! Take a listen to the episode and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!
Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
Wednesday Aug 13, 2025
In today’s episode, we have a great interview with Andy Schneider. We had a chat on a whole variety of topics, such as getting ready to play live, bluegrass jamming, how to get started with the blues, and why playing with others is so powerful!
Andy's a super nice chap to chat to, and I found that after this interview, I couldn't help but go have a good ol' jam of my own. I hope Andy and this interview inspire you too!
There’s a lot to enjoy here, especially if you've dreamt of playing live but haven't done so yet. Take a listen and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this podcast, you can get my free “guitar secrets” video course which will help all beginners or those who are “stuck”. Get the course for free, exclusively at - https://fingerstyle101.com/secrets/
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!