The Acoustic Asylum

Ep93 – Making 2025 the Best for Your Guitar Playing

Happy New Year! Today’s episode is all about how to get the most out of your guitar playing in 2025. I offer some advice on how you can improve your guitar playing by being consistent. It’s about staying persistent and seeing incremental improvements.
 
It can be tough to stick with it and do the hard work. You might ask yourself, is it worth it? Of course it’s worth it, being able to play an instrument is up there with the best achievements people have. So, it’s important to remember the 1% rule of making things even a little bit better. If you do that, you will succeed!
 
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!

Ep92 – Christmas Joy and Motivation

Today’s episode is all about the joy of Christmas and that warm and fuzzy feeling of the holidays. In the episode, I talk about guitar Christmas gifts, motivation for 2025, and the struggle we all might face in finding motivation to practise.
 
If you struggle, it’s important to remember that it’s temporary. It’s important to think of it as a test that you can overcome. I talk about the Krampus and the Gatekeeper’s attempts to hold you back. It’s important to just enjoy and embrace the good feelings of the holidays that can help you stay motivated.
 
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!

Ep91 – The Final Weeks of 2024 and How to Get the Most Out of Them

In today’s episode, I talk about the last few weeks of this year and how to get the most out of them when it comes to your guitar playing. The main thing is to pick a manageable goal, one that isn’t too demanding and that you can actually manage in the time there is. It’s important to pick something that is a challenge, but one that you can achieve.
 
In the episode, I offer advice on how to break things down into smaller parts when setting a goal. I give some examples of a goal you could pick and how to break it down so it’s realistic and still a bit challenging. If you end the year strong, it will give you great momentum going into the new year.
 
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!
 

Ep90 – The A to Z of Strumming

The other day I sent out an email on the A to Z of Strumming, with a series of tips for improving your strumming. In today’s episode, I cover some of those tips, going into depth looking at them. Some of these include the way you attack the strings when strumming, chords, improvisation, listening to music, patterns, and more.
 
When it comes to mastering chord changes, pick just one set of chords and practise changing back and forth between them back and forth. I talk about how to liven up your strumming, by covering some core skills which will allow you to improvise more. I’ll also play some exciting strumming patterns you can learn. 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!

Ep89 – Why This Time of Year Is Truly Wonderful for Guitarists!

It may seem early, but today we’re talking about Christmas and brushing up on your Christmas songs. Every year you can enjoy learning Christmas songs and take the opportunity to refresh the songs you’ve already learnt and improve them so that they get better.
 
A fun way to learn several Christmas songs at once is through a medley, so in the episode, I also share a fun Christmas medley with you that I’ve created. You can learn this medley as part of my Christmas Crackers course. Now is the perfect time to get started on learning one or even a medley of Christmas songs.
 
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!

Ep88 – Overcoming Negativity

Today we’re talking about when negativity smacks you around the head and how to overcome it. I discuss a student’s experience of wanting to quit, and how, frequently, we’re being too hard on ourselves.
 
The important thing is perseverence. You just have to keep going and try not to be too hard on yourself. Sometimes sharing some tips you have learnt with beginners can help you feel great about how far you’ve come. I share some advice on how to not get stuck in the negative mindset.
 
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!
 

Ep87 – The “Growth Mindset”

In today’s podcast, I’m talking about the peaks and troughs of learning guitar. Often life gets in the way, but it’s normal and natural to have moments when your progress accelerates and when it slows down a little bit. It’s important to enjoy the journey.
 
One thing that I discuss that is very useful is the “growth mindset”. It’s all about believing in your ability to develop through hard work and dedication. I talk about the importance of using this form of thinking for your guitar journey.
 
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!

Ep86 – The Fingerpicking Bootcamp

In today’s podcast, I’m talking about my new course, The Fingerpicking Bootcamp, which is a clear, actionable, fun course designed to give you something for the short term and the long term. Long term, you don’t want to burn out or injure yourself, but short term you want to see results and that’s what this course is all about.
 
I talk a bit about all the things we cover in the 21 days of the course, including rhythms, triads, Travis picking, fingerpicking patterns, riffs and pumps, and more. I also play some examples of the different patterns you can learn in the course and discuss some of the super useful bonuses you’ll get with the course.  
 
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!

Ep85 – Sleep, Strumming, and Dynamics

In today’s podcast, we’re looking at three things that can improve your guitar playing. First off, I talk about the importance of sleep. I talk about the three stages of sleep, sleep hygiene and the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. Maximising your sleep is certainly going to make you feel more focused when practising.
 
In the second part of the episode, I talk about expanding your dynamic range in your strumming and how to improve your strumming overall. I cover a range of tips and tricks and also offer advice on what picks to use for strumming.
 
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!

Ep84 – Trusting Your Ears

Today’s episode is all about the bad habit of relying on your sense of sight too much. I use an example that Billy Joel brings up about a wrong notation for one of his songs. It often happens that people rely on their eyes over their ears. Sometimes you might be misreading some notation, but it’s important to trust your ears so as not to make mistakes.
 
In the second part of the episode, I give you a fun little challenge to test your ears. I play a couple of chords and give you the chance to work them out for yourself before revealing the answer. It’s useful to do little challenges like this to train your ears.
 
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!