The Acoustic Asylum

Ep31 – The Halloween Demons of the Guitar World Are Chasing After You Right Now

Today is, of course, Halloween… It’s a time of year that I love. In honour of this night, here is something fun to help you improve your guitar playing on this fateful night…
 
Beware of these evil creatures lurking right now who are looking to ruin your guitar playing. These include the ‘Death Grip Demon’, ‘Ghostly Guitarists’, ‘The Devil on Your Shoulder’, ‘Hellhound Helpers’, the ‘Time Troll’, and more.
 
Don’t forget about the leader of this ghastly pack – the ‘Gatekeeper’ of the Acoustic Asylum. He has a sinister snarl as he’s prowling the streets tonight, looking for new inmates for the asylum.
 
Those who have tried and failed at learning to play guitar many times are at his mercy. Guitar playing can be challenging, but never entertain the idea of giving up…Because the ‘Gatekeeper’ and his friends are ready to strike and call time on your guitar playing.
 
Listen today for help with beating these demons once and for all.
 
You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the 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!
 

Ep30 – Travelling Through Time with the Music of Our Lives

This week’s episode is all about memories and music. Today, we are looking at how music is the soundtrack to our lives.
 
Music is incredibly important to so many of us, and having all those little songs that we associate with different events in our lives is very powerful. Being a guitarist, one of the best things is that you can play these songs on the guitar or start learning them. Playing the songs that you love, even if you can’t play them exactly as the original artists, is a great motivation.
 
Being a musician also allows you to analyse the songs that you love, so you are able to understand them. Listen to the music you love, it can help your playing both when your motivation is high and when you are struggling. In the episode, I also talk about the origin story of the “Gatekeeper”, who is a recurring character of the Acoustic Asylum podcast, as well as the importance of enjoying your playing.
 
This episode will help you realise all the ways in which listening to the music you love can help your guitar playing and help you enjoy every moment of playing the guitar.
 
You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the 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!

Ep29 – 10 Tips to HELP You Improve the Fundamentals (And a Lesson from the Movie The Shining)

This week’s episode is all about improving the fundamentals. Today, we are looking at 10 powerful tips that will help your playing every single day.
 
On the guitar, people often try to run before they can walk. However, making little improvements regularly will help you compound your skills over time. Today, we are looking at 10 tips that focus on improving the fundamentals of your playing.
 
These tips include playing with the least amount of pressure (which will help end the so-called “Death Grip”), a special tip inspired by the movie The Shining, a simple strumming tip, the importance of not looking back and forth between hands, and many other tips that focus on your picking tone, relaxation, learning a lick, and much more.
 
This episode will help you learn how to focus on the fundamentals on a daily basis so that the small improvements compound over time and your skills improve greatly.
 
You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the 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!

Ep28 – The Rules of The Asylum: Rule #9 – Play Along With Others (It’s Not As Scary As It Seems)

This week’s episode is all about Rule #9 of the Acoustic Asylum. Today, we are looking at the importance of playing along with others.
 
Music is all about the social aspect and playing along with others is a great way of enjoying music and exercising your guitar skills. If you play along with others, you will improve your playing, pick up little tips, you’ll notice what you need to work on, and most importantly, you’ll have fun.
 
In today’s episode, I talk about how to transition from never having played along with anyone to playing with other people. One of the tips I share is about playing with recordings, which is a great first step towards playing with others.
 
I also share some little examples for you to play along with me and start your adventures of playing with others. We’re going to do a bit of blues, a bit of strumming, and a bit of fingerpicking. So, give it a listen and get ready to play along with me.
 
This episode will help you take that first step to start playing with others, gain greater confidence, and have fun while doing so.
 
You can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the 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!
 

Ep27 – The Lucky Number 13 and Win a Copy of My Latest Book

This week’s episode is all about the number 13. Today, we are looking at turning an unlucky number into a lucky one and how you can win a paperback copy of my latest book.
 
There are many negative associations with the number 13, but not everything about the number 13 is bad. The 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum book is a guide that is full of great tips, some of which I share in this episode. Listeners who leave the podcast a review on Apple Podcasts will also get a chance to win a paperback copy of the book. Simply leave the podcast a review on Apple Podcasts and let us know by emailing hq@acousticasylum.com or replying to any of our emails.
 
In this episode, I share some tips about playing and I give you a quick ear training test to check out your aural skills and have some fun. One of the tips I share is the main piece of advice I give all students to make sure they always enjoy practising and playing the guitar. I also share why you shouldn’t rely on your eyes when playing guitar and how closing them can help heighten your skills. Finally, I talk about the importance of slowing down.
 
This episode will test your ear training skills, it will help you discover simple tips that will improve your musicality and make daily practice more enjoyable.
 
Don’t forget, you can get the PDF copy for free (at https://acousticasylum.com/) and you can enter the draw to win a paperback copy of the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum, by leaving a review and letting us know by emailing us at hq@acousticasylum.com or replying to any of our emails. You can join the mailing 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!

Ep26 – The Little-Known Reasons Why You Should Learn Music Theory

This week’s episode is all about music theory. Today, we are looking at why music theory is important, why it is so useful, and why you should learn it.
 
There are plenty of benefits and practical advantages to learning some music theory. For example, it can save you tonnes of time and help you avoid certain mistakes. But perhaps most importantly, it offers a lot of clarity on the different elements that are so key to guitar playing. Some guitar pros might say they never studied theory, but in the episode, I talk about why they might not be fully explaining one key thing. We’ll take a look at how music theory isn’t just theory, it’s practical. I also share some snippets of music, including some cool chord progressions and some advice on how theory can help you avoid creating awful sounds on your guitar.
 
This episode will help you gain clarity on how best to learn theory, how it can help you on your guitar-playing journey, and how it will make seeing and achieving progress easier for you.
 
Don’t forget, you can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the 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!

Ep25 – The ‘10x Method’ for Improving Your Songs, Musicality, and Memory

This week’s episode is all about the “10x Method”. Today, we are looking at a framework that ties together all the different ideas I teach into one solid plan you can use.   
 
Focused practice is key to improving your playing. The 10x Method is a structured, simple plan that summarises all the key elements that will help you improve on your guitar-playing journey. It will also help you solidify things you already know and remember more. If you are familiar with my teaching methods, you might recognise some of the elements that make up the 10x Method, such as the Five Times Rule, the importance of slowing down, etc.
 
In today’s podcast episode, I’m taking you through the 10x Method, looking at breaking things down into smaller chunks and learning a smaller part, the importance of visualisation, slowing down the tempo, checking your posture, and playing your small chunk 10 times in a row, without errors.
 
I’m sharing this method with you, along with some examples of how to apply it, so you can start applying it to your playing right away.
 
This episode will help you make your practice time much more effective. Using the 10x method will make your playing sound smoother. It will solidify the different parts of your practice into one, and you will see instant progress in your playing.
 
Don’t forget, you can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the 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!

Ep24 – The Rules of The Asylum: Rule #8 – Rhythm Is King

This week’s podcast episode is all about Rule #8 of the Asylum. Today, I’m sharing some thoughts on how to develop good rhythm.
 
Often people feel they “lack rhythm” and get frustrated about this, especially since good rhythm skills are crucial for absolutely everything. The good news is, I truly believe no one is born with rhythm, rather good rhythm has to be developed.
 
This means you can start developing your rhythm today. So, I’ll show you a simple exercise to start improving your rhythm. I’ll talk about how to use a metronome so you can feel confident as you work on your rhythm skills.
 
I share a two-chord test you can apply regularly to see how your rhythm is improving. We’ll look at a fun rhythmic shift that can make your scales sound more interesting.
 
I’ll also tell you about The Gatekeeper’s backstory – why he has no rhythm and the evil dance he does when he locks someone up in the Acoustic Asylum. (Check out the earlier podcast episodes to discover more about The Gatekeeper!)
 
This episode is very practical and will be really useful for you if you want better rhythm skills. It’s a great opportunity to start improving your sense of rhythm, which will help improve your overall playing.
 
Don’t forget, you can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the 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!
 
 

Ep23 – The Rules of The Asylum: Rule #7 – Failure Is Not Permanent

Today’s episode is all about Rule #7 of the Asylum. In this podcast, I’m sharing a few examples of how failure isn’t permanent.
 
I sometimes see that people learning guitar are scarred by past experiences. If they failed with one of many elements of the guitar, it still haunts them. This nearly happened to me as well. After all, it took me three attempts to learn the guitar. Do not let yourself get bogged down by the past.
 
Sometimes a break can recharge your batteries. The important thing is to keep trying. Failing is okay, just remember to try again.
 
I also talk about a little demon I conquered in my own life over the weekend, one that has been nagging me for the past 7 years. It involved swimming in freezing cold water, and all kinds of other crazy stuff.
 
This episode will be helpful if you ever suffer from self-doubt or you feel your confidence is low. It will help you stay resilient and strong on your guitar-playing journey.
 
Don’t forget, you can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the 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!

Ep22 – My 10-Year Anniversary and Why We All Need a Moment of Reflection on the Guitar

Today’s episode is a very special one. In this podcast, I’m sharing my backstory of how I started teaching guitar full time and why we all need a moment of reflection when learning the guitar.
 
It’s a bit of a longer episode, but I’m not just waffling on for the sake of it. I’m sharing my story to hopefully inspire you. That’s because, even if you struggle on the guitar some days, you no doubt have come a long way since you began. These moments of reflection are super important to help drive you forward so you can be the best guitarist possible and learn guitar with more joy.
 
…Inside I talk about things such as the horrific job I left ten years ago to teach guitar full-time… I also talk about a student of mine called Graham whose wife was diagnosed with dementia so they changed their lives and lived it to the fullest… And I talk about one of my longest-term students, called Cos, who struggled to make progress at first but then rapidly improved due to one simple shift in thinking.
 
Plus, I reveal some of the new and exciting things coming up, such as my plans to work with a dementia charity, how I aim to revolutionise the guitar tuition world, and my new No Chord Fingerstyle course.
 
I hope this episode inspires you and I want to say a HUGE thank you for being part of the journey with me. I’m super excited for the next ten years and I hope they’ll be even more exciting and downright awesome for you and your guitar playing.
 
Don’t forget, you can get more tips, advice, and a powerful new free eBook on the 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum from me, Dan Thorpe, by joining the 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!