Playing over backing tracks is one of the most effective ways to improve on the guitar. I used them for years with my students and I still use them when I practice. What is a backing track A backing track is a recording of a song’s instrumental parts — drums, bass, keys and sometimes vocals…
Free download Tuning guide and types of tuners (PDF, in Portuguese) We always carry our phones in our pockets, and there’s a musical curiosity in them that almost nobody notices. For a musician, it can even come in handy. At least it did for me. Two broken strings and no tuner I was about to…
Free download Metronome click sounds (RAR) A metronome is essential for playing and recording in time. The problem is that the default “click” in recording software — Cubase, Pro Tools, Reaper, Ableton, Audacity — can get irritating after a few hours in the studio. So I put together a set of metronome sounds that are…
One of the questions I heard most from my students was: “I already know the scales… now how do I improvise?” In this video I show how to use three minor scales to build a solo with more direction and variety: Minor pentatonic — the foundation of almost every rock and blues solo. With just…
Free download Minuet in G Major — sheet music and tab (PDF) Minuet in G Major — audio (MP3) Few pieces are as familiar to anyone learning music as this Minuet in G Major. I played it on classical guitar at a calm tempo, so you can hear every note: it’s simple, luminous music, perfect…
Free download Portuguese National Anthem — tab and backing track (RAR) “A Portuguesa”, with music by Alfredo Keil and lyrics by Henrique Lopes de Mendonça, has been Portugal’s national anthem since 1911. This instrumental version for electric guitar is an adaptation by guitarist Jimmy Oliveira, to whom I send my congratulations. So that anyone can…
