Play Guitar Podcast

Why Your Chords Don't Sound As Good As They Should - 474

Many guitarists spend years learning new chords while overlooking the habits that actually make chords sound clean, confident, and musical. In this episode, we'll explore the three biggest reasons your chords aren't sounding their best and what you can do to fix them. Download the Guide to Clear Sounding Chords and learn the simple adjustments that make every chord cleaner, clearer, and easier to play. https://www.playguitaracademy.com/chordguide SHOW NOTES - https://www.playguitaracademy.com/blog/5-things-to-practice-every-single-day-save-decades-of-frustration PLAY GUITAR ACADEMY - Instant access to the tabs, backing tracks, and guitar pro files from all my lick videos, Monthly masterclasses, and weekly Q&A. https://www.playguitaracademy.com 1-on-1 Guitar Lessons - https://www.playguitaracademy.com/play-guitar-coaching PLAY GUITAR PODCAST - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/play-guitar-podcast/id1341900209 https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxjU2Y0L8PoYiTKmCtvpt YOUTUBE (SUBSCRIBE) - https://www.youtube.com/@playguitaracademy FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/PlayGuitarAcademy/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/playguitargroup/ INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/playguitaracademy Copyright ©2026 Play Guitar Academy

Why Most Guitarists Never Benefit From Scale Practice - 473

Most guitarists spend years practicing scales without seeing meaningful improvement because they're focusing on patterns instead of sounds. In this episode, we'll explore why scale practice often fails and how a few simple changes can transform it into a tool for ear training, phrasing, and real musical growth. Download Blues Solo Breakthrough and get the backing tracks, scale diagrams, and complete practice system that goes with today's lesson. https://www.playguitaracademy.com/bluessolobreakthrough SHOW NOTES - https://www.playguitaracademy.com/blog/5-things-to-practice-every-single-day-save-decades-of-frustration PLAY GUITAR ACADEMY - Instant access to the tabs, backing tracks, and guitar pro files from all my lick videos, Monthly masterclasses, and weekly Q&A. https://www.playguitaracademy.com 1-on-1 Guitar Lessons - https://www.playguitaracademy.com/play-guitar-coaching PLAY GUITAR PODCAST - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/play-guitar-podcast/id1341900209 https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxjU2Y0L8PoYiTKmCtvpt YOUTUBE (SUBSCRIBE) - https://www.youtube.com/@playguitaracademy FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/PlayGuitarAcademy/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/playguitargroup/ INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/playguitaracademy Copyright ©2026 Play Guitar Academy

How Great Blues Players Build LONGER Solos - 472

Most blues players don't struggle because they lack licks, they struggle because they don't know how to develop ideas over time. In this episode we'll explore how great blues players create longer solos by connecting, expanding, and evolving simple musical phrases. Download the Blues Elevation Toolkit and learn how to connect your ideas into expressive solos that sound musical instead of repetitive: https://www.playguitaracademy.com/blues-elevation-toolkit SHOW NOTES FOR THIS EPISODE- https://www.playguitaracademy.com/blog/how-great-blues-players-build-longer-solos-p472 PLAY GUITAR ACADEMY - Instant access to the tabs, backing tracks, and guitar pro files from all my lick videos, Monthly masterclasses, and weekly Q&A. https://www.playguitaracademy.com 1-on-1 Guitar Lessons - https://www.playguitaracademy.com/play-guitar-coaching PLAY GUITAR PODCAST - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/play-guitar-podcast/id1341900209 https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxjU2Y0L8PoYiTKmCtvpt YOUTUBE  (SUBSCRIBE)- https://www.youtube.com/@playguitaracademy FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/PlayGuitarAcademy/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/playguitargroup/ INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/playguitaracademy Copyright ©2026 Play Guitar Academy

Why Great Blues Players Leave MORE Space - 471

Most guitar players think better solos come from learning more licks. In reality, one of the biggest differences between average players and great blues players is their ability to leave space. In this episode, Lee demonstrates three simple blues phrases that become dramatically more expressive when strategic rests are added. You'll learn how silence creates anticipation, highlights important target notes, and helps your solos sound more conversational instead of mechanical. If your solos feel rushed, repetitive, or crowded, this lesson will show you how a few well-placed pauses can completely transform your phrasing. In This Episode: * Why great blues players use more space * How rests create tension and anticipation * Three practical blues phrase examples * Using space to strengthen target-note phrasing * Call-and-response concepts for better solos * Why silence is part of the phrase * Simple ways to practice leaving space in your solos Blues Solo Breakthrough (Free Course): https://www.playguitaracademy.com/bluessolobreakthrough Resources & Links: Show Notes: https://www.playguitaracademy.com/blog/why-great-blues-players-leave-more-space Play Guitar Academy: https://www.playguitaracademy.com 1-ON-1 Guitar Coaching: https://www.playguitaracademy.com/play-guitar-coaching YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@playguitaracademy Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxjU2Y0L8PoYiTKmCtvpt Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/play-guitar-podcast/id1341900209 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playguitaracademy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlayGuitarAcademy/ Play Guitar Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/playguitargroup/  

Why PLAYING LESS Can Make You Sound BETTER - 470

Ready to make your blues solos sound more intentional and musical? Download the Blues Elevation Toolkit and learn how to target the notes that matter most in your solos: https://www.playguitaracademy.com/blues-elevation-toolkit --- Most guitar players believe that sounding better means playing more notes. More scales. More licks. More complexity. But many of the greatest blues players do the exact opposite. In this episode, Lee explains why playing less can often make your solos sound stronger, more expressive, and more connected to the music. You'll discover why great players focus on note selection, chord tones, and phrasing instead of simply filling space with more notes. You'll also learn how targeting important notes within the chord progression can transform ordinary pentatonic licks into memorable musical statements. In this episode: • Why more notes often weaken a solo • The hidden danger of becoming a "scale collector" • How great players edit their musical ideas • Why chord tones create stronger phrasing • How vocal melodies can improve your solos • The difference between playing patterns and making music • Ways to make every note count Show Notes: https://www.playguitaracademy.com/blog/why-playing-less-can-make-you-sound-better-470 Continue Your Training: Play Guitar Academy https://www.playguitaracademy.com 1-ON-1 Guitar Coaching https://www.playguitaracademy.com/play-guitar-coaching Blues Solo Breakthrough https://www.playguitaracademy.com/bluessolobreakthrough Follow Play Guitar Academy: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@playguitaracademy Instagram https://www.instagram.com/playguitaracademy Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PlayGuitarAcademy/ Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/playguitargroup/ © 2026 Play Guitar Academy. All rights reserved.