Category: Blog

  • The “not good enough” feeling never fully goes away

    The “not good enough” feeling never fully goes away

    Right now, I’m busy in the recording studio.

    After years of my band going full DIY and doing everything ourselves, we scraped together the money and booked an awesome studio with a talented producer to record our next EP.

    We have already finished recording the drums and the bass, so until now I’ve mostly been listening, making suggestions, cheerleading, and giving moral support. But now it’s time for the guitars. And to be honest, I’m pretty nervous. I’ve been playing for more than 30 years, I’ve played countless gigs, I’ve been recording in studios again and again, I’ve been teaching guitar for more than 15 years… And still I’m nervous.

    So I’ve been practicing a LOT lately, trying to REALLY nail down the parts both in accuracy and expression. To not waste our time (and money), to not embarrass myself, and to help make this the best recording we can create. (And I’ve got the feeling it’s going to be awesome!)

    Nothing as motivating as a high-stakes deadline 😀

    So what’s the moral of the story? Maybe it’s that no matter how far you are on your journey or how “good” you get, there’s always a bit of doubt or the fear of not being good enough.

    On the bright side, this is an endless journey of playing, learning, having fun, and getting better and better, and you’re providing your own awesome soundtrack.

    ​

    Here’s another great little piece from my book Fernando Carulli’s “École de Guitare.“, No. 32 Waltz
    Download the PDF with the score in standard notation and tablature, along with the MIDI-generated audio files, here:
    ​https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mHj-9DONogI2niku5iPQ9y_8jRbWhHOP/view?usp=sharing​

    ​

    If you’re interested, check out Ferdinando Carulli’s Guitar School: Ècole de Guitare, Op.241 – In Standard Notation and Tablature on amazon!​
    Get it here: https://link.amazon/B00zSrA6z​

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Fresh from the press: Mauro Giuliani’s Etudes for Guitar

    Fresh from the press: Mauro Giuliani’s Etudes for Guitar

    Sometimes, when you’re on a roll, you’re on a roll.

    Over the years, I’ve collected quite a few unfinished projects on my computer, and some of them are real gems. Among them are a lot of great pieces by Mauro Giuliani. Things have been going really well lately, and I’ve completed the transcriptions of four of his collections of etudes. I transcribed Giuliani’s Op.1 Study for the Guitar a few years back, and this new book is the perfect companion.

    Mauro Giuliani’s Etudes for Guitar brings together four of his most well-known collections of etudes and exercises: “32 Easy Pieces ‘Le Papillon’, Op.50”, “18 Progressive Studies, Op.51”, “24 Studies for the Guitar, Op.100”, and “24 Exercises for the Guitar, Op.48”. Altogether, that’s 98 wonderful pieces by the “Mozart of Guitar.” The difficulty ranges from easy to intermediate, and as always with Giuliani, they sound great.

    For example, here’s a great etude from 24 Studies for the Guitar, Op.100, No.1 Masestoso for you.It’s a short, sweet, and not too difficult piece called a “Cadenza.” This means it was intended to be played freely or as an improvisational section within a larger piece, often to show off some skill.

    Download the PDF with the score in standard notation and tablature, along with the MIDI-generated audio files, here:​
    ​https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uqO_SURCLPJ6RJ1VNjtZ_bWKQROHBiz1/view?usp=sharing​

    ​

    Check out Mauro Giuliani’s Etudes for Guitar: 98 Exercises, Lessons and Pieces in Standard Notation and Tablature on Amazon!​
    Get it here: https://link.amazon/B00jaxpW2

    Enjoy!

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • I haven’t practiced for a week 🙂

    When I’m not playing guitar or writing guitar books, I really enjoy playing computer games, especially flight simulators. I’ve been “flying” online with this one group for years now, and lots of us have become real friends. So much that we started meeting in real life a few years ago. We’ve met in Munich, in Amsterdam, and this year, we met in Vienna.

    So over the last extended weekend I had the pleasure of welcoming friends from all over Europe and the US to my home town. We visited all the must-see sights, ate and drank and talked and laughed a lot, and really had a great time. For me it was a bit weird, a typical city trip, but I slept at home. 😀 I really enjoyed it, and I’m already looking forward to meeting them again in a few months, in some other place.

    And all that time, I didn’t touch my guitar even once. I didn’t even think about it. And that’s fine. A few days off don’t matter at all. Especially if you’re spending them with friends. What matters are all the other days. So don’t be angry at yourself if you miss a day of practice. Or even a month. What really matters is starting again, and continuing.

    Here’s another great little piece from my new book Fernando Carulli’s famous guitar method, his Op.241, “École de Guitare.”​
    Download the PDF with the score in standard notation and tablature, along with the MIDI-generated audio files, here:
    ​    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RcjSPQ5oFzR1GYt9-hjHVuKMZIkwZgM-/view?usp=sharing​

    If you’re interested, check out Ferdinando Carulli’s Guitar School: Ècole de Guitare, Op.241 – In Standard Notation and Tablature on amazon!​
    Get it here: https://amzn.to/4gEQrUX​

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Fresh from the press: “Ferdinando Carulli’s Guitar School: Ècole de Guitare, Op.241 “

    Fresh from the press: “Ferdinando Carulli’s Guitar School: Ècole de Guitare, Op.241 “

    I’ve just published my new book “Ferdinando Carulli’s Guitar School: Ècole de Guitare, Op.241 – In Standard Notation and Tablature”.

    Ferdinando Carulli’s complete guitar method, now with tablature.

    First published around 1825, École de Guitare, Op. 241 is the final version of the method Ferdinando Carulli (1770–1841) had been developing since 1810. Carulli spent his career in Paris, where he was the most sought-after guitar teacher of his day and composed over 400 works for the instrument. The studies and short pieces from his method have never left circulation, individual numbers still appear in graded syllabi from the Royal Conservatory and other examination boards.

    This edition presents the complete method in standard notation and tablature, making Carulli’s original material accessible to players who read tab, notation, or both.

    Inside:

    • Basic Principles of Music
    • 56 Progressive Pieces
    • Scales and Exercises up to 9th Position
    • Slurs, Embellishments and Trills
    • Double Stops and Harmonics
    • 6 Etudes

    The method moves in small steps. The first part works through the first position key by key, introducing chords, arpeggios, and progressive pieces alongside each new key signature. The second part opens outward to slurs, embellishments, the higher positions, double stops, and harmonics, closing with six etudes.

    BONUS: Downloadable MIDI-generated audio files for all 140 exercises.

    Whether you’re returning to classical study after years away or diving into serious guitar literature for the first time, this edition makes Carulli’s iconic guitar method accessible without compromising its pedagogical integrity.

    Get your copy of “FERDINANDO CARULLI’S GUITAR SCHOOL” now from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4gEQrUX

    Enjoy!

    ​

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Fresh from the press: “The Bach Cello Suites for Guitar, 3rd Edition”

    Fresh from the press: “The Bach Cello Suites for Guitar, 3rd Edition”

    I’ve just published the 3rd edition of my book “THE BACH CELLO SUITES FOR GUITAR: In Standard Notation and Tablature”.

    This was one of my first books, and over the years, I’ve received lots of valuable feedback. This third edition is a complete rewrite of the transcription.

    Readers of the first two editions told me what was not working, and the two things that came up most often were that the tablature was hard to read and the fingerings were a bit awkward. Both have been rewritten from scratch. The tab is larger and cleaner, the fingerings are more practical, and now there‘s suggested fingering notation throughout. If you sent feedback, it is in here. Thank you for that.

    New in the third edition

    The transcription has been rewritten from scratch, based on what readers of the first two editions asked for:

    • Larger, cleaner tablature
    • More practical fingerings
    • Detailed suggested fingering notation throughout

    Contents

    • Suite No. 1 in D major (orig. G major), BWV 1007
    • Suite No. 2 in A minor (orig. D minor), BWV 1008
    • Suite No. 3 in G major (orig. C major), BWV 1009
    • Suite No. 4 in Bb major (orig. Eb major), BWV 1010
    • Suite No. 5 in G minor (orig. C minor), BWV 1011
    • Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012
    • Includes downloadable MIDI-generated audio files for every piece in the book.

    Get your copy of “THE BACH CELLO SUITES FOR GUITAR” now from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4yqbvVe

    Enjoy!

    ​

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • A Bach Menuet for you + why I went quiet

    A Bach Menuet for you + why I went quiet

    Just a few blinks of the eye, and it’s already almost FOUR MONTHS since I last sent out a regular newsletter. Sorry about that.

    I’m sure you know how this goes. You miss once, but it doesn’t matter, you’ll just do it next time. Then you miss it again, and you promise to yourself that NEXT TIME, you’ll make it for sure. And then you miss it again. You really start to feel guilty. But you simply forget it / suppress it. Then you realize four months have passed.

    Sounds familiar?

    Yeah, that’s probably a very common pattern. Whether it’s writing a newsletter or practicing guitar 😀

    But it doesn’t matter. No use in crying over spilled milk. What matters is starting again. Rebuilding the habit.

    So here we are 😀

    And I wasn’t idle either. I played live with my band, started writing a new book, organized a few local rock jam sessions, watched lots of football the last month, and I’ve almost finished my complete re-write of the Bach Cello Suites for Guitar. As always, things take a LOT longer than planned, but I want it to be the best I can produce.

    I’m quite happy with how it turns out. As a preview, here’s the 2nd Menuet of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suite No.1 for you.

    CLICK HERE to download the PDF with the score in standard notation and tablature, along with the MIDI-generated audio files

    Enjoy!

    ​

    What’s your version of the four-month gap? Guitar or otherwise, I’m curious. Let me know!

    BTW, If you’re struggling with rhythm, how to read it, how to play it, how to understand it, I’ve got something for you. My rhythm book “TCHA-KA TCHA – Understand and master rhythm on guitar through vocalizing” lays out the surprisingly simple method that has helped hundreds of my students understand rhythm, and it can help you too.

    GET IT HERE: https://amzn.to/4w6w5YV

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Spring is finally here! Let’s play some Vivaldi!

    Spring is finally here! Let’s play some Vivaldi!

    Spring has finally arrived here in Vienna, and I can hardly put into words how much I’ve been waiting for it. Winter wasn’t particularly cold, but it was dark, gray, and depressing. And too long.

    But now the sun is finally back. And the birds are singing. Seems, they were fed up with winter too. Last weekend we had a crazy weather event with 20 cm of snow out of the blue. By Monday it was all gone, and now spring has truly arrived! And I’m happy! I’m simply a sun child. 😀

    Now there’s of course no better way to kick off spring than with the Allegro of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Spring” from his iconic “Four Seasons”. This is one of the most played, liked, and well-know pieces of music in the world, a true Super Hit.

    CLICK HERE to download the PDF with the score in standard notation and tablature, along with the MIDI-generated audio files.

    BTW, I’ve transcribed the whole Four Seasons for guitar.
    GET IT HERE: https://amzn.to/4g2fKyD

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Let’s start 2026 with some Bach.

    Let’s start 2026 with some Bach.

    The year is slowly getting into gear after the quiet and leisurely holidays. And the days are finally getting longer again.

    I managed to dodge it for a while, but now I’ve come down with a cold. It’s Sunday, and I’m stretched out on the couch. Since I’m self-employed, there aren’t really any true days off, but I’m trying to take it slow. I’ll finish this newsletter, then I’ll head to bed.

    So don’t forget to stay warm, keep away from germs, and take your vitamins! 😀

    And practice guitar! 😀

    ​

    To kick off the year on a good note, I’ve transcribed the third movement, Presto, from Bach’s Concerto in D minor, BWV 1059, for you. Only a fragment of nine bars of this piece for harpsichord, oboe, and strings initially survived. In the 1980s, an concerto for oboe was reconstructed using several of Bach’s sinfonias and cantatas.

    Download the PDF with the score in standard notation and tablature, along with the MIDI-generated audio files, here:

    ​https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LV_ySVygwVz6M12bVN9Dix56Bnivd8Eu/view?usp=drive_link​

    ​

    Happy practicing!

  • Happy New Year, are you up for a challenge?

    Happy New Year, are you up for a challenge?

    Happy New Year!

    I hope you have enjoyed the holiday season and that you have had a good start to the new year.

    My holidays were full of family gatherings, presents, and LOTS of food. And as much as I enjoyed all of it, I’m quite happy that it’s over now, and we’re fresh into the new year.

    The start of a new year is the time for new plans, goals, and, of course, New Year’s resolutions. And the things that always come up are:

    • Lose weight
    • Exercise more
    • Practice guitar!

    I have quite some “experience” with all of these, but for the third one, I actually KNOW what to do about it.

    Practicing… Yes, that’s always the big question. Everybody is struggling with practicing:

    1. How to find time to practice and create a sustainable practice routine?
    2. How to use this precious time effectively and practice what really matters to oneself?

    But it‘s a learnable skill. I‘ve learned it, my students have learned it, and you will too. Over the years of teaching hundreds of students, I’ve developed a general structure that can be easily adapted to individual needs.

    ​

    That’s why I have created the ​​Free 30-Day Guitar Practice Challenge​​.

    The goal of the 30-Day Guitar Practice Challenge is quite simple: Practice 5 minutes every day for the next 30 days!

    In the 30 days of the challenge, you will learn how to practice, why you practice, how to plan your practice, and how to practice exactly what YOU need to improve. You will see real progress in your guitar playing. And you will make practicing a daily habit that fits into your life.

    I will send you daily emails to help you, to guide you, and to motivate and remind you.

    ​

    And the best about it: it’s completely FREE!

    ​CLICK HERE TO JOIN the Free 30-Day Guitar Practice Challenge​

    ​

    Happy practicing!

  • Christmas is just around the corner.

    Christmas is just around the corner.

    I hope you’re having a good time.

    As we’re rushing towards Christmas, here in Vienna the days are not only dull and gray and wet, these are also the darkest days of the year. But only for one more week. After the shortest day next Sunday, after the Winter solstice, the days will be getting longer again.

    ​

    To make things a bit festive for the holidays, as my little Christmas gift for you, here is a simple but beautiful fingerstyle arrangement of Silent Night.

    You can download the transcription in standard notation and tablature, along with the generated audio file, here:
    ​https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wl2ufMx5c16NfZRHKyxW8XVn3YalyFfR/view?usp=sharing​

    If you’re unfamiliar with fingerstyle arrangements, it’s basically the guitar acting as a little orchestra: playing the melody and the accompaniment at the same time. Usually, the thumb of the picking hand plays the bass notes (all the notes with stems pointing down) while the other fingers play the melody (stems pointing up). At the beginning, practice the bass and melody parts individually, and then put them back together.

    Happy practicing!

    PS – Short commercial break:

    If you’re still looking for a Christmas gift for a fellow guitar player, or even for yourself, please check out my book on how to understand rhythm on guitar, “TCHA-KA TCHA – Understand and Master Rhythm on Guitar through Vocalizing.”

    ​Click here to get it now!​