Teaching Artists April Recap: Fingerstyle Blues, Segovia with a Flatpick, Strum Like a Drummer, Diatonic Chords, and the Simple Yet Complex G6 Chord
Here’s a recap of all the AGTA lessons from April
On April 1, 2025 we debuted the inaugural Acoustic Guitar Teaching Artist cohort: Isa Burke, Lisa Liu, Sean McGowan, Mamie Minch, and Thu Tran. These five Teaching Artists will help you grow as a guitarist with one new video lesson every week. And there is a lot more to look forward to, including interactive roundtable discussions, virtual open mics, and even more acoustic guitar expertise! You can unlock access for just $5 a month.
Here’s a recap of all the lessons from last month:
Isa introduces some practical ways to make your guitar playing groovy and rhythmic. “One of my favorite things to do in my musical life is play rhythm acoustic guitar with a really good drummer,” she says. These drummer-inspired techniques work just as well in solo or drum-free settings.
Lisa covers a crucial part of her approach to guitar: warming up. The Segovia scales, developed by virtuoso classical guitarist Andrés Segovia in the 1950s, are a series of exercises designed to improve coordination and synchronization between both hands while moving all over the fretboard. Lisa re-contextualizes them here with her pick, offering a fresh take on these classic exercises. With these scales, you’ll warm up your hands and your mind simultaneously.
Mamie breaks down a fingerstyle blues lick from her piece “Razorburn Blues.” The song is in dropped-D tuning and features a cool alternating bass line that incorporates some of the melody on the lower strings. Mamie’s advice for fingerstyle blues songs: “If you nail the characteristic lick, the rest of the song doesn’t need to be played note-for-note.”
Sean shows us how to use diatonic chords and harmony in songwriting and arranging. Using the C major scale, you’ll explore diatonic triads, seventh chords, and substitutions to add spice and intrigue to your playing.
Explore the G6 chord and variations with Thu. “What I really love about this chord is the complex coloring,” he says. Practice playing and embellishing the G6 to improve your fretting-hand finger independence and add melodic movement to make the most of this moveable chord shape.
