In this new episode, we are talking about expectations. Today, I want to give you a reality check on the truth about learning guitar. I want to tell you why you should be aware of what others say about how long it took them to get good at guitar… And I want to give you some tips, advice, and hope so you can go about your journey in the most enjoyable way possible.

I also share two stories about two of my old students, Dave and Paul. Both of these stories will highlight the important points in the podcast and help you set more realistic expectations and avoid the pain of eternal frustration!

Don’t forget you can get a free copy of my eBook 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum for FREE. To get it, simply leave the podcast a review and let us know by emailing [email protected]. We will then send it over.

You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free email list here - https://acousticasylum.com/

Like this episode? Remember, your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

 In today’s brand-new episode of the Acoustic Asylum, I want to share with you some important tips on avoiding a few issues many people make when learning/playing songs. I’ve been guilty of some of these issues in the past and I’ve made one of these mistakes recently.

Have a listen to discover exactly what this issue is, discover some simple advice from the great guitarist George Benson, and an unusual little tip inspired by the movie Kill Bill. I even play some snippets of a really fun arrangement of a Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley tune. If you ever struggle to make your songs sound like actual songs, then the tips inside will really help.

You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

Learning guitar can be like a wild rollercoaster ride. Some days you might feel wonderful and other days you may feel hopeless and frustrated. Well, this is quite natural as the journey of learning guitar is a crazy one – as you will already know. This is the story of what happened to one of my most promising students, as I’ll tell you about in the episode.

…But I’m also sharing some tips with you that can help you be more measured in your approach, stop you from feeling the big “crash” when things go bad, and make the journey more enjoyable. You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

Today, we’re talking about rule #3 of the Acoustic Asylum. It’s a super simple little rule that most guitarists sadly ignore. Yet, if you follow this rule, you’ll be more motivated, inspired, and resilient with your playing.

Little rewards on the guitar go a long way. Of course, when you achieve bigger goals, give yourself a bigger reward. Either way, rewarding your success is key. No one else will do it for you. Enjoy each moment and savour each victory! In fact, this is such an important thing to do that I’ve created the “5 Song Club”. Listen to today’s episode to find out more about it and the power of rewards!

You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

In Today’s episode, I have some exciting news. I’m unveiling a brand-new guide to go along with this podcast. It’s called 13 Ways to Escape the Acoustic Asylum (And Ensure the Guitar Never Drives You Mad Again). Inside, you’ll discover 13 powerful ways to improve your playing, have more fun, and play real songs (as well as some original pieces of music). Plus, I’ll share tips to help you make all the songs you already know how to play sound even better.

Have a listen for more, and to get the guide, simply leave this podcast a review on Apple Podcasts (you can always ask a family member to review it on your behalf if you don’t have an iPhone but they do have one). Then get in touch (email us at [email protected] or contact me any way you like) and then, either myself or a member of my team will email the guide to you at first chance.

Your reviews for this podcast mean the world to me, so please let us know what you thought about the Acoustic Asylum!

Today I want to share with you some simple tips to help you improve three key aspects of your playing. We’re starting off by talking about songwriting, creating melodies on your guitar, and how being creative can even help you improve your brain age!

Then we move on to why foot tapping is essential for beginners and possibly even more important as you develop your guitar playing. Finally, we’re talking about barre chords, and one key benefit of learning them (which is something most people never really mention). Plus, I have a little surprise for you at the end of the podcast, so do listen to the end!

You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

In the latest episode, we are talking about the power of the breath and how it can benefit your playing. This also happens to be Rule #2 of the Acoustic Asylum to help you escape bad guitar-playing habits.

People often forget to breathe and relax when they play. Instead, they end up hunched over and tense. Focusing on your breath can help improve your practice and overall playing. I talk about a number of breathing tips, including diaphragmatic breathing. These exercises will help you relax and let go of any tension.

You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

In this episode we are talking songwriting and specifically chord progressions. In case you don’t know, in the Fingerstyle 101 Facebook Group we are doing a songwriting challenge which is going to be lots of fun.

The key of our song is G Major, but “where do you begin with writing songs?” you might wonder. Well, I often like to begin with a solid chord progression. So in today’s episode, I'm sharing with you the chords in the key of G, and a whole bunch of chord progressions for you to try, plus some tips on jamming them. Remember, creativity is good for the brain, soul, and fingers, so let’s get to it! I hope you enjoy it.

You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

Welcome to a new feature I’ve created for the podcast. It's the "Rules of the Asylum”. 

On the guitar, there are many lessons, principles, and “rules” that I recommend students follow. I find the most successful students are the ones who follow these rules as closely as possible. Today we're talking about the #1 rule I tell everyone and I give some examples of the rule in the context of speeding up your chord changes, ear training, and some simple fingerpicking.

You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!

'Pull-offs' are a powerful technique that every guitarist should learn... Yet, many beginners struggle with them. In this episode of the Acoustic Asylum I share with you the biggest mistake I see guitarists make when it comes to pull-offs (which can drive us mad) and exactly how to fix this mistake.

I also share a simple 2-step process for mastering pull-offs and using them in your playing. Get good at pull-offs and you'll have a powerful technique you can use in your playing forever!

You can get more tips and advice from Dan Thorpe by joining the free 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!