PRESENCE - Volume 3
Inspiration For Guitarists
Welcome to my newsletter, Presence! My aim is simple: to share insights and techniques that have helped me grow as a musician, offering something valuable for players at every stage of their journey.
Are You Stuck in the “Beginner-Intermediate-Advanced” Trap?
Let’s talk about something that’s holding so many guitarists back: those “beginner, intermediate, advanced” labels. They’re vague, unhelpful, and honestly? They can tank your confidence.
Instead of worrying about what level you’re at, focus on building specific, practical skills that make you a better player—no matter your style. Here’s the simple path I recommend for most of my students:
Step 1: The Basics—Building a Strong Foundation
When you’re starting out, focus on learning guitar by playing songs in these four categories. These skills are the building blocks for everything else:
🎵 Strumming songs
🎵 Single-note riff songs
🎵 Arpeggio (broken chord) songs
🎵 Fingerpicking songs
Make sure you’ve got at least one song from each category in your practice routine. You’ll naturally gravitate toward one or two, and that’s fine—but explore them all to set yourself up for long-term growth.
Step 2: The 3 Universal Skills (Where the Magic Happens)
This is the step that changes everything. If you’re serious about improving, these 3 Universal Skills are where your energy should go. Nail these, and you’ll be set up to learn, create, and play with total freedom.
🔑 Know the chords in any key (The Number System)
Unlock songwriting, song-learning, and creative freedom.🔑 Play those chords all over the neck (The CAGED System)
Add variety and melodic depth to your rhythm playing and solos.🔑 Improvise solos in any key (The Pentatonic Scale, 2 shapes + extensions)
Solo with confidence anywhere on the fretboard.
If you don’t have these skills locked down, it’s time to prioritize them. Seriously—before diving into advanced topics like modes, arpeggios, or jazz, make sure these fundamentals are rock solid.
Quiz: Do You Have These Skills?
Let’s find out. Answer these 3 quick questions:
1️⃣ What are the chords in the key of A?
2️⃣ Can you play an A chord in at least three different places on the neck? What about a B minor chord?
3️⃣ Could you solo all over the neck using the A Major Pentatonic Scale?
How’d you do?
If you nailed it: Great! You’re ready to build on this foundation.
If you struggled or weren’t sure, no worries—these skills take time, and there’s no shame in learning. Even some amazing pro guitarists I’ve worked with were missing these tools and working harder than they needed to.
If these questions stumped you, don’t sweat it. Just start exploring these topics—they’ll transform your playing.
Need a Roadmap?
I’ve created e-books on all 3 Universal Skills to guide you step-by-step. These were designed for my students, and they break everything down in a clear, logical way.
Step 3: Advanced Skills (After the Foundation)
Once you’ve mastered the Universal Skills, you can explore advanced concepts based on your interests. Whether it’s blues, jazz, 7th chords, or modes, the possibilities are endless. Here are just a few examples:
🎸 All 5 Pentatonic Shapes and how they intersect with CAGED
🎸 The Major Scale & Modes
🎸 7th Chords and advanced arpeggios
🎸 Blues, jazz, and other styles
Right now, I’ve got several advanced e-books available on my site, with more on the way.
Exciting News: Universal Skills Group Program
I’m working on a group program for guitarists who want to master the 3 Universal Skills together. Think of it as a crash course in everything you need to know, with weekly Zoom sessions for 4–8 weeks (final length TBD).
We’ll cover:
✔️ What the skills are and how they work
✔️ How to practice them effectively
✔️ How to apply them to real-world playing
If you want to skip the guesswork and make serious progress, this is for you. Let me know if you are interested and keep an eye out for updates—I’ll be sharing more details soon!
If this sparked your curiosity or gave you some ideas for your own playing and learning, I’d love to hear about it! Hit reply and let me know where you’re at in your guitar journey.
Thanks,
Dustin