Beginner Guitar Academy

In this episode, Paul Andrews digs deep into one of the most common questions beginner guitarists ask: “I know lots of scales, so why doesn’t my lead playing or improvisation sound musical?” If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by scales or are uncertain how to turn your knowledge into actual music, this episode is for you! Paul Andrews demonstrates how to sound more musical with only one scale and reveals why learning more scales isn’t the secret to great jamming.Key Topics CoveredJamming January & PracticethonStart your year strong with Beginner Guitar Academy’s January Practicethon! Practice daily, track your progress, and join a community aiming to improve together. There’s also a charitable side: help raise money for Jesse’s Fund, supporting children with complex needs through music. Myth Busting: Paul Andrews addresses the myth that learning more scales alone will make you a better guitarist. Instead, it’s about how you use the scales you know.The Power of LimitationWhy sticking to just one scale (even a tiny section of it) can actually boost creativity, reduce overwhelm, and make your solos sound more intentional and musical.The Four Must-Have Musical Elements for Great Jamming:Repetition: Create memorable hooks by repeating phrases.Space: Let the music breathe; don’t play constantly—leave room between notes.Rhythm: Change up the rhythmic feel of your phrases to add interest.Dynamics: Play with volume—soft, loud, or both—to add expression.Hands-On Example:Paul Andrews gives a practical, step-by-step demonstration of how to jam with just three notes from the A minor pentatonic scale over a backing track—creating musical phrases using only repetition, space, rhythm, and dynamics. He encourages students to keep it simple, repeat phrases, and experiment before ever moving on to more notes or scale shapes.Upcoming Events & Resources:There's a “First Steps Jam” happening live on Zoom for Beginner Guitar Academy members—perfect for those nervous to jam in public, as everyone will be muted!Backing tracks, scale diagrams, and a video of this episode are available on bgapodcast.com/268.Backing track used in the episode: https://youtu.be/bkMtp8vt6oE?si=n2G0fRXBNn5OCkJgA Minor Pentatonic Scale: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n6drxfruuf2yg4n1qi11w/A-Minor-Pentatonic.pdf?rlkey=evq8t819h1m7ak22qtq3qcck0&e=1&dl=0Action StepsJoin the Practicethon: Sign up at bgapodcast.com/january to track your practice, get motivational emails, and be part of the challenge.Support Jesse’s Fund: Raise money with your own sponsorship page or donate directly at bgapodcast.com/charity.Practice Jamming: Use one part of a scale, focus on the four key elements, and try improvising over backing tracks for at least five minutes each session.Check Resources: For full lesson notes and backing...

Welcome to the first episode of 2026! In this episode, Paul Andrews kicks off "Jamming Month" with practical advice on why most guitar jams—whether solo or group—tend to stall or feel unmusical, and how you can overcome those hurdles to make your playing more creative and enjoyable.Key Topics Discussed1. Jamming DefinedJamming isn't just about playing with other people. It can be solo, using backing tracks or drum loops, and is accessible to beginners.2. Practice-a-Thon and Charity NewsJanuary’s Practice-a-Thon: Practice throughout January to launch your year on a strong note.Optional charity element supporting Jesse’s Fund, helping children with complex needs. You can join and track your progress for free, with the option to raise funds.3. Upcoming EventsFirst Steps Jam: January 11th (live on Zoom) — Learn the basics of jamming with guided real-time practice.Live Member Q&A: January 25th (live on Zoom) — Submit questions in advance or join live; recording available later.4. Why Guitar Jams Go NowhereThe core issue: Random ideas with no intent or commitment.Most jams falter not from lack of skill, but lack of focus.5. Noodling vs. JammingNoodling: Playing without intent, changing ideas constantly.Jamming: Committing to ideas, responding to what you hear, and developing musical phrases.6. The Power of ConstraintsMusic flourishes with fewer ideas, not more.Use constraints (like limiting yourself to three notes or repeating a phrase for 30 seconds) to foster creativity and musicality.7. Practice ChallengeTry the "two-note improvising" challenge found in the community section of Beginner Guitar Academy.8. Action Steps for ListenersIf you can play a few chords or notes, you’re ready to jam! Jamming is a skill developed by doing.For your next solo or group jam, pick one idea and stick with it longer than feels comfortable—this forces creativity and deeper musical exploration.9. What's NextNext week's episode: How to sound musical using just one scale, and why phrasing is more important than knowing lots of notes.Resources and LinksSign up for PracticeThon: bgapodcast.com/januaryCommunity Section &...

In this bonus episode, Paul Andrews announces the launch of the January Practice-a-thon challenge at Beginner Guitar Academy! The Practice-a-thon kicks off Thursday, January 1st, and is designed to set the tone for a productive and inspiring year of guitar playing.What is the Practice-a-thon?A flexible challenge: Push yourself to practice guitar more often throughout January.No pressure to practice every single day, set your own realistic goals.Perfect for those struggling with consistency, motivation, or regular practice.Charity ElementThis year, you can add a charitable aspect to your challenge by getting sponsored.Donations support Jesse’s Fund, a UK charity using music to help children with additional and complex needs communicate and express themselves.You can set up your own sponsorship page or support Paul Andrews via his sponsorship page. (All participation is optional.)How to JoinSign up at bjapodcast.com/januaryRegister with your name and email to receive all the info you need.Download the Practice Tracker (a fillable, printable PDF) to log your minutes and reflect on your progress each week.Links to set up your charity page are included in the email.Episode HighlightsStart the year strong by building a consistent practice habit.Connect with a community of guitar learners.Support a meaningful cause through music.Entire challenge is free and customizable to your schedule.Let’s kick off 2026 with a bang!Quick LinksSign up for the Practice-a-thon ChallengeJoin the challenge, start the year with intention, and become the guitarist you want to be—while helping others experience the joy and connection of music!Note: The Practice-a-thon challenge and charitable elements are entirely optional and flexible. Participate in whatever way is right for you.

In this episode, Paul Andrews dives deep into the most common frustrations faced by beginner guitarists. Whether you're picking up the instrument for the first time or you've been working at it for a while, these struggles are universal! Paul shares practical solutions you can use to overcome these common setbacks and keep progressing on your guitar journey as you move into the new year.Key Topics DiscussedCommon Guitar FrustrationsSlow chord changesMessy or out-of-time strummingSore fingertipsNot knowing what to practice or feeling stuckFeeling like you're not improving quickly enoughDifficulty combining skills (chords + strumming)The challenge of bar chordsActionable Tips to Overcome Each FrustrationThe “Three S’s” for chord changing: Shape, Sound, SpeedIsolating the strumming hand before combining with chords; use window wiper techniqueShort, frequent practice sessions to toughen fingertips (not marathon sessions!)Structured practice routines: the 5-10-10-5 formula (warm-up, focused skills, song practice)Tracking progress and journaling—celebrate small wins!Ignore comparison, focus on your own journey, and aim for process, not perfectionIntegrate skills slowly and prioritize hand isolation before combining themApproach barre chords with patience, gradual skill-building, and proper hand techniqueBeginner Guitar Academy Community UpdatesThe Sip and Strumming session recording (“Run Rudolph Run” by Chuck Berry) is now available for membersJanuary Practice Challenge: Practice daily to raise money for Jesse’s Fund, a UK charity helping children communicate through musicHighlights & InsightsPaul Andrews reminds listeners that frustration is entirely normal—every guitarist experiences it, and there are proven ways to overcome it.Breaking down both chord and rhythm sections into isolated skills is key to building smooth and consistent technique.The podcast encourages slow and steady progress over rushed perfectionism.Building calluses and avoiding finger pain requires a gentle, regular approach, not pushing too hard too soon.Structure in practice is crucial—random practice leads to slow progress.Keep a practice journal and record your monthly progress to objectively see improvements over time.Comparison steals joy—track your own wins and value the small steps forward.Resources & Next StepsFor Beginner Guitar Academy Members:Check your dashboard for the Sip and Strumming session recording.Watch for news and links about the January practice challenge in the community.For Non-members:Next week’s episode will include details and links for joining the January Practice Challenge.Want to improve your barre chords?Explore the “Get to Grips with Bar Chords” workshop in the Academy.Final ThoughtsAs Paul Andrews shares, every frustration is fixable and simply part of the learning journey. Take stock of the challenges that resonate most with you and commit to one small action this week—your progress depends on practicing with intention, patience, and celebration of every milestone.Tune in next week for the Beginner Guitar Academy Christmas Special!

In this festive episode, Paul Andrews guides you through three must-know Christmas songs for beginner guitarists. Building on last year’s list, this 2025 edition covers “Feliz Navidad,” “Last Christmas,” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” Whether you’re looking for simple strumming patterns or ways to tackle trickier chords, this episode is packed with practical tips, easy substitutions, and downloadable resources to help you sound great this holiday season.What’s Covered in This Episode1. Feliz NavidadAn easy, beginner-friendly strummer that introduces the G, A, D, and B minor chords.Paul Andrews discusses multiple ways to play the B minor chord, including an approachable Bm7 alternative.Learn about song structure, simple strumming progressions (from whole notes to eighth notes), and breaking down the chorus and verse sections.Great for group sing-alongs or solo performances!2. Last Christmas (Wham!)Play both the classic Wham! and the rockier Jimmy Eat World versions.Discover the differences between the two versions in melody and chords.Tips on using Bm7 as a substitute for B minor, efficient finger placement, and building up a pop-rock strumming pattern.Perfect for duets: split melody and chords with a guitar partner!3. Rockin’ Around the Christmas TreeLearn Brenda Lee’s classic with a breakdown of the iconic intro (suitable for electric guitar or acoustic with a cutaway).Step-by-step finger placement advice for nailing the intro riff.Chord version features beginner-friendly chords using a capo on the 1st fret (G, E minor, C, D, and A).Simplified song sheet for easy play-along, with practical strumming patterns and tips.Special Announcements & ExtrasGet access to all tabs, chord sheets, and video walkthroughs for this episode here.Join the Sip and Strum event on December 14th: a live group class to learn “Run Rudolph Run” by Chuck Berry, perfect for all skill levels. Members receive a direct link via email.Not a member? Try Beginner Guitar Academy for two weeks for just $1! Visit beginnerguitaracademy.com to learn more.Additional ResourcesMiss last year's Christmas episode? Find five more holiday classics in Episode 211.Got a question? Email: [email protected] & SupportIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review on your favourite podcast app. Happy playing and happy holidays!