Simon Morel | Guitarist | Guitar Teacher

Welcome!

I’m Simon, a Sydney-based musician, guitarist, and teacher. I’ve released two solo records—Songs from the City and Record #2—which you can find in The Shop. I also play guitar for Soul Messengers, a Soul & RnB band with three records available on Bandcamp.

Beyond my own Music, I collaborate with Sydney artists across rock, indie, jazz, and soul as a guitarist and arranger. Check out my Gigs & Sessions page for upcoming shows and session work.

I’ve been teaching guitar for over 25 years from my Inner West studio in Leichhardt, offering private and group lessons. Visit the Lessons page for details.

Passionate about the guitar community, I run a YouTube channel with 1,000+ free lessons, gear reviews, and backing tracks—supporters on Patreon. get exclusive content, slef-contained courses and coaching. I also chat guitar and share gear reviews on the socials.

I also write Simon Loves Guitars, a Guitar Blog covering guitar tips, gear insights, and playing advice.

My latest venture, Guitarmony, is a store for guitar-inspired apparel. I love guitars and music related t-shirts and could never find what I wanted, so I started this store. Guitarmony aims to showcase cool guitar oriented clothing and products for your guitar life!

Go explore—see you soon!

"Master the hauntingly beautiful Hurt by Johnny Cash with this beginner-friendly guitar lesson. Learn the essential chords, strumming patterns, and techniques to capture the song’s raw emotion and timeless sound!"

Join me on Sunday 23 Feb at 9am AEDT for a free interactive guitar lesson. Get your guitar questions ready and I'll answer them on the spot. Short of ideas? Take your pick from something below...

1. How do I improve my chord transitions?
- How can I switch between barre chords and open chords more efficiently?
- Are there exercises to speed up transitions?

2. How do I master barre chords?
- Why do my barre chords buzz or sound muted?
- Are there tricks to improve finger strength and positioning?

3. What is fingerpicking, and how do I start?
- What are some basic fingerpicking patterns to practice?
- Should I use my nails, fingertips, or fingerpicks?

4. What are power chords, and when should I use them?
- How do power chords differ from regular chords?
- What genres commonly use power chords?

5. How do I use a capo effectively?
- How does a capo change the key of a song?
- What are some common capo positions for popular songs?

6. How do I play lead guitar?
- What’s the difference between rhythm and lead guitar?
- How do I start learning solos?

7. What is alternate picking, and how do I practice it?
- How does it improve speed and accuracy?
- What are some good exercises for alternate picking?

8. How do I understand and use scales?
- What is the pentatonic scale, and why is it so important?
- How do I apply scales when improvising or soloing?

9. How do I play faster?
- What techniques improve speed (e.g., hammer-ons, pull-offs)?
- How do I practice without sacrificing accuracy?

10. What is vibrato, and how do I develop it?
- How do I make my vibrato sound natural and expressive?
- What are the different types of vibrato?

11. How do I use effects pedals?
- What do common pedals (delay, reverb, distortion) do?
- How do I set up a basic pedalboard?

12. What is palm muting, and when should I use it?
- How do I achieve a clean, muted sound?
- What styles or genres rely on palm muting?

13. How do I read guitar notation?**
- What’s the difference between tabs, chord charts, and standard notation?
- How do I read rhythmic notations in tabs?

14. How do I start writing my own songs?
- How do I create chord progressions?
- What’s the process for combining lyrics and melody?

15. How do I play with dynamics?
- How can I vary my playing style to add emotion and interest?
- What are some techniques to play softly or loudly?

16. How do I develop my ear?
- How do I learn songs by ear?
- Are there exercises to improve recognizing chords, intervals, and melodies?

"Learn to play Thirteen by Big Star with this detailed lesson—chords, strumming, and the iconic solo included!"

Get the chart at https://www.patreon.com/posts/thirteen-big-121390882

00:00 - Intro - Demo - What we will cover in this lesson
00:29 - How to play the intro
01:04 - How to play the verse
02:49 - Strumming tips
03:52 - How to play the pre-chorus
04:56 - How to play the solo
07:40 - What's the rhythm guitar do during the solo?

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