Welcome to the official Simon Morel guitar blog. Discover practical guitar playing tips, step-by-step practice strategies, and resources designed specifically for adult learners. Whether you are learning one-on-one at my studio in Petersham, NSW, or taking online guitar lessons globally, these articles will help you cut through the noise, skip the YouTube rabbit hole, and make real musical progress.
“I Have Bad Rhythm”: How Adult Beginners Can Master Strumming Timing Many adult beginners firmly believe that they were born with terrible musical timing. However, rhythm is not an innate genetic gift that you either have or lack. Instead, rhythm is a trainable physical habit built through correct muscle movement. As a result, anyone can
“I Have Bad Rhythm”: How Adult Beginners Can Master Strumming Timing Read More »
“I’ve been learning on an acoustic guitar. Should I try electric instead?” It’s one of the most common questions I get from adult students in my studio, and the short answer is simple: yes, if it makes you excited to pick up the instrument. The longer answer depends on your musical goals, your lifestyle, and
Should You Switch From Acoustic to Electric Guitar? A Guide for Adult Beginners Read More »
For most adult beginners, the F major chord is a big hurdle. Open chords might come easily, but your first attempt at barre chords often sounds like dull thuds and buzzing strings. The good news is that struggling with barre chords doesn’t mean your hands are too small. It’s usually a technique issue, and a
Why Barre Chords Feel Impossible (And How to Fix Them) Read More »
Every adult beginner experiences the frustrating “lag” when shifting between guitar chords like G to C or Am to F. Discover the three mechanical fixes that will instantly smooth out your rhythm and speed up your muscle memory.
How to Change Guitar Chords Faster: Smooth Shifting Guide Read More »
Why One-on-One Lessons Beat Random YouTube Learning We have all been there. You get inspired, dust off the acoustic or electric guitar sitting in the corner of your living room, and open up YouTube. Then, you confidently type in: “How to play guitar.” Instantly, millions of video results flash across your screen. You click on
As an adult, time is your scarcest resource. Between work, family, and life admin, the idea of finding a spare hour every day to practice guitar feels completely unrealistic. The good news? You don’t need an hour. If you can carve out just 20 minutes a day, 3-4 days a week, you will progress faster
How to Practice Guitar When You Only Have 20 Minutes Read More »
The Rise of Free Guitar Tutorials The internet has completely democratised music education. Right now, there are millions of hours of free guitar tutorials on YouTube. Therefore, an obvious question arises for adult beginners. Why should you pay for a teacher when you can get information for free? Fortunately, you can learn basic chords this
Guitar Lessons vs YouTube: Can You Really Learn for Free? Read More »
How to Choose Your First Guitar: A No-Nonsense Guide for Beginners One of the biggest mistakes beginner guitarists make is buying the wrong instrument. Usually, it’s either something extremely cheap that is physically brutal to play, or something far too advanced and intimidating. The best beginner guitar is simple: it’s the one that makes you
Most adult beginners struggle with the exact same handful of roadblocks. The good news? They are entirely fixable. If you can identify these traps early, you will save yourself months of wasted momentum. 1. Expecting Too Much Too Soon Guitar is physically demanding at the start. Your fingertips will be tender, changing between basic chords
Short answer: absolutely not. In fact, some of my most committed and enjoyable students are people who started guitar in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond. Adults often learn differently from teenagers. You’re usually more patient, more focused, and you’re learning because you genuinely want to — not because a parent signed you up. The
