Scott Paul Johnson posts
Posts: 662
Files: 1735
Office Hours Q&A 207 | Song sections - what do they do? • Getting a song INTO your fingers • Getting out of a rut, feeling overwhelmed
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Here are the timestamps for the week:Question 1: Trevor asked about different sections of a song - how to identify them? How do they work?Question 2: Ray asked me how I "Get a song into my fingers" - not just know i...
I'm thinking of offering a new tier
Hi everyone,I'm considering adding a tier that offers my whole archive plus a monthly, 30 minute, 1-on-1 lesson. I would limit this tier to a smaller number to try it out, then open it up to more people. This 30 minute lesson would be a check-in to discuss your specific goals and how to reach them, along with some ...
Community Challenge 100 | Work on a previous challenge (pt1)
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Personally, I'd like to spend more time working on previous challenges, and I'd like to help you navigate that process as well. Community Challenge 100 represents a little bit of a shift, where I'd like to have ...
The Pros and Cons of Recording Yourself
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Today, on the heels of HBIM releasing the EP "Heatstroke," I have a little meditation on the pros and cons of using a recording studio vs learning how to record yourself. I start by explaining how the recording proc...
Office Hours Q&A 206 | Thursday, June 12th, 10AM Pacific Time
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,You missed this one, but you can always catch the next one, usually on Thursdays at 10AM Pacific Time.Here are the questions:Question 1: Erin asked ear training with intervals, the most important scale to learn, and what to...
Community Challenge 99 | Stripped Down
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This community challenge is inspired by yesterday's Ear Training and Song Analysis lesson.When I think of writing something stripped down, I generally think of taking a song that has drums, electric bass and guitar, may...
Ear Training and Song Analysis | Back on 74 by Ren
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,In this Ear Training and Song Analysis, we're looking at "Back on 74" by Ren, requested by Bosse Jönsson.This lesson has a fun example of why it's useful to know the circle of fifths, a cool way to see how ...
Office Hours Q&A 205 | Improve timing without a metronome? • fun with 10ths • guitar tone on "Feel Good"
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Here are the timestamps for this week:Question 1: Ray asked how to improve rhythm without a metronomeQuestion 2: Ray asked how to use intervals of 10thsQuestion 3: Ray asked how to use the guitar in a percussive, tapping wa...
Community Challenge 98 | Collaborate with a Patron
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This challenge is all about collaboration! You can "collaborate" with me by using my audio files or even my Logic Pro file (attached below) to write something over the top of my initial recording, or you can reach o...
What Good Collaboration Looks Like
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This little talk takes you through a variety of topics centered around writing music with other people. If you've never done it before, it can be daunting. But with a little openness and communication, collaborative wri...
I released some music!
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi everyone!My band, Hot Bodies in Motion, just released an EP TODAY, 25 minutes ago!I’m out celebrating after preparing for the release show on Saturday but I didn’t realize it would be out on Spotify today so I thought I’d shar...
Office Hours Q&A 204 | Thursday, May 29th, 10AM Pacific Time
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Join me this Thursday, May 15th, 10AM Pacific Time for the weekly live Q&A.If the video above isn’t working for you, here is a link to watch directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/WvdDMolFVN4Here's how it w...
Community Challenge 97 | write something using a minor iv chord in a major key
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Community Challenges are a fun, low-stakes opportunity to practice using what you've learned here. It's not about writing a whole song, but about executing on a specific concept with whatever time you have. It's...
Cool Chord Progressions | Minor iv in a Major Key
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,I'm trying a little mini series idea: if you like this idea let me know in the comments.Basically, I'm looking at a chord progression that might be "outside" the norm, but common enough to find in multiple s...
Office Hours Q&A 203 | Why does my jam track feel like it's in the wrong key?
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This livestream had one really great question:Dasilva was wondering about why certain jam tracks feel like they are in a different key that I've listed on the jam track. There can sometimes be an aural illusion where a ...
Community Challenge 96 | Change something about your workflow
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This Community Challenge is a little different because I'm asking you to change something about your workflow, THEN write something based on your new workflow. When you post your creation to the community forum, please ...
"This Will Be Our Year" Ear Training and Song Analysis
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This was a tricky one! Lot's of chromatic movement and funky chords outside the key. It took a while to pin down, but the results are pretty cool!This is an example of why it's so important to understand the diatoni...
Office Hours Q&A 202 | Fingerpicking LEAD guitar • genre and key signature
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Here are the timestamps:Question 1: Matthieu had a more specific question about fingerpicking - not just for rhythm but for leadQuestion 2: Julian asked why different genres tend to be in different keysQuestion 3: Jeff aske...
Community Challenge 95 | Write using only one finger on your fretting hand
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This week, the challenge is to write something using only one finger on your fretting hand.I go through a few ways to play every chord in the key using only one finger in the video.The idea here is to practice giving yourse...
"Any Road" Ear Training and Song Analysis
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,In this lesson, I'm listening to "Any Road" by George Harrison for the first time and showing you my process to figure out a song by ear.This song has some cool concepts covered in my Music Theory for Guitar II ...
Office Hours Q&A 201 | Recording guitar parts, CAGED Soloing, Fingerpicking, Alternate Picking, writing vocal harmonies
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Here are the timestamps for this week:Question 1: Julian is wondering how to record separate guitar takes and have them blend together and not feel disjointedQuestion 2: Fintan had a question about CAGED Soloing. Why do we ...
Community Challenge 94 | Write something from absolute certainty
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This week, your challenge is to write something from absolute certainty. I explain what that means in the video. ALSO - as a further limitation - it must be in a diatonic major or natural minor key with NO notes outside the...
"Marquee Moon" Ear Training and Song Analysis
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,In this lesson, I'm listening to "Marquee Moon" by Television for the first time and showing you my process to figure out a song by ear.With these sessions, I'm hoping you'll see a few things:• Music T...
Office Hours Q&A 200 | Playing with others, your first open mic, open D tuning
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Here are the timestamps for this week! Check out the next Office Hours, every Thursday at 10AMErin asked about playing with other people - why is it so difficult and how to prepare for it.Ray asked about my songwriting proc...
Community Challenge 93 | Write Something Heavy
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,This Community Challenge is: Write something heavyWhat is a Community Challenge? It's a fun, low pressure excuse to practice using what you've learned here to make some music.I firmly believe that the missing piece ...
"You Bring the Devil" Ear Training and Song Analysis
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,I'm trying something new. I'm taking songs that YOU request and running them through a process:First, I'll walk through my approach to figuring out the song by ear, one step at a time.I'll start by figuring ...
Ear Training Song Suggestions
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Ear training is hard, and it's even harder without examples of how to do it.I'd like to try a regular (maybe monthly?) session where I listen to a song I've never heard, then go through by ear and figure out wha...
Office Hours Q&A 199 | Fingerpicking, Radiohead Song Analysis
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonYou missed this one, but you can always ask a question on the Office Hours community forum thread.Here are the timestamps:Question 1 -Lauren is looking for a quick primer on fingerpicking styles and techniqueQuestion 2 -Matthew is tryi...
Community Challenge 92 | Write something with fingerpicking
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,Every week I post a Community Challenge. These challenges serve as a regular reminder that MAKING music is the single best way to get music theory concepts into your fingers and brain.Sometimes the challenge is about applyi...
I have to completely rebuild my rehearsal space
Where to Start• Lesson Archive• Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private LessonHi Everyone,I'm going live at 4:30PM Pacific Time today for a fun gear-related lesson.Excuse the clickbaity title - It's true that I have to rebuild my rehearsal space, but it's mainly because we tore the whole thing down t...
