Acrylic Nails? Yea or Nay
To use acrylic nails to fingerpick, or not! Mark Hanson’s current approach.
Develop a “Babe Ruth” Thumb!
Tip From Mark Hanson As a fingerpicker, if you are having any trouble producing good, consistent tone and accurate string selection with your thumb, consider this: Think of your picking-hand thumb as a baseball bat. It is powerful and accurate when it’s straight, in its natural relaxed position. If you find that you bend your thumb’s first knuckle when you pick, visualize a baseball bat with a hinge in it a foot from the end: You have no power and no control! (Babe Ruth and Shohei Ohtani would refrain from having a hinge in their bats, of course!) For maximum power and accuracy, your thumb […]
“Semi-Circle” of Fifths!
In the acoustic guitar world — outside of jazz and strict classical — we seldom use certain parts of the “Circle of Fifths.” We prefer to stick to the half of the Circle that uses open strings. Hence my “Semi-Circle of Fifths” term.
“Pull-Off” a Misnomer!
The term “Pull-Off” is a Misnomer!
Part 2: What Goes on in a Professional’s Brain When Playing? The Intellectual Aspect
Anticipation is SO important in playing music. Your brain must be ahead of your fingers.
Mark Featured on Page 1 of Pamplin Media
Mark’s guitar performance history featured in regional newspapers!
The Search for My First Great Guitar
In this age of internet sales, EBay and Reverb.com, this story of my first Martin guitar purchase is both quaint and touching. Thanks to caring family members for my lifetime possession!
What Goes On in a Professional’s Brain When Playing?
With correct practice, you may be surprised at how quickly you can increase the tempo to performance speed without making errors.
Student Recital Repertoire
Mark’s Student Recitals are great fun!
Mark Hanson’s Lifetime Song List: 2,000 and Counting! Want to Learn Some?
From Fingertyle guitarist Mark Hanson: This is the list of tunes that I have worked on/taught at some point between 1963 and the present. The list is approaching 2,000 tunes!