2026 Newsletter
Hello, Fellow Guitar Players
Happy New Year to all who celebrate! It's always nice to feel like I have a clean slate in the middle of the coldest and darkest days here in Seattle. Setting intentions / goals / mindsets for the upcoming year helps me shape my routines, and it's also fun to reflect on the past year and celebrate all of the cool things I learned and got to share with others.
SUSAN PALMER PERFORMANCE: JANUARY 18th, 2:00pm
I feel grateful, honored, and excited to perform with my friend Ian Johnson in Seattle on January 18th. I have not played an indoor show since before the pandemic began, and I honestly can't remember the last time my setlist has had this much variety. I'll be playing (and singing) a hearty mix of jazz, blues, original tunes, and a little Seattle grunge. This event is part of the Clean Air Events series and is mask required, to make it more accessible for folks who want a safer way to experience live music. Two other performers I admire will also be playing the event: Mai Li Pittard and Mollylele. Here's the ticket info, and I hope to see you there!
If you've got some guitar goals this year, please read on. :)
WHAT IS THE BEST FORM OF MOTIVATION?
Progress. When students see their progress, they practice more and they see even more progress! My students experience this in our lessons and classes as they work through the 160 page The Guitar Lesson Companion method book, but they also feel the difference in their playing because learning fundamental concepts and skills leads to exponential growth. This shows up when they tell me about their recording projects, gigs, jam sessions, and conversations with other musicians.
As a teacher, there's a balance. I pace each student's learning so they are constantly moving through the material, but I also provide enough exercises and clear expectations so they learn the material on a deep level. Music happens in real time, so locking this stuff in on an intuitive level is crucial! Teaching allows me to be detail oriented while also considering the big picture / real world application for each student, and I really love that I get to do this work with so many wonderful people.
If private lessons are not doable for you at this time, or if you would like a crash course to help you get started, check out these classes:
4 WEEK SMALL GROUP GUITAR CLASSES, ALL ONLINE
These 4 week classes are limited to 4 students and offer you structure with clear assignments during the course, along with direction for how to practice (and what to practice) after the class ends. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to email videos each week of their assignments so I can offer personalized attention; I have found this to be super helpful for students!
The way I categorize students is purely based on a student’s understanding and application of fundamental guitar skills, and students are asked to complete a self-assessment questionnaire so I can place them in the class that best matches their experience, interests, and goals. These questionnaires also help me develop the curriculum for each class, which is why the descriptions here are general.
Email to Register: LeadCatPress@gmail.com
Dates will be decided when 4 students with similar skills and goals have emailed me.
Payment will be requested once all students and dates have been confirmed.
GROUP A
4 Sundays: 10:30am - 11:20am (Pacific Time)
$175, (You must already own The Guitar Lesson Companion, Volume One)
This class might be a good fit for you if you have had some, but limited experience on the guitar. Our specific lesson plan is determined after I receive student questionnaires from enrolled students, but we usually cover:
+ Posture and hand positions
+ Warm up routines
+ Changing chords cleanly and in time
+ Playing simple chord songs
+ Reading rhythms and notes in standard music notation and TAB
+ Memorization techniques to learn the notes on the neck
+ Movable chords and scale patterns
+ Basic soloing skills
+ Music theory introduction
GROUP B
4 Sundays: 11:30am - 12:20pm (Pacific Time)
$175, (You must already own The Guitar Lesson Companion, Volume One)
This class might be a good fit for you if you have been playing for a while but you skipped over the fundamentals, feel like you have some gaps in your playing, or you are unable to apply what you do know on an intuitive level with complete comprehension. Our specific lesson plan is determined after I receive student questionnaires from enrolled students, but past classes have included:
+ Scale and Chord Warm Up Routines
+ Crash course in Standard Music Notation, notes and rhythms
+ Triad Inversions with embellishments (open and close)
+ Applying music theory to the guitar, melodically and harmonically
+ The CAGED System and jazz chord melodies
+ Chord tone soloing
+ Playing “outside”
GROUP C
4 Sundays: 12:30pm - 1:20pm (Pacific Time)
$175, (You must already own The Guitar Lesson Companion, Volume One)
This class might be a good fit for you if you have been playing for a while but you skipped over the fundamentals, feel like you have some gaps in your playing, or you are unable to apply what you do know on an intuitive level with complete comprehension. Our specific lesson plan is determined after I receive student questionnaires from enrolled students, but past classes have included:
+ Scale and Chord Warm Up Routines
+ Crash course in Standard Music Notation, notes and rhythms
+ Triad Inversions with embellishments (open and close)
+ Applying music theory to the guitar, melodically and harmonically
+ The CAGED System and jazz chord melodies
+ Chord tone soloing
+ Playing “outside”
WHAT HAPPENED TO VOLUME TWO?
Volume Two of The Guitar Lesson Companion series was originally published in 2011, and there have been a lot of changes since then, like the fact that no one has a CD player for the Audio Tracks anymore. :) I'm in the process of revising the book, which I hope to publish by the end of 2026. In the meantime, I do have a few copies available for current students.
One reason this project is taking more time than I had anticipated is that the company that produced Finale, the program I have used for all of my teaching materials, decided suddenly to stop updating the software, and it is now unusable. I am having to learn a whole new program, and the struggle is real.
MORE WAYS TO STAY TUNED AND SUPPORT MY WORK
Along with YouTube, you can find me on FaceBook, and Instagram. When you use this link to make purchases on Amazon, up to 8% of your total order is added to my scholarship fund, and if you purchase courses or a subscription to Truefire, you will learn some killer concepts that I can help you apply to your own music in your lessons.
Thanks so much for taking some time to check out my newsletter. Please reach out if you're interested in taking one of the 4 week small group classes, or to inquire about private lessons. I hope to see you in Seattle for my January 18th show!
Kind Regards,
Susan Palmer of LeadCatPress.com
👉 Don't forget about my Article & Resource page where I have tons of playlists, lessons, and PDFs (many of them free.)