2026 Summer Newsletter
Hello, Fellow Guitar Players!
Happy Summer! For me, the warmer weather means that it takes less time to warm up on my instrument, and I spend a lot of time playing outside on my own and with friends; I love it. :)
This summer, I'll be teaching Small Group Online Guitar Classes on weekends, because I know some folks are only available on weekends, so this is for you! (details below)
I'm still feeling grateful for the show I was invited to play in January as part of the Clean Air Events mask required performance series. It was my first indoor show since the pandemic began, and I was thrilled to play in a venue that values cleaner air and accessibility. Here's a short clip of a song in my set.
“I PLAY IT FINE ON MY OWN, BUT NOT UNDER PRESSURE”
I hear this often from students during our lessons, and honestly, I feel it myself at times. The truth is, the reason we can play something on our own but not under pressure is because the skill or piece of music simply may need more rehearsal, and/or an additional train of thought enters our minds when we play for an audience, which disrupts our concentration. So how do we practice better and how do we maintain our focus? While the answer is ultimately specific for each student (and I address this in private lessons) I'll be posting a video on this topic to YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram soon for you to think about and try for yourself; please subscribe so you don't miss it.
A NEW GUITAR, BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR ME :)
A few months ago, I met up with one of my former guitar students, and he *gave* me a guitar that *he built* for me based on the specs I shared in an article I wrote a few years ago. There is so much attention to detail, and yes, it is lightweight, has a super narrow neck, short scale, one pickup with no switch, contoured body, vintage tuners so the strings are all neat on top, a detachable neck for travel, a truss rod that adjusts without having to loosen the strings, stainless steel frets that will last forever, super light wood that has been roasted.... I’m so so blown away. It plays, sounds, and feels perfect. Here's a video I posted about the guitar.
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 you have a wonderful summer!
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.)