Follow A Step By Step Structured Process & Begin Building
Your Own Guitar Skills NOW
Follow A Step By Step Structured Process
& Begin Building Your Own Guitar Skills
NOW
The steps used here are the same ones that I use with my students in my studio. They work whether you are a 70 year old adult or a 7 year old kid. It's a matter of doing the steps in the order they are given and being consistent!
Most guitar teachers or online guitar courses don't do this. This is your blueprint to success. It takes the thinking out of what to practice next so that you can get on with building your guitar skills!!
This ensures that you see your progress build daily and weekly. You will be able to measure your progress from where you started to where you are currently in the course so that you can feel that sense of satisfaction as you watch your improvement.
Having the right guide to keep you on your path towards your guitar playing goals is a crucial element to your success. An experienced teacher who has success with their systems knows how to steer
you clear of common pitfalls so that you stay motivated
and keep moving forward.
My sweet spot of teaching according to my students is my ability to break down and communicate the component parts of each element
of guitar playing. I first started playing guitar in 1997 and first started teaching it in 2008. I created my homebased guitar teaching business while finishing my bachelor of music honors degree at Carleton University in Ottawa. During this time I have helped many students develop their Onset to Guitar.
My sweet spot of teaching according to my students is my ability to break down and communicate the component parts of each element of guitar playing. I first started playing guitar in 1997 and first started teaching it in 2008. I created my homebased guitar teaching business while finishing my bachelor of music honors degree at Carleton University in Ottawa. During this time I have helped many students develop their Onset to Guitar.
A guide or mentor of any kind should simply be someone who has walked the path before you. The systems I am using for you here are
the same ones I used for myself to improve on guitar. I had teachers in
the past who would get frustrated with me because I could not keep
time well enough to record, yet they could not tell me a single exercise
to do to improve this. Instead, I came away feeling badly about myself and like I had something wrong with me.
One of the big revealers of my bad timing was an embarrassing moment in the recording studio once. A band had been brought in to work on my original songs. After everyone figured out their parts and the arrangement, it was time to run through it. "Count us in Mickey", the drummer said. I immediately felt scared because I literally had no idea what it really meant. "1, 2, 3, 4", I said out loud for them all to hear. Then I started laying my guitar.... at a rather different tempo than what I just counted. Everyone burst into laughter, accept me. I felt so embarrassed like something was wrong with me...
I could not understand how I could be playing guitar for around 13 years at that point, how was I so bad at timing? I had travelled around the world playing solo in venues and making a living at this. What was wrong? I ended up learning about the most overlooked aspect by guitarists in general, rhythm and timing. I learned how to be a student. After teaching myself for a few years and jumping around different teachers who I wasn't satisfied with, I decided in my adult life that I would set out in pursuit of a music degree, having not been to school in 14 years.
Getting this degree did so much for my musicality. Unlike magic tricks, the more you know about how music works, it won't spoil the punchline. On the contrary, it only enhances your experience deeper. No matter how far you go, the experience becomes more and more enjoyable on deeper and deeper levels.
However, you don't need a degree to get the guitar to an advanced level of playing, but a solid understanding of the foundations will save you the underwhelming feeling of most amateurs and give you something solid to build upon when it comes to learning basic songs on the guitar.
If you master the basics here in Guitar Onset you will be set for life with the foundations and have the intelligence to tell the difference between the good and the bad guitar learning related resources that are abundant on the internet.
Most online guitar lessons assume that you can already play. You may have experienced going to YouTube for beginner guitar lessons for this or that song. The guitar teacher shows you the chord fingerings, tells you the strumming pattern, and demonstrates how it goes.
A common strumming pattern like "down, down, up - up, down up" may have found you and you probably found it difficult to do, or at least do well and change the chords cleanly in time.
Calling out the strumming directions is fine, but there is no rhythmic context here. There is no sense of timing, no sense of where the "beat" is, and no musical terminology that you can communicate with
other musicians.
If you are brand new to guitar or fairly inexperienced, there are actually quite a few holes that need filled in along the way to doing this strumming pattern. A foundation in basic rhythmic durations is where you need to start so that you can actually count the beats that you are strumming and know which beat is doing what.
Guitar Onset's Ultimate Timing Mastery covers this in depth and within a month you should be well on your way to counting, strumming, and knowing where you are in the beat using
good technique.
Guitar "Lessons" vs Guitar "Training"
There is a big difference in Guitar Lessons and Guitar Training. Lessons is simply getting a bunch of information on the internet or even from an in person guitar instructor on what there is to know about playing a song i.e. it's chords, strumming pattern, how the whole thing sounds . Whereas with Guitar Onset Training it breaks down into smaller bitesize chunks so that you don't bite off more than you can chew and you train on the musical elements the song is made from.
Quality Over Quantity
You can find pretty much anything "guitar lesson" related on the internet, much of it for free. There are also some very high quality paid for content available for very reasonably priced and some very cheap. Perhaps you even already own some of them. Yet you are still looking because these courses fail to meet you where you're at. Guitar Onset teaches you only 7 core concepts and goes deep, not wide into these areas so that you come forth a
budding guitar player.
Mindset
The way you think of yourself as a guitar student, how you set yourself up for success, the story you tell yourself, the short term and long-term vision you have of yourself as a guitar player will be highly impacted by your mindset. Most guitar teachers don't even think about this. Guitar Onset will guide you on how to protect your mindset so that your continued progress never ends even in times of doubt. These skills will transfer into many other aspects of life.
"Not only is Mickey an exceptional guitar teacher, but he is the best instructor of any kind I have ever worked with. He sets a high bar and pushes you to the limit while still making it fun. From my atonal and arrhythmic beginnings, he has me noodling all of the fretboard, jamming to 12 Bar Blues, fine tuning rhythm patterns and zipping between barre chords. I’m a long way from B.B. King, but getting better every day and loving it!"
"Not only is Mickey an exceptional guitar teacher, but he is the best instructor of any kind I have ever worked with. He sets a high bar and pushes you to the limit while still making it fun. From my atonal and arrhythmic beginnings, he has me noodling all of the fretboard, jamming to 12 Bar Blues, fine tuning rhythm patterns and zipping between barre chords. I’m a long way from B.B. King, but getting better every day and loving it!"
"Mickey has improved my rhythm, timing, and strumming in the short time I have been with him. I look forward every week to my lesson and enjoy learning something new from Mickey. This is my very first time with a guitar teacher and I would highly recommend
Mickey!"
"Mickey has improved my rhythm, timing, and strumming in the short time
I have been with him. I look forward every
week to my lesson and enjoy learning
something new from Mickey. This is my
very first time with a guitar teacher and I
would highly recommend Mickey!"
"I have a better understanding of playing in time and changing to the beat. My chord changes have become more fluid and smoother. I have also learned new strumming techniques. Because the lessons are so enjoyable, I am also more dedicated to practicing what I have learned at home"
"I have a better understanding of playing in time and changing to the beat. My chord changes have become more fluid and smoother. I have also learned new strumming techniques. Because the lessons are so enjoyable, I am also more dedicated to practicing what I
have learned at home"
When Mickey put on additional drum tracks and played along, it
felt like playing in a real band and making real music. The instructor Mickey is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and the lessons are definitely worth it"
When Mickey put on additional drum tracks and played along, it felt like playing in a real band and making real music. The instructor Mickey is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and the lessons are definitely worth it"
"I am 57 years old and have been with Mickey for less than a year now, I only started learning guitar within this one year period - while
I was practicing the other night, my wife can down to where I
practice and said, that sounded really beautiful – that is a direct
reflection on Mickey – want to play guitar with correct rhythm,
timing, tempo and sound while having fun learning, OGS Mickey is
who you need to go too, as you can teach an old dog new tricks."
"I am 57 years old and have been with Mickey for less than a year now, I only started learning guitar within this one year period - while I was practicing the other night, my wife can down to where I practice and said, that sounded really beautiful – that is a direct reflection on Mickey – want to play guitar with correct rhythm, timing, tempo and sound while having fun learning, OGS Mickey is who you need to go too, as you can teach an
old dog new tricks."
"Really good stuff. I've been a student of Mickey for about 10
months now. Really great instructor and would highly recommend
him to anyone looking to learn guitar. Makes lessons simple, loads
of online content, really motivated to see his students excel. The
group sessions are also great for seeing how other people process
the lessons and for getting a band feel."
"Really good stuff. I've been a student of Mickey for about 10 months now. Really great instructor and would highly recommend him to anyone looking to learn guitar. Makes lessons simple, loads of online content, really motivated to see his students excel. The group sessions are also great for seeing how other people process the lessons and for
getting a band feel."
a 7 week course to TRANSFORM your understanding of learning guitar
7 Video Modules
Practice Schedules & Downloadable Tools
Feedback
Opportunities Along
The Way
In this module we will learn the fundamentals of basic rhythm durations. We will work on these in isolation so as to narrow the focus. I will show you how to keep time, how to think about proper strumming technique and how to know where you are in the beat, as well being able to say the breakdown of the beat you are on. This will make learning strumming patterns from lessons or by ear many times faster.
You will learn a series of exercises that will totally transform how you experience listening to and learning music.
Next, we will work through basic chords. We will first use a system for learning to read chord diagrams at a glance that will help you visualize your fretboard so that you ingrain these shapes into your minds eye first.
Next, we will work through basic chords. We will first use a
system for learning to read chord diagrams at a glance that will
help you visualize your fretboard so that you ingrain these shapes into your minds eye first.
Here I will show you some of the most common strumming patterns used in many songs; using knowledge your learned in module 2 from Ultimate Timing Mastery, we will work through these strumming patterns in isolation to narrow the focus. These strumming patterns will be the ones used later in the song learning section of the course.
Everything you have learned up till this point will be what you need to succeed in learning basic strumming patterns in general. You will see how strumming patterns are structured in terms of their fundamental building blocks.
Fingerstyle Fitness
This is where I show you how to train your fingers on your picking hand to be independent. Finger picking is a fun and melodic style used in many folk and blues and country songs. Here you will learn the different patterns of Travis picking over chord progressions.
We will then work through a series of exercises that narrows the focus to the chords and picking patterns used in the song learning section later on.
Ear Training
In this module, we will work through the chord qualities used in the songs coming up and begin to train your ear on how to hear the difference.
This will help you learn songs by ear and also enable you to decipher if a chord is right or wrong sounding in context with the song.
Mindset
Here, I am going to teach you the core concepts of what will make or break you as a guitar student. According to Fender 92% of beginner guitar students quit in the first year. Why does this happen? Well for many reasons I'm sure, but in most cases it comes down to mindset. Growth mindset vs fixed mindset. This is the module you may need to return to the most on your journey. This will be sacred information that I guarantee you are going to need. The videos for this module will be shown throughout the other modules to help you know what to be working on.
All of my students need a boost in their mindset at some point. When we don't know how to navigate uncharted areas by ourselves, we turn to our mentors. Here, you will learn how to think like a guitar student who is in this for long haul and not just looking for instant gratification. Here, you will see what it really takes to get to where you want to be as a guitarist.
This is where everything you've learned so far in the course comes together in a song learning context. We will work through five songs section by section, breaking down all of their component parts.
This will enable you to approach song learning systematically.
Student
Student
Student
Student
Student
Student
"Mickey is the best guitar teacher I have ever had. He takes the time to watch exactly where your roadblocks are with every practice exercise. He notices the small details like your pick changing positions during rhythm strumming sessions, and helps you correct your bad habits through a documented practice schedule. Classes are organized based on fundamentals, and each week a new challenge is added. Really helps you progress."
"As a slow learner I needed a prof who would be patient with me. Mickey Magennis has taught me that I am not a slow learner but I needed to learn how to learn the guitar. Needless to say I am delighted and will probably be his student for as long as I am in Ottawa. Excellent instructor with the bonus that he inspires with his ability to improvise in any genre of guitar style. in a word
"Fabulous"
If you are looking to actually progress and learn to play the guitar well, look no further. Mickey is an exceptional teacher. He obviously loves to teach and that truth comes through every moment of every class. Every lesson, you will benefit from individual attention that challenges you. Mickey promised to push my limits, and he does that. Always just far enough, so I'm always stretching, never bored, but always getting a sense of accomplishment.
Mickey makes a ton of resources available to his students, and is very timely in providing new content as he perceives it being required - without ever being asked. I'm fairly confident that anyone with an interest will get maximum benefit for their personal commitment of time and effort. Many guitar teachers will teach you to play songs...Mickey will teach you to play the guitar, which opens the door to you playing all of the songs. And it's a delightful learning experience, every lesson. Can't recommend highly
enough.
"I am a total newbie, with only a few months in to learning about the guitar, and in turn, how to create music with it. There is a lot to learn! That said, Mickey presents the fundamentals in a systematic and fun way, with loads of tools for independent practice. He is consistently available to answer questions & provide reassurance. I started with learning about the strings & chords, and now to rhythm & song. Mickey is passionate about his teaching role and your musical development. What more could anyone ask for?"
The 12 bar blues is the core structure of blues of music. You may have heard of it but you may be surprised at how many songs that use this structure. In this bonus mini course we will work through the 12 bar blues structure in several different keys.
I will show the difference between a straight feel blues and a shuffle. We will build your rhythm chops by learning 5 different essential blues rhythm guitar accompaniment parts. I will teach you how to do a basic blues riff in the key of E as well as a combination of turnarounds so you can keep it fresh.
Bar chords are notoriously difficult for new guitarists. In this mini course I will give you a system for finding any bar chord anywhere on the neck using only four chord shapes.
You will learn how to name the notes on your strings so that you can quickly find the root of any of the chords.
Here I will give you finger strength and dexterity exercises that will make the bar chords easier to do over time.
Some things are best left to a professional luthier, but every guitar player should know how to do at least some basic maintenance on their instrument.
In order to keep your guitar at optimal playability it will need a basic set up once or twice a year if not more, depending on the weather where you live. Guitars are made of wood and therefore expand and contract with temperature fluctuations.
In this guitar maintenance mini course I will show you how to do your own basic work so you can save not only the money it costs at the local music store, but also the waiting time to get your instrument back. You can be waiting anywhere from a few days to a few weeks depending on how busy they are.
I have always dreamt of playing the guitar but lacked confidence and perseverance to learn this instrument throughout my youth and adulthood. Upon retirement being now in my mid 50’s, I decided to take up the journey to seriously learn how to play the guitar. I reached out to Mickey at the Ottawa Guitar Studio, meeting with him at an introductory session. I am not musically inclined, never learned to read music, and couldn’t even play a simple chord or string notes together. Kind of a blank slate if you will.
To say that I was bit concerned was an understatement. Mickey quickly put me at ease during our introductory session outlining how he would teach me to play the guitar. When I left the session I felt motivated and positive to take on this challenge and signed up for sessions at his studio. Now 10 months on my knowledge and skill set playing the guitar through Mickey’s guidance and instruction have increased significantly! I am now capable of playing a multitude of chords, chord progressions, several songs competently, in proper time using correct strumming patterns.
Mickey’s teaching techniques are very thorough and methodical in his approach to guitar fundamentals. His patient, encouraging, positive feedback instruction style ensures you grasp what is being taught and challenges you to leave your comfort zone to expand your skill set. Mickey is an upbeat, flexible, easygoing and motivational teacher whose class environment is structured, relaxed, and extremely fun! I would highly recommend Guitar Onset to anyone wishing to learn how to play the guitar.
I created this course with the same techniques and
strategies I have used on myself and my students that
generate results. If for any reason you are not delighted
with the content and potential impact it will have on
your guitar playing, I will refund you your tuition 100%
within the first 7 days , no questions. Simply send an
email.
I created this course with the same techniques and strategies I have used on myself and my students that generate results. If for any reason you are not delighted with the content and potential impact it will have on your guitar playing, I will refund you your tuition 100%
within the first 7 days , no questions. Simply send an email.
Following an amazing proven system can take your playing to the next level. What will your guitar playing look like one year from now?
Laying the correct foundations to building your guitar skills enables you to learn the songs you want to play.
7 Video Modules
Practice Schedules & Downloadable Tools
Feedback
Opportunities
Along The Way
One-time payment of $57
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"I've been taking lessons with Mickey for about 6 months and have developed in so many ways. I had been playing for many years but still lacked confidence. Mickey had taken a personal approach to my development and has me working through scales, blues 12 barre, and practice methods to make me a better player. I've been through many teachers and wish I started with Mickey."
"I was struggling with trying to become a better at playing guitar until I found Ottawa Guitar Studio, owned and operated by Michael (Mickey) Magennis. He is by far the best teacher I have had and more important he knows how to teach everything you need to succeed at playing guitar. He is very passionate about helping you become a better guitar player and has programs and methods that are Taylor made to help you achieve success. If you put in the time and effort required and follow his program, you will become a guitar player. If you are interested in learning how to play guitar, you could not ask for a better instructor."
I've been taking lessons with Mickey for just over a year now. I came in with ZERO experience and now I'm playing full songs. Mickey is an excellent teacher. He does a good job of breaking things down. And he is able to give you exactly what you need to get to that next plateau and to keep you progressing. He brings a great charisma and positive energy to every class. If you are looking to add more music to your life it is never too late and I highly recommend Mickey as a teacher.
Mickey is an excellent instructor. I have taken a few lessons over the years from other places and had found that sometimes I was simply running through the tab of any song I'd suggest with an instructor for 1/2 an hour. This can be fun, but these days I find I can do that myself much more easily at home with just with a computer. Without a plan in place, I wasn't getting any better this way. With Mickey's classes there is always a lesson plan in place to work on techniques or theory to really understand the guitar and take it to the next level. You can tell he's interested not just in guitar but also in teaching. I find that I'm actually improving again after having been stuck in the same place for so long. I'm enthusiastic about learning again and always looking forward to what's coming next!
Students will have lifetime access to the course content.
It is for both acoustic and electric guitar where the basics of teaching yourself songs is covered. Electric guitar specific technique will be covered exclusively in a later course.
It doesn't matter if you are right or left handed for the course. I recommend using your dominant hand for strumming and finger picking and your non dominant hand for fretting. I encourage left handed students to learn to read the right handed diagrams since on your journey this is what will show up the most.
No worries! Guitar Onset was designed for you to progress at your own rate. The modules will be released weekly for 7 weeks and you will move through them as you mark them complete.
Q&A sessions will be available.
I am happy to help! You can send an email to info@guitaronset.com.
This is not a master the guitar in 7 weeks course. Unlike other courses out there that unrealistically promise that you can learn guitar in 30 days etc. this course will take effort and focus to achieve the kinds of results that you desire. But, you
are already searching and making an effort to get better at guitar right? I am here as your guide to direct you on what to focus on so that you have the foundations to learn basic songs, unaided forever. The results you get will outweigh the
efforts you put in. Since this course depends upon the efforts of the student, I do not make any guarantees about your success or guitar playing level. Any reference to results or testimonials in this program are not typical of average results.
The results you get will depend on your own efforts, experience, and other factors.
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