Scott Paul Johnson

Welcome, New Patrons!

It’s time for another monthly introduction for new Patrons!

If you’re new here, tell us a little about yourself: What brought you here? Where are you in your guitar journey, and what do you hope to accomplish while you’re here?

If you’re a seasoned Patron, please give our new members a warm welcome! Reply to new Patrons below if you share the same goals, or can relate to their journey. This community is made up of students of different skill levels from all around the world and interactio...

Community Challenge 47 | Write something using Dorian mode

Hi Everyone,

Each week I invite my Patrons to participate in a community challenge. This is a weekly reminder to SPEAK the language of music. Even if you don't ever intend to be a songwriter, a weekly dabble in creating music can VASTLY increase your ability to play music with other people.

This week, the challenge is to Write something using Dorian Mode.

There are a few ways to build a mode: starting from scratch with whole steps and half steps, adapting a familiar scale, or using the "which note ...

CAGED Basics II | 4 | Pentatonic Pit Stop

Where to Start • Lesson Archive • Recommended Lesson Plan • 2022-07-18 15:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post

Community Challenge 46 | Write something with a fast tempo!

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Hi Everyone,

The weekly community challenge is a chance to use what you’ve been learning here on my Patreon to actually make some music. It’s also a reminder that learning music theory is useless if you don’t practice using it to make things. Think about ...

OFFICE HOURS 86 | Sunday, July 17, 2PM Pacific

New here? Wondering where to start? Click here for my Patreon start page, or here for my recommended lesson plan.

Hi Everyone,

Question 1 from Mateus was about bending up to a note, t...

Community Challenge 45 | Write something lethargic

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Hi Everyone,

I haven't been feeling well this week. It could be covid, it could be something else. Either way, I've been feeling pretty lethargi...

Unison Note Finder

New here? Wondering where to start? Click here for my Patreon start page, or here for my recommended lesson plan.

Hi Everyone,

This is a little one-off lesson I've been thinking about doing for a long time. Stringed instruments are weird, and guitar is no ex...

OFFICE HOURS 85 | Friday, July 1, 3PM Pacific

New here? Wondering where to start? Click here for my Patreon start page, or here for my recommended lesson plan.

Hi Everyone,

Question 1: Leo was looking for methods to find the key ...

Welcome, New Patrons!

I'd like to make introductions for new patrons a regular thing, so keep an eye out for monthly welcome posts and help give your fellow students a warm welcome to our community.

If you’re new here, tell us a little about yourself: What brought you here? Where are you in your guitar journey, and what do you hope to accomplish while you’re here?

If you’re a seasoned Patron, please give our new members a warm welcome! Reply to new Patrons below if you share the same goals, or can relate to thei...

OFFICE HOURS 84 | Sunday, June 26, 1:00PM Pacific Time

New here? Wondering where to start? Click here for my Patreon start page, or here for my recommended lesson plan.

Hi Everyone,

Here are the timestamped questions from this week:

First off, 2022-06-24 17:54:12 +0000 UTC View Post

CAGED Basics II | 3 | A Shape

Where to Start • Lesson Archive • Recommended Lesson Plan • 2022-06-21 21:11:09 +0000 UTC View Post

OFFICE HOURS 83 | Saturday, June 18, Noon Pacific Time

New here? Visit my Where To Start page.

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Hi Everyone,

Here were the questions for this week - please excuse the occasional mic malfunctions - I'm working on fixing that!

Question 1: Andy was wondering which CAGED Shapes a...

Community Challenge 44 | Write something with one guitar

New here? Visit my Where To Start page.

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Hi Everyone,

If this is your first Community Challenge, let me explain what's going on! These challenges are a reminder and invitation to actually use the theory you've been learning here on my Patreon.

(Nearly) every week, I offer a writing prompt. Somet...

OFFICE HOURS 82 | Wednesday, June 8, 2PM Pacific Time

New here? Visit my Where To Start page.

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Hi Everyone,

Question 1: Mateus was curious about how to make an improvised melody sound like the chords are changing when there is no backing track. 

2022-06-06 16:33:59 +0000 UTC View Post

OFFICE HOURS 81 | THURSDAY JUNE 2, NOON PACIFIC TIME

GOING LIVE IN ABOUT 40 MINUTES! HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

New here? Visit my Where To Start page.

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Hi Everyone,

Another great stream with great questions, here they are, linked to the specific spot in the stream where they are addressed:

2022-06-01 03:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post

Community Challenge 43 | Write something with improvisation

New here? Visit my Where To Start page.

Scroll down for more helpful links.

Hi Everyone,

If this is your first Community Challenge, let me explain what's going on! These challenges are a reminder and invitation to actually use the theory you've been learning here on my Patreon.

(Nearly) every week, I offer a writing prompt. Somet...

OFFICE HOURS | THURSDAY MAY 26, NOON PACIFIC TIME

New here? Wondering where to start? Click here for my Patreon start page, or here for my recommended lesson plan.

Nearly every week, I go live to answer Patron questions related to music theory, guitar, recording, etc. 

This was my first stream from my ...

CAGED Basics II | 2 | C Shape

Where to Start • Lesson Archive • Recommended Lesson Plan • 2022-05-24 18:09:16 +0000 UTC View Post

Community Challenge 42 + Updates

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Hi Everyone,

Moving is HARD WORK! That said, it would appear that I've got my camera guitar setup almost fully operational. AND, while there was a bizarre delay with my internet installation, it would appear that my new and improved streaming system is up and r...

Community Challenge 41 | Make your own limitations and stick to them

New here? Wondering where to start? Click here for my Patreon start page, or here for my recommended lesson plan.

Hi Everyone,

Community Challenges are (usually) a weekly reminder that music is a language. Learning to speak a language involves crafting your ...

Meet Betty + Lesson & Move updates

New here? Wondering where to start? Click here for my Patreon start page, or here for my recommended lesson plan.

Hi Everyone!

I've got a few things to say! First off, meet my new little studio dog, Betty! She was living on the street for about three years a...

Practice Thoughts | 12: Don't Aim For Normal

Where to Start • Lesson Archive • Recommended Lesson Plan • 2022-05-05 00:14:21 +0000 UTC View Post

We made it! Also, ask me questions!

Hi Everyone,

For those of you who don't know, Taylor and I (and Ernie) just moved from Michigan to California. We arrived in California about five days ago and it's been a mad dash to get the studio set up in a new place, not to mention getting settled in to live here!

I'll release a nice Practice Thought in the coming days for the community to discuss, and I'll get CAGED Basics II | Lesson 2 coming soon as well. The goal is to get everything set up ASAP so I can continue filming CAGED Basics II and the New CAGED Soloing series f...

CAGED Basics II | 1 | Overview

Where to Start • Lesson Archive • Recommended Lesson Plan • 2022-04-17 19:16:20 +0000 UTC View Post

Post Your Questions! No Live Q&A this week

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Hi Everyone,

For those of you who don't know, I'm in the process of moving from Detroit to Los Angeles. I was hoping I could get a little livestream in this week, even if it was just a little laptop Q&A session, since I took down my whole studio over the we...

Community Challenge 40 | Write something with fingerpicking

New here? Visit my Where To Start page.

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Hi Everyone,

Every week I post a Community Challenge. This is an opportunity for my Patrons to explore writing music. Sometimes it's about applying some specific music theory concept. Sometimes it's about a specific technique. Sometimes it's an exercise in limi...

OFFICE HOURS 79 | Thursday, April 7, 4:00PM EST

Going like in 20! This will be my last livestream in this studio before I tear down and rebuild in LA! Bring your questions! My studio is a mess. It'll be fun.

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New here? Wondering where to start? Click here for my Patreon start page, or here for my ...