SMA

Learning how to play guitar really starts with the strings. Beginner guitarists need to know the difference between a high E and a low E string, and how to fit these into your musical foundation.   Our owner and lead instructor John walks us through the video below with a basic understanding of how open […]

Summer is a great time of year to slow down work activities, take vacations, and relax more in the warm sunshine. But summer is also a time when music students slow down their music practicing and rehearsing. But this is a practice we recommend against, as it could hurt the musical momentum that has been

By: SMA Student Veronica Fedri This year brings another batch of new and interesting music, but one of the most stand out artists of this year is Mac Demarco.  On May 5, 2017, his third studio album This Old Dog was released. The four singles off of this LP set the tone for the rest

You know you’ve got a great rhythm. You see it in your finger snaps, your walking, your attention to sounds and patterns. If you are one of those kids or grownups who likes a great beat and responds well to it, then you might be the right person to take drum lessons in Scottsdale at

Month in and month out, our music instructors at Scottsdale Music Academy work hard to teach students how best to learn and get good on an instrument. The music learning process doesn’t happen overnight. So it’s in this learning time that our instructors and students find certain moments of music magic to carry each onward

It’s a well-worn tale, the story of the parents who push their kids into playing music on some instrument. “Why?” the kids ask. “Because we said so” the parents reply. Some kids warm to the opportunity right away and jump into the music lessons with enthusiasm. Other kids might shrug their shoulders and wonder why

Today’s fans don’t just want to hear your music, they want to watch a video to see how you and your band look. Making a band video is one of the new skills that are necessary for bands to learn today. At Scottsdale Music Academy, we often shoot starter videos of the students so that

Hi, guitar players! We want you to achieve your musical goals in 2017, so let’s do this! We’re Scottsdale’s leading music academy for beginning and intermediate musicians, and we want to help you get better on your chosen instrument. Our talented music instructors work with you and your schedule and budget, to help you move

Today’s acoustic guitar tutorial from Scottsdale Music Academy founder John Davis has him mastering the acoustic pickings, bends, and hammer-ons for the big 1998 Everlast hit “What It’s Like”. “What It’s Like” hit the #1 spot on several Billboard Rock music charts that year, and reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as well.