Power to the Pinky Podcast

Episode 15: The "A" in CAGED

🎸 Power to the Pinky – Episode 15
The CAGED System: Exploring the “A” Shape in the Key of C
If you’re ready to connect chords, scales, and arpeggios across the neck, the CAGED system is your roadmap. Today we’re zeroing in on the “A” shape—and we’re staying in the key of C so you can see how everything lines up in one position.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:✅ How the open A major chord shape forms the backbone of this CAGED position✅ A C major arpeggio that lives inside that shape✅ The C major pentatonic scale right in the same spot✅ The full C major scale mapped neatly around the A shape✅ Tips for connecting these ideas so you can improvise, write melodies, and visualize the neck
🔔 Listen, Follow, Share!Loving Power to the Pinky? Hit that follow button and share it with your fellow guitar nerds—it seriously helps more than you know!
📩 Got a question?Email me at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might feature it in a future episode!
📱 Let’s Connect:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic🌸 Don’t miss my daily “Beautiful Chord of the Day” — bite-sized guitar lessons & inspiration!

Episode 14: The "C" in CAGED

🎸 Power to the Pinky – Episode 14
The CAGED System: Exploring the “C” Shape in the Key of C
If you’re ready to connect chords, scales, and arpeggios across the neck, the CAGED system is your roadmap. Today we’re zeroing in on the “C” shape—and we’re staying in the key of C so you can see how everything lines up in one position.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:✅ How the open C major chord shape forms the backbone of this CAGED position✅ A C major arpeggio that lives inside that shape✅ The C major pentatonic scale right in the same spot✅ The full C major scale mapped neatly around the C shape✅ Tips for connecting these ideas so you can improvise, write melodies, and visualize the neck
🔔 Listen, Follow, Share!Loving Power to the Pinky? Hit that follow button and share it with your fellow guitar nerds—it seriously helps more than you know!
📩 Got a question?Email me at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might feature it in a future episode!
📱 Let’s Connect:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic🌸 Don’t miss my daily “Beautiful Chord of the Day” — bite-sized guitar lessons & inspiration!

Episode 13: All About Intervals!

Intervals: The Building Blocks of Melody & Harmony
Once you’re comfortable with scales and chords, it’s time to zoom in on the space between notes: intervals. Intervals are the DNA of music—every melody, every chord, every harmony is made from them. In this episode, we’ll demystify intervals so you can hear them, identify them, and use them to level up your playing and songwriting.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:✅ What an interval is and how to name it (seconds, thirds, fourths, etc.)✅ Tips for recognizing intervals by ear✅ How intervals shape chord qualities and scale moods✅ A challenge: write a short riff or melody that highlights a favorite interval
🔔 Listen, Follow, Share!Loving Power to the Pinky? Hit that follow button and share it with your fellow guitar nerds and creatives — it seriously helps more than you know!
📩 Got a question?Email me at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might feature it in a future episode!
📱 Let’s Connect:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic🌸 Don’t miss my daily “Beautiful Chord of the Day” — bite-sized guitar lessons & inspiration!

Episode 12: Diatonic Chords in C Major

🎸 Power to the Pinky – Episode 12
Diatonic Chords in C Major
Once you’ve got the C major scale down, the next step is learning how chords are built from it. In this episode, we’ll explore the diatonic chords in the key of C major, how to understand their qualities, and how to start writing your own progressions using them.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:✅ The chord qualities that naturally occur in C major (major, minor, diminished)✅ How to build triads and what makes them major, minor, diminished, or augmented✅ Applying diatonic chords in real music✅ Using the Nashville Number System to write progressions in any key✅ A challenge: create your own 4-chord progression in C major using only the diatonic chords
🔔 Listen, Follow, Share!Loving Power to the Pinky? Hit that follow button and share it with your fellow guitar nerds and creatives — it seriously helps more than you know!
📩 Got a question?Email me at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might feature it in a future episode!
📱 Let’s Connect:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic🌸 Don’t miss my daily “Beautiful Chord of the Day” — bite-sized guitar lessons & inspiration!

Episode 11: Welcome to the Key of C!

🎸 Power to the Pinky – Episode 11
Welcome to the Key of C!
The key of C major is where it all begins with no sharps, no flats, just the foundation for so much music theory and playing. In this episode, we’ll break down why C major is so important, how its scale structure works, and how it connects to the bigger picture of understanding music.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:✅ Why C major is considered the “starting point” of music theory✅ The structure of the major scale (whole steps & half steps)✅ Degrees of the scale and their traditional names✅ A first look at the circle of fifths and why it matters✅ A challenge: play a C major scale somewhere up the neck!
 
🔔 Listen, Follow, Share!Loving Power to the Pinky? Hit that follow button and share it with your fellow guitar nerds and creatives — it seriously helps more than you know!
 
📩 Got a question?Email me at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might feature it in a future episode!
 
📱 Let’s Connect:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic🌸 Don’t miss my daily “Beautiful Chord of the Day” — bite-sized guitar lessons & inspiration!

Episode 10: Learning the Notes on the Fretboard (Without Losing Your Mind)!

🎸 Power to the Pinky – Episode 10
Learning the Notes on the Fretboard (Without Losing Your Mind)
Trying to memorize all the notes on the guitar fretboard can feel overwhelming — but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, I’m sharing practical, no-fluff strategies for finally getting confident with the fretboard in a way that actually sticks.
🎙️ This one was sparked by a great question from listener Katie:
“What’s the best way to learn all the notes on the guitar fretboard?”
I’ll break down the methods that helped me the most, some common mistakes to avoid, and how to make learning the fretboard feel more like music and less like homework. Whether you're brand new or just want to level up your fretboard fluency, this one’s for you.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:
✅ The simple patterns that unlock the whole fretboard✅ Why not to start by memorizing all 132 note positions✅ My go-to exercises for building real muscle memory✅ How fretboard knowledge connects to solos, chords, and songwriting
🔔 Listen, Follow, Share!
Loving Power to the Pinky? Hit that follow button and share it with your fellow guitar nerds and creatives — it seriously helps more than you know!
📩 Got a question?
Email me at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might feature it in a future episode!
📱 Let’s Connect:
YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic🌸 Don’t miss my daily “Beautiful Chord of the Day” — bite-sized guitar lessons & inspiration!

Episode 9: Advice I'd Give My Younger Guitar-Playing Self

🎸 Power to the Pinky – Episode 9
Advice I’d Give My Younger Guitar-Playing Self
If I could hop in a time machine and give my younger self some honest advice about guitar playing, what would I say? In this episode, I’m diving into the lessons I wish I had known earlier — from practice habits to mindset shifts, and everything in between.
🎙️ This one was sparked by a thoughtful question from listener Robert:
“If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a younger guitar player?”
So today, I’m sharing the biggest things I’ve learned on my guitar journey — the stuff that took me way too long to figure out, and the mindset changes that made the biggest difference. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, I think there’s something in here for everyone.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:
✅ The real value of slowing down✅ How I learned to stop comparing myself (and what I do instead)✅ The importance of small wins and showing up✅ Why your musical voice matters — even if it’s still evolving
🔔 Listen, Follow, Share!
Loving Power to the Pinky? Follow the podcast and share it with your fellow guitar nerds and creatives — it helps more than you know!
📩 Got a question?
Email me at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might feature it in a future episode!
📱 Let’s Connect:
YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic🌸 Don’t miss my daily “Beautiful Chord of the Day” — bite-sized guitar lessons & inspiration!

Episode 8: A Walkthrough of my Songwriting Process! (Part 1)

🎸 Power to the Pinky – Episode 8
A Walkthrough of my Songwriting Process!
Songwriting can feel like magic orrrr a total mystery. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my personal songwriting process: where ideas come from, how I turn them into full songs, and what I do when inspiration doesn’t strike.
🎙️ This one was sparked by a thoughtful question from listener Michael:
“What’s your songwriting process like? Lyrics first, riffs first, or something else?”
I’ll walk you through how I approach writing, the tools and tricks I rely on, and the mindset that keeps me moving even when I hit creative walls. Whether you’ve written 50 songs or none at all, I hope this episode gives you something useful (and maybe even a little spark of your own).
🎧 What You’ll Hear:
✅ Where my song ideas usually start✅ The writing routines (and detours) that work for me✅ Why “bad” ideas are actually gold✅ Practical tips for getting unstuck and finishing your songs
🔔 Listen, Follow, Share!
Loving Power to the Pinky? Follow the podcast and share it with your fellow guitar nerds and creatives — it helps more than you know!
📩 Got a question?
Email me at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might feature it in a future episode!
📱 Let’s Connect:
YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic🌸 And don’t miss my daily “Beautiful Chord of the Day” — bite-sized guitar lessons & inspiration!

Episode 7: Talking About My First Guitar (and Why It Mattered So Much)

🎸 Power to the Pinky – Episode 7
Talking About My First Guitar (and Why It Mattered So Much)
Everyone remembers their first guitar — the quirks, the struggles, the excitement of learning that first chord. In this episode, I’m taking it back to where it all started for me: my very first guitar.
🎙️ This one was inspired by a great question from listener Drew who asked:
“What was your first guitar, and what made you fall in love with it?”
I’m sharing the story of how I got it, what it taught me, and how that early experience shaped the way I play (and teach) guitar today. Whether you’re just getting started or deep into your journey, this episode is a reminder that every player starts somewhere.
🎧 What You’ll Hear:
✅ The full story behind my first guitar✅ What I struggled with as a beginner✅ How I learned to love the process (even when it was frustrating)✅ Tips for anyone choosing or learning on their first guitar
🔔 Listen, Follow, Share!
If you’re enjoying Power to the Pinky, follow the podcast and share it with your fellow guitar nerds and creatives — it helps more than you know!
📩 Got a question?
Email me at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might feature it in a future episode!
📱 Let’s Connect:
YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic🌸 Plus, check out my daily “Beautiful Chord of the Day” for bite-sized guitar lessons & inspiration.

Episode 6: How to Get Better at Hammer-ons on Guitar!

🎸 Power to the Pinky – Episode 6: How to Get Better at Hammer-ons on Guitar
Struggling to get your hammer-ons to sound clean and strong? You’re not alone! Good news, it’s totally fixable.
In this episode, I’m breaking down how to improve your hammer-ons with specific exercises, technique tips, and a few practice hacks that helped me get more fluid and expressive with my playing.
This one’s inspired by a great question from a listener, Ale on TikTok, who asked how to get cleaner, more confident hammer-ons while learning solos and riffs.
🎧 What You'll Learn:
Common mistakes that make hammer-ons sound weak
Simple exercises to build strength and speed in your fretting hand
How to add dynamics and emotion to your hammer-ons
My favorite songs and riffs to practice them with
🎧 Listen, Follow, ShareIf you’re enjoying Power to the Pinky, be sure to follow the podcast and share it with your fellow guitar nerds and creatives!
📩 Got questions?Email me anytime at taylormarberrymusic@gmail.com — I might answer yours in a future episode!
📱 Find me online:YouTube | Instagram | TikTok → @TaylorMarberryMusic
🌸 I also post "Beautiful Chord of the Day" daily on my socials! Check it out for bite-sized guitar lessons and inspiration.