Hey there, Reader — here's monthly digest as we wrap up April and head into May! Hard to believe summer is almost here... my kids have less than 4 weeks left of school and soccer, and then it's away we go into summertime. But first, I have some fun guitar stuff to share....

First, let me introduce you to Key Master – a new interactive web tool over on my Song Notes website. This free tool lets you see and hear the notes, chords, and progressions found in the most common major keys — all in your browser. Here's a video tour showing you a few ways you might put it to use:

Here's a quick series of photos showing what the tool looks like and some ways to use it...

So once more, check it out right now in your browser – just visit https://songnotes.net/tools/keymaster and you're off to the races!

I have a few other tools as well — Fret Monster and Capo Captain. And should you need some Blank Tab PDF templates, those are there for you as well.

In addition to launching Key Master and tidying up the Tools section of my website — I also published a few new lessons over the last couple weeks. Click the links below to view any additional materials (videos, printable guides) for each of these:

• ​13 Must-Know Riffs with Droning Strings​
• ​Moonshadow by Cat Stevens​
• ​Playing Songs "Correctly" vs. When to Cut Corners​

Over in the Song Notes community forum, I want to feature a recent question from Phil on the topic of how many songs you should be practicing at once. One song? Multiple? How long should you be working on a song before moving on to the next one? Myself and many others gave their thoughts on this topic – and I also linked Phil to an earlier video I made on this exact topic:

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In the video above, I explain my thoughts on what makes for a good practice routine, how long I suggest working on any given song, how to set realistic goals, and much more. Here's the timestamps of topics in this video:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:11 Exercises - Are They Necessary?
• 3:12 Consistency Matters!
• 4:40 How Many Things to Learn At Once?
• 6:09 Learning Full Songs vs Parts of Songs?
• 6:47 Setting Realistic Timelines
• 7:55 Record Your Progress
• 9:00 Tips for Choosing Songs

If you've ever wondered about any of this, check out the free video above. And of course, members of Song Notes Premium can jump over to the forum post and add thoughts of their own.

If you decide to buy any of my licensed song sheets this month, the members-only discount code for May 2024 is C8A65MHA25. Apply this on the Musicnotes checkout screen to save 50% on your purchase.

• ​Here's a list of all the song sheets I've made that are licensed & available for purchase
• ​Here's a guide showing where to apply the discount code, if you need a refresher

I'll leave you with that, my friends! I've been busy working on a bunch of songs, which I'm excited to make lessons for in the next few weeks. So stay tuned, and happy strumming until next time! Be well —

✌️ David