Rotem Sivan is a New York jazz guitarist and educator. He’s originally from Israel and moved to New York to study music at The New School. Frets For Days is where he teaches: video courses, a YouTube channel full of free lessons, and this blog.
What you’ll find on this blog
Every post here is built on one of Rotem’s video lessons, and the lesson video sits right inside the post. Read it, watch it, then take it to the guitar. The topics follow what players ask him about most:
- Soloing. Building lines that say something instead of running scales.
- Jazz chords. Shell chords, triads, the ii-V-I and the colors that make a chord sound lush.
- Fretboard and scales. Pentatonic shapes, modes and arpeggios, and how they connect across the neck.
- Blues, lofi and neo soul. The chords and sounds behind the styles.
- Practice and ear training. How to practice so it sticks, and how to play what you hear.
How Rotem thinks about getting good
I do not believe in talent. I do believe in a lot of hard work and a lot of willingness.
Rotem Sivan
He’s also said that “even if you don’t have a lot of time in one day, you can still commit to, say, 15 minutes a day. And those 15 minutes will make a difference.” That’s the spirit of every lesson here: small, clear steps you can play today.
Where to go next
- Free lessons. Hundreds of videos on Rotem’s YouTube channel.
- A free PDF. The 5 Licks Cheat Sheet, five licks that work over any blues or rock track.
- Courses. Step-by-step video courses on soloing, harmony, blues, lofi and the fretboard at go.fretsfordays.com.
- Questions. Email rotem@rotemsivan.com.