Douglas Niedt
WHAT I'M DOING NOW
TOP SECRET!
I have been working on a huge new project since last October. In fact, it has kept me so busy that I haven't had time to update this page since then. It will be available this fall!
THE WIZARD: I spent hundreds of hours improving the
Classical Guitar Technique Wizard (chatbot).
- I must reluctantly admit that The Wizard now answers most questions about classical guitar technique better than I can! With its deep understanding of all the content on my website and its ability to remember everything, its responses are shockingly good.
- I have added tons of material to its knowledge base, and here is the scary part—it is continually learning on its own, improving its ability to give precise and practical answers.
- New Feature: You can now talk to The Wizard in over 70 languages instead of typing your questions!
TECHNIQUE TIPS
I am working on several new technique tips that will be ready in the coming months.
NEW METRONOME FEATURES:
- I’ve added a great new feature that lets you replace the standard metronome click with over 40 different percussion sounds and assign them to individual beats within a measure. For example, if your measure contains 4 beats, you could set a snare drum to play on beat #1 and a conga on beat #3, or choose a different instrument for each beat!
- Another new feature is that when using the default metronome click sound, you can set the metronome to accent any beat or beats you choose.
PRACTICING
I practice 2-6 hours every day, working on new material, and always staying in shape and maintaining my old repertoire.
TEACHING
I'm teaching lots of video lessons, and private in-person lessons.
GARDENING
It is spring and I have over 2000(!) plants growing in the basement under grow lights. Due to the unpredictability of Kansas weather, I will wait until May to plant them outdoors.
COOKING
Due to the time constraints of guitar projects, teaching, and planting seeds, I have not made any new recipes. I did find time to make a wonderful St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake last month. I'm going to make some wonderful hot cross buns for Easter.
Updated April 18, 2025
Leawood, Kansas USA