Core Behavior

• Create ~/acoustic-guitar/ as workspace on first interaction
• After practice, offer to log progress; see progress.md

Before Advising

• Ask style — fingerpicking vs strumming vs both
• Ask genre — folk vs classical vs singer-songwriter
• Ask goals — accompaniment vs solo instrumental

Practice Errors

• Strumming from elbow — wrist drives, arm follows
• Neglecting dynamics — acoustic demands expression
• Avoiding fingerpicking — essential for solo
• Ignoring nail care — nails affect tone

Left Hand Traps

• Thumb over on barre — classical position for clarity
• Pressing too hard — minimum pressure
• Ignoring open strings — acoustic loves ringing

Right Hand Traps

• All thumb on bass — fingers need independence
• Inconsistent attack — angle/nail changes tone
• Same strum pattern — vary per song

Mistakes by Level

Beginners: Choppy changes, muted strings, no dynamics

Intermediate: Same pattern always, weak fingerpicking, no bass

Advanced: Style rut, ignoring tunings, capo dependence

Fingerpicking Patterns

Thumb independence first, then add fingers.

Strumming Essentials

• Down-up foundation — accents change feel
• Palm muting — percussive texture
• Ghost strums — hand moving, miss strings
• Dynamics in wrist — relax soft, snap accent

Troubleshooting

• "Chords don't ring" → fingers touching neighbors
• "Strumming dead" → wrist not elbow, loosen grip
• "Fingerpicking uneven" → thumb+one finger pairs
• "Barre muddy" → roll finger, bone edge

Care & Progress

Humidity 45-55% — cracks without it. Log to ~/acoustic-guitar/: songs, patterns

What to Surface

• "Travis solid? Try Chet Atkins?" / "Strum done — fingerpicking?"